Defiance County Library System
Ohioanna Room Defiance Public Library
The Ohioanna Room at Defiance Public Library as stocked with research resources for the avid genealogist or curious family researcher. Here you’ll find locally written family histories, city and county directories, birth, marriage and death records, yearbooks and a multitude of other volumes. The Ohioanna Room also houses microfilm from local newspapers, the Defiance Democrat and The Crescent News.
Johnson Memorial Library Hicksville
Hicksville’s first library was located in a basement room of the old school building. Open house was held on Sept. 20, 1939, and Mrs. Harry Belknap was the first librarian. When larger quarters were needed, Carma Rowe established a building fund. The one story, colonial-style brick structure was dedicated in December of 1953. Carma presented the building in memory of her parents Wesley and Melissa Johnson and her sister Mabel Johnson.
Sherwood Branch Library
Since in 1940, located at 117 North Harrison Street, Sherwood, Ohio 43556
419-899-4343
Defiance’s County Library System History
Defiance Citizens knew the importance of a library to education, entertainment and the sharing of knowledge. They started working toward a library about 1873 with a small collection of books housed in rotation at various businesses and public buildings. There was a fee to be a member and borrow books from the library. The group fund raised for about 20 years and finally were able to apply for funds from Dale Carnegie, a wealthy industrialist who funded small town libraries. Carnegie libraries are distinguished by their many steps at the front entrance representing the feeling that education elevates a person to higher ideals and aspirations. Ground broke August 1904 and completed the following July. An east wing addition was built in 1962 and an additional one in 1969. Jewel Fouke (right) was Defiance Public Library’s first librarian.
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