HR0957LRB099 19646 MST 44043 r


  
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to recognize the 50th anniversary of the 
4founding of the Mahomet Public Library; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, The Mahomet Public Library was founded in 1966, 
6starting  out with 3,000 books, art prints, and phonograph 
7records; today, it has over 36,500 books,
2,500 DVDs, 3,500 
8music CDs and audiobooks, and more than 30,000 digital titles 
9available through membership in various
consortia; it has 
10expanded from one room on Main Street to a new, 
1113,000-square-foot facility that also provides a meeting place 
12for the
community; and
  
 
13    WHEREAS, The Mahomet Public Library grew out of the efforts 
14of a local women's club in the mid-1960s; in January of  1966, 
15members of the Mahomet Town & Country Club - precursor to 
16today's Town & Country Womens Club - formed a committee to 
17explore the possibility of establishing a library; the first 
18Mahomet Township Library opened its doors to the public on

19October 1, 1967; the first year's operating budget was a modest 
20$9,600, plus $4,100 for facility costs; and
  
 
21    WHEREAS, Ruby Goode was hired as the first librarian in 
221968, replacing interim librarian Charles Dawson; she was 
 
 
HR0957- 2 -LRB099 19646 MST 44043 r

1followed by Paula Emmons in 1977 and Nan
Goodell - the 
2library's first full-time director - in 1980; current Library 
3Director Lynn Schmit has occupied her position for more than 
4half of the library's history, joining the library in 1988; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, In the fall of 1981, the library moved into a 
64,000-square-foot building at 512 E. Main (now headquarters for

7Mahomet Township); the following year saw the founding of the 
8Friends of the Mahomet Library, a non-profit group whose 
9fundraising efforts include the Run for the Library; and
 
10    WHEREAS, In the 1990s, Mahomet  was growing quickly and 
11outgrowing its library; the Mahomet Public Library moved into 
12its current building in 2009; therefore, be it
 

  
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
14NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
15recognize the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Mahomet 
16Public Library and we wish them many more wonderful years; and 
17be it further
  
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
19presented to the Mahomet Public Library as an expression of our 
20esteem and respect.