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We invite you to read our 2017-2018 Annual Report, with a welcome message from new Executive Director Jesse Henning, an in-depth look at new and innovative programs like Spring Fling and StoryFest, and interesting statistics defining a successful and busy year. You can download it (PDF) with the icon at the top left, or use the controls in the bottom right to view it as a fullscreen publication or zoom in.

We are also pleased to announce that we have received a coveted three star rating in this year's Library Journal survey of American libraries. This puts the Barrington Area Library in the top 3% of libraries across the nation based on five major service measures – physical material circulation, electronic circulation, number of visits, program attendance, and public computer users - from the 2015-2016 fiscal year. For more details on this honor, visit this page.

Our Youth Services librarians have compiled a list of their favorite books, published in 2018, for young readers. We hope they become some of your new favorites, too!

The Barrington Public Library District was once again honored with a three star ranking in a national survey published by Library Journal.

See the full Library Journal article here. This year, a total of 7,361 libraries were surveyed, with 257 being named "star libraries." This puts the Barrington Area Library in the top 3% of libraries across the nation, based on five major service measures – physical material circulation, electronic circulation, number of visits, program attendance, and public computer users - from the 2015-2016 fiscal year. The top 30 libraries in each of Library Journal's nine expenditure categories receive three, four, or five star rankings.

As we did last year, the Barrington Area Library ranks higher in e-circulation (the lending of e-books, e-audiobooks, and other digital materials) per capita than most star libraries across the U.S. - in any budget range! In fact, our e-circulation per capita puts us in the top 20% of the star libraries in this service measure. In several other categories, our performance is higher than libraries within significantly larger budget ranges. 21 of the 2018 star libraries are located in Illinois.

We're proud to serve you here in the heart of this wonderful community. Watch for our annual report in a few weeks and learn more about our busy and innovative Library!

You've heard of TED, the non-profit, global phenomenon devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Its goal? To make great ideas accessible and spark conversation. A TEDx event is a local version of TED - talks by our own community members, designed to energize and inspire. This year we were delighted to welcome a trio of inspiring and powerful Barrington area women at our fourth annual TEDxBarringtonAreaLibrary, on Thursday, Oct 11, at 7 PM.

Couldn't make the event, or wish you could share these powerful presentations with family and friends? Follow this link to the online videos!

Our 2018 presenters:
• Sam Oliver, Recipient of Barrington Area Development Council (BADC) Lifetime Volunteer Award 2018
• Chrissie Mena, Founder/President of Living60010 and Community Volunteer
• Reverend Dr. Zina Jacque, Pastor of the Community Church of Barrington


Sunday, October 7, 2018 : don't miss Volunteer Match!

Our popular volunteer fair returns, with dozens of opportunities for meaningful volunteer work, right here in our community. NEW this year: we're also collecting used eyeglasses for the local Lions Club, and travel-sized toiletries on behalf of the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce. Bring these items to the Library on Sunday, October 7, between 2-4 PM, and the Lions and the Chamber will redistribute them to people in need.

Organizations who have confirmed their participation in Volunteer Match:
League of Women Voters - Palatine Area
Barrington Area Moms Demand Action
Barrington Area Conservation Trust
Barrington Area Council on Aging
Barrington Breakfast Rotary
BStrong Together
Citizens for Conservation
FISH Food Pantry
Flint Creek/Spring Creek
Walk-On Farm
Let It Be Us
Lions Club
Rahab's Daughters
CareerPlace
NeuroBalance Center
Native Seed Gardeners
Smart Farm
WINGS
Barrington Area United Way

We will update that list as more organizations are confirmed. No need to register - all are welcome! See you on Sunday.