Perry to dedicate library as museum

A museum that celebrates life in small town Iowa will open this weekend (Saturday) to give the public a taste of what’s to come with the grand opening this fall. Bill Clark is president of Hometown Perry, which works to show off the entire community and its history in a collection of personal stories, buildings, exhibits and events.Clark says the whole town is part of the “museum,” and one element focuses on the pioneers — the people who settled what eventually became Iowa more than 150 years ago.Perry’s Carnegie Library is reopening this weekend as part of the festivities. The five-thousand square-foot structure was built a century ago and has been restored to look as it did in 1910. Clark says the books in the library are very valuable and rare. The original one-thousand books are housed on the library’s main floor. Walking tours in Perry this weekend revolve around several themes, including the library, architecture, churches and even neighborhood grocery stores. For more information, call (515) 465-2518.