About Our Library

Library

The Knoxville Public Library was originally built in 1912, thanks to a $10,000 donation from Mr. Andrew Carnegie. The City of Knoxville donated the land and promised to fund it annually to keep staff, materials, and operations going. In 1988, a capital campaign was initiated to obtain funds to expand the building, which had outgrown the needs of the community. Collection sizes had grown in number and format, along with an expansion of services. By 1990, the library doubled in size and American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.

Fundraising

On July 21, 2012, we celebrated our 100th birthday and kicked off fundraising for a renovation and addition project. In September 2012, we achieved Phase 1 of the project, which was the acquisition of the house and property where Dixie Cornell Gebhardt, the designer of the Iowa state flag, lived.The one-level addition to the west of the current building was completed in August 2019.