The Wauconda Area Library is a public library located in Wauconda, Illinois. The library district covers portions of

Lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

and McHenry Counties in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

and is a member of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS).

History

The library was founded in 1939 by the Wauconda Women's Club as one shelf of books at

Wauconda High School Wauconda High School, officially Wauconda Community High School, and most commonly WHS, is a public four-year high school located in Wauconda, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Wauconda Community ...

. In 1948 as book count increased the library was moved to the larger space at the local sports shop and officially became known as Wauconda Public Library. In 1950 the library was moved to a room in the Village Hall due to the rent costs of the previous space. In 1962 a referendum was passed which led to transferring of the library title to the library board and becoming a township library. In 1963 the library was moved again to 212 Osage Street renting the front part of the building which was later bought in whole in 1971. In 1982 land was purchased to accommodate growing needs and a new building opened by 1987. In 1988 the library became a public library district. In 1997 a remodel occurred to expand the capacity of the library. The library earned the Distinguished Building Award in 1998 from the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

. In 2015, the library underwent a renovation of the interior of the building. It added a kids play area downstairs, along with various other features. In 2018 a renovation occurred to the exterior of the library after feedback from the community In 2020, the library started offering patrons remote reservations and contactless checkouts through MyLIBRO application.

References

External links

The Wauconda Area Library HomepageThe Wauconda Area Library Catalog
{{authority control Education in McHenry County, Illinois Public libraries in Illinois Libraries in Lake County, Illinois