Library History

Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 9:00--6:00
Thursday: 9:00--8:00
Saturday: 9:00--2:00

Founded in 1937 as a project of the Hesston Women's Civic Club, the library was established as a "free" library of donated books collected "for the betterment of the Hesston community". Until it became officially a tax supported public library in 1967, volunteers from the Civic Club operated the library with both limited resources and limited hours of service. In 1972 a bond issue was passed and the city acquired the old Post Office building to house the library. Since 1972, two additions have been built on the original building. The Hesston Public Library was recognized in 1986 as one of 50 outstanding public libraries in the United States by the University of Illinois Research Center. Hesston Public Library is a member library of the South Central Kansas Library System, which has its headquarters in South Hutchinson, Kansas.

Collections

The library circulates over 39,000 items, including books for all ages, periodicals, recordings (records, audio-cassettes, and CDs), videos and DVDs, filmstrips, and audio-visual equipment. Special collections include educational toys (including a puppet theater), sewing patterns, and the following subject collections: quilts and quilting, ecology and the environment, landscaping and trees, transportation, inter generational relations, the Amish and Mennonites, learning to read, resources for after school activity programs, internal assets topics, conscious aging,  family diversity materials, spirituality titles, lifelong wellness materials, "G-rated" large print titles and traditional values fiction in alternate formats (CD books and DVDs). Most books may be checked out for three weeks. Periodicals have a 3 day checkout period. Toys are checked out for one week, as are videos, new books, and best selling titles.

For More Information visit the Hesston Municipal Library Website