In 1866, the Ladies Library Association started a library in Pekin which was transferred to city ownership and recreated as Pekin Public Library in 1896. The building was originally built in 1902 as a Carnegie library; rebuilt in 1972 as Dirksen Congressional Center / Pekin Public Library joint facility; and recently recreated (2014) with a six million dollar renovation and expansion project.
Our mission is to serve as the community’s information center and gathering place. It’s YOUR library; welcome!
board members & documents
President Carrie Allen
Vice-President Randy Turner *F, P
Secretary Leslie Leitner B, *P
Treasurer Gary Gillis F, L
Tim Williams *B, F
Maureen Naughtin *L, C
Mary Jane Sours *C, B
Sue Crowell, F, C
Mary Ann Ladendorf L, P
Committees are: B–Building & Grounds; C–Community Relations; F–Finance; L–Library Services;
P–Personnel
* denotes chairperson
Meetings are open to the public and held in one of the library meeting rooms on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 5:00 p.m. Latest Agenda:
Personnel & Finance Joint Committee meeting 4.16.24
Personnel Committee Meeting 4.16.24
Future meetings:
April 23, 2024
May 28, 2024
June 25, 2024
July 23, 2024
Friends of the Library (FOL)
Through membership dues and proceeds from the Book Sale Room, FOL donates thousands of dollars to the library each year. Funds are used for books, eBooks and audio books; Summer Adventure; and library furnishings and equipment. Memberships begin at $1
Yes! I want to be a Friend!
Book Sale
Find a variety of items at bargain prices in the Book Sale area, to the right of the entry doors in the library lobby. In addition to gently used materials of all kinds, vintage and collectible books are often available.
Purchases are made at the Information Desk.
Donations welcomed anytime the library is open.
(No encyclopedias, records, VHS/cassettes, textbooks or materials in poor condition)
Gifts
Memorials are a wonderful way to honor a beloved person. Designate gifts to a specific area of the library or for particular items of interest to the memorialized.
Honorariums are a unique gift for a special occasion (birthday, anniversary, retirement) and usually are used for a particular book or a specific author’s books. Both types of gifts are acknowledged with cards sent to the honored person or their family. Send details to: 301 S 4th Street; Pekin, IL 61554OR via our e-pay site
List of gifts given this year
501(c)(3) contributions
Through our membership in The Fund For Illinois Libraries, a 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit Charitable Organization, the Pekin Public Library is set up to receive cash and in-kind donations that require a Federal Tax ID for 501(c)(3) status for tax purposes.
Your Planned Giving Counselor can provide further guidance;
find specifics here.
Teen Advisory Board
Need to rack up those volunteer hours? Need to add some leadership references to your college application? Or just want to make some new friends while also helping out the community?
Our teen advisory board meets every month on the third Thursday in the teen domain to assist in planning and preparing programs and activities for the library. Teens interested in assisting with programming should attend a meeting!
Programming Decorations
We are seeking volunteers with a knack for arts and crafts to help us build decorative displays for large events! Tasks would include cutting out, possibly painting, and assembling large backdrops, possibly alongside other volunteers.
* Decorators needed on an irregular basis.
Outreach
Help needed with a variety of tasks such as:preparing program materials, assisting with book preparation for outreach services, and delivering to Home-bound patrons or local little libraries.
Some shifts are regularly scheduled, depending on. activity (Home-bound delivery is the first Tuesday morning of the month for example)Garden
Assist in the Story-time Garden with a variety of tasks including prepping in the spring and cleanup in the fall. Must be able to rake and perform other rigorous outside activity.
Scheduling depends on the needs of the garden coordinator.