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The following notice appeared in The Sundridge Echo, December 24, 1896. By-Law No. 76 for Establishing a Free Library with Assent of the Electors. "Whereas a number of the electors have petitioned the Council of the said Village praying for the establishment of a Free Library under the Free Libraries Act. Be it therefore enacted by the said Municipal Council of the said Village of Sundridge, that in case the assent of the electors is given to this by law, a Free Library be established in this Municipality in accordance with the provisions of the Free Libraries Act." The vote to pass or oppose the by-law took place in the Orange Hall Jan 5, 1897. On that day the electors of Sundridge gave their consent for the establishment of the library. Thus the Sundridge-Strong Union Public Library is celebrating this year, 1987, its ninetieth anniversary. Before 1897 no Public Library existed, however there was a 11 reading room" rented by the village of $4.00 monthly in the home of Mr. George Seidewand, the local shoemaker. Here the villagers could read various newspapers, journals and magazines. At a special meeting of Council on Jan. 28, 1897, K. Hall, Alex Thorn and W. D. Auldjo were appointed the first "Directors" of the Public Library. The library was still housed in the reading room at the same monthly rate of $4.00. In I898, Miss Ross and Miss Short, public school teachers were chosen as directors of the Library Board. The third director was Mrs. Auldjo. This same year the ratepayers were invited to tender for the location of the reading room. The tender of Mrs. Seidewand was accepted on condition that she furnish the room, provide heat and light, and act as librarian at a monthly salary of $5.00. Thorn and Haroer of the "Echo" were paid $2.50 for printing the rules and regulations of the Library. Unfortunately there exists no copy of these. In April 1898, Council declared that no smoking was to be allowed in the library, and cards were posted to this effect. The library books were valued at $400.00 in 1901, and $12.00 was paid in insurance. When Mr. Seidewand became post-master in 1907, the library was moved to the north side of Main St. to Mrs. Tom Black's furniture store; this is now the apartment building immediately south of the present post-office. About 1911 the concrete block jail was built on the site of Mrs. Helen Copeman's home. The jail was a squat, square, ugly, building and the library was transferred to this place. The village teaching staff, Miss Plank (Mrs. A. M. Church) and Miss Lang (Mrs. Roy Hill) moved the books from Black's furniture store to the new location just across the street.