July 1, 1988 the Indian Prairie Public Library District was formed. The library will be holding a special celebration this weekend.

In November 1987 85% of the voters in Darien and in Willowbrook approved the merger of the Darien and Willowbrook library districts. This decision set a course that led to the development of one of the premier libraries in the western suburbs. Since that time the library has been able to greatly expand its services and offer an amazing amount of resources to meet the varying interests of our residents.

Comparing statistics from the district’s first fiscal year 1998/1999 to the past fiscal year 2007/2008 we see that usage by the community has grown over the past 20 years. The number of card holders has increased from 16,740 to 25,007. Our circulation has increased from 354,255 to 763,920. The number of people attending programs has increased from 7,617 to 27,413.

Your interest in information and materials has also grown. Reference requests have grown from 26,026 to 68,111 and requests for materials have grown from 6,466 to 70,997.

We’ve worked to meet your interests by expanding the book collection to 154,174 which is a 66% increase and in audio-visual materials we’ve seen a whopping increase of 93% to 34,582 items.

The Darien and Willowbrook libraries were wonderful libraries in their own way but, without the merger, the residents of these towns could never have enjoyed the level and variety of services Indian Prairie Public Library offers today. We hope you’ll join us in our celebrations but most importantly we hope you will take the time to explore all the wonderful things the library has to offer.

One of the things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other people. Dick Gregory

The library recently held a luncheon in honor of our volunteers. Throughout the year there are anywhere from 50 to 60 working volunteers. In the summer that number shoots up by 150 or so as teens volunteer their time to assist with the summer reading clubs and other projects.

Our volunteers are amazing. They work with such dedication and are willing to do anything we ask of them. Tasks range from photocopying, filing and shredding documents to assisting with programs and computer classes. We really couldn’t provide the level of programming and services that we do without their help.

Another way that community members volunteer is as Library Trustees and as Friends of the Library. Our Trustees give of their time to ensure the library is a well-run organization. The Friends give of their time to raise money for the library through book sales and other types of activities. Again, each of these volunteer positions is extremely important to the success of the library.

Volunteers make such a difference and our society relies on them in so many ways. Without volunteers think of the projects that would not get started, the causes that would falter. Their work helps to shape our communities and contributes to our quality of life.

So we say a big “thank you” to our volunteers and if you know someone who volunteers, be sure to thank them for all they do.

National Library Week is April 13 - 19. During this time we always like to highlight the many services that libraries have to offer. One important service is that of “information provider”. In this Internet world many people think of using Google for their information needs. But the library provides fabulous resources that have been specially selected by our trained professionals that can answer most questions. The resources provide quality, accurate, thorough and relevant information which isn’t always true of Google.

Note above that I said “trained professionals”. Our staff are experts in finding information and they do it with a smile! You can’t get that kind of personal attention on Google!

You can easily visit us online, call us with your question or come in and visit. We’re here to meet your information needs.

A recent survey shows that people still use libraries! We’ve known this all along but it’s always nice when an official study verifies it.

The survey, recently conducted by Pew Research Center and the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign shows that more than half of Americans used libraries in the past year for all kinds of reasons.

But many people do look to the internet for their information needs rather than the library. While this is not surprising, it is frustrating. The library provides skilled professionals who can easily and accurately answer questions. Accurately is the key word. Many people don’t understand that they have to be careful of the information they find on the internet. Not all of it is reliable. In fact, another service the library provides is a list of quality web sites that people can trust to help them find information. But, better than that, we also provide access to subscription databases free of charge to our patrons. These databases are full of information and can’t be found anywhere else.

An interesting point in the study is that the “tech-loving Generation Y (age 18-30) led the pack”. Compared with their elders, this age group was more likely to use the library. This is really interesting. Most people would think that this generation would be likely to use the internet and stay away from the library. But these savvy users realize and appreciate the value and resources libraries offer. Libraries provide a wealth of information and when you combine that with the expertise of our staff you have the ultimate in information support.

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be. ~Douglas Pagels

This is certainly true about the Friends of the Indian Prairie Library. Founded in 1986, the Friends are a nonprofit group of volunteers dedicated to supporting the library through volunteer services and fundraising activities. Since 1996, the Friends have contributed more than $100,000 to the library.

The Friends of the Library will be holding their annual book sale this weekend. The sale runs Saturday 3/29 from 9-3 and on Sunday 3/30 from 1-3. The book sale is very popular and our patrons always seem to enjoy finding great deals on books.

Through this sale and the Book Nook, which is a continuous lobby book sale run by the Friends, the Friends of the Library are able to support the library in numerous ways. In 2007 the Friends donated over $12,000 to the library supporting, among other things, prizes for the summer reading clubs and many library programs.

The Friends of the Library consists of a small group of volunteers who put in a lot of time to sort through donated books, regularly filling and organizing the Book Nook, and setting up, managing and working the annual book sale. They do a wonderful job and the library has benefited greatly through the years from their tireless efforts.

