Located in Hoopeston, Illinois, the Public Library was established in 1897 through the efforts of the Mary Hartwell Catherwood Literary Club, beginning life in a room in the City Building. A new library was dedicated in 1904 and opened in 1905 using Andrew Carnegie building funds on land donated by a local citizen. Renovation in 1965 made a separate Children's Department possible. A 1975 addition provided a reading room, meeting room and archives room. Status was changed from City Library to District Library in 1993. A successful referendum in April 1995 doubled the population of that district, providing library service to Rossville-Alvin School District and Hoopeston Area School District, an area of 282 square miles. A Live and Learn Construction Grant, the Charlotte Ann Russell Trust and the Wilson Farwell Bessilieu Estate provided funds to nearly double the size of the library in 2002.