The Rock Island Public Library reflects the City's fine traditional support for education and quality of life. It is the first library to open to the public in Illinois, on November 25, 1872. Since then it has grown in ways the founders could not have imagined.

Today, the Rock Island Public Library offers more for your life at every stage of your life, with a wide variety of materials, services and programs for children, teens and adults. From 12,546 volumes in 1872, the collection has expanded to more than 240,000 items. This fine collection of best-selling books and magazines now includes music, audio books, multimedia kits, educational and entertainment DVDs, books in large print and electronic formats and research tools you can use from your own desktop. Library cards are free to residents of Rock Island and the Milan-Blackhawk Area Library District.

All three Rock Island Library locations offer free public Internet access, and are Wi-Fi hot spots as well. The library also subscribes to a wide number of electronic research tools that can be used at the Library or from a cardholder’s home PC. From online encyclopaedias to practice tests for school or career needs, and from newspaper archives to stock market ratings, your library has the information you need, in a variety of convenient formats.

Library users can also take advantage of a wide variety of programs for children, teens, adults and families, from story hours and early learning programs to summer and winter reading programs, book clubs, music, film, art, drama and cultural programming.  To check out the full range of options, see the library’s online calendar. Community rooms are also available by reservation at the Main and Southwest Branches.

The Rock Island Public Library has grown from the historic 1903 Main Library to include the 30/31 and Southwest residential branches. The 30/31 Branch also offers a booksale room and convenient drive-up window, while the Southwest Branch offers a meeting room that’s available for booking by outside groups.

Click here to for more information on Rock Island's Libraries, including hours of operation.