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Dear Subscriber: 'Tis the season, and a new year will soon begin. It's time to look back and to look ahead. We're doing just that as we salute the library's centennial during 2007. Festivities are scheduled from January through October. We hope you'll join us. Help celebrate the past and create the future! Leslie Steiner, Editor, Head of Public Information Services
Turning 100 is certainly a milestone! This year, the library celebrates its centennial anniversary with special programs, activities, handouts and giveaways from January through October. Throughout the year, there will be displays at the library, some presented in cooperation with the Des Plaines History Center. (The Kinder House, current home of the History Center, also turns 100 this year!) The events begin with a vocal music performance of “The American Songbag: 1907-1957” on Sunday, January 21 at 2 p.m. A piano concert on Sunday, February 25 at 2 p.m. features a retrospective of ragtime music. Activities continue with a dramatic portrayal of Franklin D. Roosevelt on Wednesday, March 14 at 7 p.m. Other special programs scheduled to date include a live performance of old-time radio shows in April, complete with sound effects, and a concert by AC Rock featuring rock ‘n roll from the '50s to the '90s in June. The celebration reaches a rollicking conclusion with an afternoon of fun for the whole family on Sunday, October 7. Watch for more information in our newsletter, at the library and on our Web site. Join in the celebration, and help us celebrate the past and create the future!
Since its creation in 1907, the Des Plaines Public Library has occupied five sites. Four of them, including the current one, have been in downtown Des Plaines. The original library was a Carnegie-funded building on the corner of Miner Street and Graceland Avenue. It was dedicated on October 5, 1907. There were 725 books and periodicals in both English and German. In 1936, the library moved into the Des Plaines State Bank building at the corner of Lee Street and Ellinwood Street while the new Municipal Building was being constructed. The new WPA-funded Municipal Building was dedicated on June 29, 1937. The building housed the library in the west wing, City Hall in the center, and a fire station in the east wing. On November 2, 1958, the library building at Thacker Street and Graceland Avenue was dedicated. The Colonial Williamsburg-style building was built to look like a single-story building, though there were actually three levels. Selected as an anchor for downtown redevelopment, the current 82,000-square-foot library at 1501 Ellinwood Street was dedicated on September 24, 2000. Today, the library has over 300,000 items available and circulates more than 1 million items per year. More than half a million people visit the library each year. The library building is open 72 hours per week. Many library services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the Internet. Margie Borris, Library-Community Liaison (Historical photos courtesy of Des Plaines History Center. Photo of current library by Les Boschke.)
Here are some coming attractions, scheduled for release during December and January.
December:
January:
Visit our Web site, click on Catalog and reserve your copy now! Roberta Johnson, Readers' Services Librarian
Feeling nostalgic about Christmases past? Readers’ Services Assistant Cheryl Gladfelter will lead a discussion of A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 14, at the library. A Christmas Story is an affectionate portrayal of the Parker family in a small, Depression-era Indiana town. Shepherd brings together autobiographical stories first included in his other writing collections. These stories became the basis for the film, A Christmas Story, which has become a holiday classic. The book is a reprint of the short stories in their original form. Books are available at the Readers’ Services Desk. Hot cider and holiday treats will be served. Advance registration is required. For more information or to register, please phone the Readers’ Services Desk at 847-376-2840. Register online on our Web site. Click on Events and follow the instructions.
The holidays are upon us! ‘Tis the season for celebrating with family and friends -- lots of eating, good cheer, gift-giving and singing! You probably know that the library has many books to help you cook and decorate for the holidays, but did you know that we also have books of sheet music? Check out several and gather ‘round the piano for a lively sing-along. Or, organize a group to go caroling. Are you planning to attend a do-it-yourself Messiah? The library has the complete vocal score, so you can practice in advance, and you can take the music along with you. Would you rather just sit back and listen to some holiday music? Don’t forget that we also have lots of CDs of holiday vocals and instrumentals to help you get in the spirit. Enjoy! Holly Richards Sorensen, Head of Adult Services
Looking for a gift book for someone special? Friends of the Library will hold a holiday gift book sale at the library on Saturday, December 9 from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Better quality used books that are suitable to give as gifts will be featured. A substantial number of hardcover fiction books will be available for $2 to $3 There will also be some nonfiction books, including cookbooks. Some of the fiction and nonfiction books have been signed by the authors. Better quality children’s books will also be available. And, there will be some coffee table books that may be purchased at slightly higher prices. For information, please phone the Friends at 847-376-2922.
The documentary film A Lot in Common will be shown at the library on Sunday, January 7 at 1:30 p.m. Following the film, Readers’ Services Assistant Laura Adler will lead a discussion. This film/discussion program is part of the Suburban Mosaic Book of the Year project. The project began in 2004 as a way for residents of northwest suburban Cook County to foster cultural understanding and reduce racism through literature, book discussions and other programming. In this documentary, which was filmed over a five-year period, an abandoned lot is transformed into a beautiful community garden by a diverse group of neighbors in Berkeley, California. A grandfather, a psychic, a single mother, a community organizer and others overcome their differences to build a garden and forge relationships. Advance registration is required at the Registration Desk. For information, please phone 847-376-2787. Individuals may also register for library programs on our Web site. Click on Events and follow the instructions.
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