About

Our mission is to be a catalyst, advocate and place to advance the vision and ideals of our community.

We've been working hard for over 100 years to be an essential resource for Des Plaines. Whether it's through the items we buy for the collections, the programs we run for enrichment or fun, or the partnerships we foster within the community, we want to be a valuable part of your daily life.

Values

Our library values guide how we serve you. We hope you see these values reflected in everything we do.

  • Generosity: We value and defend generous, unimpeded access to abundant resources for everyone. 
  • Good design / beauty: We value and practice good design and infuse a balanced blend of beauty and efficient function into all aspects of the library experience. 
  • Friendliness: We value kindness to oneself, to each other and to our community, and practice it as a tangible sign of mutual respect. 
  • Efficiency: We pursue efficiency, in order to meet and exceed the needs, desires and expectations of both library users and staff. 

Key Beliefs

We believe:

  • That a free public library is essential to the public good.
  • That all library users are entitled to the highest level of service.
  • That all library users have the right to privacy, confidentiality, and intellectual freedom.

Embodying our mission and values

Our staff, Board of Trustees, and building all embody our mission, beliefs, and values. We strive to make our day-to-day operations as transparent as possible by posting freely available meeting minutes (and videos) as well as a variety of data to download and review.

We commit to continuing the work of celebrating diversity, providing equitable access to information, and creating an inclusive environment where all people are treated with respect and dignity. Learn more on our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion page.

If you do not find something on our site pertaining to our operations or goverance, you can submit a FOIA request.

Join us!

Be sure to check out our job listings and see what opportunities are available for you to join our team.

Learn more

Strategic Plan

Download our current strategic plan.