Is there anywhere more magical than a library to find a book and lose yourself in between its pages?  However, today’s libraries offer so much more than just a place to find a book, and that is true of the award-winning Pawnee Public Library that in 2004 was voted by the Rolling Prairie Library System as “Library of the Year”.

The Pawnee Public Library has a lot of history behind its walls.  The library is a bustling place with a lot of uses.  Whether accessed online, or in person, visitors can check out books, use the public computers, make use of the space for clubs, presentations or community or private events.  The library has over 50,000 volumes of books and circulates 8,000 volumes to the just under 3,000 Pawnee residents each year.

If you desire a book that is not currently available in house, library staff will check the Interlibrary Loans System to see if it is in the IHLS system.  If it is accessible, and you have a library card, staff will see if they can obtain it for you.  Many books are also available on an e-reading program accessible online. The library contains videos, music CD’s and audio books.  Genealogical research is also available along with coal mine maps, and other Pawnee historical documents like the local newspaper, the Pawnee Post on microfilm.
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Bennett Bess, Library Director, has been serving the patrons of Pawnee for 28 years. Bennett makes it plain that the library would not exist without the funding assistance and cooperation of the Village of Pawnee. That is also true of the Library Board.  “I’d like to thank the library boards. They have been wonderful.  They have watched over the buildings.  They are attentive to the people, and they take this very seriously.  I have been very thankful to spend my working years here.”

The library has a wonderful staff that includes Terri Ladage who serves as Technical and Children’s Services, Kathy Aumiller, Circulation Services, Lee Ann Maxey, Reference, and Adult Services. The staff is rounded out with Jody McHatton, Terri Thompson, Janice Church, Mary Milano, and Ryan Coleman.

Library history is rich.  The current library is not the first location.  The late Skip Minder collected the library history in his book, “Movin’ On Down The Road” A General History Of Pawnee, Illinois. While there is a lot of history in the current enhanced library, the story of the Pawnee Library began in 1922 with the Modern Martha Class of the Pawnee Methodist Church.  Later the library moved to the Presbyterian Church, then in the 1930’s, the library was operated under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Eventually the library was situated at the Village Hall which was originally a jail!

In his book, Skip Minder had a picture of the original jail cage purchased from the Springfield Iron & Bridge Works in 1895.  He states, “….the ‘center room’ of the old village library once housed Pawnee’s jail cage within its 13-inch-thick brick walls. The village jail and the old village hall, the ‘north room’ of the old library were built in 1903.”
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For forty years, the building was used as a library, today that former building is used as the food pantry and for other community meetings. In May of 2001, the Village decided to build a new location for a library.  With the Village of Pawnee offering $225,000 to match grant funds if a grant from the state was awarded, the library was off to a good start.  Then  the library staff won the grant award after a last-minute submittal. The former Baxter Building (at 613 Douglas) which had also been the Clark IGA Store became the new library.  Next door was J.J. Willenborg’s Big Busy Store and Locker that later became Bowsher furniture (at 615 Douglas). This area is now the Donald Lee Serbur Library Annex, so named because of funds provided by the late Mr. Serbur. Initially two stories, J.J. Willenborg added a 3rd story to create a shoe store to this building that is the western portion of the library.