About

Photo Credit: "Birth of a Library" 1969 IVCC Yearbook, Pg. 151.

The Library's Early Years

Though the book collection for the library began in 1967, the library's history goes back to 1924 when LPO Junior College, IVCC's predecessor, and LaSalle-Peru High School shared the same library. 

In the summer of 1968, when the college campus was moved across the river to the interim campus, the library consisted of 6,000 titles and was operated for the first semester without shelves or furniture.

Dedication of Jacobs Library

After four years on the interim campus, the library was moved to the permanent campus in the summer of 1972. On December 1, 1972, the library was officially dedicated the Jacobs Library, in honor of Dr. Henry Jacobs (1912-1971), a member of the original Board of Trustees of IVCC.

Photo Credit: Jacobs Library Dedication Program, IVCC Library File, Local History Collection.

Photo Credit: "Depository" IVCC Library Photos File, Local History Collection.

Federal & State Depository

On December 10, 1975, IVCC was designated a Federal Depository, and on July 21, 1977, it became an Illinois State Depository. With this designation, the library received both federal and state documents free of charge from the U.S. Government Printing Office and from the State of Illinois. The depository collection had reached 25,000 units when it was moved to its permanent home in the library, in December of 1977. As of Summer 2011 Jacobs Library ended its participation in the depository program.

Making Connections

In the fall of 1998, IVCC joined the Illinet system. This online system allowed students to search for books owned by the IVCC library, view a list of items they had previously checked out, as well as browse the catalogs of over 40 other Illinois libraries.

Today, students can use the library's online catalog to renew items, view fines, request items from any of the 90 libraries in the I-Share system, track their requests, and browse the IVCC library collection. 

Photo credit: Screenshot from Library Tour 1/8/96 video, IVCC Library File, Local History Collection.

Photo Credit: IVCC Librarian, 2019.

Ottawa Center Services

In August of 2009, Illinois Valley Community College opened a satellite campus in Ottawa Illinois. Ottawa Center students receive items from the main campus on a weekly basis and can request items through the library's online catalog. A variety of eBooks, eAudiobooks, streaming videos, and databases are also available to Ottawa Center and distance students.

Active Learning Space

In 2015, the library's Silent Zone was remodeled into an Active Learning Space, complete with movable tables and chairs, mobile dry erase boards, a touch screen Starboard for library instruction, and a collaboration table. In September of 2018, the collaboration table and a gallery wall of photos were dedicated in memory of Joanne Jalley.

Photo Credit: IVCC Librarian, 2019.

Photo Credit: College photographer, 2018.

The Library Today

Now after almost half a century of operation, Jacobs Library has a working collection of over 50,000 items, including books, ebooks, audiobooks, bound periodicals, online databases, films, streaming videos, microfilm, microfiche, video tapes, and DVDs.