Episode 232: Litchfield Public Library District

America at 250 Episode 17: "A Tale of Two Libraries: Litchfield, Illinois's two iterations of a public library as documents of their respective eras"

Sara is the director of the Litchfield, IL Public Library District and came to see me at the city's Route 66 Welcome Center to share about the institution's past, present, and future.  The newest version of the Litchfield Public Library arrived about ten years ago to take the place of a Carnegie Library, which was in the center of town.  Although the new building is on the outskirts, both structures act as the "soul" of Litchfield in their own ways.

This is the seventeenth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.  Thomas Jefferson felt so strongly of the importance of libraries that he, as president, made sure to approve of the building of the Library of Congress, which still acts as the central, national library to this day. 

Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250