Title and statement of responsibility area
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- Source of title proper:
- Source of title proper: Title based on content of fonds.
Level of description
Repository
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Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
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Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1898-2010 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
0.62 m of textual records. - 2 architectural drawings.
Publisher's series area
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
During the late 19th century North Hatley became a popular summer destination for Americans. They liked to bring books with them on vacation. These books were stored in a room above a local store until eventually there were enough books to form a library. As residents of Montreal, Sherbrooke, and other areas of Canada began vacationing at North Hatley, and seemed to share interest in books and reading, plans went forth to build a library. A committee was established in 1901 to look into the building of a permanent Library. On August 26th, 1901 a meeting was held and it was decided to go forth with plans to incorporate the institution that would be known as the North Hatley Library Association. The majority of the Library`s construction occurred in the fall of 1903, but the building was not occupied until May 1904.
The Association's mandate was to maintain a Library and Reading Room in the town of North Hatley and to encourage literary culture within the town.
Seven men formed the Association`s first Board of Directors. They were the Rev. A. C. Powell, Dr. C. J. Edgar, the Rev. Edward Smiley, Mr. Hugh L. Bond, Mr. George W. Beaman, Mr. Jean B. LeBaron, and Mr. H. R. Fraser. According to the Articles of Incorporation, three of them had to be permanent residents of North Hatley. It was their responsibility to control the housing of the books and the finances. Another board was created for the women who were involved with the Association: the Board of Lady Managers. It originally consisted of five members, two of whom had to be permanent residents of North Hatley according to the Articles of Incorporation. The Lady Managers were responsible for managing the Library including buying and cataloguing the books, stocking the shelves, and supplying volunteers to work during open hours. They kept their own financial records, but every year they handed over their accumulated proceeds to the Board of Directors. In 1944 the President of the Board of Lady Managers, Anna Bond, was asked to sit on the Board of Directors. She accepted after insisting that the future Presidents of the Board of Lady Managers would also automatically become members of the Board of Directors.
On August 8th, 1961, at the annual meeting, a motion was presented to dispense with the Board of Lady Managers and have only one Board responsible for the management of the Library. The motion was passed and a new set of by-laws were drawn up. It was declared that the Board of Directors would be drawn from the membership at large (those who paid annual subscription fees to the Library). Committees that dealt with specific functions of the Library replaced the other two Boards (technically the Board of Lady Managers was comprised of 2 groups: Summer Residents and Permanent Residents).
Many people have given very dedicated service to the Association over the years. One such man was the Rev. Mr. A. C. Powell, who was on the Board of Directors for 43 years. It was the Rev. Powell who pushed for the construction of the library building and helped raise funds to do so.
The North Hatley Library Association is still a functioning body. It continues to operate on a volunteer basis. In the 1980s the Library began expanding its services to the community to include film presentations, artist exhibitions, and receptions. It also helped serve the reading needs of the elderly in the Connaught Home and the White House, two seniors' homes in the town. In the early 1990s its membership remained predominantly English.
Custodial history
The documents were maintained by the North Hatley Library Association until their transfer to the ETRC.
Scope and content
The fonds contains source material on the history, administration, finances, activities, Board of Lady Managers, committees, subscription, accession, visitation, and construction of the North Hatley Library Association and its Library from 1898 to 2010. It consists of the Articles of Incorporation, by-laws, minutes, financial records, reports, correspondence, subscriber records, accession records, a specification for construction work, and a visitor book. The fonds is comprised of the following series: Administration of the Association (1898-1998), Administration of the Library (1901-2010), Special Events and Projects (1974-2000).
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
The documents were donated in 2005 and 2023 by the North Hatley Library Association.
Arrangement
The subscription book from 1935-1941 (P155/002/002a) is missing some dates and corresponding subscription records from 1940-1941. This missing information can be found in the subscription book from 1940-1941 (P155/002/002a).
The subscription book entitled W. Edgar preserved in P155/002/002c does not have any recorded dates.
Some of the financial records are preserved in the file Minutes P155/001/002
The Board of Lady Managers was in charge of the Library's subscriptions and the accession of books prior to the merge of the Boards in 1961. The Association took over both responsibilities after the merge. Subscriptions from 1935 to 1959 are preserved in file Subscriptions (P155/002/002), and subscriptions from 1963 to 1989 are preserved in the file Subscriptions (P155/001/004). The accession of books prior to 1930 is preserved in the file Accessions (P155/002/003), and the accession of books from 1930 to 1991 is preserved in the file Accessions (P155/001/005).
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script note
The documents are in English.
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Employee files (P155/002/005) are restricted until 2109.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
The following finding aid is available: The Catalogue to the North Hatley Library Association fonds (P155), Prepared by Cara O'Connell under the supervision of Sophie Morel, December 2005.
Generated finding aid
Associated materials
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
General note
An accrual to the fonds was processed courtesy of funding from the Bélanger-Gardner Foundation by Joanie Tétreault, archival technician, under the supervision of Jazmine Aldrich, Head Archivist, in 2023.
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Rules or conventions
Finding aid prepared using Rules for Archival Description (RAD).
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
- 28 janvier, 2016
- September 8, 2023