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Back to the Beginning:
A Brief History of How the Library Came to Be

The Sycamore Public Library of today is attributed to the formation of a chapter of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle in Sycamore in 1875. After its establishment, members of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, a group recognized as the oldest continuously operating book club in the country, organized the Athena Literary Society—a group with a mission to establish a public library in the area. In 1891, after three years of fundraising, the society moved forward with its mission by requesting that the City Council allocate money for materials and that the Mayor appoint a Board of Directors.

With a location on the second floor of Hoyt and Rogers’ Store (current-day P.J.’s Courthouse Tavern & Grille and Marlyn’s Majorettes), the Sycamore Public Library opened its doors to the public on July 12, 1892. The Library remained in the store’s back room until 1902, when Andrew Carnegie offered the City of Sycamore $10,000 for the development of a new structure to house the Library. Shortly after, Frederick B. Townsend donated the property that still houses the Library today. The City Council agreed to allot at least 10 percent of Carnegie’s great donation for building maintenance. The Library, in its new location, opened on Thanksgiving Day in 1905.

The Sycamore Public Library Today

Since its inception, the Library has undergone a number of much-needed renovations and remodeling projects. Most recently, on October 14, 1995, the Library broke ground on a major expansion project. This enhancement added 21,000 square feet of space to the Library, bringing the total to 27,000 square feet of reference materials and programming.

The collection of today includes more than 65,000 items, which includes 50,453 books, 4,008 e-books, 3,484 audio books, 125 magazine and newspaper titles, 1,568 CDs, and 2,850 movies. The Library houses the DeKalb County Law Collection, and it’s second floor hosts the Joiner History Room, which is lined with various historical materials dating back to before the formation of DeKalb County.

“Some resources that most people still don’t realize we make available are our 24/7 online databases, available to any person with a Sycamore library card,” says Sarah Tobias, Director of the Sycamore Public Library. “America’s Newspapers includes 30 full-text newspapers, and General Reference Gold has 3,859 full-text magazines with 54,398,235 articles, plus we have a really cool practice test site, Illinois Legal Forms, and others.” In addition, the Library subscribes to Ask Away Illinois, a virtual reference service offering users the opportunity to interact live with a knowledgeable librarian at all times.

Beyond the material resources available, the Library’s more than 9,200 current card-holding members take advantage of free Internet use through 12 public computers—which also offer Microsoft Office software—Wi-Fi access to those with a laptop, as well as a long list of fantastic children’s, teen and adult programs and events. These supplemental offerings range from monthly book clubs and discussion groups to storytimes and hands-on computer training classes. The Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Summer Reading Programs and the One Community Reading Program for adults are among its most prominent programs.

The Library also offers outreach services to schools, groups and adults unable to visit the facility, as well as a great teen group, known as SPLAG (short for Sycamore Public Library Advisory Group), which “has fun programs and meetings where they do fundraising or help with library projects,” explains Tobias. “One example of SPLAG’s work is seen through its donation of money to the Cedar Rapids Library, which was severely damaged in the Iowa floods last year.”

What’s to Come

“Twelve years have passed since the 21,000-square-foot addition opened to the public,” notes Tobias, adding, “It is a blessing that the work was done as the community has grown considerably during those years.”

The time has come again for enhancements to be made at the Library. A brand-new entrance to the Library was developed in order to improve the airflow into the building, replace the decaying wood structure that had endured years of standing snow and water, and to repair improperly working locks. “The new construction has resolved the three problems by constructing a longer steel and glass entry, staggering the doors and replacing the hardware,” explains Tobias. “The construction project began November 5, 2008, and opened to the public on January 28, 2009.”

The Library is also in the process of instituting a new reconstruction project in the current building. While the preliminary drawings for the remodel have been completed, the project “comes with a price tag,” says Tobais. “Before we start we need to get the funds in place. We do have Impact fees that have been collected for new construction in Sycamore that can be used for this project, and I wrote an Illinois State Library Live and Learn Construction grant for a portion of the funds. The next step is to put together the fundraising side of this plan.”

With a grant approval, the Library will be able to begin the remodeling project in the fall of 2009. Major elements composing the anticipated remodel include:

•Making the current lobby space more functional by moving all circulation operations to the first floor lobby;

•The addition of a stage and reading steps, a program room, a new study room for tutoring purposes, increased seating and shelf space for a growing collection, and increased computer stations for the Children’s Department;

•And the second-floor incorporation of a new, conveniently located two-person service desk; added computers; a reorganization of collections; an expanded staffed teen area; and minor changes to staff spaces.

Stay tuned!