Back to the Beginning
The Joliet Public Library has a long and rich history dating back to 1876 when the Joliet City Council established the Library and appointed our Board of Directors. In 1902, the Library Board selected Daniel H. Burnham and Co. to design our brand new Ottawa Street building. A statue of Louis Joliet, our city’s namesake, was placed on the lawn in 1904. Since then the Ottawa Street Branch, also called the Main Library.
- 1930s: Shortened library hours during the Great Depression and asked patrons to donate books
- 1936: Joliet City Government offices relocate to the library
- 1947: Library begins microfilming newspapers
- 1958: Library basement begins renovations
- 1965-1982: The Library ran a bookmobile service
- 1967: City Government Offices move to Joliet Municipal Building
- 1974-1982: The Library operates an East Branch at 606 Cass Street
- 1988: Juvenile Literacy Center opens with 8 Apple II computers
- 1989: The Library was firebombed after hours, causing extensive damage to the children’s area and smoke damage throughout the building
- 1989: City Council approved a 49,000 square foot expansion and restoration of damage caused by the fire
- 1991: Grand Opening of the new building
- 1995: The Outlet is open in the Louis Joliet Mall
- 1998: The Online Information Center is opened with computers and access to the internet.
- 2003 – Black Road Branch opens
- 2011–2016 – Digital Media Studio evolves
- 2017 – Main Library becomes Ottawa Street Branch
- 2020–2024 – Renovation and outreach van launched
- 2025–2026 – Black Road Branch renovation
- 2026: Joliet Public Library 150th Anniversary, Sesquicentennial
In 2019, planning for the renovation of the interior of the Ottawa Street Branch began. In 2022, construction was completed and included an updated play space, study rooms, teen room, more meeting rooms/programming spaces and integrated technology.
Project Black Road
The library announced plans for an interior renovation for the Black Road Branch at 3395 Black Road. The project focused on updating key areas to better serve the community, including new paint, carpeting, reconfiguring space and creating specialized areas for youth, adults and teens.