Mission:

The Altoona Public Library will promote literacy, build community and enrich lives.

Vision:

The Altoona Public Library envisions an involved, literate and informed community. The library will engage the community in opportunities to learn, grow, relax and connect. 

History:

The Altoona Public Library can trace its history to an early library begun by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in 1897.  It appears library service was interrupted for many years between the early 1900s and 1941, at which time the Eau Claire County Federation of Woman’s Clubs decided to sponsor a public library in Altoona, Wisconsin. They found a room in the Altoona Auditorium that had enough space to house the library, though for a couple of years they had to put up with having a bar inside the library (this was later torn down and replaced with more shelving). Books, magazines, and other equipment were donated to the library from various Eau Claire and Altoona citizens, as well as the federal government.