Talking About Important Topics Through Reading

Lake Forest Library and Lake Bluff Public Library are proud to present their joint nonfiction reading program called Read Between the Ravines. This Two Communities, One Nonfiction Book program brings together Lake Forest and Lake Bluff with the purpose of enhancing nonfiction literacy and inspiring discussion around real-world issues.

Story by Kim Murphy on Mar 2, 2021

We have been holding Youth Art month annually for many years. We invite all the art teachers in our school districts to bring student artwork to display the entire month of March.

Encouraging the Creative Spirit

We are all born with an innate creative spirit. As humans, we have the instinctive drive to create, and as someone who works in early literacy and with young children, my job is to nurture that creative spirit in our youngest library patrons. When I plan programs, my primary goal always revolves around the question, “How can I encourage children to think freely and creatively?”

Princeton Public Library's New Year’s Eve Non-Event

The staff at the Princeton Public Library held a New Year’s Eve Non-event fundraiser this past December. We thought it would be an apropos way to bring a laugh to the community and say goodbye to 2020.

Quincy's Funding Success Story in Recent Sparks Podcast

Representatives from Quincy Public Library (QPL) recently sat down and Zoomed in for a RAILS Sparks podcast to discuss their successful marketing campaign to stave off library budget cuts.

An Invitation to Share Your Story

No matter what your position is within your organization, sooner or later, you are going to be approached to write something. It may be a description for an upcoming program, a press release, a grant proposal, or something as simple as an email to a patron or colleague. For some, writing any of these would be easy. Beautiful prose would flow from their brains to their fingers and out to the keyboard, pen, or pencil. For others, writing anything is about as appealing as a root canal – something that is done only out of necessity.

Pins & Needles Group Stitches Poplar Creek Community Together

At first, I thought our knitting and crochet group, Pins & Needles, was just group of good friends who liked to get together, knit and chat. It turns out that that's not all the ladies come for and it's not even their only goal.

My Library Is…. Creating Enthusiastic Fans

Amid the chaos and stress of the past year, my library has found a way to establish personal relationships with patrons and create an enthusiastic fandom—and boost collection use at the same time.

Tapping Into the Creativity with Adult Craft Kits

When I arrived at Warrenville Public Library back in 2018, I wanted to explore the benefits of active engagement and library outreach via creative programming and art. We already had a very popular and highly anticipated arts programs series for kids. Time and time again I would hear from parents who wished we also offered craft programs geared towards adults, they wanted in on the fun. In 2019, I set out to fill this need and pitched a casual pop-up program for adults. We made aromatic envelop sachets, paper roses and painted rocks.

Paw Paw Public Library District offers Ag in the Classroom Bags

At the end of last September, my co-worker Kathy, who also works at Big Rock Library in Big Rock, told me about an activity they were offering. She said, the Hinckley Big Rock High School FFA with help from the DeKalb County Farm Bureau had make up activity kits for kids about apples and were being offered for free to the local kids. She showed me a kit and what it contained and I knew I wanted to do the same thing for the Paw Paw Library.

My Library Is ...

public libraries