The collective futures of the Cokato Museum and Cokato Public Library will be the topic of the Cokato Historical Society’s annual meeting Thursday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m., in the Centennial Room of the library museum building. Since the opening of the H. C. Bull Memorial Library (now the Cokato Elementary School library) in 1927, and the incorporation of a museum into that facility less than two years later, the story of the library and museum have been one of shared interest and outlook. For more than 40 years, the original joint facility served the community. After the closing of the Bull Library in August 1970, no museum, and only a traveling bookmobile, served the people of the area. Thanks to the passage of a citizen referendum in November 1974, the current home of the library and museum opened in September 1976. Now, 30 years later, both places are looking to the future as space and other needs are examined. The board of the historical society felt that its 2007 annual meeting was an appropriate occasion to engage the community on these future needs. The evening will also include a short business meeting for the society, and a review of the shared history of the library and museum to help attendees understand the extent of the union between the two institutions. Input from those in attendance will be solicited and compiled to help in the discussion and decision-making process.
