Library Celebrates $1,000 Boost from Chamber, Citizens Surprised
The Streator Public Library received a generous $1,000 donation this week from the Streator Chamber of Commerce, thanks to proceeds from their recent CLUE-themed fundraiser. The check was presented with smiles, handshakes, and enough people to fill a Mystery Dinner Theater cast twice over.
The donation is a welcome contribution to the library, which remains one of Streator’s most underappreciated public treasures. Housed in a stunning century-old Carnegie building with original woodwork, stained glass, and shelves of actual, physical books, the library is the kind of place urban planners dream about—though most locals think it’s just a cool old building they might’ve visited once during a school field trip in 1997.
“We’re so thankful to the Chamber for their support,” said library director Melissa Badger. “This will help us fund programs that benefit all ages, from children’s storytime to job-seeker resources.” All noble and important offerings—assuming, of course, that anyone actually takes advantage of them.
The reality is, for every child who wanders in for a book about dinosaurs or a free sticker, there are ten adults who haven’t set foot inside since VHS tapes were a thing. Some still believe the library charges late fees in pennies and that checking out a book automatically signs you up for jury duty. One resident, when shown a photo of the library, responded, “Oh yeah, I thought that was just the courthouse.”
While the donation won’t change Streator’s reading habits overnight, it might at least fund enough programming to remind folks that the library has free Wi-Fi, computers, and even air conditioning—a trifecta of value in a town that often chooses Casey’s pizza and YouTube conspiracy videos over nonfiction and local history.
So here’s to the Chamber of Commerce, the library staff, and the few, proud cardholders keeping the lights on and the shelves dusted. May the rest of Streator someday realize that the best building in town doesn’t sell scratch-offs or Monster Energy—and that knowledge, unlike gas station hot dogs, is still free.
