July 12, 2025
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With land purchase in Montgomery, Oswego Library moves ahead with third campus plans

By Eric Schelkopf
The Oswego Public Library District Board has taken another step toward the possible construction of a third campus – its second in Montgomery. At its June 25 board meeting, board trustees approved purchasing 15,682 square feet of property at 121 North River Street in downtown Montgomery for $110,000. The Library Board purchased the property from the Montgomery VFW. The property is adjacent to property at 109 and 111 North River St. the Library Board purchased in May 2023 for $330,000.

The Oswego Public Library District Board has taken another step toward the possible construction of a third campus by purchasing property from the Montgomery VFW. At its June 25 board meeting, board trustees approved purchasing 15,682 square feet of property at 121 North River Street in downtown Montgomery for $110,000. The Library Board purchased the property from the Montgomery VFW. The property is adjacent to property at 109 and 111 North River St. the Library Board purchased in May 2023 for $330,000. (Eric Schelkopf)

The Oswego Public Library District Board has taken another step toward the possible construction of a third campus – its second in Montgomery.

At their June 25 board meeting, board trustees approved purchasing 15,682 square feet of property at 121 N. River St. in downtown Montgomery for $110,000. The Library Board purchased the property from the Montgomery VFW.

The property is adjacent to property at 109 and 111 North River St. the Library Board purchased in May 2023 for $330,000. The library district has demolished the buildings that were located on that property.

The property is adjacent to property at 109 and 111 North River St. the Library Board purchased in May 2023 for $330,000. The library district has demolished the buildings that were located on that property. (Eric Schelkopf)

The property is adjacent to property at 109 and 111 N. River St. the Library Board agreed to purchase in May 2023 for $330,000. The library district has demolished the buildings that were located on that property.

“The reason the Library Board purchased the additional land is to make the property we acquired earlier to be more viable for another library facility,” Oswego Library Director Sarah Skilton said.

Skilton said the additional land will help in future planning. The puchase of the land will not affect the operations of the Montgomery VFW, she said.

“We are very appreciative that they were willing to sell the land to us,” she said. ‘We look forward to having them as neighbors."

When construction of a third campus would start has not yet been determined. Skilton said the property in downtown Montgomery is the best spot for a third campus.

“We worked with the Kendall County mapping department and checked and saw where our usage would be best,” she said. “That would make for a wonderful spot for a library facility. We are a destination spot for our other two facilities.”

The Oswego Public Library District's Montgomery Campus Library at 1111 Reading Drive, Montgomery (Photo provided)

The Oswego Public Library District has a campuses at 32 W. Jefferson St. in downtown Oswego and 1111 Reading Drive in Montgomery, near U. S. Route 30. According to its website, the library district serves a population of more than 70,000 people.

“We are growing in all parts of our district,” Skilton said. “It’s exciting. The new campus would be open to all residents in our district, as both of our current buildings are.”

The library district serves portions of Kendall, Will and Kane counties. She noted that like the Oswego library, the second Montgomery campus would be located in a downtown area.

“We know that provides for walkability and biking in the downtown,” Skilton said.