The Story of the Northbrook Public Library

In 1919, when Shermerville had a population of just 500, the Citizens’ Club established a small reading room above a store on Shermer Road, across from what is now the Village Green. Staffed by club members and local teachers, it offered residents a place to read and learn.

As the community grew, so did the need for a public library. In 1951, Bertram Pollak, then president of the Northbrook Civic Association and later Village President, proposed establishing a public library. That same year, local organizations and residents rallied behind a library referendum, which passed by just six votes!

The Northbrook Public Library opened its doors on June 28, 1952, in the old Village Hall, with donated books and 4,000 volumes on loan from the Illinois State Library.

In 1954, the library moved into a new building at the northeast corner of Shermer and Church Street. Although it was expanded in 1961, Village growth demanded a larger facility. In 1969, a new library was constructed at the corner of Cherry and Cedar Lanes, and since then it has been expanded twice.

From a small reading room above a store to the library we know today, the story of the Northbrook Public Library is one of a community growing together.