Stinson Memorial Public Library District

Stinson Memorial Public Library District Stinson Memorial Public Library District was designed by Walter Burley Griffin and soon after in 1914 Mr. Ms.

History of Stinson Memorial Library District

Established in 1914, the Stinson Memorial Library has a rich history made possible by the generous endowment given by Robert Burns Stinson. Stinson, a civil war veteran, settled in Anna after serving in the 60th Infantry of the Army of the Republic. Stinson, a prominent community member, left $50,082 to the City of Anna to establish a library. The endo

wment funds were invested in local commerce by the acting Library Board of Trustees. After a decade, the profits were used towards the construction of the library. Walter Burley Griffin was appointed architect of the library. An advocate of using materials indigenous to the area, Griffin's use of limestone is one of the compelling features of the library’s structure. In 1912, the same year Griffin is appointed the architect for the Stinson Memorial Library, he won the Australian Federal Capital City Design Competition. Griffin would later go on to be widely renowned for his prairie-style architectural works. In the years since it’s open, there have been few structural changes made to the library itself. In June of 1978, the library was included in the National Register of Historic Places. Stinson Memorial Library was first run by Lueva Montgomery (1914-1918) who was proceeded by local Miss Helen Louise Grear (1919 -1927). Corita Spann Alden ran the facility between 1927 – 1942 and was followed by Miss Mary Bacon who served Stinson Library from 1942 – 1990. Robert Hafeman served as library director from 1990 – 2001. Under his administration, the Stinson Library was expanded into the Stinson Memorial Public Library District. The district’s service area now reached to include most of Union County. It was during this time that library branches open in Alto Pass and Cobden. The library district transitioned into utilizing an automated library system and modernized material sharing. Lisa Livesay ran the library district from 2001 - 2020 and incorporated digital materials as well as partnered to offer library services at the Wolf Lake Community Center and later at Shawnee High School. Sarah Watkins became the Library District’s Director in 2021 and is working to continue the legacy of previous Stinson Librarians. Currently, the library district has two locations, the Stinson Memorial Library and Cobden Branch Library. It is a member of the Illinois Heartland Library System and participates in resource sharing across Illinois.

08/02/2026
08/01/2026
Our Summer Reading Program has been filled with learning and smiles! Our finale pool party brought the same energy of co...
08/01/2026

Our Summer Reading Program has been filled with learning and smiles! Our finale pool party brought the same energy of community fun! Thanks to all our sponsors and everyone in our amazing community, that participated in our Summer Reading Programs.

We celebrated your adult reading accomplishments with an Herb growing workshop led by All Seasons Farms and the Union Co...
08/01/2026

We celebrated your adult reading accomplishments with an Herb growing workshop led by All Seasons Farms and the Union Co Farm Bureau! Heather Casner is the lucky winner of our 15 dollar muddy roots collective prize and Mary Rajcok is the winner of our zip line tickets!

Something new is coming September 1st!
07/31/2026

Something new is coming September 1st!

Starting next week!
07/29/2026

Starting next week!

ATTN: Summer Reading Participants! Please be on the look-out for an email! A notification will be sent to the app as wel...
07/28/2026

ATTN: Summer Reading Participants!

Please be on the look-out for an email! A notification will be sent to the app as well to let you know emails were sent.

Looking for help with your tech devices like tablets, phones and laptops? Sign up for an appointment with one of our sta...
07/28/2026

Looking for help with your tech devices like tablets, phones and laptops? Sign up for an appointment with one of our staff, who might be able to help.

We learned so much at our Herbal Workshop with Dayempur Herbals! Thanks to all who participated.
07/27/2026

We learned so much at our Herbal Workshop with Dayempur Herbals! Thanks to all who participated.

Address

409 S Main Street
Anna, IL
62906

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+16188332521

Website

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