"Tuesday afternoon June 13th,1905 marks the opening of what has been very appropriately termed 'A People's University in Fairbury' - The Dominy Memorial Library. This magnificent gift wasgiven through the generosity of Mrs. L. B. Dominy. It was erected and presented to the City of Fairbury in memory of her husband, Lorenzo B. Dominy and their daughter, Hazel. The library is the property of the people of Fairbury and everyone is exhorted to feel as free to go to the library as if it was in his own house. The books, magazines or periodicalsis are at your disposal and as free as the air you breathe. People of Fairbury, the library is yours. Its treasures are yours. Let us all appreciate this gift - our library."

- Olive V. McKee, Sec.

January 1, 1905 marked not only the start of a new year, but also the opening of Dominy Memorial Library. The initial plans for a library had actually begun shortly more than a decade before, when the Methodist Episcopal Sunday School, by sponsoring a book social that cleared $21, opened a Reading Room, open daily from 2 to 4 p.m.

As the town grew, so did the demand for a public library. In 1901, Hazel Dominy, daughter of the Lorenzo B. Dominys, died after a short illness. Her father, wanting to both commemorate his daughter and benefit the city, decided to build a library. He died before plans for the building were completed, but his wife fulfilled his wishes, requesting the right to name the building and that the name never be changed.

She also listed the rules by which the library would be operated. Construction of Dominy Memorial Library, at the corner of Third and Elm, a site selected by Mr. Dominy, was begun in 1904. The architect was Paul Moratz, He was one of the architects involved in the rebuilding of downtown Bloomington after the fire of 1900. He designed many buildings in the Midwest, including other libraries. The library was completed at a cost of $12,000.

Today, Dominy Memorial Library is a charitable, tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization designed to serve the needs of Fairbury and the surrounding vicinity.

A resource to encourage education and to promote research, the library also acts as a cultural center. It is the home to a collection of over 20,400 items, including books, large print books, audio books, newspapers, magazines, music cassettes, videos, bifocal kits, and art prints.

Patrons have access to a fax machine, copy machine, microfilm printer-reader, genealogy materials, and the Internet through three computers with high-speed cable connections. The library offers a meeting room, outreach programs, children's programs, and a children's library. Currently, the roster lists about 2,400 card holders. Through the decades, charitable contributions have allowed the library to well serve Fairbury area citizens. To meet the demands of an increasingly technological-and expensive-society, the library relies even more upon the generosity of its patrons to keep it a viable and growing institution.


We extend a Special Thanks to the following people for providing this information:

	Erica Cotter - for research

	Allison Oakland - for digitized historic library documents

	Paula Kelson - for preparing textual content

	Clifford Ziegenhorn family - for their donation to the library of Cliff's extensive collection of articles relating to Fairbury

	Robert Dominy and dominy.com - for Dominy family geneology information

	Diane Pawlowski and Fairbury Echoes Museum for historical information

	Bill Steinbacher-Kemp at the McLean County Museum of History for historical information

Rendering of Dominy Memorial Library's New Chapter Addtion

Library Brochure

Questions & Answers

Letter of Commitment

Library Donation Mailer

Architect's Rendering

Areas of the New Library with
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Catalog

Alliance Library System

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Browse downloadable audiobooks and eBooks from Alliance Digital Media Library. Your library card and your pin/password are required to download books.

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Donated Books

WE DO NOT ACCEPT textbooks, encyclopedia sets of any kind, musty books, yellowed books or books in poor condition. These items can't be put in our collection and they do not sell at our book sales. We do not have the resources to pass them on or recycle them.