Blog

Celebrating 125 Years of Your Library

On July 4, 1898, Lake Forest Library was chartered by Mayor Gorton and City Council. Join us in honoring our 125th year! We invite you to ... Save the date for signature celebrations listed below, plus more to come! Dive into digital archives by searching for the phrase "Lake Forest ...

Black History Month Reading, Watching, and Listening Recommendations

February is Black History Month, and to celebrate we put together a list of books, movies, and podcasts that chronicle Black history in the United States. We hope you enjoy these works or learn something from them.

Enjoy Acorn TV on Hoopla!

Hoopla is one of Lake Forest Library's most popular apps for eBooks, eAudiobooks, TV, and movies. And now Hoopla is even better, thanks to the addition of exciting new content: Acorn TV! Enjoy some of your favorite British series on your phone or tablet, including "The Brokenwood Mysteries," "Dar...

image of "2023 Scholarships are now available"

(Application period closed) Now Accepting Applications for 2023 Friends Scholarships

Each spring, the Friends award $2,000 scholarships to up to three graduating high school seniors who demonstrate a passion for reading. Students from Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, and Knollwood are eligible to apply. The Friends of Lake Forest Library inaugurated this scholarship in 2003 to recognize stu...

Announcing the 2023 Featured Book RBR image

Announcing the Fifth Annual READ BETWEEN THE RAVINES Featured Title

Join us this coming spring for Read Between the Ravines, the joint nonfiction reading program between Lake Forest and Lake Bluff libraries! We are pleased to announce this year's featured book: "An Indian Among Los Indígenas: A Native Travel Memoir" by Ursula Pike. Events kick off at both libr...

22 True Crime Tales from 2022

Lock the doors, turn off the lights, and get ready to be spooked with these new releases. For more true crime books, check out the book display in the library rotunda!

Lake Forest Library Board appoints David Seleb as Interim Director

December 16, 2022 – LAKE FOREST Ill – The Lake Forest Library Board announced at its December 13 meeting the appointment of David J. Seleb as Interim Library Director. Seleb will take over in early January 2023 from Catherine A. Lemmer, who is retiring after having served as Executive Director since May 2016.

Lake Forest Library named a 4-Star Library by Library Journal

December 12, 2022 – LAKE FOREST Ill – Lake Forest Library earned a 4-Star Library designation in the 15th edition of the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service 2022. The LJ Index spotlights the best of the best across America by rating U.S. public libraries on selected per capita output measures such as circulation, library visits, resource use, and program attendance.

Image of "Lake Forest Library Card Holders from Outreach events at LF Academy and College"

Cheers to a Year of Celebrating Library Card Holders

This year of newsletters celebrated people who signed up for new Lake Forest Library cards, including City of Lake Forest employees, long-time Lake Foresters and new library users, and families who recently moved to town. In many cases, people visit the Library to get their card. (Maybe they kic...

The Best Books of the Year to Read and Gift

Books are great, versatile gifts to give family and friends! Here are a few of your librarians' favorites from this year. Add them to your to-be-read list or consider sharing the joy of reading with someone else this holiday season and supporting your local bookstore. All titles are linked to the li...

Support the Library Endowment

Lake Forest Library was built on philanthropy. Mrs. Charles H. Schweppe and Mrs. Stanley Keith provided the funding for the construction of the 1931 building, which commemorates Mrs. Keith’s first husband, Kersey Coates Reed. The Reed Family has continued to give throughout the years, ensuring the b...

Help us improve the Library print newsletter

We want to hear your feedback on what works and what doesn't work in the print newsletter. Survey responses are accepted through January 15, 2023. While completing the survey, we encourage you to refer to the most recently mailed issue of the newsletter. If you no longer have the print newsletter...

Read the Winning Entry in the 2022 Lake Forest Reads Writing Contest

Congratulations to Sandra Sommers for winning the 2022 Lake Forest Reads Writing Contest! Enjoy her entry on Paris, a theme from this year's book "Her Hidden Genius" by Marie Benedict. “Madame Sommers, we will be waiting.”
by Sandra Sommers I announced in 1999 I was visiting Paris and P...

The Best Books of the Year (So Far) According to Your Librarians

Summer may be over, but that doesn't mean our reading list has gotten any shorter! Here are just a few books we've enjoyed this year. All titles are linked to the Library's catalog. Summaries have been taken from the publishing website.

image of "putting together the new adapted books in the Kasian Room of the Children's Library"

Introducing Adapted Books to the Accessibility Collection

We are pleased to offer Adapted Books as part of the Accessibility Collections. Adapted Books are picture books that have been modified to be more accessible to pre‑readers and individuals with special needs. As a result, readers can better engage with and communicate about the stories, making the...