AHML's Job Seekers Program received the "Outstanding Service Award for 2010-2011" from Rotary District 6440 Governor Bruce Baumberger. The Library has received vocational grants totaling $8000 from the Rotary Club of Arlington Heights in the past 18 months to fund the Job Seekers program series at the Library. Accepting the award is Arlington Heights Rotarian Deb Whisler, the Library's Director of Communications & Marketing, who was also recognized with a "Distinguished Rotarian Award" for 2010-11.

On Sunday, May 1, recently retired Library Trustee Dick Frisbie was the guest of honor at a party sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Friends members, library staff and trustees, and village mayor, trustees and manager joined Frisbie family members and friends to celebrate Dick's historic 44-year tenure on the Board of Library Trustees.

 

A highlight of the event was Dick Frisbie's remarks which we share with you in this YouTube video filmed by his granddaughter, Nora Malone. Library Director Paula Moore and Paul Frisbie, Dick's son, also spoke.

It was May of 1967 when Dick Frisbie became a library trustee. On April 21 he retires after 44 years of serving on the Board of Library Trustees. He is the longest serving library trustee, and he leaves a legacy of inspiring leadership and dedicated service to the Arlington Heights community.

 

He has seen great changes over the years. During his tenure, the Library's circulation grew to over 2.6 million items, and the Library received national recognition, earning Library Journal’s 5-star rating for three straight years.

 

He has held every office on the Board, including serving as president

Arlington Heights Memorial Library is proud to have one of its own named one of Library Journal's "Movers and Shakers of 2011." Reference and Virtual Services Supervisor Bill Pardue was recognized as a "change agent" for his innovative work with virtual reference and his initiative encouraging librarians to log onto Q&A websites to respond to questions.

 

Bill is one of only 50 librarians from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Singapore and the UK to receive this honor. Congratulations, Bill! 

Want to know what happens on a typical day at the Library? On Wednesday, April 13, we joined libraries across the state participating in "Snapshot: One Day in the Life of Your Library."

 

Here are some of the photos that we took around the Library, Senior Center and bookmobile capturing the ways in which people use library services.

 

Photos from other Illinois libraries.

During April, we honor our 250 dedicated library volunteers. They range in age from 14 to 90 and can be found assisting staff in the Library, on the bookmobile and at the Senior Center. Last year they provided 27,009 hours of service.

 

Our knowledgeable and talented volunteers are staffing the Shackley Genealogy Room, teaching computer classes, leading book discussions and current events discussions, helping people improve their English, staffing the Reading Room at the Senior Center, helping with library programs, working in the Kids' World office and assisting our reference staff. And everywhere our volunteers work, they are adding

Congratulations to Javier Elias, winner of the "Young at Heart" Heart of Gold from the Village of Arlington Heights! Since 2002, Javier has volunteered at the Library - first as a translator on our bookmobile visits at Arlington Park Racecourse, then as a tutor teaching English as a Second Language to students in the Library. Javier was one of ten winners honored at the Hearts of Gold Awards Dinner on February 12. Celebrating the award with Javier are Paula Moore, AHML Executive Director; Katalin Zsupan, ESL/Literacy Specialist; and Caryl Medsker, Volunteer Coordinator.

Kids' World was the place to be on Saturday for the Kids' World Open House. Parents, grandparents and kids of all ages joined us to see all the exciting and colorful changes we've made. Our community partners were on hand to greet library users and talk about the new additions to Kids' World that were purchased by their generous donations. They include: