Princeton's library history dates back to March 1886 when a location for the library was decided upon and secured. The first library was located at the building at what now is 529 South Main Street. In 1890 the Matson Public Library, located on South Main, was first opened for use by the public. It remained in use for 22 years. In 1912 the construction of larger Matson Public Library building was begun. It was located at 15 Park Avenue East. On March 21, 2006, a referendum was passed for the renovation of 698 East Peru Street, formerly known as Bogo's, to become Princeton Public Library. Princeton Public Library opened on August 1, 2007, replacing an older facility, the Matson Public Library, and has a book collection of 45,000 items, with about of usable space. The library is located on East Peru Street (U.S. Route 6). In March 2009, the Princeton Public Library was one of only three libraries in the state of Illinois to host "Between Fences," an exhibit sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibits Service (SITES) and the Illinois Humanities Council. Additional exhibits include "Bookstock: Celebrating 40 Years of Woodstock," and "Cherry Mine Disaster Revisited," a showcase commemorating the lives lost during the Cherry Mine Disaster of 1909.