Before and during National Library Week, we asked our staff and community members: What do you love about libraries? What do libraries mean to you? Here’s what they shared.
Library staff | Community members
Oak Park library staff
‘Magical, vital institutions’
“Libraries are places for all where possibilities seem endless. They are magical, vital institutions in communities offering opportunities of discovery, wonder, inspiration, and pleasure.
I am grateful to all the amazing people I work with at Oak Park Public Library and so thankful to work in a community that values the work we do.” —Eileen
‘Every person who walks through the doors is worthy’
“One of the last places which still upholds the idea that every person who walks through the doors is worthy of respect and help finding the information they need. It is a rare thing in this day and age and I’m proud to be a part of this amazing institution.” —Bridget
‘Key to an educated society’
“Where I learned to read!” —Camille
“Libraries are the backbone of a community, providing access to resources at no cost and bridging the gap for a lot of people.”
“Libraries are the key to an educated society. They information and access they provide are invaluable.”
‘Best return on value you can get’
“Libraries are essential to the free exchange of both information and imagination.” —Michael
“Libraries are for everyone! Welcoming all community members of all ages and backgrounds and sharing collections, programs, and resources. Libraries are like a second home to learn, enjoy, and be inspired. Libraries are for books and more! Libraries are one of the best return on your value that you can get.”
“Free access to information and entertainment. A meeting place for open minds.”
“An unending opportunity to discover new things, to find community, and to make connections. An essential resource and safety net in a world of decreasing option AND all for FREE!”
“Free public information and resources. Transparency.”
‘For everyone’
“Libraries are places for everyone regardless of experience, income, etc. They are important places for people to connect with one another. They are places for everyone to learn, read, and connect.”
“A place for everyone! Safe place. Welcome to all!”
“Libraries are safe, a space where all are welcome and education is free.”
‘Foundation of all community learning’
“Libraries are the foundation of all community learning and voices. Through programs run by active and dedicated library staff the ability they reach everyone in the community. It invites them to learn new things and play a role in cultural and enriching events! Every staff member strives to include all while offering the best service and assistance.
The library is a safe place and welcomes all walks of life to find a safe environment to read, study, or to just exist without prejudice. We provide services as well as books, movies, magazines, and other items for all to experience that may not have been able to under other circumstances.
We love libraries for what they provide and what they stand for. Libraries are for the community and for all who need them!” —Ayleen
‘Community!’
“Libraries mean community to me, in that we find out what our community needs and how to meet those needs.” —Rashmi
“Community connection. A place to create and learn new skills. Curiosity. Open doors to discovery. Play and creativity. Imagination.”
“Community! We need and want everyone to feel comfortable and welcome in our spaces. OPPL is here for you! Fellow disabled friends, come spend time with us!” —Shelley
“A place to find community and connection with people. And so much more than just books!”
‘What’s more punk than the public library?’
“Libraries are a safe, welcoming, and free space that allows me to grow and learn. Libraries provide experiences through programs and books that help me understand the world and become a well-informed member of my community.
Libraries are one of the last free and public spaces left that promote freedom and intellectual growth. Without libraries, we fail to see community strength.
To me, libraries are also just fun! Who can’t love a library!! What’s more punk than the public library?” —Fiona
‘Rooted in strong collections and shaped by community’
“I’ve turned to the library throughout my life—from storytime as a kid, to finding a space to explore as a teen, to bringing my own kids to storytime—and whenever I needed to learn something new or find information.
What’s always stood out is what libraries help make possible. At their core, libraries provide access—access to knowledge, to technology, to ideas—and most importantly, to a space that welcomes everyone. Rooted in strong collections and shaped by community, libraries are designed to include, not exclude. They create space for all of us to learn, to belong, and to be seen.”
‘Where I can freely express myself without fear or judgment’
“Libraries are a place where I can freely express myself without fear or judgment. They allow me to join communities rooted in a love of literature and a safe space where we can learn more about one another and ourselves in this world. They are one of the few treasures in the universe that let individuals learn and grow into themselves.”
‘Libraries still bring my heart joy’
“Growing up my family was poor and getting to go to the library to check out as many books to my little heart’s content. Now as an adult, libraries still bring my heart joy only now it’s beyond books. It’s online resources, library of things, community, and more.”
‘They are a lifeline’
“Libraries are more than my livelihood; they are a lifeline. I chose a career in libraries because I know firsthand the power of connecting with good material. I grew up in libraries, begging my mom and sibling to take me every weekend.
