Waukegan Main Street's Wine & Art Stroll
Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:09:12 -0500
Attend the grand opening of the Bold Plans, Big Dreams exhibit as part of Waukegan Main Street’s Wine & Art Stroll on Friday, June 26 from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the Wine & Art Stroll are $10 in advance/$15 at the door (or at the Jack Benny Park at the corner of Clayton and Genesee St.).
The Bold Plans, Big Dreams Exhibit is part of the Burnham Plan Centennial in honor of Daniel Burnham. The City of Waukegan and the Waukegan Public Library are working together on this exhibit which showcases not only Burnham’s original plan for Chicago, but all the City of Waukegan’s own master plan for the downtown and lakefront. This juxtaposition creates a sense of past, present and future while highlighting the importance of having a long term vision for a region.
Exhibit at WPL
www.waukeganwinestroll.com
burnhamplan100.uchicago.edu
burnhamplan100.uchicago.edu/learning/kids_portal
www.waukeganvision.com
Job Search Seminars
Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:43:49 -0500
Whether you are looking to make a career change or if you have been affected by a downsize with your company, once you have written your resume.... how do you start a job search? Finding your next job
takes a thought out plan and unique approach. Join us on Monday nights in June for the seminars, "Conducting a Job Search" and learn how companies are hiring today, and what you can do to get noticed by your next future employer!
E-mail notifications
Mon, 8 Jun 2009 12:42:33 -0500
If you prefer to be notified about requests or overdue items via E-mail, you may change your preferences through My Card, or, from the main catalog page, click on View your Card, follow the prompts and then click on "Modify Personal Info."
Go Green, Go to the Library
Thu, 28 May 2009 12:16:10 -0500
Did you know you can recycle paper at the library? The two paper recycling containers in the parking lot behind the library are available twenty four/seven to receive paper for recycling, including newspaper, office paper, mail, magazines, and catalogs. Did you know every ton of paper recycled saves 4,102 kwh of electricity, 7,000 gallons of water, and 60 pounds of air pollutants. This paper recycling program makes sense from an environmental standpoint and also provide revenue for the library.
1st Annual Volunteer & Outreach Awards
Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:29:17 -0500
There is a new spirit of volunteerism sweeping the nation as called for by President Obama, and it is important to recognize those volunteers. Last night the Waukegan Public Library honored its volunteers at the First Annual Volunteer and Outreach Awards Dinner. See a list of our award recipients here.
"We’ve always held our volunteers in high esteem and have had volunteer recognition programs in the past, but this year we started something new," explains Richard Lee, Executive Director of the library. "This year we also gave out awards to members of the community and community agencies that have helped the library move its mission forward. We also included awards for our adult literacy volunteers that work in Waukegan."
Congratulations to all our award recipients.
We thank and salute all our volunteers for working assisting us in putting quality in the lives of the Waukegan Community through service.
Although we have always have jobs for volunteers, this summer we will be looking for volunteers to work on a special project relabeling our books. Please contact David Villalobos at 847-623-2041 x234 or email at davidvillalobos@waukeganpl.info to arrange an appointment.
You can help an adult in Lake County to improve their basic skills. If you are at least 18 years of age, graduated from high school or earned a GED, read at a 12th grade level and can commit 1-2 hours a week to teach someone to read or speak and understand English, ALC wants you as a volunteer!
Please contact Barbara Babb at 847-623-2041, X 222 for more information.
Love Poetry?
Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:42:53 -0500
Those who love poetry will love the idea of the Poetry Everywhere project and these animated poems.
www.pbs.org
www.youtube.com
www.poetryfoundation.org
Ray Bradbury Contest -- Fahrenheit 451 Display
Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:10:54 -0500
The 25th Annual Ray Bradbury Contest underwent a complete change this year-with better than expected results! The contest, which is run by the staff of the Waukegan Public Library, was more than a writing contest this year. "When planning this year we asked ourselves what the mission of the contest was - to create writers or readers? The answer was readers--of Bradbury’s works," explains Elizabeth Stearns, Assistant Director of Community Services. "Bradbury’s works are studied around the world, and we feel strongly that the community of Waukegan should be among those who have read and understood his work."
