hosted by

Fort Scott Public Library

8am

Fort Scott Public Library
201 S. National Ave.

We hope to see you there!

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to attend a Chamber Coffee on Thursday, April 23, at 8 a.m., hosted by the Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National. The coffee will take place downstairs in the events room. Please enter through the north entrance. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served, and attendees will have the opportunity to win a door prize.

This special gathering takes place during National Library Week (April 19–25, 2026), a nationwide celebration sponsored by the American Library Association that highlights the vital role libraries play in our communities. This year’s theme, “Find Your Joy,” encourages everyone to explore all the library has to offer.

The Fort Scott Public Library has proudly served the community since 1891, growing from its beginnings in Eugene Ware’s office into a cornerstone resource for Fort Scott and the surrounding area. Today, the library continues to evolve as a modern information hub, recently completing a new adult learning area while expanding spaces for children, teens, makers, and a “Library of Things.”

In addition to its updated spaces, the library offers a wide range of services including free digital platforms like Kanopy, Hoopla, Libby, and CloudLibrary, along with programs such as Story Time, Golden Aces, Book Clubs, and Summer Reading for all ages. Community members are encouraged to stop in, reconnect with the library, and explore everything it has to offer.

For more information, contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 or visit the Events Calendar at fortscott.com and click on the “Chamber Coffees” category for upcoming hosts and locations.

Click HERE to visit

Fort Scott Public Library

Facebook Page!

Click HERE to visit

Fort Scott Public Library

website!

Fort Scott Carnegie Library postcard, circa 1908.

Fort Scott Public Library, 2025

Historical Timeline:

• 1883-The Library Association was founded in Fort Scott.
• 1891- Eugene Ware established the Ware Public Library in Fort Scott. Mr. Ware uses the front of his law office as the library space. It was located at 113 Market Street, Fort Scott, where it stayed until the fall of 1892. The annual membership cost for the library was $4.
• 1893- The Ware Public Library opens at the Redfield Building on Wall St.
• 1894- Ware donated his library collection to the City of Fort Scott, and the citizens voted to establish a free Fort Scott Public Library to be maintained by the taxpayers. The new library board votes to stay in the Redfield building at a monthly rent of $25. Mary Barlow made the first librarian of the Fort Scott Public Library.
• 1901- Andrew Carnegie donated $18,000 for the construction of a library building.
• 1902- Fort Scott Public Library construction starts. The building is designed in the Second Renaissance Revival style.
• 1904- The library is opened sometime in February.
• 1911- Hitching posts removed from the front of the library.
• 1918- The Library sent over 700 books, short stories, and boxes to the troops at the front during WWI.
• 1923- Mary Barlow retires from the Fort Scott Library after 32 years. She had also been the librarian for the Ware Public Library.
• 1936- A Children’s area was made in the library
• 1942- The library donated 1,137 books to the Victory Book Campaign during WWII.
• 1965- The library joins the Southeast Kansas Library System. This provides the library with access to interlibrary loans and rotating collections.
• 1973- The library was deeded to the city of Fort Scott.
• 1987- The library is placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the Kansas State Historical Society as a historic Carnegie Library.
• 1990- The Library card catalog is put on a computer.
• 2013- Fort Scott Public Library joined the SEKnFind consortium, a group of 52 Southeast Kansas libraries. This gives access to the catalogs and collections of all these libraries, expanding services to patrons.
• 2014- Fort Scott Public Library joined the Sunflower/Libby eLibrary consortium, giving our patrons access to eBooks and audiobooks.
• 2016- The library temporarily moved into the old City Hall offices in Memorial Hall, so that the library building could undergo a major renovation.
• 2017- In April, the library reopened in the newly remodeled original Carnegie Building, giving longevity to the building, ensuring it will be there for future generations.
• 2025- The library has a newly redesigned library website to serve our patrons better online. The library was also rearranged to accommodate new services and the relocation of the children’s room and computers.

231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701

620-223-3566

fortscott.com