Pritzker Military Library hires new director
Time Out Chicago (blog)
On Friday, Pritzker Military Library announced that it hired John Zukowsky, former Art Institute of Chicago architecture curator, as its interim director. …

Branches given 6 months to find new funding
Evanston Review
3 to pull the branch libraries off the chopping block, said, “I said to the branch library and library supporters, unless there is a funding stream that’s …

Lisle mourning teacher, longtime library board member
Chicago Daily Herald
Whether it was as a teacher in Lisle Unit District 202 or as a longtime Lisle Public Library board member, those mourning …

School Libraries Receive Grants
Pontiac Illinois Community News
Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has awarded Fiscal Year 2010 School District Library Program Grants totaling almost …

State Bar donates Lincoln books to Edwardsville Public Library
St. Clair Record
Accepting the books is Deanne Holshauser, library director. In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth in 2009, the ISBA is donating a set …

Illinois public libraries face 16 percent funding cut
Peoria Journal Star
Every public library in the state – big, small and medium-sized – will receive significantly less than each has come to expect from the …

Glen Carbon library named best in nation
Belleville News Democrat
It’s been a banner year for Glen Carbon — now its library has been named best in the country. …

Police open office inside Chicago library
ABC7Chicago.com
Chicago police launched a new program Saturday by opening a satellite office in a public library. …

Jesse White awards Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grants
Quad-Cities Online
Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has awarded Fiscal Year 2010 Illinois Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grants …

‘The need is still there’: New Manhattan library rejected
Southtown Star
Voters in the Manhattan-Elwood Library District gave – or rather, bellowed – a resounding “no” to plans to build a new library, …

Sugar Grove voters say no to library a 10th time
Aurora Beacon News
Ten times — since March of 2004 — the Sugar Grove Library Board has asked voters for more money. …

Lyons: Reddick Library missing out on revenue
MyWebTimes.com
The Reddick Public Library District is missing out on revenue by not offering services to Wallace Township residents, said township resident Tom Lyons, …

February brings a sinking feeling to La Grange library
Everything La Grange
Explore all things Titanic at the La Grange Public Library during the month of February. A display of artifacts related to the doomed ocean liner will be …

Lourdes dedicates new library to begin Catholic Schools Week
Herald & Review
Rick Welton and Principal Maryrose Hagenbach take part in a dedication ceremony blessing a new library addition at Our Lady of Lourdes Schoo. …

Des Plaines Library Dist. finally gets its win
Joliet Herald News
Voters on Tuesday approved a referendum proposal to build a new Crest Hill library and renovate libraries in Lockport …

New-look Brookfield Library reopens its doors
Riverside Brookfield Landmark
The spiffed-up Brookfield Public Library reopened on Monday after being closed for refurbishing for the past 10 weeks. The library looks and …

Library contracts for e-book service
Pekin Daily Times
Library patrons can download best-selling and classic audio-books and e-books anytime, anywhere, thanks to a new service. …

Voters reject Winfield Library request
Chicago Daily Herald
Winfield library officials decided to seek the same request despite last April’s defeat, because the facility at 0S291 Winfield Road doesn’t meet …

A New Flavor Of A Community Library
Chicagoist
Chicago Underground Library, which will be celebrating its grand reopening this Saturday, is based on a bit of a different model. …

Brookfield Library re-opens on Monday
Riverside Brookfield Landmark
After undergoing a thorough interior face-lift over the past 10 weeks, the Brookfield Public Library, 3609 Grand Blvd., will re-open on Monday …

Profile: New Steeleville Library director Christine Kamprath
The Randolph County Herald-Tribune
Since beginning her job at the library Kamprath has been busy reviewing acquisitions policies. “I have also partnered with Steeleville High School in …

Plainfield library board needs 1
Plainfield Sun
The board of trustees has a vacancy, and library officials are taking applications. …

Cherry Valley Library plans for better days
Rockford Register Star
On one hand, the economic downturn can be credited for soaring growth in library usage. On the other, it’s the very thing that prevents the …

Funding shortfall puts strain on library program
Bloomington Pantagraph
Until last Wednesday, Alliance Library Systems had not received any state money since June and had gone through its reserves trying to remain in operation, …

‘Paper’ library seeks Reddick Library services
MyWebTimes.com
The Wallace Township Library, a “paper” library with no facilities, would like to contract for services with the Reddick Library District, which operates …

Naperville library may offer voluntary buyouts
Chicago Daily Herald
The library doesn’t plan to lay off employees or even reduce the size of its staff. The proposed program would be …

Winfield library improvements can wait for better economy
Chicago Daily Herald
Last April, Winfield Public Library officials asked voters to approve a referendum that would allow them to borrow $1.8 million to improve the facility’s …

