At the national and global levels, there wasn’t a lot of good news in 1978 with headlines dominated by death, violence, political unrest and Jimmy Carter.

But in Addison Township, something special was born and last week, community members gathered to celebrate it.

The Addison Township Public Library hosted a 40th anniversary party for itself. Among the attendees were past and present library staff members, board members, supporters and patrons.

They came to honor the past by sharing memories and paying tribute to the library’s founders.

They came to marvel at how far the library has come from its humble beginnings and give thanks for its positive impact on the community.

They came to renew their commitment to helping the library continue to grow in facilities, resources and services in the years to come.

Jaema Berman, who’s served as library director since 2011, told the crowd she views the relationship between the community and the library as a “marriage.”

“It is a sacred connection,” she said.

Over the years, the community has supported the library with its time, money and elbow grease and in return, the library has helped the community “thrive” by making available materials and programs that stimulate both “the imagination and the intellect,” according to Berman.

“Every day, we get the opportunity to inspire and bring people together,” she said. “Every day, we get to witness the miracle of excitement when people discover their favorite author. Every day, we get the privilege to help unleash curiosity and passion through books.”

Township Supervisor Bruce Pearson declared the library to be “the busiest place in Addison Township.”

“There’s no doubt about it,” he said.

“When you go by, there’s always some activity (advertised) on the (message) board. There’s always something going on here.”

Pearson told the crowd he’s been supportive of libraries from a very young age because that’s where he used to go just about every night to do his homework while growing up in Berkley. He inherited that love from his late mother. “She loved libraries. She loved this library, too,” Pearson said.

The foundation of Addison’s library was laid in 1975 with a 200-book donation from the Oxford Public Library and a group of dedicated volunteers determined to see Addison have a library of its own one day.

Over the next few years, preparations were made until finally, in February 1978, the Addison library opened in the back room of the township offices, which, at the time, were located at 3 E. Elmwood St. in Leonard.

Back then, the library had more than 700 books, was open 23 hours a week and was staffed by two part-time employees, Judy Doublestein and Diane Wesp, both of whom were paid $3.20 per hour.

Wesp, who has lived in Mecosta Township, south of Big Rapids, since 1984, returned to Addison for the 40th anniversary celebration. “It’s kind of emotional,” she said.

“Proud” was the word Wesp repeatedly used to describe her feelings at the party.

“Nobody had a lot of money (back then). We didn’t have a lot of money. The township didn’t have a lot of money,” she said. “But people wanted (a library). We were all young and idealistic, so we just all pitched in and built something. And here it is 40 years later. It’s always been a true community effort.”

Even though technology has advanced by leaps and bounds since 1978, especially with the advent of the internet, Wesp believes libraries are still relevant and necessary.

“Books are really important – even now,” she said. “Amazon might have all the books (for sale on-line), but they don’t have the story hours, the involvement and the people that libraries bring in. Libraries are still important, especially in small towns.”

Last year, the Addison library circulated more than 36,000 items, including e-books and movies, and its summer reading program saw 277 children, teens and adults participate. About a third of Addison’s population holds library cards.

Much like “The Little Engine That Could,” the young library kept chugging along after its founding and in November 1978, Doublestein was pleased to report to the township board that its collection had swelled to more than 3,000 books.

In 1981, the library and its 7,000 volumes found a new home in the old kindergarten classroom of the former Lakeville Elementary School, which became the township hall.

There it remained until 2011, when the library board signed a 10-year lease for approximately 3,000 square feet of space inside the Lakeville Towne Square strip mall along Rochester Rd. The grand opening was held in October of that year.

Dedicated volunteers spent countless hours toiling and sweating to transform this former commercial space into a functioning library. They did everything from demolition and cleanup to painting walls and moving books to sealcoating the parking lot.

Folks are still stepping up to the plate and supporting the library as evidenced by the Friends of the Addison Township Public Library, which presented Berman with two big checks during the anniversary party – $5,000 for the building fund and $2,266 for the summer reading program.

Looking to the future, Pearson reminded the crowd that the Addison Township Public Library is something that “people rally around.”

“It’s extremely important,” he said. “We all know that.”

Given the “prerequisite” to move into Addison is “you have to have a bulldozer and a backhoe,” Pearson urged library officials to call on those people and “give the community a chance” to help when the time comes to build a new facility.

“There are a lot of people that will come to the library’s aid if you give them an opportunity . . . They’ll come to the rescue. I truly believe it,” the supervisor said.