Q: What is the history of the Edgerton Library?

The JCL had long wanted to provide a more convenient library service to the city of Edgerton after the bookmobile ceased operation in the early 1980's.  Edgerton residents needed to drive four miles to Gardner for full library services. For many years two carts of books for self-checkout stood in Edgerton City Hall.  Efforts to build a permanent library in both 1991 and 1997 proved unsuccessful .  But the JCL and the people and city of Edgerton continued to work toward a library in that community.

A solution was finally found.  A former bank building conveniently located across the street from the post office and in the downtown area was acquired by the city in 1999.  The JCL agreed to provide library service there and the city and people of Edgerton set about providing a setting for the provision of modern library services.  Community Development Block Grants and several hundred thousand dollars in funds raised by the Edgerton Library Task Force paid for much. Local citizens and businesses pitched in with skilled volunteers and materials.  Furnishings and library materials were supplied by the JCL, which rents the facility from the city of Edgerton. It is the only rented library in the system.

On July 29, 2000, the Edgerton Library opened its doors to the public.  Among the services offered were a wide range of library materials at the facility and requested items brought daily for other JCL locations, public-use PCs, a meeting room, and youth and adult programming including storytimes.  Today the building is known as the Bank of Knowledge.

2018 Statistics:

Visitors: 8,478

Items Circulated: 16,677

Square Footage: 2,062

Article researched and originally written by Jerry C. Roy, 2010 

Edited and updated by Terri Bostic, 2019

Last Updated: Sep 25, 2019     Views: 73
Answered By: Johnson County Reference