View All News

  • Check out the October library highlights

    The Arlington Heights Memorial Library (AHML) is the community's place to read, learn and gather! Each month, the library compiles a director's report which highlights the most recent statistics and trends in library usage, programs and other initiatives that impact our community and support the library's overall strategic goals and plan. Highlights from October's report include:

    • One Book, One Village a Surefire Hit with the Arlington Heights Community (page 1) 
    • Makerplace Celebrates Third Anniversary with an Open House (page 5)
    • A Storytime Designed for Our Youngest Library Customers (page 6)
    • AHML Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month (page 7)
    • Social Worker Program
    Read More

  • Read. Share. Grow. Learn more about book discussions at AHML

    What could be better than reading a good book? How about discussing that book with others who have read it too?

    More than 380 people put this idea into practice at more than 30 book discussions hosted by the Arlington Heights Memorial Library in 2023. Best of all, there are more books to read and always room for more readers to join in to discuss - including you!

    If you've considered and haven't yet participated in one of the library's adult book discussions, now may be an ideal time to give it a try as several of our book groups

    Read More

  • Celebrating three years of making, sharing and building community

    From preparing food in a cooking class to engraving a cutting board, repairing household appliances to creating artwork to display in your home, the opportunities to create and learn are endless at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library Makerplace. 

    Now celebrating its third year, the Makerplace is the place where Arlington Heights and area residents can learn skills and gain experience to make almost anything. 

    The library will celebrate with the community at an Anniversary Party on September 22, from noon-3 p.m. at 112 N. Belmont Ave., where visitors can stop by and explore the free opportunities available, including using the

    Read More

 
 

