Rosedale Public Library

The Rosedale Public Library started out in the home of Alma Morris until 1935, when it moved into a newly renovated room in the Court House under the guidance of West Bolivar County Library Director Lorene Rush Goza. During the renovation, the library was operated out of a borrowed bookmobile at the Court House. Ms. Goza was succeeded by Rosa Belle Shelby in December 1940.

Newly decorated, the library had an Open House on June 7, 1959, that feature Benoit author George Patterson, who autographed his book Out on Egypt Ridge. Bobbette Farrar was the librarian at this time and was succeeded upon her retirement in 1973 by Vivia Lorance Michael, who served until 1979.

The library moved from the Court House in 1979 to its present building on Front Street. The building was designed by Kaplan & Oakland, who won awards for their innovative design, and built by Roy Collins Construction. The librarian in 1979 was Elizabet McCreary Myrick, who was succeeded by Joyce Applegate in 1986.

The library received a thorough renovation in the fall of 2017 through the determined efforts of the Friends of Rosedale. The renovation was spearheaded by Board member Becky Lewis, who was awarded a 2017 Mississippi Library Association Champion Award in recognition for her dedication. An Open House was held on January 26, 2018, to celebrate the renovation. At the Open House, the Friends of Rosedale recognized former librarian Joyce Applegate with a plaque for her 20 years (1986-2006) of dedicated service and named the meeting room “The Joyce Applegate Room.”

Martha Lawson has been the librarian since 2007. Martha received the Mississippi Library Association’s Mary Julia Anderson Award in 2015 for her tireless dedication to the library field and her patrons.

In 1928, the Bolivar County Board of Supervisors gave space on the third floor of the Court House and a small monthly sum for books. The County took over partial financing of both Cleveland (and Rosedale) libraries in 1943. In 1948, Cleveland Public Library was moved from the Court House to the Cleveland High School.

Following renovation, the Cleveland library was moved to a store building (formerly the Davis Furniture Company) at 120 North Street and formally opened on April 5, 1959. In November 1959, a tragic house fire killed the Cleveland librarian Dorothy Robinson Carpenter and her family. Her parents purchased the present property and together the Robinson family and the City of Cleveland built the Dorothy Robinson Carpenter Family Memorial Library (eventually shortened to Robinson-Carpenter Memorial Library). The project included adding an addition to the original structure (formerly the McPheeters Gift Shop). The formal dedication was held July 2, 1961.

In 1965, a construction grant from the MLC allowed for a 2,816 square feet addition that added the Mississippi Room. Following this addition, Mrs. John T. Smith added the walled garden (courtyard) as a memorial to her husband, which was dedicated in April 1967. After acquiring an adjoining lot, a final addition was added in 1979, adding another 4,200 square feet.