1880 - Wilmette had only 419
residents and reading books
was a major pastime when
about 50 of the residents
formed a literary society.
Using initiation fees and
collections taken up at lectures,
the society purchased books
for a small library located in
the rear of Wilmette's first
store, Kinney's General
Store.
1882 - The society was incorporated
into the "Wilmette Library
Association."
1889 - A "Library and Social Club"
was organized. Twenty-three
members were enrolled at the
first meeting. Books were
donated, and a small collection
was established at the
Methodist Church. In April
1892, the group was
incorporated as the "Elmwood
Library Association."
Elmwood Library Association building, corner of Wilmette Avenue
and Central Avenue (Date unknown)
1895 - A fire destroyed all of the
books.
1897 - The Woman's Club of Wilmette
rented space over a grocery
store and circulated books with
club members acting as
librarians.
1900 - Taxpayers approved a
referendum to establish a free
public library by a vote of 62 to
52. A $2M tax issue was authorized.
In April of the following year, the
first six Wilmette Library
Directors were elected. The
library was moved to rented
space in the rear of a lumber
company. The Elmwood Library
Association loaned 1,000 of its
books to the new library.
1901 - THE NEW LIBRARY
OPENED with 1,347 books on
its shelves. During the first year
of its operation, the library
registered more than 500
borrowers and circulated more
than 9,000 volumes.
1902 - Andrew Carnegie established
his foundation to promote free
libraries. In response to an
inquiry from the Library Board,
he agreed to donate $10,000 for
construction of a free public
library building, if the village
agreed to support the library with
at least $1,000 a year and to
provide a suitable site free of all
encumbrances.
1903 - An advisory referendum was
held which presented three
options to voters in terms of site.
1904 - The Village accepted Carnegie's
offer and subsequently
purchased the site of the present
library for $2,820.
Postcard showing exterior of Wilmette Public Library
built with a grant from Andrew Carnegie.
1905 - A new "Carnegie" library
building was opened to the
public.
1925 - A Children's Room was opened
in the basement of the Carnegie
building.
1935 - The library could no longer
house all the books in the
collection. Books were loaned to
various school libraries, and a
branch library was located in a
vacant school.
Adult Department study tables. (Photo published
January 8, 1948 in the Wilmette Life.)
1946 - The schools had developed their
own libraries, all the branches
were closed and the books
returned to the main library. As a
result, seating space in the library
became virtually nonexistent.
1948 - Voters approved a $400,000
bond issue to construct a new
library, along with an increase in
the property tax rate for library
purposes.
1951 - The new building was dedicated.
and the old building was torn
down. The new building, which
received an architectural award
for design from the American
Institute of Architects, resulted in
increased use of library facilities.
1959 - It was necessary to convert the
second floor auditorium of the
new building to a Junior High
Room.
1965 - A $140,000 Children's Wing
was opened.
1966 - The Wilmette Public Library
joined with 21 other area public
libraries to form the North
Suburban Library System.
New Wilmette Public Library building, c. 1951.
1967 - A $150,000 Reference
Room/Staff Workroom and
Office addition was opened and
a basement remodeling project,
which provided an Arts Room,
was completed.
1975 - A referendum was passed
which, effective July 1, 1975,
converted the village library to a
district library. In December
1976 a referendum to annex the
territory encompassed by the
village of Kenilworth to the
Wilmette Public Library District
passed in Wilmette but failed in
Kenilworth. (In December 1983,
the Wilmette and Winnetka
Public Library Districts extended
library service to the village of
Kenilworth on a contractual
basis. This arrangement is
currently in effect.)
1979 - A $389,170 project involving an
addition of approximately 3,650
sq. ft. and substantial remodeling
was completed. This project
provided a new central lobby
with a single public entrance/exit,
an electronic book security
system, a computerized
circulation system, an elevator,
basement shelving space for the
back periodicals collection,
second floor meeting room, staff
lounge and storage space. In
addition, it permitted two large
storage areas to be opened to
house shelving for the library's
burgeoning book collection.
