In 1937, the local Study Club in the Winnebago County town of Thompson voted to sponsor a community library as a civic improvement project. The club assembled a library board consisting of representatives from several local organizations; by January 1938, over 250 books had been collected and the library was operational. The library occupied a room in town hall for its first 45 years.

In 1983, the library board received a $20,000 grant from the Kinney-Lindstrom foundation to finish a portion of the new fire station building for library use. Community groups volunteered time and money for interior furnishings and library equipment, plus exterior landscaping. The library remains in the same location today; it’s open five days weekly.