HR0751 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0751 LRB103 40465 MST 72842 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the Franklin Park Public Library on the completion of its first 125 years of operation; and

WHEREAS, In the closing months of the 19th century, a group of residents of Franklin Park, mostly women, decided that their Illinois community deserved to have a library; and

WHEREAS, The Franklin Park Ladies Literary and Social Club, later renamed the Franklin Park Women's Club, asked their neighbors to bring books to Wasson's store at 9602 Franklin Avenue, and the first book was donated on April 15, 1899; and

WHEREAS, The small store, which also sold ice cream, cigars, and other goods, was the first home of the Franklin Park Library for more than a decade; from 1916 until 1932, the library was moved to other locations; and

WHEREAS, The Great Depression was a threat to the survival of the Franklin Park Library, and in 1932, it suspended its operations for four years until 1936; and

WHEREAS, With help from the New Deal, the Franklin Park Women's Club reopened the Franklin Park Library in 1936; control of the library moved to the Village of Franklin Park in 1941, but it continued to move through a series of municipal and private-sector locations; and

WHEREAS, During the 1960s and 1970s, the people of Franklin Park demonstrated by referendum their increasing support for the Franklin Park Library, authorizing a property tax for its support in 1962 and approving its promotion to the status of a Special Service District in 1970, which made it possible to construct a new, free-standing library; and

WHEREAS, The current Franklin Park Public Library was dedicated on April 1, 1984, and it was then expanded with the addition of a children's library space and two meeting rooms and dedicated on January 29, 1989; and

WHEREAS, As of 2024, the Franklin Park Public Library's collection exceeds 111,000 volumes and items of audiovisual material, including items in the library's collection of local history; and

WHEREAS, This successful collection dates back to the time of President William McKinley; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Franklin Park Public Library on the completion of its first 125 years of operation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we hope that the Franklin Park Public Library continues to be a bulwark of the community, the children of Franklin Park, and the people of Franklin Park for at least another 125 years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Franklin Park Public Library Director Vanessa Morrison, who has served as the director since 2023.