Take a moment to look up at the grand façade of the Herrick District Library here in downtown Holland-now, imagine it’s a hundred and sixty years ago. Instead of this spacious building, picture a much cozier scene: a few books huddled together on the second floor of Holland’s old City Hall, the muffled shuffle of boots on creaky wooden floors, and the low hum of people talking about the latest shipment of newspapers from the East Coast. When the Holland Public Library was first established in 1867, it didn’t have much-a handful of volumes, and a rather nomadic lifestyle. They moved those plucky books from the old City Hall, to the top of the Model Drug Store, and finally to the new City Hall in 1911. The library even survived the Great Holland Fire and decades of expansion and contraction, but by 1960, the time had come for something bigger.
Here’s where the plot thickens. Enter Hazel Hayes, Holland’s first professional librarian. She must have read a lot of detective novels, because she tracked down Ray Herrick, a local boy turned industrial titan-and sent him the world’s most productive “Hey, can you help us?” letter. Months later, a mysterious, anonymous donation arrived: $300,000! Let’s just say the envelope wasn’t marked “From Batman,” but it might as well have been. Soon after, everyone found out it was Herrick himself, giving back to the city that shaped him.
In 1960, the new Herrick Public Library opened on River Avenue. Back then, Mayor Robert Visscher was so overwhelmed, he declared, “Never in the history of the community has anything so wonderful happened to the city of Holland… There is nothing we need as much as a new library.” And so, the adventure of Herrick Library began! But like all good stories, there were new challenges ahead. Holland grew, surrounding townships got curious about this marvel, and soon 25,000 people tuned in for story hour… then 50,000… then 100,000! By the 1990s, Herrick Library was bursting at the seams. Librarians squeezed into tiny offices and, rumor has it, if you whispered too loudly, someone in the next town over would shush you back!
Something had to give. Enter community action, fundraising, and a citywide millage referendum-the kind of thing that gets every vote counter excited. In 1999, after 18 months of construction dust and book juggling, Herrick reopened, now twice the size, with an auditorium, programming rooms, and more space than the librarians could dream of! Today, Herrick checks out more than a million items a year-enough to fill a small moving van every day! There’s even a North Side Branch, because, well, readers grow like books on a shelf. And thanks to the voters of Holland, this library keeps expanding its hours, its walls, and its reach.
So, as you stand here surrounded by history and stories, know you’re in a place built by dreamers, readers, and one very generous letter-writer. Now, who’s up for finding the next mystery novel inside?
