After the death of the late Louis Latzer, one of the most prominent and helpful men that ever figured in the industrial life of Highland, his six children erected as monument to his memory the Louis Latzer Memorial Public Library. Louis had made his fortune after he perfected the formula for canning milk which was sold through his company PET Milk. The cornerstone was officially laid in 1928 and the building was dedicated in 1929. It is an elegant stone structure of imposing design and built to stand the test of time. The building cost more than $100,000 and was endowed by the builders to the extent of $25,000. Later, there were two additions to the library which included the opening of the Jennie Latzer Kaeser Children’s Library in 1983. The Latzer family still remains dedicated and involved in the library that was built in honor of their great grandfather.

Today, the library is busier than ever, offering not only over 40,000 books, but also DVDs, CDs & BCDs. True to our motto "more than books," we offer the checkout of telescopes, binoculars, ukeleles, record players, cassette players, an electric guitar & amp, etc.

Through cloud library, patrons also have access to over 38,000 downloadable books & 36,000 downloadable audiobooks. The library is a part of the Illinois Heartland Library System which gives patrons access to over 450 libraries and over 9 million items. The online catalogue is the largest in the nation.

A number of educational programs are offered throughout the year. A large renovation was completed in 2021. Stop in and CHECK US OUT!!!