This year we asked the community to read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Whether people read it and joined a discussion, or read it and responded to it with a work of their art, or read it for pleasure. The contest was for those who wanted to respond to the book with their own art. The theme of the contest was a response to the theme of social sedation and apathy brought to our culture by the evolution of television-Bradbury’s own idea of what the book is about.
David Villalobos, Program and Outreach Coordinator organized this year’s contest also adding larger prize awards to both Waukegan High School students as well as Waukegan residents. A $200 first place prize will be offered to Waukegan residents in High School or adults in each category. $100 prizes will be awarded to non-residents in each category. "We emphasized reading and responding to a book, through various media, rather than simply writing whatever you wanted,” adds Villalobos. It was extremely successful with a total of 142 entries, 51 written entries and 91 visual art entries. The visual art entries were comprised of 83 Waukegan High School students and are currently on display on the main floor through the end of April."
Waukegan High School students were the main contributors to the contest in terms of visual art and very high quality art! The judges are from Columbia College and Lake Forest College, and winners will announced April 15.
According to the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read program "Fahrenheit 451 is, in some ways, the author’s tribute to the role that books and libraries have played in his life. After all, Bradbury wrote hundreds of works (novels, stories, screenplays, essays and poems) with only a high school education, an inspiring desire to learn, and a worn out library card."
Multiple copies of the book, audio book, reader’s guides and the movie are still available in English and Spanish for check out at the Waukegan Public Library. Copies can be placed on hold and delivered to Waukegan High School, the library branch in the Hinkston Park Field House and on the bookmobile.
A community discussion of the book will be held on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 7 p.m. in the library’s Bradbury Room and is hosted by Columbia College. No reservation is required.
Awards will be presented at the Friends of the Waukegan Public Library’s annual dinner on April 25, 2009.
For more information please contact David Villalobos, Program and Outreach Coordinator at 847-623-2041.
Every Day is the Day of the Child in the ELC
Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:14:50 -0500
Overheard in the Early Learning Center (ELC) last week...an 8 year old boy was sitting at the arts and crafts table painting with several other children (it was really busy during spring break!) and he loudly proclaimed "I’ve always known I wanted to be an artist."
That is what makes our jobs, and building the ELC, all worthwhile!
What Can We Do?
Tue, 7 Apr 2009 12:04:01 -0500
Everywhere we look we see stories about the economy and yet when we offer a job search program no one attends. Either we are missing the boat or not offering the right services. We’d like to change that. So we are asking you, what do you need from the library these days? It is programs on how to search for a job, how to write a resume, how to fill out an online application? It is just access to our free internet either through your laptop and WiFi, or through our computers? Or is it free entertainment, an escape from all the bad news?
We’d really like to hear from you. Let us know by emailing us at estearns@waukeganpl.info.
Join the Volunteer Movement at the Library
Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:14:10 -0600
There is a new spirit of volunteerism sweeping the nation as called for by President Obama. The library has many volunteer opportunities available for teens and adults. Although we have always have jobs for volunteers, this summer we will be looking for volunteers to work on a special project relabeling our books. Please contact David Villalobos at 847-623-2041 x234 or email at davidvillalobos@waukeganpl.info to arrange an appointment.
We are also always looking for volunteers to assist in our literacy program. Did you know that one in five adults in Illinois, more than 2 million people, are unable to read the information found on the back of a tube of toothpaste? According to the United Way of Lake County, 13% of Lake County adults are unable to sign one's name or are unable to locate the expiration date on a driver's license. Non-readers come from all walks of life and from every cultural background. They are your neighbors, your co-workers, and your friends.
You can help an adult in Lake County to improve their basic skills. If you are at least 18 years of age, graduated from high school or earned a GED, read at a 12th grade level and can commit 1-2 hours a week to teach someone to read or speak and understand English, ALC wants you as a volunteer!
Please contact Barbara Babb at 847-623-2041, X222 for more information.
DVDs are now free to check out!
Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:12:53 -0600
The Board and staff of the Waukegan Public Library have a Valentine's Day present for the Waukegan Community -- free DVD checkouts -- from now on! At their Monday, February 9 meeting the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to remove the $1 for 3 days/$2 a week fee for renting DVDs. The fee originated from the original collection of Beta and VHS movies in the early 1980s. "We were one of the first libraries to purchase a movie collection," explains Richard Lee, Executive Director of the Waukegan Public Library. "The fees were introduced to cover the costs of the initial collection as it was slightly controversial to let patron’s borrow movies. In those days a VHS or Beta tape could cost over $90 to purchase, a far cry from the cost of today’s DVDs which average around $20. A recent survey of other libraries showed that we were one of only a few libraries in the North Suburban Library District to still charge for DVDs."
