After many decades of talk within Highland County of the need for a library, in 1974 James Bowen worked on building a coalition of residents who were interested in having a library and were willing to advocate for one. He reached out to Linda Krantz, library director at the Botetourt-Rockbridge Regional Library, and asked about joining their regional library system. Krantz was receptive and very helpful in providing the necessary information and support.
In January 1975, Bowen attended the Highland County Board of Supervisors meeting and made a formal request to the supervisors to join the regional library system. County funding support was required to establish a public library for Highland County. To obtain Virginia State Aid and to become “official,” the county government was required to provide 65% of the library budget. Bowen’s first request was for roughly $1 per capita to sign a contract to join the regional system. There were donors ready and willing to pay the other 35% and offer free rent for a location. He requested $1,650, which, to be fair, would be about $9676 today. He presented a petition in support with 300 signatures. On that night the board took no action.
Three months later Bowen was at the Board of Supervisor’s meeting again to make his pitch, having secured even more commitments of support, both financial and moral.
To quote The Recorder (April 10, 1975) “Two of the supervisors, Roy V. Robertson and Robert Hooke indicated that they feel there is not enough money in the budget to allow the approval of the library system. Hooke also said he is not sure there are enough people in Highland County who read books to justify the large expenditure, and Robertson said he does not feel that many people in the county would use the library.” No decision was made that night, the matter was deferred to a later budget session.
The editor of The Recorder, Joseph Pritchard, published an editorial expressing dismay at the attitude of the two supervisors, calling their comments “a real put-down.” He added further, “It seems a burlesque for the majority of the board of supervisors to say there is no interest. Both men claim they have heard much opposition to the library. Is this to say they have personally heard from 300 persons to equal the names on the petition alone?” (April 10, 1975).
