Morell Library

1945

The first library in Morell opened around 1945 and was situated within the home of Mrs. Duncan Coffin. In 1946, the library was re-located to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bryon Webster. In 1956, the Webster family moved from Morell to New Brunswick. The library was moved to a room in the local school. Due to increased class sizes and space constraints, in 1965 the library was asked to vacate its premises in the school. The library would remain closed for the next three years while the community searched for suitable accommodations. On March 29, 1968, the library officially reopened in a building formerly occupied by the local Legion. The library occupied the ground floor of the building. In 1978, the building housing the library was purchased by the local PEI Credit Union League. The Credit Union decided to demolish the building, which resulted in the library searching for a new location. In 1979, the library was established temporarily in a former dressmaker’s store (Mrs. Freeman Jay’s Dress Shop). It would remain in this location until 1981, when the library moved to a newly renovated Fire Hall complex. In 1989, the provincial government announced its plan to relocate Provincial Library Headquarters from Charlottetown to Morell. On March 25, 1993, the Morell Public Library branch officially opened in a new dual facility which houses the local public library and the administrative library offices.
Staff:

  • Marion Coffin/Kelly, 1945–1946
  • Mrs. Jean [A.B.] Webster, 1946–1956
  • Mrs J.F. MacInnis, 1956–1973
  • Francis Cobb, 1973–1993 [longest serving librarian]
  • Carol McGrath, 1993–2006
  • Maria VanDeCappelle, 2006–Present

History Fact

Started in 1945, the first community library in Morell operated out of private homes for the first 11 years of its existence.

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