About the Library

About the Library

The roots of the Dixon Public Library reach back to 1872 when the firemen of Dixon Hose Company began a small subscription library. It became a city library in 1895-96. In 1899 O. B. Dodge, the first president of the library board, offered to build a new building, which was formally opened to the citizens of Dixon in early 1901.

The facility was remodeled in 1955 when the apartment occupied by the library custodian was converted for use as a children's department. A new addition, which changed the library to its present layout, was opened in 1969, and the elevator was added in 1986. The building was refurbished in 1994.

Many changes have occurred over the years. Collections have grown with the library's growth, and a media center was added in 1988. The library houses over 70,000 books, more than 1000 DVD's and hundreds of audiobooks. Special collections of interest include the Local History, Reagan, and Lincoln collections and a display of original WWI posters.

In 2011 the Dixon Public Library joined with other area libraries to form the Rock River Libraries Consortium (RRLC) The consortium includes the Dixon, Sterling, and Rock Falls public libraries and many area schools and has a shared catalog of over 250,000 items.

The Dixon Public Library is a member of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) which includes all libraries in northern Illinois and means that you can use any library in the State of Illinois with your Dixon Public Library card.

2024 Holiday Closures

New Year's Day, Monday, January 1
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 15
President's Day, Monday, February 19
Library In-Service, Friday, April 12 
Memorial Day, Monday, Jay 27
Juneteenth, Wednesday, June 19
Independence Day, Thursday, July 4
Labor Day, Monday, September 2
Veteran's Day, Monday November 11
Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 28
Day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 29
Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24
Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25
New Year's Eve, Friday December 31 (close at noon)

 Library Services

  • 16 computers for public Internet
  • Wireless Internet
  • Interlibrary Loan
  • Electronic Resources and databases
  • NewsBank local newspaper database
  • OMNI – download service for eBooks and audiobooks
  • OneClick Digital – audiobook download service
  • OmniFile – full text journal articles
  • Programs for all ages
  • Faxing/photocopying
  • Test Proctoring

Library Staff

The library has 7 full-time staff members and 5 part-time staff members.