Mission Statement, Strategic Plan & Library History
Mission Statement and Strategic Plan
The DeWitt Community Library provides free and equal access to information, supports the pursuit of life-long learning, and stimulates the educational and cultural needs for residents of DeWitt and the surrounding areas.
Library History
Origins of the Library
The library has a long history of dedicated support from our community. This commitment was first demonstrated in 1897, when a group of private citizens worked together to provide a free library and reading room located in a one-story building on 6th Avenue. The city soon voted to support a public library, and in 1907 the Dewitt Public Library was built just north of the original reading room with funds received from a Carnegie Foundation grant (one of 105 grants given to Iowa communities).
Frances Banta Waggoner Community Library Building
In 1987 the Library Board of Trustees looked toward the future needs of DeWitt and the surrounding area and constructed the Frances Banta Waggoner Community Library on 10th Street. Construction of the library was made possible because of the generous contributions of individuals, community organizations, and the hard-working fund-raising committee who planned activities to raise needed funds as well as public awareness of the building project.
DeWitt Community Library
Area residents overwhelmingly said "Yes" to a better library, and in 2020, the DeWitt Community Library was renovated and expanded. The 13,500 square foot addition to the existing library has increased the size three-fold, to 21,000 total square feet.