Moline Public Library now offers free access to downloadable audio books
Quad-Cities Online
The Moline Public Library is now offering free access to downloadable audio books 24/7 via netlibrary.com. The collection features fiction and non-fiction …

Illinois Library Systems Wait for Cash from State
WSIL TV
The Shawnee Library System connects more than one hundred libraries in Illinois’ southern-most counties. Through this network, libraries can share …

Library giving away old magazines; come in and help yourselves
Little Chicago Review
January is the month when we do some library housekeeping chores, including removal of back issues of magazines. Please help yourselves to discarded …

Librarians Say Services in Jeopardy Without State Funding
Central Illinois Proud
Wednesday marks “Save the Illinois Library Regional Systems Day.” Librarians say many services readers rely on could be cut if state funding doesn’t come …

NIU library displays Frank Lloyd Wright collection
Northern Star Online
During January, however, NIU students only have to trek as far as Founders Memorial Library to get a glimpse inside of this historic figure. …

Due to tight budget, Charleston library will hold off on hiring new director
Journal Gazette and Times-Courier
The Charleston Carnegie Public Library will be operating without an executive director for a few more months due to …

Davlin’s budget: Cut 55 jobs, close library branches
The State Journal-Register
The mayor’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins March 1, also suggests closing Lincoln Library’s two branches — the southeast branch on …

Library unveils restructuring plan
Rockford Register Star
Marvin Walters might be from Loves Park, but he does most, if not all, of his genealogy research at the Rockford Public Library. …

Yorkville Library trims budget
Aurora Beacon News
The Yorkville Public Library Board of Trustees passed its 2010 budget on Monday night, steering clear of any drastic …

SXU to receive $1.25 million to upgrade campus library, develop STEM education center
Orland Park Prairie
Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) and Senator Dick Durbin worked together to secure funding for Saint Xavier’s library improvements and other local projects a …

Gates Foundation to support librarian training
Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette
The two-year, $484000 contract with the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will support a …

Regional libraries have not received a funding increase since 1989
Chicago Daily Herald
Regional library systems are in a situation similar to that of the second frog – the one that boiled to death. There are 10 regional library systems around …

Big changes for Rockford libraries
Rockford Register Star
The Rockford Public Library will undergo a massive change in operating hours and staffing levels next week as it embarks on a new world of …

Law allows library to borrow funds
Geneseo Republic
A change in the understanding of library law could make it easier for the Geneseo Public Library board to build a new library. …

ISU appoints new library dean
Bloomington Pantagraph
Sohair F. Wastawy has been named library dean at Illinois State University, effective June 1. The appointment was announced Thursday by Vice …

Cook Library board will hire firm to help director search
Chicago Daily Herald
The Cook Memorial Public Library District board likely will rely on an executive search firm to help find a …

City Council considers closing north and south library branches
Daily Northwestern
Bobkiewicz said the city is lucky to have a “robust library system.” But because of the prominent, efficient nature of the main library downtown, …

Library closes deal on old Beacon building
Aurora Beacon News
The city may not have a new downtown library for years, but at least it has a site for the future facility. …

Itasca library honors longtime board presidentChicago Daily Herald
Daily Herald
For 38 years, Swanson has been a part of the Itasca Community Library board of trustees. Four years after joining she was elected president and still holds …

New year, new dreams for city of Naperville: City leaders look toward big things in 2010
Naperville Sun
“Illinois is a really big state for library coordination. We all will be working to develop good, productive, financially sustainable methods of service …

Library to see carpet, furniture work
Danville Commercial News
The Danville Public Library Board of Trustees recently reviewed bids for its carpet replacement project. Three bids were submitted: Tile …

No. 5 Story of the Decade: Lincoln library, museum built
The State Journal-Register
After years of proposals, planning, negotiations and efforts to secure funding, construction of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library began in May 2001, …

Library program wins award
Galesburg Register-Mail
The Greig Memorial Library Junior Readers Club recently won the “Youth Services Program of the Year” award from the Alliance Library System. …

Cook library director sets retirement date
Waukegan News Sun
The director of the Cook Memorial Public Library District has announced his plans to retire next year. “My goal in coming to Cook was to …

Huntley library mobile making progress
Northwest Herald
The Huntley Area Public Library’s mobile addition is on schedule toward an expected March 2010 opening. …

Frame Works building nearly gone
Galesburg Register-Mail
The Galesburg Public Library Board of Trustees, which is looking for a site to build a new library downtown, rejected the OT Johnson site as being too small …

