Gail Borden Public Library

By 1892, the citizens of Elgin were desperately seeking a building for the library which had existed for years in rented rooms in the downtown area. Samuel and Alfred Church, residents of Elgin and stepsons of Gail Borden, offered to purchase and donate the Scofield mansion at 50 N. Spring Street for this purpose. All they asked was that the library "be forever and always known and called the Gail Borden Public Library."

The library moved into the Scofield mansion in 1894 when the population of Elgin and South Elgin combined was 19,883. By 1960 the population had increased to 52,071. With no space to expand the existing building, and parking becoming a growing issue, the library needed a new home. A referendum was passed in 1965 to construct a new building near the planned Civic Center Plaza along the Fox River.

The new location, opening in 1968, was twice as large as the old library. Circulation of materials doubled in its first year. As Elgin continued to grow the library grew along with it. In 2003 the library moved to its third location, opening a brand new prairie style building. Continued growth in population and increased usage resulted in the opening of the Rakow branch library in 2009. 2016 saw the opening of the South Elgin branch location, which opened in the Village of South Elgin  at 127 S. McLean Blvd.