Huntley Area Public Library

Celebrate National Friends of Libraries Week (October 20-26, 2024) by visiting the Huntley Library Friends Foundation Open House this Friday, October 18, at 11 a.m.! Meet the Friends Board of Directors and learn about the many ways the Friends support the library. There will be a brief program at 11:20 a.m. Everyone is welcome! The Friends Foundation members are book lovers, readers, listeners, and information seekers who value the Huntley Area Public Library as a vital community resource. They support the many resources available at the library by advocating for the library, raising funds, sharing their expertise, and volunteering their time.

Today is the last day of National Library Card Sign-Up Month! This month, we discovered the endless opportunities of creativity through our theme Creative Minds, which showcased all of the ways you can be creative in the library with your library card, including... 💡 Exploring the Creative Studio 💡 Recording our masterpieces in the Recording Studio 💡 Embracing our STEAM with science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics based programs 💡 Accessing endless creative resources We even had special library cards, designed by two HAPL card holders, Sienna Kelley & Sydney Barr. Although today is the last day of National Library Card Sign-Up Month, you can stop by the library ANY TIME to sign-up for a library card, and embrace your creativity all year long! Thank you for a great month of celebrating creativity and the importance of library cards

SERVICE NOTICE: From Saturday, September 28 - Monday, September 30, library catalog and account access will be limited as we welcome Mount Prospect and Waukegan Public Libraries to our library consortium (CCS), a network that shares materials that will now grow to 31 libraries. This means more books, movies, and music will be available. Over 550,000 items will be added to the catalog, increasing the collection you can access with your Huntley Area Public Library (HAPL) card to over 5.3 million! Also, your HAPL card will automatically be registered at these libraries after October 1. Adding these libraries will limit some services from Saturday, September 28 – Monday, September 30. Here's what to expect: Checkouts: You can check out items, but we will need your library card. Don't forget it at home! Holds: Place your holds before September 28. Let us know if you need help while the system is down, and we will assist you! Returns: Items you return from September 28 – 30 will not be checked in until after October 1. Account Access: Account access will be limited through the library catalog and library app. No account modifications can be made until after October 1. Searching the Catalog: Online results will be accessible, but they will not be current. If you are looking for an item, call us to check its availability. Online Resources: Most resources will be accessible such as Overdrive, Kanopy, and Hoopla. A few will not be available such as Explore More Illinois. We apologize for any inconvenience these temporary service disruptions may cause, and we appreciate your patience.

Today at the HAPL, we are recognizing the start of BANNED BOOKS WEEK, which takes places September 22nd through September 28th, 2024. 📕 What is Banned Books Week? Banned Books Week is an “annual event that highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community - librarians, educators, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types- in shared support of the freedom to seek and express ideas.” - bannedbooksweek.org 📗 Why do we recognize Banned Books Week? In 2023 alone, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 1,247 efforts to censor books and other resources in libraries—an increase of 65% from the year before. In total, 4,240 unique book titles were targeted. With ALA's theme "Freed Between the Lines," we’re reminded how much is at stake. "The freedom to explore new ideas and different perspectives is under threat, and book bans don’t just restrict access to stories—they undermine our rights. Now is the time to come together, celebrate the right to read, and find freedom in the pages of a book. Let’s be 'Freed Between the Lines.'" - American Library Association. You can view the HAPL’s Digital Library of Illinois collection of banned and challenged books for... Teens: https://lnkd.in/diaaVYRm Adults: https://lnkd.in/ddsTsf4M For more information on this years Banned Books Week, visit https://lnkd.in/gttQteCq

Exciting news! We are THRILLED to announce our official Huntley Area Public Library podcast, "Another Book Off the Shelf!" In our first episode, Hosts Pamela, Head of Programming and Outreach, and Aris, Head of Marketing, spoke with Alex, our Creative Studio Specialist, about our Creative Studio & all it has to offer, plus National Library Card Sign-Up Month and our upcoming October programs. You can watch the first episode HERE: https://lnkd.in/gV852N_S If you'd prefer to stream audio only, we also have a Spotify page HERE: https://lnkd.in/gwgaqcRm Follow our Youtube & Spotify and bookmark this page https://lnkd.in/gfwVYmEe to keep up with future episodes!

Coming soon... watch this space!

Introducing... Our brand-new Recording Studio! The Huntley Area Public Library is so excited to formally announce the opening of our Recording Studio! As part of our Creative Minds: Discover the Endless Opportunities of Creativity campaign for National Library Card Sign-Up Month, we are unveiling a space where your creativity can take center stage. Whether you're recording your next hit, launching a podcast, or exploring new creative horizons, the Recording Studio is where your ideas come to life. Sign up for a library card today and explore the endless opportunities of creativity! To learn more about our Recording Studio and how to set up an appointment, visit https://lnkd.in/gRESAqCt 🎥: Digital Origin Productions Inc.

The Huntley Area Public Library will be closed on September 2, 2024, in observance of the Labor Day Holiday. The exterior book drop will close at 5 p.m. on September 1st. Our online resources are always available: https://lnkd.in/gfGfJcvs We will reopen Tuesday, September 3rd, at 9 a.m.

The beautiful gazebo in the Huntley Town Square celebrates its 30th anniversary today, August 26. The current structure is the third gazebo to stand in the park. The first gazebo, or bandstand, as it was then known, was built sometime in the late 1850s. A lively community brass band performed at the site prior to the start of the Civil War. A second, more sturdy structure was built in 1910. That gazebo stood for more than 80 years, and was plaqued as an historical site by the McHenry County Historical Society. In 1993, the Village of Huntley deemed that structure unsafe and had it torn down. Local businesses pooled their resources to build the new, current gazebo. It was completed on Aug. 26, 1994, and stands as an iconic image of the Village of Huntley. The Gazebo even got a makeover this spring! If you would like to learn more about Huntley's local history visit: https://lnkd.in/gTgfkCb6 Photo Credit: Village of Huntley, Illinois 

Hey Huntley! The Village of Huntley, Illinois will be collecting donations to benefit the Grafton Food Pantry on Tuesday, August 27th's Concert in the Square featuring The Blooze Brothers. Donations of personal care and paper goods are preferred- monetary donations will also be accepted.