The River Forest Public Library is considered a “community living room” among village residents, and the library board of trustees is currently working on their own strategic plan to implement necessary changes and improvements without forfeiting the small-town feel of the institution.
Part of that plan includes caring for the building itself, but a large part involves incorporating technological changes similar to those planned in Oak Park.
Maintaining an efficient organization is high on the library’s priority list, said Director Sophia Anastos, which requires keeping up with the changing world of libraries in general.
“There’s really so much change going on out there,” Anastos said, adding that the library supports the strategic initiatives necessary to address those changes. In fact, the library sets aside money each year to integrate technological changes without disrupting the budget.
This year, that money was used to purchase e-readers, e-books, and other downloadable materials.
“It’s getting pretty clear among professionals in the field that we’re really going to soon be reaching a tipping point with people owning e-book readers,” Anastos said.
Beyond that, technological advancements are happening faster than most people can keep up. Anastos said the library can help.
“We have a very engaged community who like the library,” Anastos said. And the library staff is mobilized to help people navigate the changing technological terrain.
“There’s plenty of stuff that you don’t know that you don’t know,” Anastos said. The librarians are ready to assist people in the newer standards, protocol, materials, and technologies, and to assess the value of those new materials.
“There is so much going on and it’s still not very simple for the average user,” Anastos said.
But residents need not worry about a drastic makeover. The traditional library they’ve come to love will still be in place, but in the future, it will incorporate new products and materials to keep pace with the rest of the library world.
“Our book collection is healthy and our goal is to keep it up to date, vibrant, interesting and satisfying,” Anastos said. “For the people who want books, and it’s still most people, there are still plenty of books.”
She continued: “There’s going to be a balance for a long, long time going forward … I think it’s really going to be meeting everybody’s needs to the best of our ability.”