Mt. Prospect library hits 1 million mark in circulation
Chicago Daily Herald
Nearly a month ago, officials with the Mount Prospect Public Library saw this day coming: they projected …

SXU gets funds for library, Orland campus upgradesSouthtown Star
SouthtownStar
Dick Durbin worked together to secure funding for St. Xavier’s library improvements and other local projects, according to a news release from the …

Palatine library renovation complete
Chicago Daily Herald
The $880000, second-floor renovation of the main Palatine Library is complete and patrons recently turned out to celebrate at an open house. …

Library program wins award
Galesburg Register-Mail
The Greig Memorial Library Junior Readers Club recently won the “Youth Services Program of the Year” award from the Alliance Library System. …

Cook library director sets retirement date
Waukegan News Sun
The director of the Cook Memorial Public Library District has announced his plans to retire next year. “My goal in coming to Cook was to …

Huntley library mobile making progress
Northwest Herald
The Huntley Area Public Library’s mobile addition is on schedule toward an expected March 2010 opening. …

Frame Works building nearly gone
Galesburg Register-Mail
The Galesburg Public Library Board of Trustees, which is looking for a site to build a new library downtown, rejected the OT Johnson site as being too small …

Ill. Library Receives Vinyl Record 47 Years Late
WIFR
Fondulac District Library Director Amy Falasz-Peterson says the album by 1950s pop singer Julius La Rosa was checked out on Feb. 12, 1962 and was returned …

Library offers Internet only card
Naperville Sun
The Naperville Public Library Board on Wednesday decided to offer an “Internet Only” card to the public. The card would allow members of the general public …

Help Sherrard welcome its new library director
Quad-Cities Online
The Board of Trustees of the Sherrard Public Library District is pleased to announce our selection of Laura Long as our new library director. …

Aurora Public Library buying itself a $3.2 million present
Chicago Daily Herald
But a site for a new facility has remained atop Aurora Public Library’s agenda for all that time and on Dec. …

Library To Study Second Floor Layout Trends
Journal & Topics Newspapers Online
As part of the Mt. Prospect Public Library’s recent strategic plan (future initiatives or goals), the library board and staff will study the second floor …

Library approved to buy old Beacon site
Fox Valley Villages Sun
By Christmas Day, the Aurora Public Library will own the Beacon-News building at River and Benton streets. …

Library director set to retire
Franklin Park Herald Journal
After 31 years as a librarian — the last 20 as director of the Northlake Public Library — Jan Schmudde is retiring …

Redesign of library gathering area awaits funding
Park Ridge Herald Advocate
A design concept for a seating area outside the Park Ridge Public Library has received approval from the …

Woman’s book describes virtues of Vermilion County
Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette
Although Hicks is the Danville Library Foundation’s executive director, it never occurred to her to write a children’s story. Then she heard some adults …

Genoa planning for 175th anniversary celebration in 2010
The Courier News
The mural, which will hang on the west wall outside of the Genoa Public Library, 232 W. Main St., shows a man on a sled holding a team of horses as he …

Book returned to library after 60 years
Bloomington Pantagraph
A book has been mailed back to an Ohio library after six decades, accompanied by an anonymous letter of remorse. The biography “Napoleon” by …

Indian Trails Library Opens New Lobby
Journal & Topics Newspapers Online
After three months of construction, the Indian Trails Public Library has a newly remodeled lobby. “Our goal with the improvements was to draw the public …

Library wants to build on former Beacon site
Fox Valley Villages Sun
The Aurora Public Library has entered into an agreement to buy the old Beacon-News building on Benton Street, …

Decatur council votes to maintain property tax rate, cut funding to library
Herald & Review
Included in the plan are a nearly $390000 cut to the Decatur Public Library and a fare increase of 25 cents for adult riders of the Decatur bus system. …

‘Not much change’ on tax bills despite 1.5 percent levy cut
Niles Herald Spectator
The library’s Board of Trustees has approved a $6519578 levy for next year, down more than $100000 from $6618715 …

Normal council agrees to raise property tax rate
Bloomington Pantagraph
The tax rate for the Normal Public Library will go from $0.3507 per $100 assessed valuation to $0.3606, for a total tax rate of $1.1368, up from the current …

Champaign Public Library earns high ranking
Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette
The Champaign Public Library is among the top 4 percent of busiest and best libraries in the country. Library Journal magazine …

New library policy makes some patrons fear for privacy
Crain’s Chicago Business
A new Chicago Public Library policy is raising concerns about privacy, as it allows anyone to see the full names of patrons attached to books they have put …

Library director named Influential Woman in Business
Naperville Sun
The Naperville Public Library’s executive director has been named an Influential Women in Business for 2009 by The Business Ledger. …