Groundbreaking ceremony held for new Carthage Public Library

April 22, 2025 | By Muddy River News

Carthage Library Ground Breaking picture

Participating in the groundbraking ceremony for the new Carthage Public Library are, from left, Angie Perry, Ann Thompson, Sara Talley, John Dittmer, Amy Gee, Rebecca Eagan, Rose Fisher, Andy Bastert and Dean McHugh. | Photo courtesy of Laverdiere Construction, Inc.

CARTHAGE, Ill. — A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Carthage Public Library was held April 15 at the corner of First and Center.

The library received bids from five general contractors and has signed an agreement with the lowest bidder, Laverdiere Construction, Inc. from Macomb for $3,646,186.

“We are thrilled to be moving forward with this project,” library director Amy Gee said in a press release. “We dared to dream of a new library building and submitted our grant application back in March 2020. We have been working toward this moment for over five years, and we are grateful for all of the generous donations that have helped to make it possible.”

The new library will be funded through a combination of sources including:

grant funds provided from the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of the Secretary of State, using state funds
a bond referendum passed by voters in 2021
library savings
donation of the building site by Prairieland Investment Group
monetary donations from the public

Fundraising efforts will continue with a focus on raising money for new shelves and furnishings.