A Library with What?? Is that a jail cell? Yes, yes it is!

This library in the West Village of NYC was a NYC court house. After the court system was consolidated, the building was revitalized in the 1950s into a branch of the NYC Library system! The former jail cell in picture 1 is now where the IT system is located! The clock tower was also used as a fire watch in the 1800s and early 1900s. Inside the library, the original court room is now the main reading room-picture 3. The spiral staircase in the clock tower is one way to get to the main reading room-it feels like you are in a castle! When I was in NYC this summer, I took time to relax and read in this historic room!

Re-Elect Ginger!

My re-election campaign will kick off on September 19th! To run for office, I must obtain signatures from Lombard residents within the Library District. So please stop at my driveway, sign the petition and get a coffee and pastry!

July 2026 Building Flood

What happened?

Overnight between Fri, Jul 3 and Sat, Jul 4, Lombard received roughly five inches of rainfall over a very short time. The streets and area around our building were overwhelmed with water, and the south end of our building flooded on the 1st Floor and in the basement.

Are Library services still impacted?

Yes, reconstruction is in progress, but the Youth Services large program room is still unavailable. Please continue to review information in the website calendar to verify where your favorite program is located. 1st Floor family restrooms, the Quiet Spot are also still unavailable.