Blog

The public has already "moved in" to the Forum, the Early Literacy Center, and the E-Bar, so what is left to do? The Commons, of course, and the resumption of technology group instruction throughout the building. And there's one more big surprise around the corner . . .

The Commons will get new study and lounge furniture in a few weeks. This fabulous new teen space should be open in plenty of time for end of summer celebrations and back to school prep. This is where the assigned summer reading books will live, along with teen magazines and the wildly popular manga collections. 

The Commons "maker" island is in place, and the rear wall Idea Paint is ready for young artists. This wall will also get a very large monitor for movies and gaming. 

The E-Bar will get its proper chairs and counter stools in another couple of weeks, and new E-Lounge furniture next to the Information Desk that will allow the public to plug in and recharge (literally!) arrives at the same time. 

Look at those laptops, tablets, e-readers and other devices! We're ready to show you how to access ALL of our e-content; movies, comics, videogames, e-books and more.

The big surprise? The Library Board of Trustees, after much consideration and some design rethinking, has decided to go forward with the Fourth Floor Terrace project, as described in the Des Plaines Journal on June 22nd. The Terrace floor will be ramped up to greatly improve the view of the City, an automatic door will be installed to make access to the fresh air easier, and a new steel railing will allow residents to look out at the skyline safely. An etched-look sign will announce the Terrace from across the fourth floor in the same style as the Forum and the Commons. The Terrace awning rails will be cleaned and painted, and new fabric will be applied. 

The Board also felt that such an important feature needed to be SEEN, so the fourth floor will "flip" the public computers and some of the nonfiction collections. The tall shelving immediately in front of the 4th floor Information Desk will be shifted to the west (blue) wall, and the public computers will move to that empty space. This shifting  project will begin July 11th and last up to three weeks, so please call ahead (376-2841) if you need to use a public computer during that time. The print collections will be available, but there may be some limitations, such as having to ask staff to find a particular book for you on occasion.

We're excited to be finishing this complex project on time and on budget, and we're REALLY excited to to start using these spaces to their full capacity. Please tell us how YOU use your library!