The best books entertain us, educate us on important topics and keep us turning pages into the wee hours or provide us with a welcome escape. This year, the library’s Info Advisors had a great time sharing their favorite reads with customers and helping each person find the perfect book match. From fiction to nonfiction, from popular bestsellers to hidden gems, discover what our Info Advisors loved reading in 2025, including: 
 

• My Friends by Fredrik Backman 

• Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall 

• The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar 

• The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong 

• What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown  

• Strange Pictures

I Can Discover Hidden Treasures with my Library Card 
You never know where your interests will take you! Maybe you’d like to investigate a favorite band or perhaps determine the value of that antique table in your front room. Perhaps you’d like to just browse through colorful articles on nature and world culture or do a deep dive into learning a language. The library can help with specialized online resources, like these: 
 

Rock’s Backpages
Are you a music lover? Rock’s Backpages is a treasure trove of thousands of music journalism articles from hundreds of international publications and recorded interviews, covering many genres & subgenres from 1948-present. 

National Geographic
No need to keep a huge pile

The creative spirit of the Arlington Heights community was on full display Thursday night as the Art with Alayne Artists' Celebration Reception brought together 31 artists, their families, friends and community members for a warm and celebratory evening honoring the creative work inspired through the library's popular Creative Aging program series, and artist Alayne McNulty, who for many years has designed the monthly projects and facilitated meetups. Attendees shared enthusiastic compliments about the presentation, photo slideshow and art display, noting that the arrangement “made every artist feel seen” and “captured the spirit of the class perfectly.”

The atmosphere was especially meaningful for those who have learned from Alayne

It all began with a photo of Kim Kardashian.

Bestselling author Fiona Davis began Tuesday’s signature One Book, One Village (OBOV) event by sharing the moment that sparked her idea for The Stolen Queen. It all started with an unexpected New York Times article about the 2018 Met Gala involving Kim Kardashian. The piece described how Kardashian posed beside an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus on the red carpet, and how those viral photos ultimately led to the artifact’s repatriation.

“I read that and I thought, okay, that’s the story,” Davis recalled. “We’ll use the Egyptian wing and this ancient art, and

Need help?
In addition to the pantries listed below, many local churches also have food pantries. Google ‘food pantries near 60004’ or call the library at 847-392-0100. Call the location to learn more about what they offer.  

Local food pantries:

• Northwest Compass: Call 847-392-2344 or email info@NorthwestCompass.org to access the Food Connection Program at 1300 W. Northwest Highway, Mt. Prospect.
• Wheeling Township: Call 847-259-7730 to access the Food Pantry. Food Pantry shopping appointments are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m.-noon or 1-4 p.m.
  • If you have registered for the Food Pantry before, please call for an appointment

National Native American Heritage Month, celebrated each year in November, is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and affiliated Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation. Learn more at ahml.info/native_american.

Visitors who stop by Recreation Park can take a stroll while enjoying the library's new StoryWalk®. The seasonal children's story currently on display is Follow the Track All the Way Back by Timothy Knapman, a story about Little Train who goes out on the track all by himself for the first time. The new permanent StoryWalk® at the park is funded by the Arlington Heights Park District and the Arlington Heights Memorial Library Foundation.

The Arlington Heights Memorial Library StoryWalk® debuted in June 2025 as part of the Arlington Heights Park District's 100th anniversary celebration at Recreation Park. The StoryWalk®

What do Queen Amidala from Star Wars, Rita Repulsa from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Drizella from Cinderella all have in common? They’re just some of the many characters that award-winning cosplayer, costume designer and Makerspace Specialist Lisa Hale has brought to life.

Graduating from Dominican University with a degree in Fashion Design in 2006, it was just a few years later when Hale discovered the art of cosplay. Cosplay, which is a blend of the words “costume” and “play,” is a type of performance art where costumes are used to bring life to characters from movies, TV shows, video

On Saturday, September 27, the Arlington Heights Memorial Library welcomed over 200 guests for One Book, One Gala, a special after-hours event inspired by New York City’s iconic Met Gala. The celebration was designed to reflect one of the key settings in this year’s One Book, One Village selection, The Stolen Queen by New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis. It marked the second gala in the library’s history, with the first being the Fairy Tale and Fantasy Gala held in 2016. 

Guests were greeted with a red-carpet experience with cameras flashing as attendees posed for photos in a scene

As holiday season approaches, shopping goes into high gear! Whether you’re looking for great gifts, buying items or services for yourself or your home/business, or even planning a health resolution for the new year, you can use the library’s online resources to help make your purchases smarter! Try these tools: 

ConsumerReports.org
Our most popular source for reviews, ConsumerReports.org gives you thousands of unbiased reviews on cars, electronics, appliances, health care products and much, much more. Its handy, mobile-friendly site makes it easy to check at the store, where you can compare the products on the shelf in front of you!