Cook Memorial Library

Libertyville’s first library came into being in the late 1800s. The 1920s saw the inception of the Cook Memorial Library name and a dedicated library building.

In 1919 the Libertyville Library was a subscription library, housed in the village hall but owned and operated by the Women’s Club. At her death, Emily Barrows Cook, widow of Ansel B. Cook, left her house and considerable property (including 30 lots) to the village of Libertyville to be used as a site for a public library and park. The property was formally transferred to the village in 1920.

In her 1935 history of the library, Head Librarian Mrs. Blanche Mitchell describes the early years of the village library:

“A Village Library Board was elected in 1921 consisting of Dr. Smith, Dr. Galloway, B. H. Miller, Mrs. Augusta Lovell, Mrs. Paul MacGuffin and Mrs. E. W. Colby.

“At this time the Woman’s Club possessed 1858 volumes and subscribed to many of the leading magazines—these were gladly turned over the new library. There being no money available to condition the Cook residence for library use, a meeting was called of the leading organizations and a solicitation of funds suggested. Each one cooperated in this financing project and by means of entertainments, plays, minstrel shows, and direct solicitation from interested citizens only a few months elapsed before there were sufficient funds to stucco the building, build the colonial pillared porch and make other necessary improvements. The Building was opened to the public in April, 1921, and dedicated in November, 1921.

“The Ansel B. Cook and Emily Barrows Cook Public Library was operated as a village library from April 20th, 1921 to May 1st, 1924, by which later date the demands made by the Township High School became so great that it was impossible to supply their needs with the limited tax funds received from the Village tax alone, therefore it seemed necessary to increase the revenue….”

A Township Library Board was elected to oversee the maintenance and funding of the library collection. At the same time, the Village Library Board remained in existence in order to (as Mrs. Mitchell’s history continued) “have charge of the sale of the lots and [be] custodians of the funds received from the sale thereof. The aim of the Library Board [was] to establish a fund to be used eventually to build a modern permanent library.” These funds were later used to refurbish the Cook Library facility instead.