What is the Havana Public Library District?

Established as a city library in 1898 and as a library district in 1991, the Havana Public Library is  the oldest remaining Carnegie Library in Illinois. The Havana Public Library District is an independent local government body; it is not governed by the city or any other entity.  Our district encompasses the same territory as the Havana School district and serves a population of 5923 patrons.  The Havana Public Library District's mission is to provide excellent and personalized service to our patrons via a relevant and easily accessible collection of resources. For further details, please see our Mission Statement.

Where is the library located? 

The library is located at:

201 West Adams Street
Havana, IL 62644-1321

What are the library hours?

We are open Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Our list of library holidays and closures can be found here

How can I contact you?

Library Phone: (309) 543-4701

Library Fax: (309) 543-2715

Library E-mail: Info

How do I apply for a library card?

Applying for a library card is easy! There is a simple form to fill out; this form gives the library needed information such as your full legal name and address. If you are 18 years of age or older, you will also need to provide 2 forms of identification with your name and address. If you are under 18, your parent or legal guardian must sign your library card agreement.

By applying for a library card you are making an agreement with the library to obey its rules and regulations and to give us notice if you change your name or address. Your library card can be used in virtually any public library in the state.

Who is eligible for a library card at the Havana Public Library District?

Library cards are available to anyone aged 1st grade or older who resides within the Havana Public Library District. If you live in Bath, Havana, Kilbourne, Lynchburg, or Quiver Townships and if a child living within your household would go to the Havana Community School District #126, you are in the Havana Public Library District.

If you live outside the Havana Public Library District and you or your landlord do not pay real estate property taxes within another library’s taxing area, you can apply for a Non-Resident Card at the Havana Public Library District. Please note: if you do not live in a library service area, you must apply for non-residency at the library geographically closest to your home address. This non-resident fee is calculated yearly, using a mathematical formula determined by the state statute. Currently, the non-resident fee is $100.86 per year. This is paid at the time of application for a library card. The yearly fee entitles the non-resident family the privileges and responsibilities of library service, including interlibrary loan, reciprocal borrowing, and library usage.

Who governs the library?

The library is governed by a seven person Board of Trustees. Members are elected in consolidated elections for 6-year terms (or for the remainder of unexpired terms) or appointed by Board vote to serve until the next consolidated election. The Board Officer positions are as follows:  President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer.  Officers are elected after the consolidated election or when there is a vacancy. The Board of Trustees oversees two employees: the Library Director and the Business Administrator.  All other staff members report to the Library Director.

The board sets a meeting schedule at the beginning of each fiscal year.  Currently, meetings are held on the second Thursday of every month at 4:00 p.m. at the Plum Street Annex. 

Does the library charge fines for overdue materials?

As of September 1, 2018, the Havana Public Library District no longer charges daily fines for any of our materials.  Patrons only have to pay for items they lose or damage.  The decision to go fine free fulfills the Havana Public Library District’s mission to support the educational needs of the community and foster lifelong learning.  

Who works at the library?

The current staff can be found here. The library has four full-time and three part-time positions.  All full-time employees participate in IMRF.  For more information about IMRF, please see: https://www.imrf.org/en/about-imrf/transparency/employer-cost-and-participation-information

Any job openings will be posted on our Employment page.

Who are the OMA (Open Meetings Act) and FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) Officers?

The Board Secretary is the OMA officer.  The library director is the FOIA officer.  More FOIA information can be found here.