This year marks the 50th anniversary since the libraries in Frostburg, Westernport, Washington Street in Cumberland, and Pennsylvania Avenue School in South Cumberland merged to become the Allegany County Library System on July 1, 1960.  Jill Craig, Digitization Librarian, at Western Maryland Regional Library has helped the library system commemorate the occasion by digitizing photos, articles, and other ephemera from the library’s archive, hosting the collection on Whilbr, Western Maryland’s Historical Library website: www.whilbr.org

“We are very appreciative of Jill’s efforts and for the support from Western Maryland Regional Library to create this space on the web.  Since we’re always moving forward and striving to meet the needs of the community with new and exciting collections, programs, and services, it has been nice to step back and take stock of where we’ve come from,” says Lisa McKenney, Public Services Coordinator.  “With Whilbr, people across the county can take a trip down memory lane to read articles that highlight library progress, see what the branches used to look like, and view photos of favorite library staff—past and present.”

The Allegany County Library System can be viewed by visiting www.whilbr.org/ACLS_50thAnniversary/index.aspx

The library system now has 6 branches and a Bookmobile, serving library patrons across the county.  Each location has been holding celebrations, one event per month since April, with events scheduled through August.