top notch library. 3 distinct floors with dedication to different activities in each. small and…read morepeaceful with a great staff!! my favorite in Lake County.

Rude staff. Had to work here for the day bc my neighborhood was w/o power & boy, did these…read morelibrarians show great snobbery, like I wasn't allowed to use the reading room to set up my work resources WHILE IT WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY the entire day. Obviously have nothing better to do & may explain the high employee turnover here. Plus this library is located on the east side of LB, which has gone woke. Obv forgetting who pays their bills too

Mount Prospect PL continues to knock it out of the park with their programming…read more They have some signature programs, I'd call them, that take place throughout the year apparently, in cooperation with the MPPL Foundation. The first of these that we attended was the Teddy Bear Walk. Apparently this is a program that has been happening for something like 60 years and it's become a family tradition--grandparents are now coming with their children and grandchildren to the event. We were running late this day so we missed the "walk" part of the program--not sure what that entails. But the children are encouraged to bring a teddy bear and there are some great activities: times tickets to visit Santa; craft stations in the children's section; rotating story times; costumes characters outside, in this case a bear and the MPPL mascot, a duck; and a children's music drop-in session. I was so pleased with the event b it I didn't realize it was just one of many. Most recently we went to the Lunar New Year celebration they host. Again, many fun activities, with the craft tables again (making a sparkle dragon and a Lunar New Year sign), a dragon set-up in one of the program rooms for photos, a scavenger hunt, and the pièce de résistance: the lion dancers. This was a timed entry ticket, and we were amongst the first people to arrive at the library for the LNY celebration (score one for putting the start time for this in my calendar 15 minutes earlier than it actually began) so we were able to get in. Whilst waiting for the performance to begin, they gave us little tissue paper rings and said to wait until we were told to use them. To prepare the crowd--particularly the large number of small children--the librarian led us in a a song or two, including a fun call-and-response, and explained a bit about the pillars of Lunar New Year. And at the end, just before the dancers began, she told us to rip open our tissue paper rings to let out the "fireworks" inside. I feel like I must be a child myself because I was gleeful at that myself, though the room did erupt in oooh's and aahhh's so I wasn't alone there. (And you can guarantee I'm going to find and order some of those paper confetti pouches.) The company they hired to do this performance was phenomenal. I have never seen the lion dance in person and I was enchanted. My daughter was fascinated too, and I was actually worried she might be frightened. The performers did most of their dance up near the front but did wander through the audience for a bit, during which a lion stopped in front of my daughter, who promptly plucked an orange from its open mouth. I later learned that means good fortune in the year ahead. I left this event in such high spirits, having had so much fun, I couldn't stop talking about it to friends and took tons of photos. Their events just keep getting better. Never change, Mount Prospect Public Library!

Overall a nice library with kind and helpful staff. Be mindful of where the entrance is before you…read morestart walking (if you drove for the first time like me). I was in the area and needed access to Microsoft office suite and a printer- so incredibly thankful for our public libraries and free resources! At first I was told I could access the computer using my park ridge library card and PIN but I couldn't recall my PIN for the life of me. They provided me with a guest pass that allowed me to use the computer for 1h45m. That's 45 more min than PR guest which is a plus. Color copies cost .25 and B&W .10. I got what I needed and was in and out in less than an hour. Only one less star because as others have stated, it's a really loud library. Babies crying, people whispering, slamming keyboards lol, etc. But it seems the staff works hard to manage it between their work and borderline ridiculous calls- they do it all! Again, very grateful and only first world problem complaints.

My husband and I went to the Highland Park Public Library on our way to another event. This library…read moreis beautiful from the inside out. I love the classic style on the outside. The inside is inviting as well. There are lots of books and computers for patrons to use. But my favorite feature was the room just inside the entrance. It has wooden selves of books and magazines, comfortable leather furniture and a fireplace. This was a great place to relax and work. The restroom was pretty clean as well. I highly recommend the Highland Park Library!

They have a great selection of books and musical programs. They also have a huge children's…read moredepartment and days where you can practice your Spanish.

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

My daughters love our local library. There's an awesome selection of kids books, including graphic…read morenovels and even manga. It's small but in a cozy way and we always feel welcome when we are there.

This is a cozy, local library with a heart. There are always bins for repurposing clothes, food…read moreshelters and the like. The library is bigger than it appears at first glance and there are lots of computers, chairs, desks and spots to read a book or get some work done. There is also a nice fireplace at the front. The library has lots of programs for ESL and Spanish programming. There is a good selection of bilingual books and support. They have a full array of different genres to choose from. There is parking on site and plenty on the street. I would recommend this local library.

I visited this library for the first time, and I was pleasantly surprised. It's very clean, modern,…read morecozy, and well-maintained. The children's area is spacious and has fun features like a LEGO table that encourages creativity and learning. While some other libraries may offer more toys, I actually like that this space isn't overcrowded--it helps children stay focused and use their imagination. The staff were all very polite, friendly, and helpful. Overall, it's a wonderful place to relax, read, study, or spend quality time with your kids. I'll definitely be coming back.

I've been a regular at the Northbrook Public Library for 20 years now, and honestly, it's been a…read morejoy to watch this place grow alongside our community. It has evolved from a quiet spot to grab a book into a true hub for creativity and connection. I like that Kate Hall, the director, is always looking for input from the patrons on how to make the library even better. One of the many things I love about NPL is their 'Library of Things.' Over the summer, I used their recording technology to digitize a bunch of old VHS tapes from the comfort of my home. Last night, I participated in a virtual glass fusion workshop. The materials pickup and drop off, and the class itself was all well-coordinated and user-friendly. I thoroughly enjoyed that class as well as others I have taken in the past, such as book-making. Additionally, I love the fact that I can put books on hold, and that either the NPL staff will pull the books for me, or other libraries will send them over to NPL. It's super convenient to then be able to just walk in the door and grab my books off the shelf. I seriously could go on and on about all the things I love here. The Northbrook Public Library is easily the best resource in Northbrook!

We love the library! Very sweet caring staff. And Ms. Nora does an awesome storytime in the…read morechildren's dept.

Loudest library I've ever been in, and I've been a lot. The 3 staff members wouldn't stop talking…read moreto each other. Went on for over an hour. I could still hear them even in one of the private 'study' rooms. Frustrating, as I needed to prepare for an exam.

The Glenview Public Library is an incredible resource for the community. It's bright, clean, and…read morehas an excellent selection of books, movies, and other materials for all ages. The children's area is especially wonderful, with plenty of books, interactive spaces, and engaging programs that our kids always enjoy. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to help. We also appreciate the variety of events and activities offered throughout the year for both children and adults. It's one of our favorite places to spend a quiet afternoon, and we're so grateful to have such an outstanding library in the community.

On my last visit here, I learned about GPL's used book store. Thanks to my two grand-darlings who…read moreare somewhat regular visitors, they told me about it. I never even noticed it before, but it's located right by the main entrance, in a somewhat easy to miss nook (that's my official excuse anyway lol). All of the materials are donated, and they are organized and priced by volunteer staffers. All of the proceeds go to the library. I picked up a fun hard cover book on baseball humor for $4. They also had a March 1/2 price sale going on landscaping, gardening, and cookbooks. One of the grand-darlings picked up a cookbook and I paid $1 for it, and then she gifted it to grandma, duh! They also have music CD's and even some vinyl records and I'll check out the music selections on my next visit. Thumbs up!