General Federation of Women’s Club- Mt. Pleasant Library Fund

Since the 1870s, women in Mt. Pleasant have supported public libraries. As the Queen Isabella Literary, Library and Music Association, Mount Pleasant women established and maintained a small library funded by private subscription and social events. Members pooled and donated their own books to start the library, which burned down shortly after its establishment.

 The women’s club movement sparked the women of Mt. Pleasant to dissolve the LLM Association and form the Mt. Pleasant Women’s Club. A year after this formation, the Michigan General Federation of Women’s Club (GFWC MI) was born.

 The General Federation of Women’s Club- Mt. Pleasant, Inc. participates in volunteer service projects and literacy initiatives. For over a century, the club has been a strong advocate for the Chippewa River District Library and its important role in serving Isabella County residents. If it hadn’t been for the determination of the Mt Pleasant Women’s Club/GFWC Mt Pleasant, it is possible that to this day Mt Pleasant and Isabella County might not have a library.

 In 1909, the Mount Pleasant Women’s Club again began the process of establishing a public library in town by approaching the City Council with a petition for a public library and asking for a 1 mill tax levy. When the city Council finally, reluctantly agreed, it was the Mt Pleasant Women’s Club who provided all the books, bookcases, and all of their reserve funding. The ladies even sent one of their members to the University of Michigan summer school in Ann Arbor to train as a librarian for the new library.

 In the 1920s, the Unitarian Church gave its building to house the library. This time the Women’s Club was asked to contribute $1,000.00 to the library; they contributed $2,643.00. And from the founding of the library, at least one member of the Board has been a Women’s Club member; often it has been as many as 4.

 In 1972, when it was learned that the library was looking to expand, the Women’s Club stepped up with $5,000.00 for the project. And for the last 40 years, the Women’s Club, under its former name or today’s GFWC Mt Pleasant, has made an annual contributions to the library.

 With approximately 1,300 members, GFWC MI unites women’s clubs in service projects that enhance the lives of others and improve local communities. Changing the local chapter name from the Mt. Pleasant Women’s Club to GFWC Mt. Pleasant, Inc. occurred around the 100-year anniversary of the organization in 1994.

From the beginning, GFWC MI has been dedicated to education and learning. Women’s Clubs played a significant role in establishing over 75% of libraries in the nation, helping to create access to lifelong learning.

To continue that legacy of support, the club established the General Federation of Women’s Club- Mt. Pleasant, Inc. Library Fund at the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation. This designated fund supports the Chippewa River District Library in carrying out its role and mission as set forth in its governing documents