Ranger Vic, left, pictured after creating a balloon giraffe for young Lucas Wellbaum, 2, who is held by his father Chad Wellabaum with to Lucas’ mother Lotte Wellbaum by his side, the family is from Piqua, during a celebration of the Tipp City Public Library’s 100th anniversary on Monday, June 12.
Amantha Garpiel | Miami Valley Today
Eli Everhart performs live at the Tipp City Public Library’s 100th Anniversary celebration on Monday, June 12.
Amantha Garpiel | Miami Valley Today
TCPL Director Lisa Santucci, center, with Braden Vaughn, left, and Devan Vaughn, right. who are the children of Corey Vaughn, of Tipp City, at a celebration of the Tipp City Public Library’s 100th anniversary on Monday, June 12.
Amantha Garpiel | Miami Valley Today
The staff of the Tipp City Public Library at the 100th Anniversary celebration on Monday, June 12.
Amantha Garpiel | Miami Valley Today
Eisley Teeple, left to right, Imogen Teeple, Erica Teeple and Violette Teeple, of Tipp City, enjoys Bodega Market ice cream sandwiches at the Tipp City Public Library’s 100th Anniversary celebration on Monday, June 12.
Amantha Garpiel | Miami Valley Today
TIPP CITY — The community of Tipp City gathered to help the Tipp City Public Library celebrate its 100th anniversary on Monday, June 12, with a block party in front of the library.
Director Lisa Santucci began the celebration by welcoming the community members and thanking city employees who made the anniversary celebration possible by closing off the block of East Main Street between North Third and South Second Streets in front of the library.
To celebrate the success of the library and its services over the past 100 years, the Tipp City Public Library’s celebration included a bounce house, balloon animals handed out that were made by Ranger Vic for kids and live music performed by Tipp City Public Library Staff Member Eli Everhart. The library also provided free pizza from Tipp City Pizza, and free ice cream sandwiches from Bodega Market, both of which were paid for by donations made to the Tipp City Public Library. Santucci noted that the library chose to use their donations to help support the downtown businesses as they and the rest of the community have supported the library.
“We’re just trying to get everybody involved,” said Santucci. “The theme for this summer, for summer reading to keep kids reading is, ‘All Together Now.’ This is really what this is, all together.”
When asked why she and her daughters came out to the celebration, Erica Teeple, of Tipp City, said, “We love the library and the workers there, it’s our local library.”
Her daughters — Eisley, Imogen and Violette Teeple — were mostly excited for the bounce house and food.
The first library opened on the second floor of the city building on June 12, 1923, with the money for books raised entirely by the Women’s Civic club and three years later, in 1926, the library became a city library for tax purposes. Later, in 1950, John A. and Nellie Herr Smith donated their property next to the City Building for the location of a new library and in 1960 the Tipp City Board of Education requested a $158,000 bond issue to build the new library. Construction of the library was done by Freytag & Freytag Architects of Sidney. This building is where the library stands today at 11 E. Main St. and compared to the 1,500 books the library started with in the City Building, the library today houses over 59,500 books, 4,500 movies and 2,500 books of CD plus 66 periodical titles.
The Tipp City Public Library is being recognized for its 100 years of service with the honor of being Grand Marshals of the Tipp City Mum Festival and leading the parade. The Tipp City Mum Festival is set for Sept. 23 and 24.
