Stop by and see our refurbished library.  We have new front doors, blinds, and fresh paint.  Our local history and genealogy has been expanded by a donation of newspaper articles and photos dating back in the history of Merom and Gill township.  Mary Arnett made this useful donation.
		Pottery was donated by artist Curtis Buethe.  Buethe lives  and works from his home in Merom and winters in Arizona.  He is listed in INDIANA CURIOSITIES and is known in  the artist world.  Chris Buethe, father of Curtis, is the author of cowboy stories poetry.  We have one of his books at the library. Any local artists interested in displaying their work, from painting to quilting, is encouraged to talk to the librarian.  These items will be for display only and will not be sold through the library. There is currently jewelry on display made by Merom resident Debra Harden.
Turman paintings at the Merom Library
Professor William T. Turman was born in 1867, one of 12 children.  He was educated in the Turman Township schools and graduated from the Merom Christian College.  Turman went on to school at the University of Pennsylvania , the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and the Chicago Art Institute.  Turman was chairman of the art department at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana for 40 years and was the first president of the Swope Art Museum.  The ISU art gallery was established in 1939.  Since the 1960's it has been known as the Turman Art Gallery.  Turman is known for his impressionistic landscapes of the Wabash Valley.  He won awards from the Swope, Indiana Artists Society, John Herron Art Institute, Penn Academy of Arts in Philadelphia, the Hoosier Salon and the Brown County Art Gallery.   (information garnered from the Sullivan Daily Times May 6, 2008)
	Services photocopier computer for public use with Internet access word processor and games videos adult and juvenile fiction and non-fiction large print books audio cassettes periodicals reference Christian fiction outside book return household battery recycle drop-off box old eyeglass recycle drop-off box  drop off site to recycle computer ink cartridges display notices for nonprofit organizations

The following information was gathered from a pamphlet printed for the Merom Chautauqua in 1995

                In spite of obstacles, determined citizens of Merom, an agricultural town of 700, made a library for their town a reality.

            The first attempt in 1905 failed when the president of Union Christian College appealed to Andrew Carnegie for $25,000 and was rejected. 

            In l916, another attempt by Merom resident Dr. J.J. Parker met with more success.

            John C. Chaney, attorney and congressman, supported the cause by writing the Carnegie Corp. that Merom had a railroad 2 miles to the south . . . was a famous summer resort for recreation seekers, was home of Merom Bluff Chautauqua Assn . . . and “a fine place for a library."

            The main requirement of the Corp. was that tax funds be sufficient to support a library.  To comply, the town joined with Gill Township to create adequate funds from taxation.

            To meet further requirements, W.H. Bridwell, circuit court judge, appointed a library board and a building site was purchased from Joseph and Lutishe Lee for $100.

            The Carnegie Corp. at last approved blueprints, many times revised, in April 1917.  The Merom town board and Gill township trustee would receive $10,000 for building, furnishings and architectural fees.

Ground breaking ceremonies took place May 5, 1917.

            The library was to face yet another problem on June 13 --- township trustee H. V. Lisman withdrew his support because he disagreed with heating and plumbing specifications.  The contract had been let, work started, and materials and furnishings ordered.

            To the Carnegie Corp., this was both unusual and embarrassing.  Letters on how to deal with this crisis went back and forth from Merom to New York.  By July 5, Lisman had changed his mind, renewed his pledge to support the project, and work resumed.

            On September 1, 1918, the library opened with Miss Bonnie Milam as librarian.  In honor of the occasion, well known local artist Will Turman presented one of his paintings.  The library also received a wall hanging listing all Sullivan county men who served in the Civil War.

            Shelves held 1124 books, 928 of which were gifts.  725 books were checked out the first month.

            With the transfer of real estate and building contents, Merom Library joined the Sullivan County Public Library system on December 28, 1967.

            One of the outstanding features of Merom Library is the oak woodwork, which was refinished in 1990 by Brent Sanders, former maintenance coordinator of Sullivan County Public Library.

              The library got some needed work done in 2010.  New outside doors were added.  Painting done on the inside and blinds were added. 

             There have been a total of 17 librarians from 1918 to the present.

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