A welcoming place in our community where friends and neighbors come to learn, discover, and connect.
Library Resources
Browse below the many resources and services available through the library,
It's all here for you.
Books
DVDs
CDs
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Wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books
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Audio books for easy listening
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DVDs - movies and documentaries
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CDs - music
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Talking book program for our visually-impaired patrons
Read & Listen
in the
Cloud
Explore a variety of e-books and audio books through the cloudLibrary app. You can enjoy reading or listening to them on a computer, tablet, or mobile device.
Simply come into the library to have it set up for your library card, download the app, discover and enjoy!
Access to over 500 Libraries
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Conveniently access material from any library in the IHLS. Search for/request materials here, or our librarians will be happy to assist you. Pick up/return the materials at the Golconda Public Library.
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Check out materials in person from any IHLS library and return the material to the Golconda Public Library. See the IHLS directory here.
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Use your library card at any Illinois library. If the library is not part of the IHLS, you are responsible for returning the material to the lending library.
Children's Room
Let your children explore their own cozy room at the library!
It's a separate space just for children and is packed with books and other material for our young readers and learners. There are free coloring sheets, comfy cushions, games, a tv, and videos.
Book Club
Broaden your reading horizons and make new friends when you join the book club!
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Date: First Saturday of every month
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Right here in the library
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A fun discussion is guaranteed and then you'll help select the book for the next month!
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Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on book club activities.
Events
&
Programs
Follow us on Facebook for the latest information on:
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Children's Programs
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Adult Programs
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Reading Programs
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Special Interest Programs
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Book Sales
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Silent Christmas Auction
Genealogy & Local History Collection
Southern Illinois/Pope County historians and genealogists will find a treasure trove of research materials at the library. (The collection also includes information on the Illinois and Kentucky counties bordering or near Pope County.) Here is just a sampling of what is available for your research:
County Records
Transcriptions of records kept by the county government including marriages (1816 to 1910), naturalizations, taxes, property deeds (1816 to about 1850), livestock and brands of the early settlers, death records (1877 to 1915), death record indices to Pope County Clerk records (1916 to 1979), and probate and guardianship abstracts.
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Cemeteries
All volumes of the Results of a Graveyard Obsession series by C. A. Crisp. This series includes information for each of the six Pope County townships, the two cemeteries in Golconda, and several books on a single cemetery. The library also has a shelf of published obituary notices and records from area funeral homes.
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Census Records
Transcribed and indexed census records from 1818 to 1900 (by Rick Allen) and Illinois state censuses of 1845, 1855, and 1865 (by Carolyn Foss & Judy Lee.)
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Schools
Histories of Pope County’s one room schools (locations, attendees, years of operation), Pope County High School yearbooks as early as 1930, and some Golconda Grade School yearbooks.
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Communities
Histories of early Pope County communities including the early settlers, a history of Golconda’s Dam #51, justice of the peace court dockets, a listing of doctors who practiced in the county, and the Pope County History and Families three volume set published by the Pope County Historical Society.
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Military
Illinois Adjutant General Reports for several conflicts from the Black Hawk War through World War I, four volumes of The Pension Roll 0f 1835, and an assortment of memoirs of those who fought in Civil War battles.
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Families
Books and files about individuals and families who have lived in or near Pope County (organized by surname) plus scrapbooks and articles about Pope County and its citizens.
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A regional magazine of southern Illinois history, nostalgia, and folklore. Each year includes six issues and the library’s collection includes issues from 1983 to 2017. The magazine’s founder had a special interest in books and magazines about southern Illinois and the contributing writers often have personal ties to the area and an interest in southern Illinois history and events. Genealogists and history buffs will find much to enjoy within the pages.
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Saga of Southern Illinois
Quarterly journal of the Southern Illinois Genealogy Society featuring information on the history of southern Illinois and its people. Included are cemetery enumerations, transcribed courthouse records, old photographs, fraternal organization membership rolls, and family genealogies, bible records, and memoirs, The collection includes issues from 1974 to 2011.
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Other Collections
Books about the rivers that intersect the region, various materials that focus on southern Illinois history, Civilian Conservation Corps stories, and scrapbooks and files of information/photos by local historians like Mildred B. McCormick, R. Gerald Trampe, and other earlier writers and collectors.
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Pope County Illinois Historical Society
Local organization with mission to discover and preserve important artifacts and information related to Pope County, IL. Visit the museum at 206 E Main St., Golconda, IL or the website for more information.
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Internet
Access
Enjoy free Wi-Fi and use of computers for research, homework, and learning.
Print
Copy
Fax
Copy/print (color/black & white) and fax (sending/receiving) services are available for a reasonable fee.
Easy
Phone Renewal
You can conveniently renew your checked-out materials over the phone.
Get a
Library
Card
Visit the library and bring proof of address, driver's license number (if available), and phone number.
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If you are a Golconda city resident, your library card is free.
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If you are a resident of Pope County, your library card costs just $24 a year, payable by cash or check.​