We're celebrating 125 years!

The library has been homed in four separate buildings between 1897 and the present. Each building is marked here on an aerial map of Iowa City, showing that they were all located within these few city blocks. Two of the four buildings, the present one and the Carnegie building, are still standing. One, the Cannon & Pratt building, used to be almost exactly where the current Children's Room is located.

To benefit the newly formed library, a play was performed at the Opera House called "Honour Before Wealth" in 1897. The original poster, although very damaged, still exists in the library's institutional archives.

Needlepoint building designed by Carol Krob and stitched by Alice Kurtz, representing the first location of the library in the C.O.D. Steam building.

The C.O.D. Steam Laundry, the first location of the Iowa City Public Library. The library itself was located on the second floor, housed a rather modest collection, and had limited hours and staffing compared to today's standards.

Needlepoint building designed by Carol Krob and stitched by Jeanette Lynch, representing the second location of the library in the Cannon & Pratt building.

The dimensions of the Carnegie building plans are laid out on the ground at it's new location on South Linn Street.

The ground is prepared for construction of the Carnegie building.

Horses are used to prepare the ground for the construction of the Carnegie building.

The corners are marked for the foundation of the Carnegie building, and excavation is underway.

A group of workers pose for a photo in the dug out foundation of the Carnegie building.

The walls of the foundation are evened out to prepare for the stones of the soon-to-be Carnegie building.

A larger group of workers can be seen in the excavated ground where the Carnegie building will soon be built.

With the first bit of framing in place, the foundation and interior superstructure are in a very early stage of being constructed.

Large stones are being brought onto the construction site to begin building up the walls.

Stones are moved into place, by pulleys and man power.

Still in its early stages, what will be the rear of the building begins to take shape.

The building is beginning to take shape as construction progresses through cold weather. Most of the initial foundation work is complete and the rest of the building is progressing nicely. This view is of the front of the building.

This angle of the developing construction shows the holes where the side windows will be installed, and the developing exterior.

Taken at the same time as image showing the progress on the building from its front side, this captures the state of progress looking at the north side of the building (where part of Iowa Avenue is now).

Needlepoint building designed by Carol Krob and stitched by Denise Wilcox, representing the third location of the library, the Carnegie building.

The finished Iowa City Public Library building in the classic Carnegie style of the time. However, some landscape and street work still needs to be completed.

Now completed, the building is open and ready to serve the public.

Interior view of lobby area with staff desk and first and second floors. Notice how few books are on some of the second floor shelves.

The library's Board of Trustees sent out invitations for the dedication of the Carnegie building in 1904.

The dedication for the library was held at the Opera House, which had since undergone fire damage and a restoration since the benefit play was preformed for the library in 1897. The dedication itself occurred on Tuesday, November 29th, 1904.

The second page of the dedication even program includes names of the Board of Trustees and library staff at the time.

The events of the dedication are listed, including mention of a reception at the library after the events at the Opera House.

The children's room in the Carnegie building was located in the lower floor and opened in 1905.