The new policy was introduced as part of the library’s strategic plan. "Our focus is not on the Waukegan Public Library, but becoming Waukegan’s Public Library," explains Heidi Richter Smith, Assistant Director of Public Services. "We want to be more responsive to the needs and concerns of library patrons." The huge success of our recent Food for Fines program (over $1,000 in fines removed, over 1500 pounds of food donated to local food pantry) reinforced the idea that the DVD collection should be free to use. It now makes the entire library collection a free, circulating collection. The new policy goes into effect on Valentine's Day to show our patrons how much we love them, adds Richter Smith.
Limits have changed so that only eight movies can be checked out at one time. Overdue fines will remain at $1 per day/per movie.
Wireless Printing Now Available at the Library!
Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:22:27 -0600
In addition to free Wi-Fi, people using their laptops can now print wirelessly at the library, or even from home!
When you are ready to print click on this link www.printeron.net/waukeganpl/webprint to begin the process. Note printing does cost .20 for a black and white page and $1 for color.
25th Annual Ray Bradbury Contest
Mon, 2 Feb 2009 08:08:42 -0600
The 25th Annual Ray Bradbury Contest is undergoing a metamorphosis. The contest, which is run by the staff of the Waukegan Public Library, will be more than a writing contest this year. "When planning this year we asked ourselves what the mission of the contest was - to create writers or readers? The answer was readers--of Bradbury’s works," explains Elizabeth Stearns, Assistant Director of Community Services. "Bradbury’s works are studied around the world, and we feel strongly that the community of Waukegan should be among those who have read and understood his work."
This year we are asking the community to read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Whether you read it and join a discussion, or read it and respond to it with a work of your own art, or read it for pleasure. The contest is for those who want to respond to the book with their own art.
According to the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read program "Fahrenheit 451 is, in some ways, the author’s tribute to the role that books and libraries have played in his life. After all, Bradbury wrote hundreds of works (novels, stories, screenplays, essays and poems) with only a high school education, an inspiring desire to learn, and a worn out library card."
The theme of the contest is a response to the theme of social sedation and apathy brought to our culture by the evolution of television.
Multiple copies of the book, audio book, reader’s guides and the movie are available in English and Spanish for check out at the Waukegan Public Library. Copies can be placed on hold and delivered to Waukegan High School, the library branch in the Hinkston Park Field House and on the bookmobile.
The contest will be open through March 20, 2009. One entry per individual in one of the following categories: writing, visual art or multimedia. A $200 first place prize will be offered to Waukegan residents in High School or adults in each category. $100 prizes will be awarded to non-residents in each category. Winners will be announced on April 15, 2009 at a book discussion sponsored by The Big Read Project and Columbia College at the Waukegan Public Library. Awards will be presented at the Friends of the Waukegan Public Library’s annual dinner on April 25, 2009.
Food For Fines Successful
Wed, 4 Feb 2009 07:24:20 -0600
Our Food for Fines project in January reduced over $1,000 in fines for our library patrons while providing over 1460 pounds of food for Holy Family Food Pantry. Thank you to everyone in the community who supported this project. We are glad we could make a difference. Read News Sun Article.
ELC Fundraising Update
Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:10:08 -0600
The Board of Trustees and the staff of the library would like to send a special thanks to North Shore Gas for their recent contribution of $15,000 to the Early Learning Center. This gift will be used to enhance the nature area of the room. Thank you North Shore Gas!
Where You Focus is Where You Go
Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:20:56 -0600
The Board of Trustees approved the new strategic plan for the next three years. From the vision to the strategic initiatives, it is designed to move from the Waukegan Public Library to Waukegan’s Public Library.
See pdf of 2009-2011 Strategic Plan
VISION
Waukegan Public Library (WPL) is Waukegan’s third place—a place to connect to information, ideas and community through books, movies, music and programs.
-- Where people come to reach their potential, fulfill their dreams and interact with others.
