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History of the Westchester Public Library
The 1950’s
- Residents of Westchester petition the village to place a library
service tax on the next village election ballot.
- February 25, 1956—voters approve library tax and elect
the Library’s first board of trustees: Dr. Harold R. Voorhees,
Mrs. Rita McKillip, Mr. Robert S. Auten, Dr. Russell Zitek, Mrs.
Virginia Boyle and Mr. Thomas J. Harvey.
- April 2, 1956—first monthly board meeting held at the
Village Hall.
- January 1958—Library Board hires head librarian, Lillian
R. O’Boyle.
- June 7, 1958—Library opens with 3200 sq. ft. and seating
for 24 in the new Village Hall.
- The collection had 2500 books on loan from The Illinois State
Library, 959 new titles purchased by the Library, and 300 more
titles collected by the Friends.
- In the first month 1,605 library cards were issued and 4,450
circulations were recorded.
The 1960’s
- August 1963—Friends gather 900 signatures on a petition
for the Village Board to transfer property on Canterbury St. to
the Library.
- March 21, 1964— Construction referendum passes 2,236 to
2,020, and provides $350,000 to build a new library on Canterbury.
- September 27, 1965—New building opens with 16,000 square
feet, seating for 120+ patrons, shelving for 25,000 additional
volumes, a multi-purpose room, and a staff of 14. (In taxpayer
terms, this was an increase of $3.60 on the average tax bill for
the year.)
- November 7, 1965—Dedication ceremonies held.
LP records added to collection.
- Automated circulation machine to replace hand-written checkout
transactions, a photocopy machine and a microfilm reader purchased.
1968—Head librarian, Lillian O’Boyle retires: Kathy
Graham, children’s librarian, named head librarian.
The 1970’s
- 1975—Library celebrates10 years on Canterbury.
- Audiocassettes added to the collection; Dial-A-Story added as
a service.
The 1980’s
- Suburban Library System automates circulation records (SWAN)
- Library’s first newsletter issued.
- Beta and VHS videotapes added to the collection.
- Microform reader/printer and a computer offered for public use.
- CD-ROM Infotrac periodical database enables patrons to electronically
search magazine articles.
- Board creates capital fund for major building improvements—building
expansion and handicapped accessibility via elevator.
The 1990’s
- 1993—6,000 square foot addition constructed giving patrons
elevator access and room for a growing collection.
- Online circulation system enlarged and presented with a patron-friendly
online catalog.
- Music CD’s and audio books added to the collection.
- Computer network installed with educational computer programs
in Youth Department.
- 1997— two Internet computers available in the Adult Department.
- 1998—Library website available on the Internet.
- Staff offers regular Internet and electronic database classes.
- 1998—In June, the Library celebrates 40th anniversary of serving the residents of Westchester. The Library opened its doors on June 7, 1958.
- At the close of the decade, Library staff is 6 full-time degreed
librarians, a custodian and a part-time staff of 20 librarians,
clerks and pages.
2000 and Beyond
- Online databases added to broaden patron’s research options.
- Internet access introduced in the Youth Department.
- 2001—Library sponsors a holiday tree at Brookfield Zoo.
- 2002—Director Kathy Graham retires after 37 years of service;
Ruth McCrank is hired as library director.
- 2003—PageTurners, a reading club for adults is offered for
the first time.
- 2003—Library Write-A-Book Contest celebrates its 25th anniversary.
- 2003—DVD’s added to the collection.
- 2004—Library Board adopts 3-year strategic plan. Staff
implements the first year’s action plan for accomplishing
specified goals.
- 2004—Library committee of community leaders coordinates installation
of an outdoor Library sign and landscaping.
- 2004—Highway directional signs installed at Wolf/ Canterbury
and Mannheim/Canterbury intersections.
- 2006—Library’s 50-year Golden Anniversary celebrates the establishment of the Westchester Public Library and the first library board meeting held April 2, 1956.
- The Library continues to streamline its services, enrich the collection and expand digital resources, upgrade its technology and refresh its policies to meet the challenges and opportunities of an ever-changing information age.
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