Hi, I’m Ashleigh Edwards. For those of you who do not know me, I have worked at the Marshville Library going on four years this November. How has it been that long? Where does the time go??? Not only do I work at the Marshville Library, but I have resided in the Marshville area for almost 28 years. Living in Marshville my whole life means I have seen the town grow and change, including the location of the library.
The current library building, Lois Morgan Edwards Library, opened on October 12, 2003. Its construction was made possible by a generous donation from the Edwards family in memory of the late Lois Morgan Edwards, a school teacher and mother of the benefactor, Caroll Edwards.
Prior to its current location at 414 Hasty Street, the library that I grew up in was at 118 East Union Street where the Marshville Town Hall is today.
Fun fact: The move from East Union to Hasty was not the Marshville Library’s only “big move.” It has moved over 5 times since its humble beginnings at the home of Mrs. A.L. Marsh in 1933.* It was not until 1943 that the Marshville Library became a branch of the Union County Public Library System.**
My first library card was issued right here in this small, quaint library that I would drag my mother to at least once a week, if not more.
I would take stacks and stacks of books home each week, and I even remember when computers were first installed for patron use. I joked when I first started working at UCPL that I was the reason why book limits were set in place. I would take home around seventy-five books each week and would have at least two or three read by the time I got home. The librarians that worked here and moved to the current location truly inspired me growing up to continue to learn more and more each day. I am forever grateful for all the time they took whether it was helping me pick out my next great read or assisting me with my homework.
While I adore the Lois Morgan Edwards Memorial Library and admire its beautiful architecture, the East Union location will always be near and dear to my heart. It’s where I fell in love with reading and really felt that “Your library makes our small corner of the world feel big” (Beauty and the Beast).
Ashleigh Edwards, Library Associate
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