-- The facilities are state-of-the-art, clean, and inviting, bright and beautiful, safe and environmentally sound.
-- The staff are well trained, knowledgeable, helpful and anticipate customer needs.
-- The atmosphere is warm and friendly, generates excitement, stimulates the imagination, facilitates learning and provides materials and information using the latest tools, techniques and technology to put quality in the lives of the community members.
MISSION
The Waukegan Public Library puts quality in people’s lives by providing opportunities to learn, gather, be informed and entertained.
VALUES
Values are what we believe, what guides our decisions. What moves us to the vision. These are the core values of the Waukegan Public Library which can be summed up simply by following the concept of respecting yourself, respecting others and respecting the space.
Service
A literate community
Anticipatory customer service
Creative staff who take initiative
Loyalty
Lifelong learning and education
Preserve and showcase cultural heritage
Intellectual freedom and privacy
Responsible and responsive to community
Environment
Aesthetically pleasing
Inviting and exciting
Environmentally sensitive
Management
Fiscally responsible
Appreciates and
encourages diversity
Respectful
Efficient
Encourage lifelong learning
and education
Creates positive energy
Fosters healthy lifestyles
Incubates innovation and creativity
Emphasizes shared fate
Proud
Measures incremental progress
PROCESS
When putting together a strategic plan you must examine the age old
questions of who, what, where, when, why and how. Our strategic initiatives
are the guides for the work plans for the next three years.
Although work on these initiatives has already begun, the time frame
is January 2009 -
December 2011.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
Clean, Green and Safe Facilities
Our buildings are our face, and it is time for a face lift. Although the building was improved through a capital project in 1998, only portions of the building were upgraded. It is time to study and plan for an up-to-date building to serve as the community’s cultural center, adding satellite services and locations as needed. All services will be filtered through a "green lens" making sure we are making environmentally sound decisions. A new emphasis will be placed on cleanliness. Public and staff safety will always be a first priority.
Dynamic and Anticipatory Customer Service
WPL will create a harmonious environment in which the latest technology frees our staff to offer increased customer service across previous department divisions. We will continue the path of learning that children begin in the ELC to include dedicated teen services and a space for every member of our community to utilize and enjoy.
Results Driven Marketing, Public Relations and Fundraising
All other initiatives fail if library marketing and promotional plans are not thoughtful, clear and results driven. Library marketing and promotions will be targeted, green and streamlined.
Community Based Programs and Outreach
Library programs are tailored for the residents of Waukegan with an emphasis on community building, needs based, entertainment and information. Outreach is achieved by partnering attending events and creating a library without walls.
Sound Collection Management
WPL recognizes its obligations within the community to provide materials for our community, whether they be popular, cultural or historical. We will ensure that the materials we offer are easy for our community to use.
Appreciative Human Resource Management
Staff are satisfied and productive in their roles in serving both the internal and external customer resulting in high retention. Public satisfaction is high in regard to staff interactions. Staff teamwork is evident, resulting in collaboration, higher productivity, improved communication and a higher level of service.
ELC Fundraising Update
Wed, 7 Jan 2009 14:42:43 -0600
Thanks to our giving community we have now raised $220,000 in donations and pledges for the Early Learning Center! Our most recent donations of $20,000 came through a matching grant provided by an anonymous donor, the Friends of the Library and First Midwest Charitable Foundation. We will continue our fundraising efforts through September, 2009. Please contact Elizabeth Stearns, Assistant Director of Community Services at estearns@waukeganpl.info if you would to donate to this very worthy cause
Wave and Wonder Sculpture
Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:03:33 -0600
Nothing is more fun than watching gravity in motion. Young children in Waukegan are getting a very unique gift from the Waukegan Public Library in the new children’s Early Learning Center (ELC). The Early Learning Center, which was opened last week to the public, contains a math and science lab for hands on learning. Included in the lab is the new rolling ball sculpture by Eddie Boes to be installed this afternoon.
The Rolling Ball Sculpture, also known as a RBS, is a celebration of engineering, physics, and creativity. The curving tracks capture the eye and guide the imagination. The steady, mechanical ball-lifting mechanisms stimulate the mind and promote problem solving. The rythmic sounds soothe the soul and create environment. The Waukegan Public Library’s unique sculpture is called the Wave and Wonder Machine.
