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The Winfield Public Library History
The contemporary building on the northeast corner of Sunnyside Avenue and Winfield Road is the third home of the Winfield Public Library.
In the spring of 1964, the Winfield Library Association was formed. Its goal was to establish a village library. |
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In February 1965, the association was incorporated
as a not-for-profit corporation and continued to work hard on fund raising.
It began 1966 with $3000 in its treasury. After attempts to establish
a library without tax support, the Library officers began making referendum
plans. On November 16, 1968, village residents approved a referendum
to establish a public library and elect seven directors. The referendum
passed with 400 "yes" votes to 211 "no" votes. The Winfield Library
Association continued as a friends of the library group. The Library
joined the DuPage Library System and in September 1969, leased the upper
floor of the building at 0S169 Church Street. It hired Barbara Mate
and Nan Montgomerie as the first librarians. On January 24, 1970, the
Winfield Public Library officially opened its doors.
In the summer of 1972 the
library moved into two temporary buildings at 0S164 Winfield Road, rented
from Winfield School District 34. In 1978 the Library Association gave
the Board of Directors $35,000 to be used for the purchase of three
lots on the northeast corner of Sunnyside and Winfield Roads as a future
home of the library. Plans were drawn and approved for the 10,000 square
foot brick building.
Voters passed a referendum
November 17, 1979 to purchase $585,000 of bonds to fund the new library
building. The bi-level building was completed and opened June 29, 1981.
The main level housed both the adult and children's areas. The lower
level provided community meeting rooms and remained unfinished until
1986. A remodeling project was completed in 1986 and the downstairs
was expanded to house the adult reference and non-fiction collections.
The library is staffed by
four full-time and eight part time employees, and it is governed by
an elected seven member board of trustees.
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