Ella Johnson Memorial Public Library
The Ella Johnson Memorial Public Library, located in Hampshire, Illinois, serves the approximately 16,000 residents of Hampshire, Burlington, Pingree Grove, in addition to parts of the neighboring areas of Elgin and Huntley. The Library covers a 100 square mile area in Kane County, including the Hampshire Township, plus areas of the Burlington Township, Plato Township, and Rutland Township. The 7,200-square-foot library has a collection of over 49,885 in-house items. The library also has a growing local digital history collection of books, photographs, and historical documents of local importance. The library building includes computers, printers, a fax machine, copiers, a microfilm reader, and a mobile learning lab for computer classes. Wi-fi is also available throughout the building. The library holds computer classes, weekly story times, monthly crafts, teen programs, monthly genealogy meetings, and more. Annual circulation of materials is approximately 27,053 and about 38,000 people visit the library each year. History The Ella Johnson Memorial Public library began in 1936 in a room in the local high school as a Works Progress Administration project, but has moved locations several times since then. In 1942 the library was briefly relocated to the village hall before moving to a former hat shop, thanks