Welcome New Patrons
| WELCOME TO THE BLOOMINGDALE PUBLIC LIBRARY | ||
|---|---|---|
| GENERAL INFORMATION | YOUR LIBRARY CARD | YOUTH SERVICES |
| YOUNG ADULT | COMPUTER SERVICES | ADULT SERVICES/SPECIAL COLLECTIONS |
The Board and Staff of the Bloomingdale Public Library would like to welcome you to the community. Whether you are a new resident of the Village of Bloomingdale or a longtime resident who has applied for your first library card, we welcome you to the library and to the community. We hope that you will take advantage of the many resources available.
The mission of the Bloomingdale Public Library is to provide access to high-interest, high-demand informational, educational, cultural, and recreational library materials and services in a variety of formats and technologies; to stimulate a desire to learn in children and encourage lifelong learning for all ages; and, to be responsive to the public library needs of the community, with useful and timely access to knowledge, information, and resources.
The Bloomingdale Public Library is more than just a place to check out books. It is a reflection of our community, a mirror of the diversity and quality of life we enjoy. The library is a welcoming community space for formal and informal learning. It is a place for preserving our history and embracing our future. It is a place for teaching young children a love of the pure enjoyment of reading and a place for encouraging our elders to share their knowledge and enrich their lives with lifelong learning. Our vision for the future is to open the door and open new horizons, exposing this world of imagination and knowledge for all of Bloomingdale.
Special Annual Events Hosted By The Library
The library hosts several large annual events: Breakfast/Brunch with the Bunny, Sunshine Serenades (mid-afternoon summer concert series), Ice Cream Social, Annual Friends of the Library Sidewalk Sale, Halloween Party, Holiday Open House, Polar Express, and Breakfast/Brunch with Santa. Information about these events can be found on the library’s website or in the latest edition of the Off the Shelf library newsletter.
Groups And Clubs Sponsored By The Library
The library sponsors a variety of groups and clubs for all ages. Here are a few of the activities we host: Teen Game Night, Open Game Night, Chess Club, Dueler’s Guild, Anime Club, Writer’s Workshop, and Garden Club, in addition to several book discussion groups for adults. We hope that you will join one of the groups today!
Additional Services Offered At The Library
The library also offers the following services: photocopiers, meeting room rentals for non-profit community groups and organizations, incoming/outgoing fax transmissions, voter registration, tax forms, exam proctoring, and notary public service. Copies, faxes, and room rentals have fees, which will vary. Please call (630) 529-3120 for more information regarding these fees.
Your library card is your key to library services. This multi-use card grants you borrowing privileges for our collections of print and audiovisual materials, gives you access to our computer labs,
allows you to enroll in classes and programs sponsored by the library, and serves as a debit card for the copiers and printers in the library. In addition, your Bloomingdale Library card will allow
you to use most public libraries within the State of Illinois.
Library cards are free to anyone who resides within the Village of Bloomingdale's limits and are valid for three years. All applicants are required to show proof of residency in the Village.
When you apply for a card, please bring photo identification and two items that show your current Bloomingdale address. Contact the Circulation Desk, or visit our website for acceptable
proofs of residency and identification. A signature of a parent or guardian is required for children under the age of eighteen. Non-resident property taxpayers are also eligible for one card per
parcel of property upon presentation of a current tax bill. Non-residents who do not reside within the boundaries of a library district may purchase cards at the residential tax rate.
Our collection includes books, newspapers, and magazines. We have an extensive collection of feature films, informational DVDs, audiobooks, music CDs, computer software, games, and puzzles. A wide collection of downloadable ebooks, e-audiobooks, and e-videos for use on your personal computer or media device are also available for check-out. In addition, the library owns a selection of equipment for rental including MP3 players, assistive devices, and slide and film projectors.
The library has over 130,000 items in its collection. The vast majority can be checked out of the library for personal use. Most items in our collection circulate for three weeks. Some high demand
items, such as new CDs, feature films, and magazines circulate for a shorter period.
If you are unable to return an item on time, you may be able to renew it. Items may be renewed in person at the library, by calling the Circulation Department during regular library hours, or online.
Materials that are on reserve for another patron may not be renewed. Patrons with blocked or barred accounts are unable to check-out or renew materials until their account has been cleared.
Renewing materials owned by other libraries depends on the policy of the lending library. A complete list of types of materials and their circulation period can be found on the library’s website.
Responsibilities As A Library Cardholder
Cardholders are responsible for all materials borrowed with their library cards. Materials should be returned on time and in good condition. If materials are overdue, a fine will be assessed.
Most fines are 10¢ per day; however, feature DVDs are $1.00 per day, and HotPick books are 50¢ per day.
If library materials are damaged or lost, you will be expected to pay the cost of the materials and a processing fee. Replacements for lost/damaged items will not be accepted.
Damaged or lost materials borrowed by or for the patron from other libraries are subject to the owning library’s policies. Lost or stolen cards should be reported immediately.
Do not lend your card to anyone. There is a $5.00 replacement fee for a lost library card.
The Youth Services Department provides a warm and welcoming environment where children and parents can discover the wonder of books and learning together. The collection, programs, and other library services are designed for children from birth through grade six. Reference service is always available to help children and adults find information and materials to help with school assignments or to use for fun.
Our play area for preschoolers includes a sand table, puppet theatre, puppets, and learning games for children to use in the library.
This collection includes a variety of informational books for in-library use only.
Group visits are available for Scout troops, day cares, and schools, etc., when time has been prearranged with the Department Head. Group help with researching specific topics is also available.
