Oak Park breaks ground on a long-awaited new library

City and community leaders broke ground on a new Oak Park Library, beginning construction on a project residents had sought for years.

The $37 million, two-story building was designed at roughly 20,000 square feet—about four times the size of the existing branch—with expanded spaces for children, teens, programs and community use.

Completion was expected in spring 2028. The project represented both a neighborhood investment and a broader statement that libraries increasingly serve as civic, educational and digital-service hubs.