Demmer Library reflects on 2024

As the year 2025 starts, the Demmer Library in Three Lakes wants to take a moment and reflect on 2024 and the 75 years of service it celebrated.
The vision for a public library in the town of Three Lakes formed out of the establishment of the local Women’s Club. After creating the club in 1946, its members made organizing a community library their first priority. For three years the women collected books donated by residents and vacationers, and in June of 1949 the Free Library officially opened to the public. The library was set up in the first-grade room at the Three Lakes School and was open Fridays from 2 to 5 p.m. with all members of the Women’s Club expected to take turns to run it. However, as the coming school year approached, a new location had to be found. The Congregational Church invited the library to use the free space in the church’s basement. In 1950, the first acting librarian, Francis Waite, was appointed, and it was voted on to pay her $20 per month.
In the winter of 1958, the Town of Three Lakes finished constructing a new civic building and welcomed the library inside its walls. Shortly after, the management of the library transferred to the town. For nine years, while inside the civic building, the library’s impact within the community grew. Notably, in 1964, the popular Children’s Story Hour began, a proud tradition that remains a part of the library to this day. By 1970 the library’s collection had once again outgrown its space. As the library board searched for a new location, a Vilas County News article featured the cramped conditions of the library. That article captured the attention of the Edward U. Demmer Foundation and the Demmer family who arranged a meeting with the library board for a tour of Three Lakes and its library. After touring the community, the Demmer family decided to build a two-level library for the community, determining the lot next to the civic building to be the best location. Construction happened quickly, and in 1971 the Edward U. Demmer Memorial Library opened its doors to the public.
Since the construction of the original building, the library has seen two major upgrades. In 1987 an addition was added to the northwest side of the building to accommodate collection growth and to create office spaces for staff. In 2009, a gift from the estate of Lawrence Demmer, the son of Edward U. Demmer, kicked off a building renovation and expansion project. This project finished in 2019, adding two large meeting rooms, three study rooms, a “Libratory” interactive room, a Local History room with a connected Historical Museum visitor center, and an expanded children’s section. To this day, Story Hour is a staple of Demmer Library programming.
Since 1949, and continuing today, the Three Lakes Women’s Club has given support and donations to the library and the library continues to be extremely grateful to the club.

On Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, the library celebrated its anniversary with an open house, a slideshow, a new logo, cookies, and memories. The Women’s Club graciously provided historical photos of the library through the years and highlighted the many ways the library has supported the community.
The year 2024 also welcomed a new director who brings with her fresh ideas while also honoring what the Demmer Library has always been, a welcoming space.
“The Demmer has grown to be so much more than a library,” says Director Jill Roth. “It’s a community center, a classroom, a technology support desk, and so much more.”
For more information or questions, call the library at 715-546-3391.