This is the local public library in my new home town. It is wonderful, they made the process of…read moregetting a library card easy. I wanted to order a book, it came in within a week and they offer the text message option. I was given the book club options, what was happening within the library. Check out your public library....Its free.

I love to read, and when I first moved to Waterloo in 1990 one of the first things I did was join…read morethe library, recent upgrades which now include E-Books and the ability to go online and barrow books from all over Illinois and have them sent here is one of the best systems ever, and the people there are great.

Cliff Cave is not my normal library, but I stopped in on Saturday morning on the way home from an…read moreappointment. It's located off Telegraph Road. It was pretty busy and lots of people parking in front on the entry way to do book returns, I guess. The library was bright and clean inside. I just went and looked for a book, found what I needed, and did self-checkout. On my way out I noticed a table with diapers, spices, and paw paws. I wasn't sure what it was about, but I went back to the desk and asked the lady at the counter. The spices and the paw paws were free for the taking. I am not really familiar with Garam Masala, and it was a little packet stapled to pages with history, information, and recipes. So cool! I had also never tasted a paw paw before so I took one of those, too. Their sign indicated they were best eaten same day so I tried it when I got home, it was really good. I will have to see if my regular library has something like this.

This is a smaller location, but there is plenty of amenities to keep patrons busy. The employees…read moreare friendly and helpful. There are plenty of computers to book for one or more hours, cubicles to sit and work at, also quiet rooms if you need privacy. There are rooms one can book for meetings or gatherings, complete with whiteboards, projectors, and hdmi cords for viewing. There are other libraries that have multiple floors with kids sections and tech rooms. This location has everything on one floor.

For a small town library Columbia PL does a terrific job of supplying resources--both online and…read moreon-site--to patrons. Inside, there's an inviting, up-to-date space with helpful staff. Small town libraries often cater to children and literacy and this spot does both well. However, adults aren't neglected in the substantial magazine and newspaper sections, as well as the fiction and nonfiction book collection.

Our library is very small, but the librarian can get you any book that you are requesting. I always…read morefind this place to be very peaceful. They always seem to have a book sale in progress.

Great staff, always helpful. Their coleection is small but I can request items from hundreds of…read morelibraries across Illinois.

Pleasant service and stocked with everything a child needs to be well equipped with fun educational…read moretools. Books, puzzles, calendars, you name it. EyeSeeMe is a wonderful place to take your children for a day of exploration and learning. ~Christy

An amazing bookstore that has been around since 2015 and it just recently appeared on my radar. It…read moreis off the beaten path and definitely on a road I do not travel, but that will not keep me from returning and supporting this local and family owned business. So many of our privately owned bookstores are struggling right now, so we all need to reach out and give them as much support as we possibly can. EyeSeeMe, fortunately has a special niche in the market. It has an extensive inventory of books written for and supporting the children of our African American community. Through their success, they now provide and offer books for high school student and adults as well. Today, I attended a virtual book reading co-sponsored by EyeSeeMe and was totally inspired. Before attending the event I shopped the store and picked up a couple of the books being read. Now that the event is over, I cannot wait to give them to a co-workers son. In fact, in the future, I will be doing a lot of gift shopping here for those hard to buy for friends on my list. It will be easy to find something for them here and it will be inspiring. I cannot encourage you enough, please shop local and please support black owned businesses, too. It makes our community stronger. When: February 20, 2021 Why: Virtual Book Reading Event