The Friends are always looking for “friends” to help out, either through volunteering their time or by becoming members. If you’re looking for a way to make a contribution to your community, the Friends group is a wonderful way to do so.

Travel to Latin America and Africa via programs offered at the library. Experience our World: Cultures & Customs is a series of programs that will give a sampling of life in these countries. On Sunday Jan. 20 the hot, hot, hot band Suenos Latin Jazz will be playing at 2:00. These guys are fantastic! You really don’t want to miss them. Also in January you can attend a lecture exploring Latin American immigration, border issues and the media portrayal of Latinos on Jan 22 at 7:00. On Jan 23 at 1:00 photographer Mike Gauer will have a wonderful photographic presentation on Guatemala. Sunday, Jan. 27, a special storyteller will present fables and stories of family life - it will be a wonderful family program.

In February we travel to Africa. Some highlights include engaging and funny African Folktales told by the wonderful Linda Gorham on Sunday Feb. 3 at 2:00. June Scott will share with children her real life adventures on an African safari Fri., Feb. 8 at 6:30. On Sun., Feb. 10 experience African music and dance and on Fri., Feb. 29 West African rhythms. There will also be travelogues, a lecture, and how to cook Moroccan food.

Our library community is very diverse and we thought it would be great to offer an opportunity to learn about other cultures. The programs are funded through a grant from the Illinois State Library using funds provided through the federal Library Services and Technology Act. Be sure to join us and learn more about our world.

The library is providing two ways that you can help your community this holiday season. Our Teen Advisory Board is currently sponsoring a Giving Tree. Through the Giving Tree they are collecting new winter scarves, mittens and gloves that will be distributed through the Community House to those in need. When you donate an item, you can write your name on a decoration and place it on the Giving Tree.

From December 8 - 13, the library is once again accepting one nonperishable food items or personal care products for each dollar of fines owed. This is in partnership with the Hinsdale South Key Club who will distribute the items to local food pantries.

Be sure to stop by the library to support the teens and your community!

I’m delighted to announce that Library Board President Marian Krupicka has been awarded the “Trustee of the Year” award from the Metropolitan Library System. The Trustee of the Year award recognizes an MLS member library trustee for outstanding achievement as a public service official. To receive the award trustees must make a significang contribution to the library, show evidence of leadership and demonstrate exemplary service above and beyond the regular call of duty.

Marian Krupicka showed her support for library service in the community of Darien early on by being part of a group from the Darien Woman’s Club who started and supported the Darien Library Bookmobile in the 1970’s as volunteers. She even swept the floor of the bookmobile!

In 1985 Marian was elected library trustee and has been an active trustee ever since. Marian was on the Darien Library Board when talks began regarding merging the Darien and Willowbrook libraries. Marian was a strong supporter of merging the libraries and played an instrumental role in making this happen.

Marian was very active through three referendums to get the new library building built. When the Indian Prairie Public Library Foundation was started, Marian was on the Foundation Board and worked to recruit key community members to be part of the board.

She has been an exemplary example of giving service to the community. She has always volunteered her time beyond the board and committee meetings. Within the community Marian has served for many years as liaison between the library and the Darien Woman’s club, one of our major benefactors. As a teacher in the local school system, she provides insight into how we can best interact and assist the schools within our district.

Marian has always demonstrated leadership in pushing ideas and recommendations forward. Marian’s commitment to the library is currently evident in her work as Board President. Under her leadership in the past year the library has written new mission, values and visions statements, developed a new strategic plan, and redesigned the library logo. After twenty years as a trustee she continues to contribute to defining and fulfilling the library’s mission, bringing a vibrancy and enthusiasm to the board. She is an excellent listener and values others’ ideas and opinions as if they were her own. Marian is positive and supportive of the staff, is a mentor to other trustees, and is still full of wonderful ideas for providing service to the community.

You’ll find the latest in audio books on our shelves - Playaways - available for adults, teens and children. You may have heard about this new format through the media, it’s been touted on the Today Show and written up in several newspapers and magazines. Playaways even made “The O List” in the December 2006 issue of The Oprah Magazine.

This new format has a full book loaded on a device smaller than a deck of cards. You can easily navigate back and forth through the book, adjust the volume, and alter the speed of the narrator’s voice. The Playaway has an automatic bookmark feature that remembers where you stopped listening and resumes at that point when you turn it back on. You can find a list of titles on our catalog. They’re flying off the shelf, but you can reserve titles through the catalog. Unfortunately since it’s a new format the number and variety of titles are limited. But we’ll keep adding to our collection as we can.

Don’t forget - the library offers a wealth of resources to help all ages with school assignments. Our homework help page is geared toward elementary and middle school grades and topics covered include language arts, literature, math, biographies, science, health, social studies and history. We also offer a collection of textbooks from local schools.

Online databases that our staff have selected will provide authoritative information for all your questions. These are available from home 24/7. We also offer reference e-books on hundreds of topics that are also available from home 24/7. All you need to access these resources is your library card number.

As always, our staff are available to help you with your assignments either in person, on the phone or through our web site. Don’t hesitate to contact us!