The library offers Born to Read Packets to new parents in Bloomingdale in order to promote the importance of reading to babies. The new baby’s family will receive a congratulatory packet that includes a certificate for a free board book. Please contact the Youth Services Department for more information.
Tote bags containing books, audiovisual, and other materials and activities pertaining to various topics are available for checkout.
During the summer, patrons may borrow kits filled with books, audio materials, and games to entertain children who are traveling. Requests for kits will be taken up to seven days prior to the date when the kit will be picked up.
The library offers a Bag of Books service for teachers, where teachers may register to request books and materials for use in their classrooms. These items are pulled and delivered to the school.
Assignment Alerts provide teachers a convenient means to communicate with librarians regarding class assignments and the materials and information that students will need to complete projects. Teachers may request that materials be held on reserve for their students to use in the library.
The library offers regularly scheduled storytimes for children ages three months to grade one, game nights, various literature-related activities, and craft programs for children of all ages, as well as summer and winter reading programs.
Our Young Adult collection serves students in grades seven through twelve. We offer fiction and nonfiction books, graphic novels, games, and audiovisual materials that reflect the interests of young adults. In addition, the YA Spot of the library (located on the main floor) has comfortable seating, a CD listening station, and information geared towards teens.
Our Teen Advisory Group meets monthly to discuss how to improve library services to teens. New members with suggestions for programs, books, and other materials are always welcome. Earn volunteer hours while making your opinions heard.
Students in grades seven through twelve who are interested in volunteering in the Youth Services department may sign up to be a VolunTEEN. There are three VolunTEEN sessions per year that begin in September, January, and May. Watch our newsletter for more information.
Teens are invited to attend the many young adult programs the library hosts throughout the year including Teen Game Night (with Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2 games, and more), Anime Club, Chess Club, and Dueler’s Guild, a club for players of collectible card games.
The Bloomingdale Public Library Computer Services department provides computer support and instruction for library patrons.
The library has two labs with over twenty-five computers available to the public. The Adult Lab is located on the main level, and the Youth Services Lab is located downstairs in the Youth Services department. The Adult Lab includes equipment available to the public such as: a flatbed scanner, black and white printers, a color printer, a microfilm reader, and typewriters.
Programs And Services Available In The Computer Labs
The library offers the following computer applications in the Adult Lab: Microsoft Office (Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher), typing/keyboarding software, and access to the Internet. The Youth Lab features educational games such as Jumpstart Adventures, typing, reading and phonics programs, Microsoft Office products, and access to the Internet. The library also offers a wireless network for patrons wishing to access the Internet on their laptops. The library provides computer classes on a wide range of topics that are open to both residents and non-residents.
The Macintosh Multimedia Station features professional level tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. Tools for beginners include iMovie, iPhoto, and Garage Band. Any experience level can create outstanding video, images, and audio. Please sign up at the Reference Desk to use this station.
ADULT SERVICES/SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Ask us! You can reach us in person, by phone, e-mail, or chat with us live from our website. We also provide 24/7 reference service through our AskAway service. Click on the AskAway icon on our website to chat live with a reference librarian any time of the day or night. One hour appointments are available to learn about our catalog, research databases, and other online resources. We look forward to helping you find the information you need. A library tour and orientation is offered on the first Saturday of every month.
Don’t see it in the catalog? We can borrow items from library collections nationwide. Ask a librarian to help you find what you need.
You can find full-text articles from popular magazines and academic journals through our website, as well as over 300 full-text reference books, encyclopedias, and other useful research tools. These resources can be accessed at the library and from your home computer as well. Visit our Research page to see a full list of our online holdings.
Our professional staff present educational and informational programming covering everything from CPR to auto detailing to flower arranging, as well as a variety of other topics. Keep up with the latest offerings by checking the Programs and Events page on the library website, or by reading Off the Shelf, the library newsletter, which appears every other month in the Village Almanac.
Need a good book to read? Our librarians can suggest titles you might enjoy. Ask for a book suggestion, request a personalized reading list, or subscribe to our e-mail newsletter, NextReads. The library offers three book discussion groups; one is a general discussion group, and the other two specialize in mystery and historical titles. New members are always welcome.
Services For People With Special Needs
The library has a collection of Large Print materials, a CCTV that magnifies text up to 165x for the visually impaired, and an assortment of adaptive devices for those with physical impairments. Additionally, staff members deliver materials to Bloomingdale nursing home residents. They also offer homebound delivery service to seniors without a car or anyone limited by illness or disabilities. Please call the Reference Desk to request this service.
The Local History Room was established in 1999 to maintain existing archives and to collect manuscripts, photographs, oral histories, and published items pertinent to the history of the Village of Bloomingdale. If you are researching genealogy or have an interest in Bloomingdale history, you will find that the Local History Room contains a wealth of information to help you in your search.
Games are available for children, teens, and adults. Our collection includes board games, games for use on PCs, and popular game consoles.
The Donna Beth Froio Foreign Language and Cultural Collection housed in the Youth Services department is a multicultural resource for children from preschool through eighth grade. This collection consists of materials relevant to the study of foreign languages and cultures. There are over fifty languages represented in the collection, which includes books, CDs, and videos. The Adult Services world language collection includes books in Gujarati, Punjabi, Hindi, Spanish, and Polish. The library also offers a diverse collection of foreign language films.
The Parent-Teacher Collection provides books, kits, and other materials to aid parents and teachers in finding information on child care and development topics, curriculum ideas, and parenting issues.
Textbooks For Students - Grades K-12
A collection of textbooks provided by local school districts 13, 15, 20, 93, and St. Matthew School can be found in the Youth Services Department. Adult Services houses a textbook collection provided by Lake Park High School.
