A quieter success story continues to unfold in both Oak Park and River Forest where the public libraries are doing a noteworthy job of keeping pace with the times. The award-winning new main library building in Oak Park has become a community centerpiece, but the library and its board aren’t resting on that laurel.
They’ve begun a strategic planning process called Spark to find ways to keep up with the rapidly changing Information Age. As video and book stores are biting the dust, the library remains vibrant, reinventing itself in order to serve the needs of a media-hungry public.
River Forest Public Library, too, has adopted an innovative approach, setting aside funds for technological innovations like e-books and e-readers.
One indicator of our libraries’ currency was the recent partnership with area merchants offering 10 percent discounts for anyone who showed their Oak Park library card.
Now that’s innovation taxpayers/consumers can support.
