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Founded in 1874, The Urbana Free Library is one of the oldest public libraries in the state. Like a number of early public libraries, it began as a private association. The Urbana Library Association depended on annual membership fees and citizen donations to operate a reading room, renting a second story room on Main Street. In 1874, the association donated its entire collection of 845 books to the City of Urbana, which established "The Urbana Free Library," naming it to emphasize the fact that it was available, without a membership fee, to all city residents. The current landmark library building opened its doors on July 18, 1918. It was built with a $35,000 gift from Mary E. Busey as a memorial to her late husband, Samuel T. Busey, who died in 1909. Samuel Busey was a civil war colonel and was given the honorary promotion of Brevet Brigadier General in 1865. He was a five-term mayor of Urbana, a U.S. Congressman, and one of the founders of Busey Brothers, later known as Busey State Bank. Colonel Busey's name is inscribed over the east entrance of the library, and his portrait hangs in the Busey-Mills Reading Room. The library was first expanded in 1975 with a contemporary addition. The second expansion, completed in 2005, doubled the library's size and provided a complete renovation. The remodeled 1975 addition and the new wing were designed to match the 1918 building exterior, employing cut limestone in a similar classical revival style. Named one of "America's best public libraries" in national rating surveys published by The American Library Association, The Urbana Free Library has earned a reputation for the quality of its collections and for outstanding service to patrons of all ages. The library is the very heart of community life in Urbana and continues a longstanding tradition of excellence.