When I became a librarian, my goal was and continues to be to connect people with their new favorite book. Libraries spark joy, and I am proud to be part of this community.”
‘A place of wonder and curiosity’
“A place of wonder and curiosity. Where you’re encouraged to thrive instead of hindered and stunted. Taken down paths that travel through marvelous, winding roads. Or down singular, deep, and dense trails. A library provides nourishment for the mind and soul. And on occasion, also aids the body.
Sometimes seen as a last resort, libraries will prove that there’s more out there than lost hope. We only need a place to discover it.”
‘Lifelong learning’
“Oak Park Public Library is a great place to learn, meet new people. It’s my happy place!”
“They mean a lot because I can come there and borrow books, movies, and DVDs, and more. I can also use the computers to surf the internet and resources that they have available.”
“Information, technology, place of work, community, public area.”
“A community center that provides resources for lifelong learning in a welcoming and secure environment. Being in possession of books, magazines, and other resources. In addition to running age-appropriate programs.”
‘All things good in this world’
“Libraries are a space to engage with your community and freely share access to knowledge and technology.”
“The whole world in one building! A place to learn, grow, and explore.”
“Connection… with our local community and the wider world!”
“Progress, acceptance, community, diversity, love. All things good in this world and in our community!”
Community members
‘I get to read anything I want to’
“I get to read anything I want to read. Free to choose what I read is so personal and fulfilling.”
‘The epitome of community abundance’
“Libraries are the epitome of community abundance. They offer riches of reading for free to all with openhandedness and warmth.”
‘The local librarians know who I am’
“I love my Library because the local librarians know who I am. They are always friendly, helpful and welcoming.”
‘They greet me when I come in’
“I love libraries because it provides a calming space to focus on books that interest me. Libraries are important to me because they have provided me with access to resources in the community and tools that I need to get tasks completed. I love libraries because they have so much to offer with interesting speakers and programs that are informative, interesting and fun.
My favorite Oak Park library location is the main location on Lake Street. The staff is very helpful when I need assistance finding books and with the fax and copy machine. They also greet me when I come in or approach them. I love that it has an underground parking lot, especially on cold days and it just makes it easier to access the library when you don’t have to worry about parking.
I forgot to mention they focus on diversity and are fine free!” —Deana
‘A variety of ways to play and learn while school’s out’
“Amazing Spring Break programming! Thank you to the children’s department for having such a fun lineup of programs this week. My preschooler is on her way to LEGO Club, after already enjoying the music craft program, the bee story time, and the Barbie party.
I love that there were a variety of ways for her to play and learn this week while school was out. She also did her first library scavenger hunt and was so proud to show me her sticker. Thank you to the whole team for making the library magic happen.” —Rebecca
‘One of the greatest aspects of American life’
“One of the greatest aspects of American life are our libraries and the access to learning in them that is offered mini mobility to develop their skills, their knowledge and their appreciation for the greater aspects of life. I think there is nothing better than our libraries and the offerings that they give us Day and day out by myself in person with Low Vision, and I have found that the library that helped me greatly and trying to understand the world that I’m a part of I appreciate them and I support them all heartedly sincerely.”
‘Always we are feeling welcome’
“I love Oak Park library because since I moved to Oak Park and we visited every week and my family always feeled safe, happy and excited for all the resources the library offered to my family. Always we are feeling welcome and all staff always is available and is easy to communicate. We learned about community services and OAK PARK Library is the best library ever.”
‘I don’t take it for granted’
“When my sons and I visited a new, local bookstore, my son went to the kids section, loaded up his arms with books, and started to walk towards the door. He’s so used to going to the Dole Library and walking out with handfuls of his favorite titles that he thought it worked the same way in a bookstore. “We have to PAY for these?” he said, as I pulled him back to the shelves. He was flabbergasted.
I realized in that moment and in so many moments how lucky we are to have the library system that we do. And not just any library. Our library, with resources and titles aplenty.
One of my best friends lives in Jackson, MS. A voracious reader, we are often sharing titles with each other. It is amazing how few titles she has available to her through her library: the funding and resources simply aren’t there. She’s always amazed by the access that I have. I don’t take it for granted.
While my son almost committed a petty crime, I feel blessed that my boys live in a place where their love of reading is stoked like a fire as a result of our libraries and our schools. It really could be otherwise.” —Lyndsay
