COVER STORY
Check out our libraries
I am constantly amazed by the evolution of our public libraries. Today, our libraries serve as true centers for our communities, providing services and programs that we could not have imagined when we were children getting our very first library cards.
I recently joined Dawn Bussey, executive director of the Glen Ellyn Public Library, and Karen Volk, president of the library’s Board of Trustees, to take a tour of the library and learn more about their programs.
We were fascinated by the library’s Makerspace, which offers cardholders access to all sorts of interesting and useful equipment, including an embroidery machine, a laser for cutting and engraving, and even a 3-D printer. If you have an idea for something you want to create, you’re invited to come in, get help from the staff, and make your idea a reality. There’s also a Library of Things, where you can check out a camera, a video player, or a sewing machine. There’s even a flight simulator!
I hope you’ll take time to visit the library’s special exhibit, “World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration.” Glen Ellyn was the only Illinois library selected to present the exhibit, which was created by the American Anthropological Association and the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
Everyone is invited to a special event celebrating the opening of the exhibit on Saturday, July 27, in the library parking lot, at 400 Duane St. There will be live music, dance performances, and food trucks. The exhibit, which will be up through August 30, is free and open to the public during library hours, Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Over the next few weeks, I’m planning to check out other public libraries in our communities. So stay tuned!