MAHOMET — A dozen kids listen to a book about “Pete the Cat” while sitting on their parents’ laps in the Mahomet Public Library meeting room.
It’s a quieter day. Some days, the story time attracts up to 70 children and parents.
“Mahomet is growing,” said parent Andrea Ingrum. “There are so many people coming by and using the library.”
Ingrum said the space can feel crowded, especially during holiday events.
The Mahomet Public Library is asking the public to support a construction project that would expand the building with new children’s and teen sections, an outdoor patio and more adult stacks.
Rebecca Strom is the children’s librarian. She is most excited about the planned children’s wing, but she said the plan has something for everyone.
“That makes it a little bit easier for us to go to the taxpayers and say this is the value that we bring to everybody, whether or not you have kids.”
Strom said the Mahomet Public Library had architectural plans for this expansion when she joined in 2022. The goal was to win a state construction grant that the library was eligible for, but the state never put money into the grant. Strom said the library board recently decided to ask Mahomet voters for help instead.
The library plans to fundraise to cover part of the $7.5 million cost and ask voters to support a bond referendum. The library estimates Mahomet residents might pay $1 more in property taxes per month for a house worth $100,000, starting in 2029.
Last November, voters rejected a proposal to increase taxes so Mahomet’s schools could expand.
The next public meeting on the topic is on Wednesday.
Updated Aug. 18, 2025: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated a lower estimate for how much homeowner taxes would increase if the referendum is approved. The library estimates Mahomet residents might pay $1 more in property taxes per month for a house worth $100,000, starting in 2029.