Cortland Community Library first opened on July 3, 1984 in a little blue building along Somonauk Road where Casey's gas pumps are now located. When Casey's came to town, the library was allowed to move into Town Hall, where it stayed for almost eight years. The old firebarn was purchased in 1993, and the library moved to its current location at 1907 Somonauk Road.
In 1989 a referendum was passed, establishing the library as a governmental taxing body. The library was staffed by volunteers until May 1996, when the first librarian was hired and the library was able to meet the entrance standards of the Northern Illinois Library System. Once in the library system, Cortland Library patrons could use the other system member libraries and Cortland Library was eligible for state library grants.
