BELVIDERE, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF)– The Ida Public Library in Belvidere turns 140 this year. Local Leaders and members of the community gathered to celebrate the anniversary.

“It’s nostalgic, it’s historical, and its beautiful it’s uh beautiful facility,” said the Mayor of Belvidere Clinton Morris.

It was 1883 when the city welcomed in the library.

“In 1883 General Allen C. Fuller donated funds to the city to form a public library and where as the library was named in honor of General Fuller’s daughter Ida Fuller Hovey,” Morris said.

The Library was originally located inside City Hall on South State Street. That building has now become the fire station. In the early 1900s the once small library moved to its current location thanks to a grant from Steel Baron Andrew Carnegie. Then in 1987 the build received major upgrades, expanding into its current footprint. Now the library has a longer reach thanks to the addition of the Ida Library’s book mobile..

“Celebrating 140 year is obviously a huge deal, but it was really cool to expand even further our outreach into the community with the book mobile so that’s provided us with another outlet to reach anybody really,” said Daisy Mechler the youth services coordinator at the library.

“The mayor of the city of Belvidere do hereby honor the 140th anniversary of the Ida public library and proclaim Thursday March 9th 20-23 to be Ida Public Library day,” Mayor Morris said.

State Senator Steve Stadleman and State Representative David Vella also offered proclamations.