This review is for the virtual library services. With the pandemic in full swing, I have been…read moredoing more virtual events this year. With most of the places I love going to being in lockdown, there is plenty of time at home to take in these events. McHenry Library partnered with John Gowing, a teacher in England for 32 years, then a London Blue Badge tour guide for 11 years, to present a virtual tour of Westminster Abbey. While most definitely an Englishman, John reside in Huntley, IL, after marrying an American and presents talks on British history, culture and London tourist attractions for local groups. The hour long presentation consisted of John speaking on the history of the Abbey, along with showing photos of the architecture and various tombstones in the Abbey. John was very engaging and had a lot of great antidotes to the tour. Having toured the Abbey three times pre-covid, this was a nice trip down memory lane and definitely easier on the feet. He has his own Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AVeryBritishSubject/?ref=page_internal. Kudos to McHenry library for setting up this event. Tour itself went smoothly and there weren't any technical hiccups. One of my favorite parts of touring the Abbey are the different people buried there and the ten modern martyr statues above the west doorway. The lower part of the towers are 15th century and the tops of the towers were completed in 1745. There were never any statues in this space, although it was obviously intended that they should. The space was empty until 1998 when martyrs of the 20th century were added. The ten statues represent people who have died in circumstances of oppression and persecution: Kolbe from Poland, Manche Masemola from South Africa, Janani Luwum from Uganda, Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia, Martin Luther King Jr from the USA, Oscar Romero from El Salvador, Dietrich Bonhoeffer from Germany, Esther John from Pakistan, Lucian Tapiedi from Papua New Guinea and Wang Zhiming from China. The Archbishop of Canterbury unveiled the statues in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II in July 1998. Four different sculptors carried out the statues which are carved from French Richemont limestone. After doing this virtual tour, I decided to check out the library to see what other events they had scheduled and ended up getting an e-card. I have not been to a library in years except to possibly vote. It was easy to set up the e-card and I had instant access to their online content. They have the usual e-books and magazines, but I was very happy to see that they also have some selections from Acorn TV. You can "check out" content for 7 days before it is pulled, but can sign up again for an additional 7 days. In addition to Acorn, there is The Great Courses, IndieFlix and Qello (concerts). I have to say that thanks to seeing this event on Yelp, it has connected me to new sources of online entertainment in John and the library. I would say check it out if you are looking for something to do from the comfort of your home that is both entertaining and educational.

Much money, not enough kindness to the homeless who are, according to the Board, not allowed to ask…read morefor money outside of the library. It is a far far better thing to quit acting like that because chapter by chapter Dickens was kind to his people. When they load the tumbril carts at the nursing homes with the dead, it's all absolutely Bubba Ho Tep up in this gear. Smoke Signals Newsletter, O and OUT

Excellent location and customer service. Safe parking and handicap accessible. Selection is up to…read moredate and neatly maintained.

This is a wonderful library, very clean and very nice people working there. Up on the second floor,…read moreI went to use the computers for some research. The elevator is a blessing for those of us with knee injuries. I was able to complete my computer work and enjoy the view of some beautiful artwork on the walls, numerous paintings of flowers, very soothing. At the front door sidewalk area of the library there is a bicycle air pump and bicycle repair tools for those poor souls that get a flat tire and need to bike it back home, it's very thoughtful of the library personnel to add this repair station. Overall experience here is Five Stars!

This is the best library I've been to so far in the Chicagoland area, for sure!!! It's huge! It's…read moreliterally two floors. There's soo many rooms that host events, crafts, exhibits, you name it! There's a huge parking out front & then across from street. There's a cafe here as well! It does have elevator. Right now is Dino exhibit and my one year old enjoyed it! There's so much for kids here including babies! Extremely baby friendly! We'll be back!

I love this library! Great for kids and great for studying. The river room is my favorite.read more

I have been using this library since '09 and have never had an issue! Great staff! There is a…read morewonderful selection of programs as well. They do an amazing job engaging with the community.

Love going here with my kiddos to pick out a great book or activity kit! Great set up with a HUGE…read moreselection. We go every week to pick a book to read together and then we each select a personal book. Staff is always great very clean library!

This is THE COOLEST library you'll be able to find in the NW suburbs! The children's area is so…read moremuch fun with a spaceship, play kitchen, giant Light Brite, LEGOS and an interactive touch TV screen for the kiddos who are a smidge older. My daughter has a blast every time we are here. So many wonderful children's books to choose from as well, we can play and read here for HOURS.

This library is THE best! It has a great place for your kids to play, learn and connect with books…read more It also had a great place for teenagers and adults to look at books. This is a great place for you to read, study, and learn! This library is very comfortable and it has a wide variety of books to choose from!

We were in the middle of packing for a trip in southern Illinois to leave the next day! I wanted a…read morebook to read, but didn't have time to go to the library! In order to save some time I called our library, the Crystal Lake Public Library, to see if they had the book(s) I wanted to take on our trip! A lovely staff member named Katy was so helpful! She found the books and held them so I could pick them up before closing!! I wish all employees could be as patient, helpful and professional as she is!

Crystal Lake's library offers a nice selection of services. Of course they have books, and large…read moresection of both DVDs and CDs (really, I thought it was quite impressive for a small library). They have computers for patron use, lots of chairs scattered about and at least 10 tables in various areas. They also offer free WiFi (awesome), and they have charging station set up in several different areas of the library. They also have a selection of board games for folks to check out as well. I expect the aforementioned services require a library card; I live in the city and just happened to be in town and needed a place to hang out while a friend attended a funeral. But it was a comfortable, quiet place to get some work done and remain undisturbed for several hours.

Amazing library for kids. The lower level is beautiful and has a kitchen and market for play and…read moreanother section with legos and trains. It has a gorgeous garden and even a hobbit house outside! I would highly recommend this library!

What a beautiful new library! Stunning green space surrounding the library. This was my first time…read morevisiting the new location. Many years ago, I was a regular attender of the old location. I was so pleasantly surprised to see such a remarkable upgrade. We met friends here for a playdate and just so happened to come on family bingo day. Our kids had a blast playing. The facility was very clean, the staff was helpful in directing me and very welcoming and overall, we had a great experience.

Second time visiting the library, and the staff were extremely nice. Also, I love the self-checkout…read moreand return machines! They make the process quicker and smoother. I do wish there were more books, but I was so glad to see the diverse collection that they offer!

Such a cute, cozy little library. Plenty of parking out in front.read more

Do you need a book? A movie?…read moreSewing Machine? Need to paint & relax? Passport? 3-D print? Laser etching? Cricut? Want to learn how to knit Video games? Telescope? Need to escape during lunch? Running low on food staples? Need computer & printer access? Want to watch fish to relax? AND SO MUCH MORE!

I don't live near Round Lake, but when you offer passport services seven days a week, I will drive…read morethe extra distance. I came here to apply for a passport and was helped by a very friendly staff member named Ana. They take care of everything on site AND do photos! Everything is done on a first-come, first-served basic, so I was happy that there was no waiting, nothing confusing, everything was explained well and the whole process was easy. All done in about 15-20 minutes. My boyfriend came with me and was very impressed with the video game collection (PS4 games, to be exact) and we definitely left with a few. As a fellow librarian, the sled library outside is really cute! Sorry to hear nasty comments from previous reviews. This is a nice library! If I had a reason to come back here, I would!