“Omnipotence having prospered me, my conscience calls that I contribute a helping hand for the happiness and advancement educationally, socially, morally and religiously of the world.”

Nathan Petrie’s words in his dedication of the Mills & Petrie Memorial Library in Ashton in 1936 are the mission that the library director continues to carry out 90 years later.

The Mills & Petrie Memorial Library offers more than a place to read and check out books for Ashton residents.

When Samuel Mills and Nathan Petrie donated money to fund the construction of the massive building on Route 38, they added more than books.

“They donated money to build this building as a library and a gymnasium. They saw the need for the community,” Jill Kohlert, library director, said. Kohlert also is the director of the gymnasium, and her husband, Jim Kohlert, works as caretaker of the building.

Jill Kohlert came to the director’s job from a teaching career.

“I used the library here a lot, and I always thought I’d like to work in a library,” she said. When the director’s job opened, she applied and was hired.

The Mills & Petrie Memorial Library offers a large collection of printed books as well as public computers and different electronic platforms so patrons can check out e-books, audiobooks and browse magazines.

The building also includes a kitchen and another meeting room, the American Legion Room.

For Kohlert, the combination of library and gymnasium brings together the role that she sees libraries playing for the community.

“It’s a community center. Libraries provide more than a place for people to read. It’s social activities and socialization for people for all age groups,” she said.

The gymnasium part of the building includes a full-size stage, a full-size gym floor and seating for 225 people with seats that aren’t exactly your typical gymnasium bleachers. The wooden folding seats are the original seating.

“Train stations and depots had these kinds of chairs. I keep them repaired to keep them going,” Jim Kohlert said.

The gymnasium and meeting room area are in almost continuous use, from dance recitals to school basketball and baseball practices, to private events such as wedding receptions, graduation parties and birthday parties.

When it comes to community, the library offers plenty of that, too.

“We have a card night or a games night once a month. We have had different classes, like a candle-making class, a soap-making class. The Lee County Council on Aging has office hours here once a month,” she said.

The library now offers food for the body as well. The Mills & Petrie Memorial Library has a microgreen growing project through the Ogle County Health Department.

“They received a grant through the CDC to provide microgreens for all the libraries in Lee, Ogle, Whiteside and Carroll County who wanted to participate. We give them out to people in the community, we give them to the food pantry and people really seem to like them,” Jill Kohlert said.