The Mount Prospect Public Library is a

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

located in

Mount Prospect, Illinois Mount Prospect is a village in Elk Grove and Wheeling Townships in Cook County, Illinois, about northwest of downtown Chicago, and approximately 4 miles north of O'Hare International Airport. As of the 2020 census, the village had a total popu ...

, United States, a suburb of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. A staff of 171 full and part-time employees work at the Library, in more than a dozen areas throughout the 101,000-square-foot facility. Currently more than 61,000 patrons are registered cardholders. The collection has approximately 497,000 items on file, with an annual circulation figure of more than one million. The Library is governed by a Board of Library Trustees, consisting of seven members, who are elected by the voters of the Village. The Board elects every year from among its members appropriate officers. All members serve without remuneration. Regular meetings of the Board are held in the Library.

History

The library was founded in 1930, with it initially entirely consisting of a small cart at a local school, with it moving into a dedicated brick building later that year. The library later moved again in 1944 and 1946. A 2002 referendum approved an expansion to the library with a second floor and other improvements, with the renovations completing in 2004.

Services

Fiction/AV

Fiction books, movies, music, audio and e-books. The Fiction/AV department is located on the second floor of the Library.

Teens

Materials for middle- and high-school students. A Teen Advisory Board plans Library activities and completes volunteer projects.

Reference and Information

Located on the second floor, research services for patrons include print resources and online databases, government documents, career and job search information, and community resources. The Business Reading Room and Business Reference collection includes journals, newspapers, and newsletters.

Children

Youth Services features materials for children up to middle school and at all stages of language development. The department includes a Family Place, where early readers can engage in a variety of activities to stimulate literacy; a teachers' collection; computers; games; a puppet theater; and study rooms. Events and programs for kids include storytimes, craft projects, and performances.

Events

MPPL offers programs and activities for adults, teens and kids.

Circulation

Library cards are free to anyone who resides within the Village limits of Mount Prospect.

South Branch

The library partners with the Village of Mount Prospect, Northwest Community Hospital, and School Districts 214 and 59 to create the South Branch at Crystal Court Plaza at Busse and Algonquin roads. The South Branch offers books, movies, music, internet-connected computers with Microsoft office, homework and reading help, GED and ELL materials, information, preschool storytimes, teen programs and small business resources. Materials are available in a variety of languages, including English, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Gujarati, and Korean.

References

About Us – History
Mount Prospect Public Library. {{Authority control Public libraries in Illinois Government agencies established in 1930 Mount Prospect, Illinois Libraries in Cook County, Illinois Library buildings completed in 1950 Library buildings completed in 2004