T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY Lily Johnson and Pieper Peitig of Marshalltown were but two of the dozens of attendees who posed for “shelfies” taken by library staff at Sunday’s 10th anniversary event. Library Director Sarah Rosenblum said “shelfies” were a take-off on the ever-popular “selfies.” The backdrop behind the two girls is a giant facsimile of a library card with key dates in the library’s history, Actual smaller versions were placed on the inside of library books and material to record check-outs. They have been replaced by electronic-record keeping.

The Marshalltown public library is busy seven days a week, but attendance skyrocketed Sunday as well-wishers stopped to help staff celebrate the 10th anniversary at its current location.

Approximately 300,000 visitors annually use a myriad of library services, said Library Director Sarah Rosenblum.

Some visitors may not have known the local Emerson Process Management company donated the land, or that voters, by a 70 percent to 30 percent margin, supported a critical bond referendum assessed to property taxes to help build the facility.

The well-organized initiative was supported by a $1 million dollar donation from the local Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation.

And they may not have known voters went back to the polls nearly four years ago and passed another measure to make Sunday hours possible and to help buy new materials annually all done to facilitate the library’s $1 million+ budget.

A large majority of the library’s operational funds come from the city of Marshalltown, with other taxpayer generated funds contributed by Marshall County. The Friends of the Library support other initiatives with fundraising.

The packed meeting room which hosted Sunday’s celebration clearly represented library users, youth to middle-age to older.

Meanwhile, dozens of others lined-up and posed for “shelfies” – photos taken by library staff.

Participants held books standing in front of a giant library card with key historical dates of library development.

Passersby learned a free public library was first established in 1898.

In 1902, the library moved to 36 N. Center St. (currently city offices).

In 1975 a large addition was added at 10 W. State St. (now Parks & Recreation offices).

The Boone Street location opened in 2008.

In 2013, the library was selected in competition from 16,000 libraries to receive the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.

It is the only Iowa library to receive the award Marshalltown School District educators Christine Eige, Natalie Elliot and Mallory Jhent had a “shelfie” taken, they said, to have fun and later get complimentary cake.

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Contact Mike Donahey, 641-753-6611, or mdonahey@timesrepublican.com.