Colchester District Library

The Colchester District Library is not about dusty shelves and musty smells! We are not about 'shush-ing' and silence! 

Instead, we are an open, welcoming community center where friends can meet, share a conversation or a book, and catch up on busy lives.

We are a tiny library--in a tiny town--with a tiny budget.  But we've got energy! 

With a budget of just over $30,000 yearly, and a 125 year old building of 2200 square feet, we are experts at making do. We are open 20 hours per week, employ 4 part time people, and serve a population of 1108 within the city limits of Colchester. Our building is used approximately 18 times per month for patron, community, and private events, and in 2024 we welcomed 3289 individual library visits.  Last year we sponsored 164 programs that drew 1906 participants.

Because of our small budget, we can only buy a fraction of the books and print materials we would like to purchase.  We are a member of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System, and by participating in their interlibrary loan services we are able to get many items our patrons request.  The fee for this service will be increasing substantially over the next 5 years.  

We do take advantage of many grants as well--particularly for children's materials and programming, and another for technology and digital growth. However, the future is looking particularly gloomy.  This is mostly due to increasing costs of everything we do, and the imminent funding cuts at the state and federal level. 

COVID knocked all of us down.  And it's been a tough comeback.  But we are doing it! We recently became the McDonough County hub for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. We have weekly Story Hour and Move and Groove for kids and a full slate of summer reading activities (funded by the Tracy Family Foundation), 2 adult book clubs, and one or two adult programs per month. 

There's so much more that needs to be done. Our leaking roof continues to be an issue. Building maintenance and upkeep are a constant concern. Utility and insurance costs never end.  But we will keep focusing on our people and living up to our image of being "little but mighty"!