What better way to learn about writing, theater and the creative process than to meet a bestselling author. That's what happened for close to 200 District 214 students who had the opportunity to meet Gregory Maguire, creator of Wicked:The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, on Wednesday, March 9 during the author's library-sponsored visit to Arlington Heights. 

 

Maguire spoke with students, many from the theater, English and creative writing classes, at Rolling Meadows High School and shared with them his experiences as a young boy who spent a lot of time at his local

 

The library continued its celebration of all things fairy tale by welcoming tween fairy tale author Liesl Shurtliff to the library on February 25. Shurtliff, the author of Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin and Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk, talked with a group of more than 150 fairy tale fans about myths and legends, where they come from, how they change and what they mean to us today. More than 40 tweens joined Shurtliff for a writing workshop earlier in the day for fourth- to sixth-grade students.

 

Please join us for an upcoming

Following a six-month pilot period in 2016, the Arlington Heights Memorial Library Board of Trustees voted to extend the library’s weekend hours, remaining open until 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and opening the library an hour earlier, at 11 a.m., on Sundays. The cost for the library’s extended hours was managed within the library’s approved budget.

 

The library’s new hours are:
Monday–Friday  9 a.m.–10 p.m.
Saturday  9 a.m.–8 p.m.
Sunday  11 a.m.–8 p.m.

 

The pilot program was based upon a survey of library customers which indicated many residents wished the library offered more hours on the weekends

 

The library celebrated all things Harry Potter on Thursday, February 4, with an evening of fun fit for a wizard. Wearing costumes and signature Harry styles, participants soaked in the magic and rolled up their sleeves for Hogwarts-themed activities in the Marketplace and The Hub: Harry Potter Bingo, O.W.L. Trivia, Jumping Frog Origami, a Design a Patronus activity and a costume drawing. Participants visited the Sorting Hat to show their House Pride and stopped by Ollivanders to pick out a wand and the latest edition of the Quibbler. Wizards and Muggles alike enjoyed Harry Potter-inspired treats.

The library's annual

 

Flipster magazines are now available to AHML cardholders.

Visit the library's Flipster collection to download current issues of these popular magazines:

 

 

Thank you to all of our wonderful customers, staff and community groups, 558 books were donated for children and teens for Wheeling Township’s Adopt-a-Family program. Special thanks go to library staff, the Rolling Green Nine-Hole Golf League and Chamber of Commerce Professional Women’s Council. Teen books were identified as a particular need this year, and Arlington Heights answered our call for materials needed for a broader age of readers, with many titles donated for teens and tweens. Since starting the holiday book drive in 1998, the library has donated 15,031 books to children in need. Thank you for helping

 

"I think I'm still a short storyteller at heart," author Cristina Henríquez told an audience of 200+ during an appearance at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre on Thursday evening, November 12. Cristina spoke about her novel, The Book of Unknown Americans, which was chosen as the 2015 One Book, One Village selection by the library. In an interview-style program moderated by Info Services Librarian Mike Monahan, Cristina spoke candidly about her book which she originally wrote as a short story before expanding - a task which took five years to complete and tells the story of two families

 

For the eighth consecutive time, Arlington Heights Memorial Library has received a five-star rating in Library Journal's national rating of public libraries. Five stars is the highest rating that a library can receive. Star ratings are based on the annual number of library visits, circulation, program attendance and public Internet computer use.

 

 In 2015, 7,663 U.S. public libraries —more than ever before—were scored on the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service. Nationally, 261 libraries earned a three, four or five-star status including 19 in Illinois. Out of these 19 libraries, Arlington Heights Memorial Library was one of

 

One Book, One Village, the library's community-wide reading initiative, topped the agenda at the Village's Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, September 21. Deputy Director Jeremy Andrykowski took to the podium to spread the word about this year's selection, The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez

 

"This is the second year in a row that the library’s offering One Book, One Village," Andrykowski said, "And the idea is simple – we want to build community by inviting all of Arlington Heights to read the same book at the same time."

 

Andrykowski introduced a prerecorded video of