Illinois Valley library branch

Illinois Valley Library Grand Opening

Saturday, November 9, 2024, from 11am—1pm

209 W Palmer St, Cave Junction, OR 97523

Be part of library history! Join us to celebrate the grand reopening of the expanded and renovated Illinois Valley library.

  • Hear remarks from library leadership at 11:30am

  • Join the historical photo and ribbon cutting at 12:00pm

  • Tour the renovated library building and grounds

Thank you to all the donors, grant funders, and supporters who helped us finish this project— you made this possible!

We hope to see you there!

Closure and temporary services

The Illinois Valley library branch is closed for an extensive remodel beginning March 3, 2024. Temporary library services are available at Illinois Valley Senior Center at 520 E River St, Cave Junction, OR 97523.

  • Hold pick-up service is available Thursdays from 9:30am–4pm.

  • The book drop box is accessible Monday–Friday from 9:30am–4pm on the west side of the building.

During closure, please visit one of the other library branches for computer or wi-fi access.

See the latest board reports here.

Planning and construction

On March 25, 2024, library leaders and partners broke ground, marking the start of construction for the Illinois Valley Library Renovation Project including representatives from Josephine Community Library Foundation, Josephine Community Library District, the City of Cave Junction, ZCS Engineering & Architecture, and Ausland Group.

Library leaders have worked with ZCS since 2021 to plan the project and Ausland Group won the public construction bid to complete the project, which will expand the library by 1,500 square feet and add seismic retrofits, a new roof, and energy-efficient features.

Library and foundation leaders with members of city council and contractors.

Library leaders with members of city council.

The renovated Illinois Valley branch will include:

  • A community room — This project will add a community room with a capacity of 80 people and dedicated ADA restrooms, providing the Illinois Valley with a much-needed community space for meetings, programs, and other gatherings.

  • A teaching kitchen — Located in the community room, this will be a space where programs can be held about everything from healthy meal planning strategies to hands-on culinary instruction and practice, bridging nutrition science, healthcare, and the culinary arts.

  • An early learning center — This area will encourage the development of six key early literacy skills: letter knowledge, print awareness, vocabulary, phonological awareness, narrative skill, and print motivation in a fun, engaging way for our youngest community members. It will offer the space and opportunity for children to play, learn, and grow.

  • A maker space — A collaborative workspace for making, learning, exploring, and sharing that emphasizes hands-on discovery in a world that has become increasingly automated, the maker space will contain different tools and components, allowing people of all ages to enter with an idea and leave with a complete project.

  • A STEAM outdoor area — STEAM education is an approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. This area will allow for more STEAM library programs with the added bonus of spending time outdoors in a safe environment.

The renovation will also:

  • Expand the library from 4,264 to 5,764 square feet.

  • Relocate the children’s library area and media center and add a dedicated restroom in the children’s library.

  • Enhance technology, safety, and security, and include new furniture, shelving, and energy-efficient fixtures. 

  • Update the existing library wing with additional natural lighting, seismic retrofit, new interior finishes, new ceilings, and new roof.

Project Partners and Funding

In partnership with the library district, the City of Cave Junction was awarded a $1.5 million Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to help fund the renovation of the Illinois Valley library. CDBG is a program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is administered by Business Oregon.

The Oregon State Legislature via Rep. Lily Morgan is contributing $900,000 for this project as part of the Local Community Investments program using funding from the 2021 American Rescue Plan.

In August of 2021, the foundation launched the New Chapters Crowdfund to raise additional funds needed to support the renovation. The community rallied behind this project and showed their support by donating and surpassing the goal of $110,000!

For a full list of supporters of this project, visit our supporters page and check back for regular updates!