Did You Know?
Niles District Library is descended from one of the original 1,681 free public libraries funded by Andrew Carnegie in the U.S. between about 1889 and 1919.
In 1881, the Ladies Library Association was the first group to try to bring a library to the Niles community; they set up a reading room and lending library in a local office.
Beginning in 1902, the Ladies’ Library Association began efforts to secure a public library for the City of Niles. A committee comprised of four Association members communicated with Andrew Carnegie to secure funding for a public library building (then located at the corner of Main & Fourth, the Niles Public Library housed approximately 5,000 volumes). Carnegie donated $15,000 for the construction of the library building. The Federation of Women’s Clubs, private donors, and the city raised funds for furnishing and staff.
Construction was completed in the summer of 1904 and formally opened to the public November 17, 1904.
The legacy of Andrew Carnegie’s impact on public libraries gave us the impetus to serve our community. We are grateful that the community of Niles has supported us in more than a century of library service. You can read more about the history of NDL here: https://nileslibrary.com/library-history/
