Granville Library continues to grow and display local veterans collection

What started as a small project, originally put together by Linda Garcia and her husband Bill, has continued to grow into an extensive collection of local veterans photos on display at the Granville Library branch, located at 214 S. McCoy St.

About 12 years ago, the Garcia’s saw a way to pay tribute to local veterans that maybe hadn’t received the proper thank-you for their service in the past.

“I’ve always had a soft sport for vets,” Linda said. “My dad was a World War II veteran and I don’t know why, but I never thought they got the recognition that they needed.”

Linda began asking library patrons and she was immediately bombarded with pictures of local veterans as a collection began to form.

The Garcia’s would take the original photos, copy them and fit them to size in a proper frame. Linda would then create custom labels for each photo including the name of the veteran, time served, position, branch and other relevant information.

“That’s how it all started,” Linda said. “It was mainly, initially World War I and then we got a lot of Korean vets and then Vietnam vets reluctantly started to come in.”

The collection of local veterans continued to grow and when Linda left the Granville Library, she handed control of the display and its upkeep to the Library and Director Bernie Egan.

Linda’s original collection has since been tweaked and now can be seen with identical frames and professionally created engraved titles on display. The original handwritten labels are still included with the photos, now just positioned behind the frame.

Since its beginning, the collection has grown to now include more than 100 photos and veteran-related items to create a truly one-of-a-kind display.

“What’s interesting is that the display is embraced by the whole town and the whole county,” Egan said. “They treasure it and they come in a look around and tell stories. We get plenty of people still coming in looking at it.”

There are no specific rules as to who can be included in the collection besides having a connection with Putnam County and having served in any capacity.

The collection is ever-growing as library officials continue to look for opportunities to grow the display with as many local veterans as possible.

Aside from the collection of veteran photos, the Granville library also has put out another unique display with a custom America’s White Table. The library puts this out for various celebrations including Memorial Day, Veterans Day and more.

The table honors the men and women who served in America’s armed forces to signify those who were not able to be seated. The table is made complete with various items, each with a symbolic meaning.

The white cloth represents a soldier’s pure heart when they answer the country’s call to duty; the lemon shows a captive soldier’s bitter fate; salt shows the tears of families waiting for loved ones to return; an empty chair for the missing soldiers; black napkin for the sorrow of captivity; a white candle for peace and much more.

“It’s a way to show respect and gratitude to those that have served, especially those that cannot sit at the table any longer,” Egan said. “All of the elements are here, but I also add a few more items as well.”

The collections are on display now and will be through the conclusion of Veterans Day. Visitors can stop by and view them during regular library hours.

For information, contact the Granville Branch of the Putnam County Library at 815-339-2038.