October is Canadian Library Month and no one has done more for libraries in Niagara-on-the-Lake than Gerda Molson, chief librarian at the NOTL Public Library for 35 years, from 1969 until her retirement in 2004.
Gerda passed away this year on Aug. 26 at the age of 83. She led the library through many changes and challenges including its move from the downtown courthouse to our current location and always worked hard to provide high-quality library service to the community.
Gerda’s many contributions to library and community are preserved in our heritage portal, specifically in the Gerda Molson Collection; vitacollections.ca/notlheritage. A few years ago, she donated her collection of newspaper and magazine articles about the library and we scanned and uploaded them to the heritage portal to make them available to all.
These clippings paint a vivid picture of the library’s history during her tenure. Upon her retirement in 2004, the St. Catharines Standard published an article with some interesting details about Gerda’s life and work. She was born in Washington state and emigrated to B.C. with her family when she was 13.
After marrying in 1961, she moved with her husband Hugh to Niagara. Hugh eventually became the chief librarian at the Pelham Public Library while Gerda worked at the St. Catharines Public Library.
In 1969, after seven years rising through the ranks in St. Catharines, Gerda was asked by Les Fowley, director of the Niagara Regional Library System, to “pull the NOTL Public Library into the modern age.” At that time, the library was located in the Court House where it had been expanded and moved around since 1855. It was only open 10 hours per week, had no phone and operated on an annual budget of $3,600. The collection was out of date, featuring how-to books from the 1940s and travel books from the early 1900s.
“Our first step into technology was getting a telephone. Then we did an absolute massive weeding of titles,” she said in the article. Many of the weeded books were sold to a Toronto old-and-rare-books dealer. “Well, it sure was interesting,” she continued with a laugh. “It presented an enormous challenge.”
Under Gerda’s leadership, community use of the library increased, and by the early 1970s, more room for members, the collection and programs, was needed. In 1973, Gerda worked with designer Paul Johns to expand the library into the courthouse jail cells, indoor rifle range and former waterworks department. By the late 1990s, it was apparent the Court House location could not continue to serve the growing community or meet accessibility standards. A new library, after much discussion and not without strong opposition, was opened at 10 Anderson Lane, along with the new Fire Hall in November 2000, during the library’s bicentennial year.
Gerda was always up for a challenge. In addition to her work as chief librarian in NOTL, she was also president of the Ontario Library Association (OLA) during the 1986-87 term. In a 1986 Niagara Advance article she reflected on her election to the OLA president’s position saying, “I love a challenge.” She also loved her work, and said as much in the 2004 Standard article: “I have always felt that I was amazed people paid me to do this. I’ve loved doing what I do and it has continued to be always challenging and changing.”
We’re planting a tree in Gerda’s memory and putting together a community memory book. She touched many lives during her 35 years at the library and we would love to include your memories and photos in the book. Please contact me at [email protected] to share your memories.
Happy Library Month!