Waukegan Early Learners Not Learning Enough
Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:37:33 -0600
By Ellyn Ruhlmann
Eat with the spoon. Eat with the spoon.
Four-year-old Katalyna Padilla forms the words slowly, straining to pronounce each syllable clearly. She and twin sister Katrina attend one of six EPIC preschools sponsored by Waukegan Public School District 60. EPIC stands for Early Childhood Partners In Collaboration, an organization that provides no-cost preschool to Waukegan kids ages 3-5. Last year, Katalyna, who speaks English as a second language, was diagnosed with a speech disability during her preschool screening. She immediately began speech therapy with specialists at EPIC.
Now we can understand her, says Rita Padilla, Katalynas mother. Before I had to go to one twin to ask what the other said. Mother of eight, Padilla is an outspoken advocate for early childhood education. To her, the most important aspect is intervention. If there’s a deficiency, she says, Its best to catch it early, so you can address it.
Unfortunately, the majority of Waukegan kids slip under that radar. A 2006 United Way survey showed only 43% of children in Waukegan ever attend preschool. More often than not, they start public school having little or no exposure to books of any kind. That’s a handicap that can hobble these kids not just in kindergarten but up through high school and beyond, studies show.
Ripple Effect of Preschool
High/Scope Perry, one of the most comprehensive preschool studies, tracked a group of 123 participants from age 3 through age 40. Half attended a high-quality preschool; the other half received no preschool at all. The preschool group showed higher literacy scores and a higher high school graduation rate, especially for females. As adults, participants who attended preschool were more likely to be employed, earning a higher wage and requiring fewer social services than their no-preschool counterparts. The preschool group also had fewer arrests, and considerably less drug abuse.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have also determined that early education pays off for the community at a higher rate than later education, such as youth programs, adult education and job training. Skill begets skill; learning begets learning. Early disadvantage, if left untreated, leads to academic and social difficulties in later years, according to James J. Heckman and Dimitriy V. Masterov.
This concept, that early education benefits (and deficiencies) tend to compound, is the cornerstone of programs like EPIC, United Ways Success by 6 and Head Start all geared toward fostering school readiness. I’m a true advocate for front-loading our kids with educational resources, says Verna Wilson, principal of two EPIC preschools in Waukegan. Nurture the kids, build their self confidence, and allow their leadership qualities to develop early for a big ROI [return on investment], Wilson says.
Why Don’t Kids Go?
It doesn’t add up: If preschool is so important, and its available free in Waukegan, how come more than half the children never attend? Padilla thinks many parents don’t know about it, or feel their children are just too young for school. Other factors that play a role in the preschool decision are the mothers education level, family income and the language spoken at home. In the United Way study, 25% of the mothers had an eighth grade education or less, and 71% of the households earned under $32,000 a year.
Some say it’s a cultural barrier. Fully 77% of Waukegan kids surveyed spoke Spanish as their primary language, and Latinos are among the most underrepresented groups in preschool. According to Elena Shore from New America Media, that because Latino parents feel reluctant to leave their kids in the care of strangers. If they need childcare, Latinos usually leave their little ones with family members.
Whichever the reason, the upshot is: Too many Waukegan kids start school unprepared. I was astounded by the percentages [from the United Way Survey], says Richard Lee, Executive Director of the Waukegan Public Library. Looking at those deficiencies, we decided to set some measurable goals. Lee and the library Board of Directors decided to offer an alternative to preschool, something less formalized that would appeal to all residents especially Latinos to help fill Waukegan’s early literacy chasm.
Public Library Takes a Lead
In July 2007, the Waukegan Public Library broke ground on its Early Learning Center (ELC), a $300,000 cutting-edge facility featuring interactive, bilingual displays and programs for Waukegan’s youngest learners. School District 60 helped the library design Story Camps that Early Learning Specialists will offer at no cost, in both English and Spanish, Monday through Thursday.
Like the state-funded preschools, these camps will follow the curriculum issued by the Illinois State Board of Education, using stories, songs, and a learning activity such as rhyming. Unlike the state-funded preschools, ELC camps will welcome parents as participators in the learning activities. In this way, the library hopes to appeal to those families, particularly Latinos, who avoid preschool because they feel their kids are too young to leave with strangers.
