Dodge City Public Library, located north of downtown at 1001 N 2nd Ave, Dodge City, Kansas, is the city's main library. A member of the Southwest Kansas Library System, it has a collection of approximately 123,000 volumes, and it circulates more than 189,000 items annually. It offers several services to the public, including public internet access, notary service, and programs for children and adults.

History

In January 1905, local women's clubs in Dodge City encouraged judge E.H. Madison to ask philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to fund a library building for the city. Carnegie responded with a grant of $7500; construction of a building at the downtown intersection of 2nd and Spruce began in 1906, and the library opened in February 1907. It remained in the Carnegie building until 1970, when it moved to 606 First Avenue due to size constraints of the original building.Wortman, Julie. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory--Nomination Form: Dodge City Public Library". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved 2015-03-29. In 1979, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places."National and State Registers of Historic Places: Ford County". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved 2015-03-29. In 1981, the Dodge City Arts Council obtained funds to preserve the original Carnegie building, operating it as the Carnegie Center for the Arts."Dodge City Main Street Launches Historical Downtown Building Promotional Campaign". Western Kansas News. 2013-03-14. Retrieved 2015-03-29.

In 1980, construction began on a new, larger location for the library at 1001 N 2nd Avenue. The library moved to this location in 1981, and it remains in this location today. In 2019, the Kansas Heritage Center, a historical archive and research library, was moved from Dodge City USD 443 to the Dodge City Public Library.

Other city libraries The other library in the city is the Dodge City Community College Library, which holds more than 30,000 volumes and serves as a federal depository library.

References

External links Dodge City Public Library - official site