History

Kirkland Public Library was started by a group of young women who organized the “Lorene Club” shortly before 1920 for the purpose of founding and maintaining a library and helping in community welfare. A house-to-house canvas was made to ask citizens to contribute books.

Two rooms above the grocery store on the corner of Main and Fifth Streets were rented from Walter Garland. For several years members volunteered to serve as librarians. Various means of raising money were used. Probably the most lucrative and long lasting was a cookbook compiled by members around 1934.

On June 1, 1925, the library moved to the corner of Sixth and Main Streets and became tax supported in 1934. On November 1, 1954, it was moved to the Town Hall, which was a large upstairs room over the fire station and jail.

On August 6, 1971, the Kirkland Public Library joined the Northern Illinois Library System.

In 1975 the library moved to its present location.  The former State Bank of Kirkland building was donated for the Kirkland Public Library by the State Bank of Kirkland and the Funderberg Family in 1975.  It is truly a functional and beautiful structure with the charm of the bank retained.