Jump to content

West Chicago Public Library

Coordinates: 41°53′03″N 88°12′20″W / 41.884124°N 88.205570°W / 41.884124; -88.205570
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Ninebiker (talk | contribs) at 20:52, 7 May 2019. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

West Chicago Public Library
Map
41°53′03″N 88°12′20″W / 41.884124°N 88.205570°W / 41.884124; -88.205570
LocationWest Chicago, Illinois, United States
TypePublic
Established1934
Collection
Size83,711
Access and use
Circulation190,966 (2018)
Population served29,924
Members15,439
Other information
DirectorBenjamin Weseloh
Websitehttps://wcpld.info/

The West Chicago Public Library is the public library serving the city of West Chicago, Illinois. It is located at 118 West Washington street in downtown West Chicago.[1]

The library has a collection of 83,711 items that includes books, audio CDs, movies, magazines and video games[2], and recorded a total of 109,029 library visits in 2018.

West Chicago Public Library is part of the System Wide Automated Network (SWAN), which connects 97 libraries in many Chicago suburbs.

History

West Chicago Public Library building

Library services in West Chicago date back to 1856, when the Congregational Church included a library. In 1894, a reading room was established in the Bolles Opera House which was open two nights a week. The library began to organize and, by 1895, was open seven days a week. A volunteer library opened in 1929 on the second floor of the old City Hall, and in 1934 the Library became a municipal library. The original building, located on East Washington Street, opened in February 1954, and a wing was added to the building in 1958. The West Chicago Public Library District was formed on May 1, 1986 as the result of a successful referendum converting the Library from a municipal to a district library. The Library District celebrated the opening of its current 27,052 square foot facility located on West Washington Street in August, 1993.[3] [4]

Services and holdings

As of 2018 the West Chicago Public Library held 83,711 books and serial volumes[5], or 2.8 for every person in its service area. Circulation in 2018 was 190,966, more than 6 per capita. As of 2018, the library had 29 computer terminals for library users. The library offers tutoring and small group classes in computer skills. The city of West Chicago has a Hispanic population more than three times that of Illinois as a whole. 53% of West Chicago residents are non-native speakers of English[6]. In recognition of this, the library offers extensive educational programs and materials in Spanish language.[7] [8]

Outdoor Art

The West Chicago Public Library is home to love even more, the statue by renowned Chicago-based artist Matthew Hoffman[9]. The statue was installed on the grounds of the West Chicago Public Library on August 8, 2018.[10] [11] [12]


West Chicago Public Library District Foundation

As a separate 501c3 nonprofit organization, the West Chicago Library District Foundation raises funds to support the West Chicago Public Library[13].

References

  1. ^ "L2, Library Learning". L2 Library Learning, West Chicago Public Library District.
  2. ^ "Catalog". West Chicago Public Library.
  3. ^ "Strategic Plan". West Chicago Public Library.
  4. ^ "Daily Herald, Events Calendar". Daily Herald, West Chicago Public Library 25th Anniversary Celebration.
  5. ^ "Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey (PLS) Data and Reports". Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey (PLS) Data and Reports.
  6. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts.
  7. ^ "Literacy DuPage". Literacy DuPage.
  8. ^ "Daily Herald". Daily Herald, Digital Bookmobile making stop in West Chicago.
  9. ^ "Matthew Hoffman". Matthew Hoffman.
  10. ^ "Daily Herald". Daily Herald, Artist unveils 'loveevenmore' sculpture in West Chicago.
  11. ^ "Daily Herald". Daily Herald, West Chicago picking artists for annual banner exhibit.
  12. ^ "Daily Herald". Daily Herald, Chicago artist Matthew Hoffman to jury 'Love,' West Chicago's 2019 community art banner exhibit.
  13. ^ "West Chicago Public Library District Foundation". West Chicago Public Library District Foundation.



Category:Libraries in DuPage County, Illinois Category:Buildings and structures in West Chicago, Illinois Category:West Chicago, Illinois