ATLANTA - The octagonal shape of the public library here isn't the only thing that makes the building, which will be 100 years old in March, unique.

The library also may be the only one in Central Illinois housing a museum in the same building, said Bill Thomas, treasurer of the library board.

Its impact on the community involves much more. Thomas believes the library is a social center of the small town, just off Interstate 55. It is the unofficial welcome area and information center for Route 66 tourists and visitors to Atlanta, he said.

Celebrations of the library building milestone are planned throughout the year, but they aren't expected to clarify the story behind the shape.

Former librarian Ruth Gordon has a theory: "In 1907, lighting wasn't that good and the shape would have allowed more windows and a lot more natural light."

Thomas isn't sure what the architect had in mind, but he likes the results.

The library was designed by the late Bloomington architect, Paul Moratz, and dedicated on March 28, 1908. Before the library got a permanent home, it was located at various sites including the city building and a newspaper office.

After the building got a permanent home, people began to take notice. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame.

"It's a very iconic shape and it attracts tourists," Thomas said, explaining visitors take pictures of the library and the clock tower in front of it.

The clock tower, constructed in 1982, contains a 1909 Seth Thomas clock originally located in the Atlanta High School building. The community came together to save the clock when the school was torn down in 1980.

The library has a collection of 13,200 books and periodicals, and audio-visual materials. Users make roughly 4,600 visits annually, with 48 percent of all check-outs being children's materials, according to information provided by Thomas.

The museum, located in the basement of the library, is dedicated to preserving the history of Atlanta, including its association with Route 66. The museum was created in 1973 and eventually will move to the nearby Downey Building, freeing up library space.

Museum curator Lucille Pech said the impending move is expected sometime later this year.

Pech said both the museum and library are important to the Atlanta community "to let our young people know they have roots here and we'd like to keep them here if we can."

Like other Atlanta residents, Pech is taken with the octagonal-shaped library building.

"It's a beautiful old building," she said.