The
Towanda District Library is located in Towanda, Illinois, adjacent to
Interstate Route 55 and to historic Route 66. Although the village of
Towanda itself is a small community with a population of just 550 in
2008, it is but a few minutes from the prosperous communities of
Bloomington and Normal, Illinois, home of two universities, two large
insurance companies, and a Mitsubishi plant.
The Towanda library
was established in 1939 with help from the Federal Works Agency
Project Administration. In 1943, the town assumed complete
responsibility of the library.
In August of 1964,
the library was closed due to a lack of funds. Library board members
and other volunteers raised funds to successfully reopen the library.
In June 1967, the Township Tax was passed and the library became
officially known as the Towanda Township Library.
The library changed
names to The Towanda District Library when the district was formed on
Feb. 10, 1988. The library was housed in several locations in Towanda
before beginning construction of a new building in late 1988. The new
building opened on Feb. 7, 1989 at 301 S. Taylor St. in Towanda. This
building was funded by an Illinois Secretary of State building grant
and with special reserve funds.
As of April, 2008,
the library district encompasses Towanda Township, Blue Mound
Township, and parts of Money Creek Township, which include the towns
of Towanda and Cooksville, farmland, and three subdivisions. The
district has a population of 2000 residents.
The library is open
34 hours per week, has a budget $125,000, 18,500 items, a circulation
of 18,000 for fiscal year 2006-2007, 905 registered borrowers, one
director, seven part time employees, an active corps of volunteers
that includes a Friends of the Library group, and a partnership with
the Towanda Area Historical Society.
The library is part
of the Alliance Library System, and as such is one of 200 libraries
that form an online consortium using the SirsiDynix Unicorn automated
library management system.
Library Director
