Blog

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Get More From Your Library With These Tips!

Tip #1: New Books Usually Available to Borrow on their Publishing Release Date You may have assumed that the fastest way to get a new book was to buy it, but libraries receive and process new books ahead of time to have them ready to circulate on their official release date. That means that you c...

(Application period is closed) Now Accepting Applications for 2025 Scholarships from the Friends

Each spring, the Friends award $2,000 scholarships to three graduating high school seniors who clearly 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 s...

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Treemendous Library Card Campaign: LOG ON

Season 1 was ROOT. Season 2 is LOG ON! Sometimes you can't get to the Library building, but that doesn't mean you can't use your Library! That's why the arboreal theme for our second installment of "5 Seasons of Library Card Love & Prize Drawings" is LOG ON! This season we are happy to celebra...

Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each November. It started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions made by Native Americans and has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose. Illinois legislators enacted an ...

Listen with Playaways

The Library has a great selection of audiobooks for your listening pleasure. We have the traditional audiobooks on CDs, but we also have another way to listen to books that you may not know about: Playaways! Playaways are small devices with pre-loaded audiobooks that you can plug your headphones int...

TREEmendous Library Card Campaign: ROOT

Season 1 of 5: ROOT We don't need to go out on a limb to say that library cards are fantastic. Like sunshine brightening a forest, library cards enrich and empower the Lake Forest community with resources to facilitate literacy, resilience, and growth. That's why we're inviting you to celebrate ...

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(Past Program) Summer Reading: Art is All Around Us 2024

June 1–July 31, 2024 Summer Reading is a great way to build and reward reading habits. Join us for good books and fabulous prizes! All formats count: You can read printed books, read aloud to youngsters, and listen to audiobooks. All ages count: You can participate from birth onward. We...

5 Libby Tips for a Better eBook Experience

Save Money with Library eBooks The Libby, cloudLibrary, and Hoopla apps are great alternatives to Amazon and Audible. Enjoy 24/7 access and borrow digital items, all free with your Lake Forest Library card. Find the apps in your device’s app store or visit www.lakeforestlibrary.org/apps &nb...

image of a haunted house silhouette with an orange sky with text reading Announcing the winners of the Spooky Story Writing Contest

Read the Winning Spooky Stories from the October 2023 Writing Contest!

Thank you to all the kids and teens who submitted spooky stories to our writing contest! Reading all the submissions got us in the Halloween spirit. In addition to a gift card to Lake Forest Book Store, winners of the Library's Spooky Story Writing Contest get their submissions posted on the Libr...

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(Past program) Summer Reading: Buckets of Fun 2023

June 1–July 31, 2023 Summer Reading is a great way to build and reward reading habits, plus it's buckets of fun! All formats count: You can read printed books, read aloud to youngsters, and listen to audiobooks. All ages count: You can participate from birth onward. We love when the who...

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 ...

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(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...

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...

image of "Announcing the Winners of the Spooky Story Writing Contest"

Read the Winning Spooky Stories from the October Writing Contest!

Thank you to all the kids and teens who submitted spooky stories to our writing contest! It was a great way to celebrate the Halloween and Fall seasons. In addition to a gift card to Lake Forest Book Store, winners of the Library's Spooky Story Writing Contest get their submissions posted on the ...

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...