The Des Plaines Public Library first opened its doors at Miner
and Graceland Streets on October 5, 1907. The building was
funded by a $5,000 grant from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
After 40 days, it held 741 books and served 410 card holders.
In 1936, the City Council proposed a new City Hall on that site,
with a west wing to house the library. After a brief stay in
temporary quarters at Lee and Ellinwood Streets, the library
re-opened in the west wing of the new City Hall in 1937.
A referendum was passed in 1957 that provided a new library
building at Graceland and Thacker. Many
residents still remember the Boy Scouts using shopping carts to move books from the old
building to the new one. The new library opened
its doors in 1958.
In 1969, bookmobile service began and a small addition was built,
which included the bookmobile garage and additional office space. An addition completed in 1974 expanded the building to nearly 40,000 square feet.
On April 27, 1998, the City Council approved a downtown
redevelopment project which included a new 80,000 square-foot
library as its centerpiece. The new building is located at
1501 Ellinwood, between Pearson and Lee Streets. The doors of
the new library opened on August 14, 2000.
On October 7, 2007, the Des Plaines Public Library celebrated 100 wonderful years of serving the community. The centennial milestone was marked with a year's worth of events and programming which commemorated the library's past while also looking ahead to the future. Capping off the centennial was an exhilarating, once-in-a-lifetime carnival, held in Library Plaza. Hundreds of library fans packed the Plaza to enjoy live entertainment, games, old-time refreshments and a ride on a spectacular carousel.
Watch a short YouTube video about the history of the Des Plaines Public Library:
At 1 p.m. on Thursday June 19, 1969, the
library's bookmobile welcomed its first patrons at
Windsor Drive and Pennsylvania Avenue, a stop known as
Devonshire East. The first bookmobile operated on a
two-week rotation, making stops in 18 neighborhoods. The
staff included a driver and a clerk. Later, clerks earned
their commercial driver's licenses so they could also
drive the bookmobile.
The library purchased a new bookmobile in
1977 and held a contest to name the new vehicle. Third
grader Christy Cook won with "W.O.W.: Words on
Wheels." Children gathered in the summer to hear stories,
make crafts, or show off their pets. They checked out
records, puzzles, and magazines in addition to books. The
vehicle was refurbished in 1986.
A new vehicle with a new name -- the Mobile
Library -- began service on October 1, 1996 and now
carries over 5,000 items for adults and children of all
ages. The collection features current popular materials
and includes books, magazines, DVDs, videos, CDs, and
audiobooks. Every two weeks, the Mobile Library visits
nearly 40 sites throughout the city. View the schedule
to visit the Mobile Library when it is in your area.
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