UNDATED – April 24th kicks off National Library Week! NorthCentral Illinois is home to libraries rich in history such as the Carnegie libraries in LaSalle and Streator. Opened January 19th, 1907, designed by Chicago architect Victor Andre Matteson, LaSalle Public Library possesses many historic features like stained glass ceilings and original pieces of art from the 1900s, according to Programming Librarian Donna Blomquist.
Programs for National Library Week include a film showing of the library’s history. On Tuesday at 7 p.m. the library will be hosting a virtual event with New York Times Crossword Puzzle Editor Will Shortz.
In Streator, the public library is a U.S. Landmark Carnegie facility and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Opened in 1903, Chicago architects Patton & Miller designed the library in the Classical Revival style. Director Cindy Maxwell describes the first floor of the rotunda as surrounded by columns, while the second floor features murals of William Shakespeare, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Socrates by artist Gustav A. Fuchs.
For Library Week, all fines will be waived for any checked-out or overdue books. Postcard reminders will be sent out for outstanding material.
As for renovation updates, reglazing and repainting of the historic dome are completed. Mural restoration will begin on June 1st. Restorers will clean the 20 ft by 10 ft tall murals, and Maxwell says it’s running ahead of schedule. In addition, lighting and glass will be installed to recreate a transient-like skylight that used to be a feature years ago. A 120th-anniversary grand re-opening will take place once the restorations are completed, sometime in late August or early September.