And camps are only part of the appeal. Sprawling 2,200 square feet, the ELC is filled with bells and whistles, colorful displays and whirling mobiles the kind of sensory buffet you’d expect from a children’s museum. Kids can become painters and sculptors in the art center, or mad scientists concocting potions in a lab; they can take up drumming and strumming in the sound studio, or work as paleontologists on a big dig in the nature area. Or, they might climb on the pretend play stage and pull from a whole trunk load of disguises, morphing into anyone they choose: queen, cop, dog catcher, maybe a librarian.
Value of Imaginative Play
New research shows this kind of freewheeling, make-believe play helps build a critical cognitive skill called executive function. Executive function is an essential skill for kids to master because it enables them to self-regulate to control their emotions and behavior, resist impulses, and exert discipline. In short, kids with good executive function focus better. And when you focus better, learning is easier. That’s why a child’s executive function is actually a better predictor of school success than her IQ, says researcher Laura Berk.
Activities like video games and TV, even guitar and karate lessons, all inhibit imaginative play (and executive function) because they don’t give kids a chance to police themselves. That doesn’t mean they have to hang up the karate belt. What child development specialists recommend is, like so many things, finding a balance. Give kids structured time like lessons or preschool, but temper it with plenty of free play, with space to roam and variety of props to set imaginations rambling about, too.
Can a facility like the ELC help solve Waukegan’s kindergarten readiness problem? Certainly not on its own. The library will not offer preschool screenings, which can help flag speech and learning disabilities that require early intervention. Left unchecked until kindergarten, a speech disability like Katalynas grows much more difficult to overcome. The ELC can serve as a link, however, between prospective families and area preschools that perform screenings. Each spring, the library plans to host a preschool fair to help promote Waukegan’s easy access to a free, high-quality pre-K education.
There’s only so much a parent can do at home, says Padilla. Now, she and other Waukegan parents have other thresholds to cross places to go to nourish young minds, and eventually, help sway the statistics.
Sources:
United Way Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, September 2006 Findings in Waukegan: http://www.uwlakeco.org/site/DocServer/Waukegan_Fact_Sheet_2006.pdf?docID=1024
Verna Wilson, Principal, EPIC: (847) 599-3903, http://www.waukeganschools.org/epic/
High/Scope Perry Preschool Study: http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=219
Making Cities Stronger (2007), Urban Libraries Council: http://www.urbanlibraries.org/files/making_cities_stronger.pdf
Are Latino Children Missing Out on Preschool? by Elena Shore: http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=a649930e279c7c5a94a36442b8eda909
Richard Lee, Executive Director, Waukegan Public Library: (847) 623-2041, ext. 250
Early Learning Center, Waukegan Public Library: http://www.waukeganpl.org/friends/elc.html
Creative Play Makes for Kids in Control, Morning Edition, NPR (2/28/08): http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=76838288
Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills, Morning Edition, NPR (2/21/08): http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19212514
Brain Play: Why Preschoolers Need to Pretend, by Jan Faull, FamilyFun.com (2008): http://familyfun.go.com/parenting/child/behavior/feature/dony29fapretend/
WPL Opens Early Learning Center
Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:24:22 -0600
In this largely Hispanic community, eight out of ten new kindergartners can’t recognize the letters in the alphabet.* Now, the Waukegan Public Library is opening a new door to early literacy. The Early Learning Center, a cutting-edge facility featuring interactive, bilingual displays and programs, will start welcoming visitors following a grand opening ceremony, November 2, at 1 p.m. The 2,200 square-foot center will be located adjacent to the children’s area at the library’s main location in downtown Waukegan.
The grand opening will feature tours of the room along with a children’s fun fair located in the Bradbury Room of the library with lots of activities. The room opens to the public for regular use on Monday, November 3 at 9 a.m. and will be open all hours that the library is open.
The concept for the center sprang from a 2006 United Way survey that showed only 43% of Waukegan kindergartners ever attend preschool, and 77% speak Spanish as their primary language. Over half the kids surveyed had little or no exposure to books before entering public school.
