OUR HISTORY
- Since its creation in 1915, a need was met for a community library where people could gather and enjoy the resources it had to offer, thus a Mt. Sterling City Library was born.
- In 1964, the Library Board of Trustees and staff managed to maintain the current facility, using space management, meeting public building requirements, and meeting the ever-growing demands of technology, all while providing patrons with new opportunities.
- In 1993, the Brown County residents voted to make it the Brown County Public Library District, the result being the location at 143 W Main Street, with programs and resources to meet the residents’ needs.
- Since the referendum establishing the county-wide library district, sustained by taxpayers, the Brown County Public Library has been free of charge for all Brown County residents to enjoy. A unique and equalizing attribute of the Brown County Public Library is that it is open to, and welcomes, all ages to access the library’s multitude of programs and resources.
- In 2005, the dream of a larger facility was born as the collection and patrons grew in numbers, and the old two-room facility became inadequate to meet program and community needs.
- Thanks to the Illinois State Library Construction Grant, and all the generous donors, the new facility broke ground on October 31, 2023. The new library building at 106 SW Cross Street opened on January 29, 2025.