1979 - The library joined with a number
of other North Suburban Library
System member libraries to
participate in a CLSI automated
on-line circulation system based
on the concept of a shared
database.
1980 - Wilmette voters passed a
referendum to increase the
ceiling on the library's corporate
tax rate by a vote of 1,813 to
744.
1985 - The Board and staff worked to
develop plans for a major
addition to the facility. A state
construction grant in the amount
of $250,000 (33% of the
projected construction cost) was
subsequently awarded to the
library to build Phase I of the
addition.
1986 - A $2,900,000 building bond
referendum to build Phase II of
the four-phase building program
simultaneously with the
construction of Phase I was held
and passed by a substantial
(61%) margin.
1988 - The building addition, which
essentially doubled the size of the
building, was completed.
Wilmette Public Library building
as it appears today.
1994 - A small addition was completed
on three levels that added a
Friends Book Sale Room,
vestibule, and (ultimately) a
relocated and expanded Current
Periodicals Room.
1996 - The card catalog was closed and
scheduled for removal December
31, 1998.
1998 - State Grant funds totaling
$650,000 assisted the library in
constructing an addition which
permitted Youth Services to be
expanded. The addition was a
small addition that finished off
the third floor and allowed an
almost total reconfiguration of
the library. This addition
brought the library's square
footage to approximately 66,600.
Wilmette's most accomodating public space
One of the great strengths of the
library's building projects is that while
no further expansion is anticipated,
should that need surface at some distant
point in the future, the potential is there.
Both the 1986-88 addition and the 1998
addition were constructed to
accommodate a fourth floor that would
provide another 9,400 sq. ft. It is highly
unlikely such further expansion will be
required, and there is absolutely no
intention at the present time to
implement any further expansion.
The library's efforts to be responsive to
the wishes of its patrons have won
broad-based usage and support.
Approximately 94% of the district's
residents have borrower's cards, a
much higher percentage than the
national average. In the last fiscal year
(2003-04), 622,470 items were
circulated, resulting in a per capita
circulation figure of 23.05 (one of the
highest in the country).
In the last fiscal year (2003-04), the
library staff answered 98,843 reference
inquiries. A total gate gate count undertaken during the same time period
measured 395,330 individual patron visits.
The library has an effective Friends of
the Library organization, which has
provided financial assistance to the
library, primarily in the form of capital
purchases (patron computers and
peripherals, audiovisual equipment,
furniture, circulation desk, etc.) and
original art.
Wilmette residents have come to expect
an abundance and variety of library
programs. The library as expanded has
been designed to function as a cultural
center as well as a traditional library.
An Auditorium on the lower level and a
large display case on the second floor
provide exhibition space for art. The
library's exhibits are listed regularly in
The Wilmette Life. A juried art show
is conducted every spring by the Friends
of the Wilmette Public Library. The ten
selected artists are each given a specific
month in which to display a full exhibit
in the Auditorium. Local artists,
collectors and artisans provide exhibits
in display cases located on the first floor
of the library. In addition, the new
Youth Services Room display cases are
filled with monthly exhibits provided by
the library's younger patrons.
Concerts, lectures, travelogues,
workshops, plays, seminars and artist
receptions are presented in the
Auditorium. Projection equipment and
an excellent sound system including an
FM system for the hearing-impaired are
available. A Small Meeting Room
equipped with a table and chairs seats
up to 20 people. Both meeting rooms
may be reserved by community groups
for their meetings and activities. A
Youth Program Room on the second
floor is used for children's programs and
storytimes. Community Services
coordinates outreach programs to
Wilmette and Kenilworth residents. A
newsletter (Off the Shelf), which
includes a calendar of library events,
exhibits and programs is published six
times per year and distributed to every
household and business in Wilmette.
In addition to Public Access Catalog
(PAC) computers and Internet
workstations, other computers are
available to patrons, some with
applications software and some that are
reference-related.