NEW TO THE LIBRARY

The borrowed life of Frederick Fife
Johnston, Anna, 1983-
"For readers of Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Pilgrimage of Harold Frye, a warm, life-affirming debut about a zany case of mistaken identity that allows a lonely old man one last chance to be part of a family. "Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I'll take excellent care of it." Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he'd return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there's nobody left in Fred's life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he's desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. Fred's luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has a roof over his head, three meals a day, and, most importantly, the chance to be part of a family again. All he has to do is hope that his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up. As Fred navigates life in Bernard's shoes, he learns about the man's past and what it might take to return a life in better condition than he found it. Bittersweet and remarkably perceptive, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a feel-good, clever novel about grief, forgiveness, redemption, and finding family, from an exciting new voice in fiction"--
Under the eye of the big bird
Kawakami, Hiromi, 1958-
"In the distant future, humans are on the verge of extinction and have settled in small tribes across the planet under the observation and care of "Mothers." Some children are made in factories, from cells of rabbits and dolphins; some live by getting nutrients from water and light, like plants. The survival of the race depends on the interbreeding of these and other alien beings-but it is far from certain that connection, love, reproduction, and evolution will persist among the inhabitants of this faltering new world. Unfolding over fourteen interconnected episodes spanning geological eons, at once technical and pastoral, mournful and utopic, Under the Eye of the Big Bird presents an astonishing vision of the end of our species as we know it"--
Tiny threads
Rivera, Lilliam,
"In this gorgeously sinister novel of supernatural suspense, a young woman gets her dream job working for a famous designer and discovers the dark side of the glamorous world of fashion"--
Precipice
Harris, Robert, 1957-
"Summer 1914. A world on the brink of catastrophe. In London, twenty-six-year-old Venetia Stanley--aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless--is part of a fast group of upper-crust bohemians and socialites known as "The Coterie." She's also engaged in a clandestine love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than twice her age. He writes to her obsessively, sharing the most sensitive matters of state. As Asquith reluctantly leads the country into war with Germany, a young intelligence officer with Scotland Yard is assigned to investigate a leak of top-secret documents. Suddenly, what was a sexual intrigue becomes a matter of national security that could topple the British government--and will alter the course of political history."--
Cold trail
Moore, Taylor,
"In the fourth pulse-pounding thriller in the series, DEA Special Agent Garrett Kohl must find out what's truly tainted in the energy industry and uncover a deep-rooted plot in order to protect his new business, beloved ranch, and family. Perfect for fans of C. J. Box and Jack Carr"--
An academy for liars
Henderson, Alexis,
"Lennon Carter's life is falling apart. Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because-like everyone else at the school-she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself. After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion's heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton's lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante who both intimidates and enthralls her. As Lennon continues in her studies her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton college, and the way her mentor's tragic and violent past intertwines with it. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns. For it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption...and it's a test she's terrified she is going to fail"--
The Highlander's return
Sands, Lynsay,
Graeme Gunn is a warrior through and through. A second son, he left home years ago to battle his way through Scotland as a mercenary. But with his brother William's death, Graeme is forced to return to his clan--which now includes William's grieving widow, Annella Mackay. And Graeme is stunned to find that the beautiful, determined woman at the keep is nothing like the meek lass he remembers from William's wedding years ago... Annella Mackay once had hopes for a loving marriage, a dream that shattered when her husband abandoned her. Hiding her pain, she embraced the roles of both laird and lady of the Gunn clan with spirit. But with William's death, she finally has a chance at a new dream, and she won't let anything deter her plans. Not even Graeme, no matter how strong her attraction to the strong-willed warrior, or how much she enjoys his kisses... It's an explosion of passion and clash of wills from the start, especially when Graeme decides to stay and claim his title. And when the threat of a hidden enemy rears its head, Graeme and Annella realize that in fighting for their home they might also be fighting for their love
The strange tales of Oscar Zahn. 1
Vuong, Tri,
"Oscar Zahn is just like any other paranormal investigator--he's working hard to make the world a better place, one exorcism at a time. So what if he's just a floating skull wearing a trench coat? He's still got a heart of gold! In this first installment of the online webcomic sensation The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn, join Oscar and his mysterious assistant Agnes as they embark on a terrifying yet heartwarming journey across ethereal realms, rescuing lost souls and solving creepy mysteries. Their travels take them across great distances and even through time, as Oscar sleuths out why the spirits he contends with are restless and malcontent. Yet the more mysteries he solves, the clearer it becomes that there's a greater game afoot, one that involves Oscar's own forgotten origin story."--Amazon
Red River Road
Downes, Anna,
"Katy Sweeney is determined to find her sister. A year earlier, just three weeks into a solo vanlife trip, free-spirited Phoebe vanished without a trace on Western Australia's remote and achingly beautiful Coral Coast. With no witnesses, no leads, and no DNA evidence, the case has gone cold. But Katy refuses to give up. Using Phoebe's social media accounts as a map, Katy starts to retrace her steps, searching for the clues that the police have missed. Was Phoebe being followed? Who had she met along the way, and what danger did they pose? Was she as happy as her sun-bleached, lens-flared photos seem to suggest? Then Katy's path collides with that of Beth, a young woman on the run from her own dark past--and very recent present. And as Katy realizes that Beth might be her best and only chance of finding the truth, the two women form an uneasy alliance to venture forth into increasingly wild territory to find out what really happened to Phoebe in this breathtaking but maybe deadly place, and how her fate connects them all"--
The darkest night : 22 wintry horror stories
Unravel me
Mack, Becka,
Professional hockey goalie Adam Lockwood and single mother Rosie Wells endeavor to build a family together, but a secret from Adam's past risks all that he and Rosie have together
Lowcountry Lost
Lowe, T. I. (Tonya),
"Avalee Elvis prides herself with being able to fix just about anything. . . except her past. Unable to put the puzzle of her life together, she pours heart and soul into making neglected places whole again. As the owner of Lowcountry Lost, Avalee spends her days in hot-pink Carhartt overalls and a tool belt reclaiming Lowcountry properties. Making them beautiful again releases the deep sigh that soothes the hurt she holds.Avalee's latest project takes her to tiny Somewhere, South Carolina, a long-abandoned town. She ignores its ghostly folklore but can't miss the shock of hearing the familiar Irish brogue that materializes on the job site--the voice of the man she never wanted to see again. Rowan Murray is a structural engineer hired by investors to oversee the redevelopment of the quaint downtown Avalee is bringing back to life. Once upon a time, he was also the man who knew Avalee better than anyone else--or so he thought. Six years ago, neither of them was prepared for the tragedy they would face together or what would happen in its wake. But as they work together to complete the rehabbing of Somewhere, their broken pieces and the pain that nearly consumed them begin to lose its grip, and both begin to wonder if it's not too late for a restoration of their own."--
The empusium : a health resort horror story
Tokarczuk, Olga, 1962-
"The Nobelist's latest masterwork, set in a sanitarium on the eve of World War I, probes the horrors that lie beneath our most hallowed ideas"--
The women behind the door
Doyle, Roddy, 1958-
"A powerful, moving mother-daughter story filled with struggle and redemption by Booker-Prize winning author Roddy Doyle. At sixty-six, Paula Spencer--mother, grandmother, widow, addict, survivor--has finally started to live her life. She has a job at the dry cleaners she enjoys, her boyfriend Joe is a text away when she needs him, and her four children now have the healthy families and petty dramas that Paula could have only hoped for. Despite its ghosts, Paula has started to push her past aside. That is until her eldest, Nicola, turns up on her doorstep one day. Nicola is everything Paula wasn't--independent, affluent, a loving wife and mother, a "success"--but now she is suddenly determined to leave it all behind. She has left her family and come to stay. As Nicola gradually confides in Paula the secret that unleashed this moment of crisis, mother and daughter must untangle past memory, trauma, and revelations to confront what they mean to each other--and who they want to be. A timely and powerful novel of regrets, reparations, and reconciliations, The Women Behind the Door is a delicately devastating portrait of shame and the inescapable shadow it casts over families. Many readers will welcome the chance to reconnect with this strong, singular character whom we have seen in The Woman Who Walked into Doors and Paula Spencer, but all readers will be glad to have Paula in their life now"--
Break every rule
Freeman, Brian, 1963-
"Tommy Miller is a man with deadly skills, hiding in Florida under a false identity. After being set up on an overseas mission, he's on the run from terrorists--and from the government who betrayed him. So when his wife and daughter are violently abducted, it seems his ghosts are finally catching up with him. But Tommy isn't the only one with secrets. His wife, Teresa, has been concealing her own dangerous past, and as Tommy races to rescue his family, he must peel away the clues she's left behind. With a hotshot police detective, Lindy Jax, close on his trail, Tommy follows a twisted path from Florida to the Bahamas, one that brings him face-to-face with ruthless enemies. His search for answers soon puts him on the wrong side of the law--hunted by the police and pursued by men who want him dead. Worst of all, if he hopes to save Teresa and their daughter, Rosalita, he must become the man he once was--a killer operating from the deepest shadows. But when the lives of the people you love are at stake, rules are made to be broken"--

Items Coming Soon

  DVDs  

   Blu-rays  

    Books    

 

 
 

Upcoming Programs

View full calendar ›

18
Oct

Play, Learn & Grow Family Workshop
- /Full Hendrickson Room

18
Oct

VIRTUAL Culture & Conversation (level: intermediate)
- /Zoom Event

18
Oct

Word: Intermediate
- /Training Center

18
Oct

PADS MEAL PREP
- /Makerplace - Kitchen

18
Oct

The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- /Full Hendrickson Room

19
Oct

Build Your Own Bouquet Book Discussion: The Collected Regrets of Clover
- /Full Hendrickson Room
View full calendar ›