News from Libraries

This afternoon, in a White House ceremony in the East Room, First Lady Michelle Obama will join Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Director Susan Hildreth to present the 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service to Waukegan Public Library. The nation’s highest honor conferred on museums and libraries for service to the community, the National Medal celebrates institutions that make a difference for individuals, families, and communities. Richard Lee, the library’s executive director, and community member Diana Alvey will accept the National Medal.

Diana was born in Mexico and came to the United States with her family when she was three years old. Neither of her parents, nor her brothers and sisters, spoke any English, but shortly after arriving in America, Diana’s mother began English as a Second Language classes as a way to help the family adjust to their new home. As an adult, Diana volunteers her time at the Waukegan Public Library as an ESL tutor to help others on their language journey. Diana also volunteers in the library’s signature immigrant program as a Promotora, working with the Latino community to identify obstacles that limit success. She has supported students and helped them gain confidence to pursue job promotions, attend parent teacher conferences at school and advocate for their children, and describe a symptom to their doctor. Diana shares, ““A young mother was at home when she heard her children yelling ‘FIRE.’ Because of her participation in the library’s ESL program, she knew what that English word meant – and how to call 911 for help. Our programs are making a world of difference.”

“Museums and libraries serve as centers for lifelong learning and as cornerstones for our communities. Waukegan Public Library is modifying and adapting programs to ensure educational opportunities and literacy for all residents and community members, and we are proud to name Waukegan Public Library as one of this year’s National Medal for Museum and Library Service winners,” said Susan Hildreth, director, Institute of Museum and Library Services.

This year’s 10 honorees exemplify the nation’s great diversity of libraries and museums and include a science center, children’s museum, music museum, art museum, cultural museum, public libraries, and county library systems, hailing from seven states. The 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service Ceremony will be streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov/live beginning at 1:30 p.m. EDT.

“I am thrilled to join Illinois’ Tenth Congressional District community and the entire country in congratulating Waukegan Public Library on receiving such a distinguished honor. The Institute of Museum and Library Services awards the National Medal to just 10 institutions each year, and Waukegan Public Library’s long history of dedicated and innovative service, from its English Language Learning classes to its Homework Help program, earned it this most deserved distinction,” said U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (Ill.).

“The Waukegan Public Library should be honored to receive the 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service in recognition of the outstanding services the library provides to the residents of this growing community.  This award is the nation’s highest honor bestowed on museums and libraries for their service to the community. I’d like to congratulate the library and its tremendous staff for the work they do to make our community a great place,” said Illinois State Senator Terry Link. 

Medal winners are selected from nationwide nominations of institutions that demonstrate innovative approaches to public service, exceeding the expected levels of community outreach. Later this year, StoryCorps – a national nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans – will visit Waukegan Public Library to document stories from the community.

To learn more about the 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service winners, please visit www.imls.gov/medals.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.  Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive.  To learn more, visit http://www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Starting May 7, Waukegan library card holders will gain access to 900,000 materials owned by libraries around the region due to a new resource sharing partnership called LINKin. This new service provides fast access to collections of books, music, and movies owned by seven libraries in the state.

The library’s participation in LINKin is partially grant funded in its first year and establishes a partnership between Gail Borden Public Library, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, Skokie Public Library, Cook Memorial Library, Deerfield Public Library, and Naperville Public Library. All of the library collections are free and accessible to current Waukegan card holders in good standing.

Patrons are able to search the shared catalog and place requests themselves or with staff assistance. Items will be sent to Waukegan Public Library in days and patrons will be notified by phone or email when the item is ready for pickup. Materials obtained through LINKin will be due four weeks from checkout, except for DVDs which will be due in one week. Overdue charges remain the same as Waukegan items.

“Joining LINKin is an amazing opportunity for our community,” said Heidi Smith, Assistant Director of Public Services. “Our own collection is restricted by a limited budget; LINKin will provide our patrons with access to almost one million different resources in many different languages. It’s as though our collections have quintupled.”

For more information about LINKin or the Waukegan Public Library collection, call 847-623-2041 or visit www.waukeganpl.org.

We are thrilled to announce our 2013 Poetry contest winners. There were 4  categories: 3rd-5th grade, 6th-8th grade, 9-12th grade and adult. We are excited to say that we had over 160 poems submitted and the competition was fierce. The winners are as follows:

3rd-5th grade

1st place Earl Pantig

2nd place Sophie Woods

3rd place Andrew Lane

6th-8th grade

1st place Tori Pavnica

2nd Issac Donovan

3rd place Jamie Young

9th-12th grade

1st place Britany Franzen

2nd Amy Haines

3rd place Kayley Gavin

Adults

1st place Pat Ribozi

2nd place Joseph Czarney

3rd place Karen Cook

Congratulations to all our winners .

It’s Superhero Week, and our Youth Services Department will be celebrating all week with fun programs for kids.  There’s a Superhero Training Course, a Superhero Drawing program, and more.  For a complete list of events, check out our website at www.westchicago.lib.il.us.

 And be sure to stop by on Saturday, May 4, from 1-3 pm, for Superhero Saturday when we’ll be featuring superhero crafts and free comic books for all participants.

 This summer, the more you read the more chances you’ll have to win some great prizes with our summer reading program, “Have Book – Will Travel!”  There are programs for all ages. For details, check the website for our “Get Connected” newsletter.  The summer reading program will run from June 8 through July 26.