Overview
Lombard owes its public library and Lilacia Park to Colonel William Plum and his wife, Helen. Colonel Plum was a lawyer, traveler, writer, horticulturist, and telegraph officer during the Civil War. After the war, he moved to Lombard and became an important pioneer resident of the village, serving as the first village clerk. When Colonel Plum died in 1927, he bequeathed his estate and house to the Village of Lombard, with the stipulation that the estate be converted into a park and the house into a free library as a memorial to his wife. He also left $25,000 to further this plan. In paragraph nine of his will, the Colonel states that the land be given to the people of Lombard as a public park, and in the memory of his wife, their house be given as a “free public library and reading rooms.”
In the early 1960s, the Library Board obtained the current library site at 110 W. Maple in a land trade with the Lombard Park District so the Helen Plum Memorial Library Board of Trustees would be free to construct a new two-story library building on Maple Street.
A 12,000-square-foot, two-story library building was completed and opened in 1963, and the Plum residence was demolished. In 1976, a local referendum was passed to raise money to pay for an addition to the new library building. It also increased the maximum allowable tax rate to 25 cents per $100 of assessed real estate valuation. This was the last time until 2016 a library tax increase was approved by the residents of Lombard.
In 1978, the 22,300-square-foot addition to the library building was completed. It is west and north of the original 1963 building. The library building is 34,300 square feet. Explore its history below.
The First Helen Plum Library
November 12, 1928
The Helen Plum Library opened in a home bequeathed to the Village by Colonel William Plum.
I desire to establish, within said period of two years, a free public library and reading rooms in said dwelling for the people of Lombard and if thought advisable, others of the vicinity, to be known as the Helen M. Plum Memorial Library.
A New Chapter Begins
- February 7, 1959: A referendum for a new facility was defeated.
- December 5, 1961: A referendum to build a new 12,000-square-foot, two-story library building was passed.
- September 1, 1962: Groundbreaking was held for the new library building.
- October 1963: The Library opened with an open house on October 6 and the first day of operation on October 7. The Plum residence was demolished.
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A Growing Library
- July 21, 1975: The architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of Chicago was retained to present conceptual designs for an addition to the building.
- December 4, 1976: A referendum passed to pay for a 22,300-square-foot addition to the library building. This was the last time until 2016 that a library tax increase was approved by the residents of Lombard.
- July 7, 1977: Groundbreaking held for the building addition.
- May 9, 1978: The new addition was opened, the building measuring 34,300 square feet.
- December 3, 1978: An open house was held to commemorate the opening of the new addition.
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Changing Times
- 1984: The Library moved to an automated circulation system.
- July 1985: The first floor was remodeled.
- 1987-1988: Repairs made to the underground addition.
- 1993: The first floor was remodeled.
- 1994: Computers replaced card catalogs.
- September 1998: Park District offices moved out of the second floor of the Library to a facility on Parkside Avenue.
- 1999-2000: A citizen’s committee created a long-term plan calling for more space while remaining in Lombard’s downtown.
- February 2001: A space-needs study done by Library Planning Associates showed the need for a 79,000-square-foot building in the next 20 years.
- 2001-2004: Unsuccessful referenda sought funding for a new 79,000-square-foot building and an increase in the operating budget. The Library Board held two referenda at the March 16, 2004, primary election. The questions sought voter approval to increase property taxes for a home valued at $200,000 to $11.50 per month. These funds would pay for the construction cost, furniture and equipment, fees, surveys, reimbursement for the purchase of the property next door, and a permanent tax increase for operations. Neither of the referenda passed, although more than 40% voted in favor of the new building and increased funding.
In 1984, the Library switched to an automated circulation system and held an open house to demonstrate the new system.
A better than average turnout for the demonstration indicated that library patrons were indeed ready for computerized library service.
— Hazel Mills, A History of the Helen M. Plum Memorial Library: 1928-1994
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The Twenty-First Century
- December 2009-February 2010: The first floor was remodeled. A new service desk and teen area were added.
- January 2010: The Library converted from a village library to a district, an independent unit of local government.
- May 2010: A $500,000 remodeling project included a new circulation desk, teen area, and the Adult Quiet Reading Room on the second floor.
- August 2012: The basement and Colonel Plum Auditorium were renovated. $50,000 of the $200,000 project was funded by a Live and Learn Construction Grant awarded from the Illinois State Library.
- April 2015: The Robin’s Nest early literacy play area was opened in the Youth Services Department. Funds for this project were made available due to the generous legacy of Carol Ann Robbins, a teacher from Lombard, who left a donation in her will to create the Edgar Lewis Robbins Family Fund, earmarked for the children’s department.
Video Tour of Helen Plum Library on 110 W. Maple Street
Recorded December 2022-January 2023
The Next Chapter
- 2016: Helen Plum Library passes a referendum for a new building and an increased operating budget.
- June 15, 2021: Groundbreaking was held at the new library site, 411 South Main Street
Building a Library
From the Lombard Fire Department training in May 2021 to the Library's finished spaces in April 2023, watch the journey of building a brand-new library at 411 South Main Street!