Institutional Member Spotlight: O'Fallon Public Library

May 6, 2024

Our latest Institutional Member Spotlight is on the O'Fallon Public Library! O'Fallon Public Library is located in O'Fallon, Illinois in St. Clair County. Ryan Johnson, the current president of ILA, is the library's director. 

Continue reading to learn about the O'Fallon Public Library!


Library's History

The library opened in 1930 on the second floor of the First National Bank building.  It opened with only 700 books on the shelves, many of which were donations.  The others were purchased by the O'Fallon Woman's Club, who also sponsored the library through many months of planning and fundraising.  Library membership was $1 annually and O'Fallon's population was just 2,300 people at the time.

In 1943, voters approved a measure that shifted management of the library to the City of O'Fallon. The library has moved locations a few times during its history, landing at its current site in 1995. 

We've grown from that original collection of 700 books to more than 60,000.  The town has grown too, now over 32,000 people. 

Mission Statement

Serve as a bridge connecting our diverse and ever-evolving community to learning opportunities, resources, and services that place people first. 

How Many Patrons Served a Year

We have over 10,000 active card holders and see roughly 125,000 visitors annually.

Departments

Our departments include Circulation, Adult Services, Youth Services, and Tech Services.

The Staff Member Who's Worked at the Library the longest

Traci Sipes, our Admin Assistant, has been with us since 2009.

The Newest Staff Member

Jordan Thompson and Beth Long both just joined us on April 5!

Why Did You Become an ILA Institutional Member?

ILA is the best way to expose our team to the broader library-landscape and get us thinking beyond our four walls.  Being an institutional member has allowed so many of our team members to get involved with conferences, committees, and forums in a way that has inspired them and allowed them to grow professionally. 

The Best Thing About Being an ILA Institutional Member?

Discounts for the conference, right? Actually, the best thing is signaling to everyone in our organization that they are a part of ILA; not just the one or two people at the top of the organizational chart. 

Fun Fact About the Library

We went through a major remodel in 2015 and stayed open the whole time!  There we days we didn't have windows and everything was covered in dust.  Trying to help patrons with a jackhammer in the background was a challenge, but we got through it. 

Popular Event/Programs with Patrons

Like many libraries, our Summer Reading Program is ridiculously popular.  So too is our annual partnership with AARP which offers free tax filing services to patrons.  Our early childhood programs, put on by Miss Julie, almost always have a waitlist.  She offers Book Babies, Toddler Tales, and Preschool Storytime to sell out crowds. 

Favorite Event 

Our Friends of the Library group puts on an amazing book sale every spring.  Over the course of five days, we have roughly 4,000 people visit the library, dozens of volunteers put in hundreds of hours of work, and we raise over $15,000.  I love seeing all the extra people come in from far and wide.  It has turned into quite the regional event. 

iREAD Summer Reading Programs

Since 1981, iREAD provides high quality, low-cost resources and products that enable local library staff to motivate children, young adults, and adults to read.

Visit the iREAD website »