In 1977, Plainfield Township created a tax-supported public library service for residents of the Township outside of the boundaries of the Village of Plainfield. The Plainfield Township Library Board contracted for its first year of service with the McClester-Nimmons Village of Plainfield Free Public Library. The contract enabled the Village Library to provide library service to all residents of Plainfield Township.At the expiration of the one year contract, the Plainfield Township Library Board contracted for three years (1978-1980) with the Lockport Township Public Library. The contract included bookmobile service to Plainfield Township.Near the end of 1980, the Plainfield Township Library Board began negotiations with the Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202. The two parties arrived at a contract in 1981 that allowed the Plainfield Township Library to occupy 900-sq. ft. of space in the Grand Prairie Elementary School located at 3100 Caton Farm Road.The first librarian for the Plainfield Township Library was Crystal Anson. The Library opened to the public on June 5, 1981. The Township Library occupied two classrooms adjacent to the Grand Prairie Media Center. The opening day collection contained over 9,000 items. Service hours for the new facility were 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The Township Library serviced not only township residents but Village residents as well. Mayre Jo George assumed the responsibility of operating the Township Library in 1982.

The Plainfield Township Library Board approached the McClester-Nimmons Village of Plainfield Free Public Library Board in August 1986 to propose one year Intergovernmental Agreement for library service, as the two libraries had done in 1977. This time, however, the Plainfield Township Library Board also proposed an agreement for the libraries merge, forming a district library that would then serve all of Plainfield Township. Both Boards continued to discuss this concept through 1986.On April 8, 1987, the Plainfield Township Library Board and the McClester-Nimmons Village of Plainfield Free Public Library Board signed and one year Intergovernmental Agreement for library service and a Letter of Intent to merge the two libraries, effective July 1, 1987. A single library administrator to supervise both libraries until the time of the merger was a condition of the Intergovernmental Agreement. Both administrative positions happened to be vacant at the time the Intergovernmental Agreement was signed.