By Mark Schmerling

In the late 1800s, some enterprising individuals began delivering books on loan to residents of the outlying areas of the very small village of Tryon.

That effort led to an 1889 discussion among five women about the town’s need for a library, an idea which the community supported. The next year, Mary Lanier, widow of noted poet Sidney Lanier, who died in Lynn, donated two volumes of his poems, the first two books in what is now the Lanier Library, at 72 Chestnut Street, Tryon.

On April 17, 1890, books were available for circulation. The Lanier Club, incorporated in 1905, became the Lanier Library Association in 1956. By that time, the current library building, constructed in 1905, at a cost of $1,375, had been expanded, as it has been twice since then.

Currently, the Lanier Library offers over 20,000 fiction and non-fiction volumes, a variety of programs that help bond the community, steady modernization, and, as of this spring will see a changing of executive directors, from long-serving Vonda Krahn who is retiring after 22 years with the library, to Lisa Lyon.

“The reins will shift,” Lyon said, deliberately employing a horse-related term.

A native of northern Kentucky, and for some time a Tryon resident, Lyon had served as youth services coordinator for the Laurens County (S.C.) Library system, and in the children’s and teen’s departments at Spartanburg County Library system’s Headquarters Library in Spartanburg. Her emphasis in both counties has been in reading programs.

One of fewer than 20 subscription/membership libraries in the country, Lanier Library receives no public funding. Instead, it’s supported by the very modest dues of $30 per household (“It’s the best deal in town!” Lyon emphasized), private donations, and a “sizable” endowment that has grown from membership donations.

On its 125th anniversary, the Lanier Library, Lyon notes, is Tryon’s oldest civic organization. As such, it served as much more than a repository for books.

“It’s more than a library,” Lyon said, pointing out that it also serves as a recorder of local history. “Our library is full of amazing art. It’s amazing how the members and the public give, not only financial contributions, but also artwork.” One need not be a member to enter the library.

Because the library offers such a relaxed setting, Lyon said that many spontaneous book discussions spring forth inside its walls.

Lyon proudly remarked that Lanier Library displays “a really great collection of art. That’s a focus of the library, not just the literary arts, but all the arts. It’s a very special place,” Lyon said of Lanier Library. People bring artwork from their travels.”

In addition, the library displays a good selection of items crafted by Tryon Toymakers.

Lanier Library’s mission statement reads: “The continuing purpose of the Lanier Library is to promote and maintain literary and cultural activities and enhance its unique assets. We look to the future and welcome new members who can bring the best of literary arts to the community in its beautiful arts and crafts style building.”

 

To that end, the library partners with Tryon Fine Arts Center, Upstairs Artspace, and many other civic groups, and is a member of Foothills Chamber of Commerce.

“We constantly support each other,” Lyon noted. “We do programs in all the schools, public and private.” Currently, self-portraits by local third-graders adorn some of the book display cases.

Brown Bag Lunch programs presented monthly are open to the public. These programs feature local and regional authors, historians, musicians and poets. The library also hosts its annual Lanier Library Festival in April.

While the library features a modern electronic book management system it also features a real, working card catalog. “We maintain it,” Lyon pointed out. “It’s not just an artifact.”

The electronic book management system, Lyon emphasizes, “will enhance the library’s presence on the web, and take advantage of more communications through social medial and e-mail”. While the library offers use of computers, Lyon said that many individuals bring their own computers to the library to take advantage of the Internet connection.

Lyon said she plans to work mostly with Lanier’s board, to further the mission of the library. She’ll also work with the staff to develop new digital resources for the library.

“One of my goals is to make the library more accessible to everybody, including families with young children. The children are tomorrow’s members. We have to get them hooked now.”

The library’s welcoming nature encourages former members to keep returning, Lyon said. Literature and art provide a common theme.

For Lyon, the library “is a precious little jewel that we want to continue forever in Tryon. The Lanier Library plays a role in preserving the original historic character of the town of Tryon. I feel very fortunate to be working with all these civic-minded people, many of whom are library board volunteers.”

A retirement reception will be held for Vonda Krahn on Saturday, May 23 from 10 a.m. to noon at the library for members and the public.

Lanier Library hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m.; Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m., and Sundays 1-4 p.m. Call 828-859-9535 or visit lanierlib.org for more information.