Many librarians work in public libraries to make a difference for children, families, and communities and identify family and community engagement as a cornerstone of their responsibilities. For librarians to be successful they must be afforded strong foundations in family and community engagement that begin early in their preparation. Yet little…

The Big Read was developed by the National Endowment for the Arts to revitalize the role of culture in American society and encourage the reading of landmark literature. Each year since 2007, the DeKalb Public Library, Northern Illinois University, and Kishwaukee Community College have partnered to foster literacy in the community. This article…

Games and other forms of play are used in today's libraries to attract underserved patrons, to introduce patrons to other library resources and services, and to facilitate engagement between library patrons. While many perceive gaming as a new library service, gaming services have been part of librarianship since the nineteenth century through…

While connecting the nation's schools and libraries to the internet by modernizing and expanding the federal E-rate program currently dominates education technology efforts, a new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education urges that adequate broadband access be accompanied by a comprehensive "digital infrastructure" that unlocks…

In the past decade, economic development experts have moved away from traditional approaches to economic development that have relied upon recruiting or attracting large businesses with offers of tax breaks, financial incentives, and other subsidies. Increasingly, communities are focusing their economic development resources on supporting the…

Librarians like to say their libraries are the heart of their communities, and in Cynthia Fuerst's case, it is a fact. For the Kankakee Public Library, this took long, hard effort by an inspired library director, the mayor, and a developer who wanted to revive business in an economically devastated downtown. When Fuerst became the library's…

Based on the philosophy that the public library should be an integral part of the community it serves, a lively center of ideas and activities, and that it should know the community's people and groups thoroughly in order to understand its needs, this booklet has been prepared as an introduction for trustees, staff members, and lay leaders to the…

This paper describes the installation of a data network in the community of Glenview, Illinois, which uses broadband cable equipment to connect schools, libraries, and governmental agencies to each other and to the Internet via a high speed Ethernet network. The history of the project is outlined followed by a discussion of the implementation of…

Describes a project in Illinois that was developed to establish communitywide capability for intergenerational programming with the library as resource center and advisor that could be used as a model for other libraries. Highlights include collection assessment; collection enrichment; bibliography development; a community workshop; material use;…

Description of community online systems focuses on a Freenet in Illinois called P.A.T.H. (Public Access to Heartland). Highlights include patron use; discussion groups and bulletin boards; electronic mail; reference questions; Freenet's place in public libraries; and sample reference questions answered by Freenet information providers. (five…

Describes successful public relations efforts in 23 Illinois public libraries. Highlights include fundraising efforts; innovative program design; community involvement; media coverage; referendum promotions; student reading initiatives; and local business involvement. (LRW)

Educating newcomers to help themselves provides the knowledge and security they will need to function better in the community, but it can also be a learning experience for students. This article describes an integrated curriculum at Community High School in West Chicago, Illinois, that combines Spanish native speaking (SNS) students and child…

Details the Rockford (Illinois) Public Library's activities involved with developing a community online information system and the not-for-profit organization established to run the system. Includes mission statement; guiding principles, policy statements; standing committees and goals for first year of operation; funding; adding users and…

These four articles address issues related to teens and reading. Highlights include an interview with a young adult literature author; a community literature festival in St. Charles (Illinois) that introduces students to authors, poets, journalists, and storytellers; library services for youth in detention centers, including book discussion…

Black Hawk College's Study Unlimited cooperative program with the River Bend Library System, established in 1972, is presented as a model for community college and public library cooperation in offering off-campus instructional opportunities to new student populations by breaking time and place access barriers. Study Unlimited's objectives are to…