History of the Peotone Library
The Library was originally started by the Peotone Senior Woman's Club, with the cooperation of the Junior Woman's Club on Jan. 26, 1934. They started with a little over $100. Each member was asked to donate one volume and before long they had over 200 books.
The first library began in what was the Citizens' State Bank. The bank was located on Main St. on the south west corner by the railroad tracks. From there the library moved to Fedde's Furniture Store on February 1, 1937. That same year, on April 6, it became a tax-supported library. Prior to that the Woman's Club supported the library, with volunteers from the two clubs alternating in taking care of it. The first librarians hired were Mrs. Orville Ahlborn, Miss Gail Ahlborn, and Mrs. Walter Koch.
In August of 1941 the library moved to the fireman's building. Mrs. Kenneth Hauert became librarian, serving from October 1943 to October 1952. She was followed by Mrs. Nathan Dowell. Mrs. Augusta Conrad became the librarian in 1966 and the next year the library moved to the Peotone Township Hall. The next home for the library was the Evangelical United Brethren Church building on the corner of North and West St. The library moved into the building in March 1975 after the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to become the United Methodist Church. In December of 1989, Cynthia Cooper became the next Library Director until June 2013. The final move for the library was to 515 N. First St. It used to be Bennett Industries office building before the library purchased it in 2004. The library opened its doors on June 6, 2005. In June of 2013, Noreen Bormet became our current Library Director.
The library joined the Burr Oak Library System in 1966, as one of its original members. Burr Oak became Heritage Trail Library System in 1993 when the Burr Oak and Starved Rock Library Systems merged. Library systems were established and organized in 1967 under the authority of the Illinois Library System Act. The Heritage Trail Library System then merged in 2004 with Rolling Prairie Library System and Northern Illinois Library System to become Prairie Area Library System.
The change to a District Library was accomplished on Aug, 18, 1974, in a successful referendum. The District then covered all of Peotone, Green Garden, and Wilton Township, and two-thirds of Will Township.
Monee became part of Peotone Public Library District on April 4, 1995.