"I was astounded by the percentages," says Richard Lee, Executive Director of the library. "Looking at those deficiencies, we decided to set some measurable goals." With guidance from Waukegan School District 60, the library began planning an Early Learning Center (ELC) dedicated to developing four pre-literacy skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Developers based the design on the Illinois Early Learning Standards set by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), creating stations for science and math, pretend play, storytimes, arts and crafts, nature, music, and infant development.
Using the Kohl Children’s Museum in Glenview as a model, the architects crafted the space to engage the senses and appeal to each child’s inner explorer - with costumes to don, bells to ring, dough to squish and paint to dab. Of course, the center also holds an extensive collection of picture and board books, as well as games and puzzles to foster pre-reading skills. Signage appears in English and Spanish.
"Learning starts at birth," says Verna Wilson, principal of two EPIC District 60 preschools. "Even though the kids can’t yet read or write, the exposure to language, whether it’s hands-on or just hearing the sounds, helps promote creativity, as well as social and emotional development." Partially funded by ISBE, the EPIC program Wilson administers provides no-cost preschool to District 60 kids, especially targeting those at risk or experiencing poverty.
So, with preschool available for free, why don’t more Waukegan kids go? Either families aren’t aware of the program, or they’re wait-listed, or just choose not to apply. One goal of the ELC is to provide these kids with similar learning opportunities as District 60 preschoolers. Early Learning Specialists will distill and share the same curriculum, in a setting that welcomes parents as participators. "The library is going to be instrumental in capturing a demographic group who may never have considered preschool," says Wilson.
The new ELC will offer Story Camps Monday through Thursday, some bilingual, each featuring stories, songs and a learning activity such as rhyming. Recognizing the critical role of the parent as a child’s first teacher, the ELC will also host Family Learning Time and caregiver workshops with strategies for nurturing early literacy, based on the Every Child Ready to Read project.
"There is currently nothing like this in Waukegan, nor in Lake County for that matter,”"says Lee. "Although there are many programs such as the EPIC program, Success by 6 and Head Start - there are no destinations specifically designed for children that are free and readily available days, nights, weekends and summers."
Cyndy Colletti, Literacy Program Manager at the Illinois State Library, says more explorative pre-reader areas are just beginning to emerge in public libraries. "We have seen a general trend to make children’s spaces more inviting in an experiential way rather than a dogmatic or pedagogical way," she says. Colletti notes the trend is more common in affluent areas, where it’s easier to absorb renovation costs.
Yet, as the United Way survey illustrates, lower-income communities like Waukegan often show the greatest need for pre-literacy intervention. Initiatives like the ELC can drive long-term economic payoffs for these communities as well. A study by the University of Chicago shows early education investments reap benefits that tend to compound, "by creating a solid foundation for later human capital investments, such as education, youth development and job skills training." ("Making Cities Stronger," p. 7, Urban Libraries Council)
Because the median income in Waukegan is so low,* the library is attempting to fund the project through public and private sources to avoid overburdening taxpayers. To date, the library has raised $150,000 of the $300,000 needed to build the facility, primarily through grants, private donations and fundraising events, like the Third Annual Ray Bradbury Storytelling Festival. New donors may join the ELC "Partners in Reading" at four different levels of giving, from $50 to over $10,000. The single largest donation came from the Gorter Family Foundation in the amount of $25,000. $10,000 donations were received from the Friends of the Library, the library’s foundation, Matthews Employment, Cardinal Health, the Waukegan Park District and Consumers Credit Union. Another $10,000 was provided by the estate of Marian Schroether, who was the children’s librarian at the library for over 30 years.
The library is also pursuing partnerships with businesses interested in contributing dioramas or other materials for a series of rotating exhibits. Offering fresh, local perspectives on learning, these ever-morphing exhibits will give the ELC a dynamic landscape—always full of new wonders and curiosities for Waukegan’s earliest learners.
Winner of the North Suburban Library System’s "Library of the Year Award" for 2007, the Waukegan Public Library has served the community for 110 years, providing opportunities to learn, gather, be informed and entertained. The main library, housing one of the largest collections of materials in Lake County, is located in downtown Waukegan at 128 N. County Street, just north of the County Building. The Hinkston Park Branch is located at 800 N. Baldwin, in the Waukegan Park District’s Field House.
