River Forest Public Library facts for kids

River Forest Public Library exterior

The River Forest Public Library is a cool place in River Forest, Illinois. This town is a suburb located just west of Chicago. The library helps about 11,000 people who live in River Forest. It also welcomes people from nearby towns.

The library is part of a big group called SWAN. This stands for System Wide Automated Network. This group connects over 80 libraries around Chicago. They share books and other things through a special online catalog.

Library History: How It Started

The River Forest Public Library first opened its doors in 1905. Back then, it was in a small store on Park Avenue. The building you see today was finished in 1929. A famous architect named William Eugene Drummond designed it. He was known for his "Prairie School" style.

Later, in 1989, a new part was added to the building. In 2013, the library building was named an important historical place. This means it's a special building worth protecting.

What You Can Find at the Library

The River Forest Public Library has tons of items for everyone! They have over 90,000 things you can check out.

Books, Movies, and More

You can find many different items here.

• Books for all ages
• CDs with music
• DVDs with movies and TV shows
• Current popular magazines
• Newspapers from the local area and around the country

Digital Resources and Online Learning

The library also has lots of digital materials. If you have a River Forest Library card, you can use these online.

• Access to many online databases
• Read full magazine and newspaper articles
• Find information on health, history, and more
• Get help with school projects or learn new things

If the library doesn't have a book you want, don't worry! They can get it for you through a service called inter-library loan. This means they borrow it from another library.

Fun Programs and Events

The River Forest Public Library offers many fun programs. These events are for people of all ages.

Programs for Kids and Teens

• Children's Programs: Kids can enjoy regular story times. They also have fun craft programs.
• Middle School Programs: For older kids, there are gaming sessions. They can also do crafts or watch movies.
• Seasonal Reading Programs: The library has special reading programs twice a year. Everyone with a library card can join these.

Programs for Adults

Adults can also find many interesting things to do.

• Book discussion groups
• Drop-in computer help labs
• Screenings of foreign films

How the Library Is Managed

The library is run by a person called the Director. The Director is hired by the Library Board of Trustees. These trustees are like a special committee. There are seven trustees, and they are elected by the community. They serve for six years.

The library has different departments to help everything run smoothly.

• Adult and Teen Services
• Children's Services
• Materials Services
• Administration Department

The library has about 25 employees in total. Some work full-time, and others work part-time.

More About River Forest

If you want to learn even more about River Forest, check out these resources:

• History of River Forest by Albert Hall. Published in 1938.
• River Forest: Origins, History, Founders, and Monuments by Bradford Schwarz. Published in 2005.
• A Guidebook to the Architecture of River Forest by Jeannette S. Fields, editor. Published in 1990.
• River Forest History Files contains materials from 1876 to 2002.