Illinois: Suburban Chicago Public Libraries “Embrace New Role as Community Centers”

From The Daily Herald:

“We have to always be at the front lines of the needs of the community,” said Betsy Adamowski, president of the Illinois Library Association and Wheaton Public Library director. “Each library was the same a long time ago, but each community is different. So each community needs different collections, different services. It cannot be cookie-cutter anymore.”
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Sue Wisley, communications manager at the Helen Plum Memorial Library in Lombard, says one of the greatest challenges public libraries face nowadays is fighting a common misconception: They’re becoming obsolete.

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“What keeps a library relevant is being in touch with your community,” said Julie Rothenfluh, executive director of the Naperville Public Library. “A library is really all about access. It’s about what people need access to and how you can bring people together.”

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Filed under: Libraries, News, Public Libraries