Bookmobile Gertie Survives Hurricanes
Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:29:40 -0600
You may remember in 2006 that the Waukegan Public Library donated their bookmobile "Gertie" to Jefferson Parish Library in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck. Gertie helped out at the library in Grand Isle, a location that never reopened. Along with another bookmobile, Gertie was permanently parked adjacent to the battered library facility which housed the computer networking equipment.
According to a recent press release from the Jefferson Parish Library,
everything was fine until Hurricane Gustav hit the area on September 1, 2008. It was feared for several days that the storm had probably swept the bookmobiles out into the Gulf of Mexico.
Read Full Press Release
Barack Obama Wins with 80% of the Vote...
Tue, 4 Nov 2008 09:51:31 -0600
...or with $127.95 in donations through a fundraiser conducted by the Waukegan Public Library for the Early Learning Center scheduled to open to the public on Monday, November 3 at 9 a.m. The McCain ticket garnered 20% of the vote with $39.90 in donations.
"The donation boxes were placed in the children’s department just after the primaries as a small fundraiser for our Early Learning Center," explains Elizabeth Stearns, Assistant Director of Community Services. "The boxes were Lucite and each box had a photo of the candidate. It was really fun watching the donations each week. Some weeks McCain would be up, others Obama. The project was called Pennies for Presidents."
:Knowing the fundraiser would end about the same time as the election made it even more interesting. Although donations will continue to be accepted to the room, we thought it would be fun to call the election early and see if we were correct," adds Stearns.
Total donations to the Early Learning Center (ELC) are over $158,000. "Our lead gift of $25,000 from the Gorter Family Foundation really got the ball rolling on the fundraising project," Stearns elaborates. $10,000 donations were received from the Friends of the Library, the library’s foundation, Matthews Employment, Cardinal Health, the Waukegan Park District and Consumers Credit Union. Another $10,000 was provided by the estate of Marian Schroether, who was the children’s librarian at the library for over 30 years. The remaining donations were from a variety of groups, businesses and individuals with donations ranging from $50 to $5,000.
The Early Learning Center was built to meet the literacy needs of the youngest members of the community. The room will focus on four pre-literacy skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Developers based the design on the Illinois Early Learning Standards set by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), creating stations for science and math, pretend play, storytimes, arts and crafts, nature, music, and infant development.
Using the Kohl Children’s Museum in Glenview as a model, the architects crafted the space to engage the senses and appeal to each child’s inner explorer - with costumes to don, bells to ring, dough to squish and paint to dab. Of course, the center also holds an extensive collection of picture and board books, as well as games and puzzles to foster pre-reading skills. Signage appears in English and Spanish.
The grand opening of the Early Learning Center is scheduled for Sunday, November 2 from 1-4 p.m. with tours of the space and a children’s fun fair. The room will be open for parents and children during library hours, Mon-Thurs. 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. –-5 p.m. and Sundays during the school year from 1 - 5 p.m.
Literary Villains
Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:09:55 -0500
It’s a wrap. Literary Villains, the third annual Bradbury Storytelling Festival was held on Friday, October 17 at the Genesee Theatre. The event is held in October at Ray Bradbury’s request, as October is his favorite month in Waukegan. With many thanks to our generous sponsors and the Genesee staff, we’d also like to thank the public for their growing support for this event. It is the Waukegan Public Library’s signature event. It provides us with an opportunity to bring our mission to life, by bringing literature to life.
This year’s performance was planned around the theme of Literary Villains, with Megan Wells in the spotlight doing a piece from Something Wicked This Way Comes at Bradbury’s request. Dan Keding entranced the audience with his version of the The Cask of Amontillado, in addition to an old English ballad. Jim May pulled the evening together by serving as this year’s master of ceremonies, delighting the audience as usual with his charm. The only off note of the evening was provided by Judith Black, who chose to perform a story that was not on theme or approved in advance. For those of you who may have been offended by this performance we do apologize. It was not in keeping with the literary theme and it was unfortunate.
We are already working on next year’s performance, perhaps Literary Ghosts or Literary Demons? We’re not sure yet, but we are sure that we’ll bring back Jim May and Megan Wells—and hopefully, someday, Dan Keding. And if you’re looking for a copy of any of the literary stories told, you may have to place them on hold as they are flying off the shelves!
Thank you again, and we look forward to entertaining you next October.
Richard Lee, Executive Director
Waukegan Public Library
