The Galesburg Public Library Foundation Capital Campaign

Building a Library, Connecting a Community

All Galesburg Public Library Foundation funding raised in 2022 will be applied toward the capital campaign for the new library. The campaign seeks to raise $3.75 million dollars through voluntary contributions, the portion of the total new library expenses that are currently unfunded.

The Galesburg Public Library Foundation and its trustees have always championed the vision for a new library for the City of Galesburg. In 2007, just prior to the formation of the Foundation, the idea for a new library was brought to the attention of the Galesburg City Council. Since that point, the Galesburg Public Library, Galesburg Public Library Foundation, Friends of the Public Library, and committed community members have been putting in the hard work to turn that vision into reality.  

The most critical step in the process was the recent award of a $15.3 million grant from the State of Illinois to cover 75% of the total cost of the new library. The initial application for the grant was submitted in 2013 and required significant action to plan for the library construction, including site selection, property ownership, and a finalized architectural design. Funding from the Foundation covered these initial expenses and enabled the Library to continue meeting the grant requirements over the next seven years until receiving the award. 

The work to position the library to open on schedule in early 2024 will take place throughout the capital campaign. 

New Library Legacy Paver Campaign

Reserve your legacy paver by filling out the paver donation form.  If you’d like to pay online, you can do so via PayPal.