Urbana Free Library: 140 years of community services
January 26, 2015
The Urbana Free Library wasn’t always free. Two years before its conception in July of 1874, it began as the Young Men’s Library Association, a fee-based organization. “When (the library) became part of the city, the city took over responsibility of funding it, and they have property taxes that pa...
PACA finds new uses for historic buildings
December 4, 2014
When Thomas Garza attended Edison Middle School, he would often look out the classroom window and wonder about an old house on the east side of the building. It was moments like these that influenced him to work toward preserving that house and other buildings like it. Garza is now the executive di...
Green Street Renovation Project receives public input
March 13, 2014
Champaign kicked off the third phase of its Green Street Renovation Project on Wednesday with an open house at the Champaign Public Library. The open house introduced the project and allowed residents to provide input on design concepts for Green Street between Fourth Street and Neil Street. “We’ll co...
CU on Board provides outlet for artistic expression
February 26, 2014
This semester, local students at Edison Middle School in Champaign can take their artistic creativity and put it all on the table — or, rather, the skateboard deck — as part of CU on Board, a community-based art initiative. The project, part of an art after-school program called “artspeak,” ...
Champaign public library requests that city help tackle budget shortfalls
February 26, 2014
The Champaign City Council reviewed the Champaign Public Library’s plan to tackle budget shortfalls at Tuesday’s meeting. Because of increasing expenses and decreasing revenues, the library appealed to the council for funding. The city council directed staff to move forward with an agreement that...
Rotary Club of Champaign to fund reading program
November 14, 2013
Students at Robeson Elementary School will be introduced to new books throughout the school year thanks to a reading program provided by the Champaign Public Library. The Rotary Club of Champaign gave the library a $14,800 grant to fund the reading program at the school. The program will provide each...
