Before joining FCPL, I worked at the Walton-DeFuniak Library, which is located in a small town in the Florida Panhandle. The library opened its doors December 1887 and is known as the oldest circulating library in the state.
On one of my first days, the director (who has since retired) shared the story of Alice. Alice Fellows was part of the Ladies Library Association, who held fundraiser events for funds to open a library. She was a member from 1894 and became the first paid librarian and continued to hold the position until 1926 when she died from influenza. She was said to be a strict woman who dedicated herself to the library, never having been married or having children. It is rumored that she is still keeping a stern watch over the library.
