In 1971 the Mt. Olive PTA agreed to pursue establishing a public library for the city of Mt. Olive. On Nov. 14, 1971 the Mt. Olive Reading Center was opened at 108 West Main in a building generously donated by Maurice Sullivan, of Sullivan’s Drug Store. The Reading Center was staffed with loyal volunteers.
After passage of the referendum to levy a library tax on city property owners, the Reading Center officially became a member of the Lewis and Clark Library System in 1973 and a librarian was hired, assisted by volunteers.
The library quickly outgrew the original site and the city council agreed to house the library in the former city hall at 111 West Main. The Mt. Olive Jaycees completely renovated the lower floor which originally housed the city fire and police departments.
In 1985, the Rhodes’ Children’s Library was opened in a brand new addition at the rear of the building. The library, staffed by 2 librarians, a green thumb worker and an evening employee, offered over 19,000 volumes, record albums, audio books, videos, puppets, story hours, summer reading programs and local history. Eventually the library began to offer internet access, copies and fax transmissions.
The library moved again when a new 4,200 sq. foot building, funded in part, by an Illinois Live and Learn Construction Grant, was erected on the corner of East Main and North Plum in November 2003. The library now offers the community a relaxing, comfortable environment with adult, teens and children’s collections, DVDs, Audiobooks, public access computers, fax and copier services, a meeting room, an extensive history room collection and much more.
In 2011 the Lewis & Clark Library System merged with 3 other library systems to form the Illinois Heartland Library System. As a member of the Illinois Heartland Library System, the Mt. Olive Public Library has access to over 10,000,000 items from libraries located throughout central and southern Illinois.
The Mount Olive Public library is staffed by 3 part time employees.
The Mount Olive Public library is funded through the city of Mt. Olive property tax revenue, fundraisers, grants and donations.