The Arlington Heights Memorial Library celebrated its eighth FanCon on Sunday, July 14 with more than 1,000 people of all ages stopping by the library to enjoy the popular comic book and pop culture event, making this the most-attended FanCon in the library's history. 

"I’m having a great time at FanCon with my family. The diverse amount of things to do here ... there’s just so many places to go," said Chris Wolff who attended with his two children. "We really enjoyed the scavenger hunt, had a great time doing that. We were upstairs just now watching the [Super Smash

Can you guess how many balloons were featured in our Fourth of July parade entry?

The library floated to new heights at this year's annual Fourth of July Parade where we celebrated with countless balloons that brought a giant spider, butterflies, ladybugs and more to life. The balloon creatures elevated the spirits of parade goers as they made their way down the parade route, all coming together to represent this year's summer of reading. Our parade entry also included the library's bookmobile and thousands of Summer Reading paper crown giveaways.

The giveaways were made possible by the generous support of

A new backpack can make a significant difference for a student, helping them start the year with confidence and on the right foot. The library is partnering with OMNI in July to help bring new, quality backpacks to area youth in time for school.

The community is invited to help by donating NEW backpacks at the library. The backpacks will then be distributed by OMNI at a later date. The Community Backpack Drive will take place from Monday, July 8 through Monday, July 22. Please bring donations to the collection bin on the library's first floor.
OMNI provides comprehensive behavioral

Summer is a great time to explore the many community events in Arlington Heights! Head outdoors and join the Arlington Heights Memorial Library around town at these upcoming events.

Visit the Bookmobile at the Farmers Market  

Saturdays, July 20, August 3 and August 17 / N. Vail Ave. and W. Fremont St.  

Stop by and visit the bookmobile at the Arlington Heights Farmers Market, every other Saturday through October 12, from 8 a.m. to noon.  The farmers market is located at N. Vail Ave. and W. Freemont St. Drop by, pick out some books and discover what's new at the library. 

Library Pop-ups at the Farmers Market

Update 7/11/24 - 9 a.m. - Sign-ups for Ravinia Free Lawn Passes is now closed.

Thank you for entering. Please check your email for a notification regarding passes.

If you do not hear from the library, you have not been selected in the lottery to receive passes.

Ravinia and Your Library: Request Free Lawn Passes 

The Arlington Heights Memorial Library is thrilled to be partnering this summer with Ravinia Festival’s Words & Music outreach program, providing a limited number of Ravinia lawn passes to Arlington Heights Memorial Library cardholders.  

Any resident of Arlington Heights, 18 years of age or

The library's Summer newsletter is available online! Discover what's happening at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library this summer including Summer Reading 2024, outreach events around town, upcoming programs like FanCon and Lit Stroll, and more.

Read the Summer newsletter here: https://issuu.com/ahml/docs/ahmlnewsletter-summer24

The online edition includes live links to easily register for your favorite programs and services. Plus, register through our online calendar or call 847-392-0100.

The library's third annual Lit Stroll event took place on Saturday, June 22. 170 attendees strolled from Mago Grill & Cantina, Hey Nonny and Arlington Ale House in downtown Arlington Heights to hear authors Mary Kubica, Nick Medina and Kathleen Rooney speak about their journeys towards becoming published authors, behind the scenes details of their newest novels and more.
Throughout the day attendees listened to the authors, enjoyed appetizers and mingled with other literary lovers. The event concluded with a book signing with books available for sale courtesy of The Book Stall
Thank you to all of the authors, local

The library is pleased to offer additional hours for customers on Fridays from June 7 to September 20:

Makerplace Summer Hours  
Tuesday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.    
Friday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (June 7-September 20 only) 
Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.  
Sunday: noon-5 p.m.  
Monday: Closed  

The Makerplace will be closed Wednesday, July 3 through Monday, July 8 for Frontier Days.

June 19, 1865 is the day when the last enslaved people in the United States were told they were free in Galveston, Texas - two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. June 19 is now known as Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery and celebrates African-American freedom, culture and achievements.

Looking for inspiration and understanding through books and film? Visit the Spotlight display, located on the first floor of the library, which features a curated selection of books and films related to Juneteenth. Additionally, our Readers Advisors and Youth Services staff have created

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 June's report include:

• Thousands Visit District 25 Student Art Show at the Library (page 1)
• Digitizing Old VHS Tapes Brings Customer to Tears (page 5)
• AHML Recognizes Mental Health Awareness Month (page 6)
• Makerplace & Youth Services Launch Pilot Program for Graduating High School Seniors (page 7)