The Mattoon Public Library was formed by a group of interested citizens in 1893. Ten years later in 1903 the library moved into its current location. The library was built with funds from Andrew Carnegie and is one of the many Carnegie libraries in central Illinois. Andrew Carnegie believed that a person had to educate themself and that libraries afforded anyone that opportunity. He also believed that people had to lift themselves up because no one was going to do it for him. The stairs leading up to the main entrances reflect this belief.
In 1995 an addition was built onto the main building. The people involved with the renovation wanted to keep the original feel of the building and unlike many other Carnegie libraries, the addition closely matches the original. Unless someone is looking for it, it can be hard to tell what parts of the library is the old building and which are the new. [Source]
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