Speedway Public Library

Story

The story of the Speedway Public Library is a prime example of Speedway spirit.

Opened officially on November 24, 1968, the library represented a dream made reality through hard work, careful planning, cooperation and dedication to the achievement of a goal. Today it serves Speedway with a full range of materials and services geared to all age groups, educational levels, and interests. The population of Speedway increased many fold during its first five decades. Concurrently, there was a nationwide expansion of knowledge, more emphasis on education, and more leisure time with earlier retirement and shorter working hours.

Prior to the establishment of the Speedway Public Library, residents were without adequate library resources. The Speedway High School Library was relatively new and in the process of expanding to fulfill its first mission of serving the students. A public library could offer a greater variety of books serving a wider range of persons and also supplement the school collection of educational materials. The public library started because of one woman's dream, drive, and enthusiasm. Mrs. Alan C. (Betty) Thompson richly deserves credit as the individual who initiated the drive, dedicating more than three years of work, thought and effort to accomplish the completion of the Speedway Public Library. . (Reprinted from The Story of Speedway, Copyright 1975 Speedway Civic Committee)

Today, the Speedway Public Library has over 90,000 items in its collection. Besides popular fiction and informational books, books on automobile racing are collected as a special interest to our patrons. Speedway Public Library also provides popular magazines, books on tape, music CDs, DVDs, electronic databases, public internets, and a wireless network. The library also collects Speedway Public grade school and junior high school textbooks to aid young patrons with their home work, and to assist with afterschool homework help provided by the library. Senior high school Homework help is also offered. (Homework help programs are sponsored by a bequest from Gladys J. Zieglemueller, and a grant from Praxair.)

Other programs include summer reading clubs for adults and children, book discussions for adults and children, story time for children craft programs for children, summer concerts for families, and an annual Christmas party for families. Most programs are sponsored by our Friends of the Speedway Public Library support group. Through book sales, race day parking, day bus trips, and other fundraisers, the Friends sponsor quality programming, so that public funds are used for materials and other vital services.