January 19, 2022, marks the Highland Park Public Library’s 100 years of service to our community!

Join us throughout the year to celebrate with special programs and displays, and check out the Centennial Bingo Game for an all-ages reading challenge!
Shows three men in 1920's era clothing seated at a table reading
1923-era photo of three men seated at a reading table in the first permanent library in Highland Park.
14 ladies of the 1930's era Highland Park Library book club sitting outside underneath a tree
1930s-era library book club. I wonder what they were reading?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four men in 1957 era clothing standing in front of construction equipment one of them is holding a shovel ground breaking ceremony
1957 groundbreaking ceremony for the Library on North 5th Avenue.
0980's era picture of the Library entrance on North 6th avenue
1980s-era picture of the building entrance on North 6th Avenue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The North 5th avenue entrance of the Highland Park Public Library
The current North 5th entrance of the Library.
  • Our library was founded on a bet.  Reporter G. Wallace Conover and The Home News editor, Elmer Boyd made a bet that G. Wallace couldn’t start a library in Highland Park.  Well on January 19, 1922,  G. Wallace Conover, won that bet.  He rented a storefront at the corner of 2nd and Raritan and with the help of the first volunteer Librarian, Mrs. John T. Green, the library began lending books.
  • In January of 1923, the Board of Trustees was founded. The operating budget was $1,820.  That year, the first official librarian was hired at an annual salary of $600 a year.
  • Later on in 1923, the library moved to a larger building on 4th and Raritan.
  • In the mid-1930s, there was an all-women’s book club, in which Jane Voorhees Zimmerli was a member.
  • In 1946, the library moved to a larger building on the same street.
  • The building on N. 6th began construction in 1957.
  • An expansion was added to that building in 1972.
  • The Friends of the Library organization was founded in our 50th anniversary year (1972).
  • In 1994, the current building was completed, with a new entrance on North 5th.
  • January 19th is our official 100th anniversary date.
  • In 2022, the library was awarded a matching funds grant from the state to complete infrastructure and accessibility renovations. This upgrade will usher in our next 100 years!