[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 143 (Friday, November 9, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1737]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ON THE LAKE WORTH PUBLIC LIBRARY 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 9, 2012

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the 
100th anniversary of the Lake Worth Public Library. This library is a 
symbol of what a community can accomplish when it comes together for a 
common goal and embodies the American hunger for knowledge and 
education.
  In 1912, as the city of Lake Worth was being built, the women of this 
new city recognized the need for a library. That year, the local 
newspaper sent out an appeal for book donations. As the donations came 
in, Mr. and Mrs. John L. McKissock would ride their bicycles the seven 
miles to West Palm Beach to pick up the donated books and bring them 
back to the new library in Lake Worth. A point of pride for the Lake 
Worth community is that the Lake Worth Library was established five 
months before the first school and almost two years before electricity 
was brought into the city.
  As the library outgrew its room in the Lake Worth City Hall, plans 
were made for the library to be established as a memorial library in 
honor of General William Jenkins Worth, the man credited with ending 
the Seminole Wars. However, the bill that would have made this possible 
was vetoed by President Roosevelt after passing Congress.
  The citizens of Lake Worth never gave up though. They worked 
together, and through fundraising and smart investment, they were able 
to complete the new library in 1941. Thanks to a sizable donation from 
James and William Strait, the Lake Worth Public Library was able to 
even open an art wing which was later converted to a children's 
library.
  To this day, the Lake Worth Public Library is not your average 
community library. In addition to being a hub of educational activity 
for adults and children alike, the library is home to unique treasures 
such as the only known collection of historic paintings by R. Sherman 
Winton, and wood carvings by Sam J. Schlappich, a Lake Worth artist who 
exhibited at the Century of Progress Fair in 1933 and the 1939 World 
Fair.
  Libraries like the Lake Worth Public Library and others around the 
country serve a vital role in our communities. They provide access to 
computers, books, and research material, host cultural events, and 
offer technology training essential in today's job market to people 
from all walks life. Libraries break down barriers and bring 
communities together, and the Lake Worth Public Library is no 
exception.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the Lake Worth Public Library, and I 
look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that despite cuts 
to Federal, State, and municipal budgets, libraries across the United 
States receive the support they need to continue their vitally 
important work.

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