Lester Public Library
🏢 Manitowoc-Calumet Library System · Two Rivers, Wisconsin
Lester Public Library
Named in honor of George and Marcia Lester and opened in 1997 on the shores of Lake Michigan in Lakeshore Park, the Lester Public Library is the successor to Two Rivers' beloved 1914 Carnegie library — itself the heir to the Joseph Mann Library that the community built from the ground up in 1891.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 10am–5:30pm |
| Saturday | 10am–2pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 1001 Adams St., Two Rivers, WI 54241
Phone: (920) 793-8888
Website: lesterlibrary.org
Plus Code: 86PJ4CVJ+C3 (Two Rivers, WI)
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📖 About Lester Public Library
The story of public library service in Two Rivers spans more than 130 years. In October 1890 members of the Chautauqua Reading Circle met to plan a library; Leopold Mann donated $500 and land, and Mrs. Joseph Mann of Milwaukee added $1,000 on the condition the new institution bear her late husband's name. The Joseph Mann Library opened December 17, 1891. By 1912 the community needed a larger home, and Andrew Carnegie's foundation provided $12,500 — resulting in a Mission-style Carnegie building on Sixteenth Street, designed by the Madison firm of Claude and Starck, that opened June 4, 1914. In 1995 businessman James Lester and his wife Barbee offered $1 million toward a new facility; the city council accepted, and on June 28, 1997 the current Lester Public Library opened on Adams Street in Lakeshore Park, honoring Jim's parents George and Marcia Lester. The original 1914 Carnegie building was demolished in 2006. Today the library is a member of the Manitowoc-Calumet Library System (MCLS) and serves Two Rivers with evening hours, digital resources, and programming for all ages.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Library roots trace to December 17, 1891 — the Joseph Mann Library, built entirely by community fundraising of over $1,500
- 1914 Carnegie library designed by the Madison firm Claude and Starck in the Mission Prairie School style, funded by a $12,500 Andrew Carnegie grant
- Current building opened June 28, 1997, named for George and Marcia Lester after a $1 million gift from James and Barbee Lester
- Located in Lakeshore Park on the shore of Lake Michigan in Two Rivers — a city that invented the ice cream sundae in 1881
- Member of Manitowoc-Calumet Library System (MCLS) — shared catalog covers Manitowoc, Brillion, New Holstein, Kiel, and Chilton
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Your Lester library card unlocks Wisconsin's statewide digital resources free of charge:
📚 Services
- Free Wi-Fi and public computers throughout the building
- Mobile printing via Princh service
- Drive-thru pickup for holds and library to-go packs
- 1-on-1 technology assistance by appointment
- Genealogy research with Ancestry Library Edition (in-library) and Newspapers.com archive access
- Interlibrary loan through the Manitowoc-Calumet Library System (MCLS)
- Meeting and event space in the Lakeshore Park building
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytime and 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge
- 200 Books Before High School reading challenge for tweens and teens
- Meditation Mondays (adult mindfulness program)
- Family Game Night
- Yarned & Dangerous — knitting and crochet group
- Teen Anime Club
- Genealogy Club
- Film screenings and estate planning workshops
📍 Nearby Libraries in Manitowoc County & Lakeshore
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Two Rivers · Browse all Wisconsin libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Lester Public Library get its name?
In May 1995, James Lester — chairman and CEO of Eggers Industries of Two Rivers — and his wife Barbee offered the city $1 million toward a new library building. The City Council accepted, and the new library that opened June 28, 1997 was named in honor of Jim's parents, George and Marcia Lester.
Did Two Rivers have a Carnegie library?
Yes. After community members petitioned Andrew Carnegie's foundation in 1912, a $12,500 grant funded a Mission Prairie School-style building designed by Madison architects Claude and Starck. It opened June 4, 1914 as the Joseph Mann Library on Sixteenth Street. When the current Lester Public Library opened in 1997, the Carnegie building was no longer needed and was demolished in 2006.
What is the Manitowoc-Calumet Library System (MCLS)?
MCLS is the regional library cooperative that includes the Lester Public Library along with libraries in Manitowoc, Brillion, New Holstein, Kiel, and Chilton. Members share a single catalog (mani.ent.sirsi.net) so your Lester card lets you request materials from any MCLS library, and the mobile app 'MCLS Mobile-WI' brings the catalog to your phone.
Is the library open on weekends, and does it have evening hours?
The library is open Monday through Thursday 10 am–8 pm (evening hours), Friday 10 am–5:30 pm, and Saturday 10 am–2 pm. It is closed on Sundays. The drive-thru pickup window also makes it easy to collect holds without coming inside.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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