Perhaps no one embodied the intersection of intellectual rigor and civic duty better than Gertrude Glennon.
This 1950s photograph captures a typical day at the Stillwater Public Library information desk, where Gertrude (far right) served as the Head Librarian from 1924 to 1962. Born in Stillwater in 1884 to John and Catherine Glennon, Gertrude was a lifelong educator. After graduating from Stillwater High School in 1904 and then St. Cloud Normal School, she taught at Lincoln School before finding her true calling at the library.
To Gertrude, the library was never just a building or a “collection of dead books,” but a “living active agent of service” and a cornerstone of the American Republic. Her annual reports were stirring manifestos on the power of the printed word: “The library is in the strategic position of being a keystone of thinking in our democratic civilization… Teaching thousands to think is one of the most vital problems of education, and books are among our best allies in the fight for democracy.” (1939 & 1951 Reports)
Despite her fierce advocacy for “high social intelligence,” Gertrude was known for her immense personal grace. One resident fondly remembers her kindness when returning a book late after having a baby, while others simply recall her and her colleague, Mrs. Carlson, as the women who “knew everything.”
Gertrude believed the “American creed” was the resolve that every human being should have the opportunity for their “utmost development.” When she passed away in 1963 at the age of 78, she left behind a legacy that proved a library is not just about the books on the shelves, but the democratic spirit they inspire in the citizens who read them.
You can view this photograph in the John Runk Historical Photograph collection during regular library hours.