Americans With Disabilities Compliance

Americans with Disabilities Act

All areas of the Woodstock Public Library are wheelchair accessible.

The library has assistive equipment available to the public while in the library. This equipment includes:

• Wheelchair
• Walker with basket
• Low Vision Computer Workstation (ZoomText software, assistive keyboard, and 20” monitor)
• Telesensory Aladdin Video Magnifier

In addition, the library meeting rooms are equipped with a sound system and assistive hearing devices. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service, or activity at the Woodstock Public Library should use the Contact Us form, email or call the library as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.

Hours & Location

Library Hours

Mon-Thu 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Friday 9:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
*Sundays 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

*Summer Sunday Schedule

*Please check the Calendar listing for holiday and staff training closing days.

Library Location

414 W. Judd St
Woodstock Illinois 60098
Telephone: 815-338-0542 Fax: 815-334-2296 Email: library@woodstockil.gov

View Larger Map

Book Returns

The library has two book return facilities that can be used at anytime:

1) On the library building to the left of the main doors.

2) At the Wonder Lake State Bank, at 3316 Thompson Road, Wonder Lake. This book return is checked regularly and materials returned to the library.

Job Opportunities

Library Positions:  Anyone interested in a position with the Library is invited to fill out an interest card at the City of Woodstock Human Resources Department .

Library Boards

We're unique! We have two library boards.  The City of Woodstock Public Library Board has nine trustees appointed by the mayor while the Rural Woodstock Public Library District Board has seven elected trustees. The City of Woodstock board meets the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m..  The Rural Woodstock Public Library board meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.

All meetings of the Library Board are open to the public. In compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), they are fully accessible, and if any further accommodations are needed, please contact the Library Director 48 hours prior to the meeting.

Library Closings

The Library Calendar has complete library closing information. Holidays that the library is closed for include:

• New Year's Eve & Day
• Easter Sunday
• Mother's Day
• Memorial Day (Sunday and Monday)
• Father's Day
• 4th of July
• Labor Day (Sunday and Monday)
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

The library is also closed periodically for staff service workshops.  These dates/times will be announced posted in the library and on our website when they occur.

Snow Closings

The library makes every effort to stay open on snowy days, even when District 200 has declared a snow day. However, if the weather and road conditions are deemed unsafe, the library may close early, or open late. These closings will be posted on the front page of this library's website.

Power Outages

If the library loses power to the building for a sustained period of time the library building will need to be closed for safety reasons unitl power is restored.

Library History

Library Building Design Information

Opened in 1891, the library was originally located in the Woodstock Opera House. The library moved to its Judd Street location in 1959. The 4000 sq ft building was designed by local architect William Fyfe, a former student of Frank Lloyd Wright. The brick pillars throughout the reference area are from the 1959 building.

The library underwent two more expansions in 1966 (Fyfe, architect) and in 1987. The 1987 expansion by the architectural firm of O'Donnell Wicklund Pigozzi of Deerfield increased the library size to nearly 23,000 sq. ft. and added upper and lower levels to the building. Originally the Children’s Room and a meeting room were located in the lower level and the adult nonfiction and reference collections were on the upper level.  The entrance to the building was moved to the west side, from the parking lot, instead of the original front door location on Judd Street with a back entrance from the north side driveway.

The 2001 expansion of the library by Frye Gillan Molinaro Architects of Chicago retained the upper and lower levels of the 1987 building and the brick pillars from the 1959 building. The 43,000 sq. ft. revision of the library moved the Children’s Room to the main floor of the library, and provides a variety of meeting spaces from study rooms to meeting rooms.

The antique oak tables located in the Margaret Marchi Reading Room are from the library’s first days in the Woodstock Opera House in the 1890s. The slanted table and benches in the Children’s Room and several adult fiction display stands are from the 1959 and 1966 renovations.  Much of the upper level furniture is from the 1987 addition. The two large portable display cases are new, created for the library by John Scharres, Managing Director of the Woodstock Opera House.

www.flickr.com WoodstockPublicLibrary's Historical Photographs of the Library photoset   March 23, 2011 marked the 120th Anniversary of the official opening of the Woodstock Public Library.

The Woodstock Public Library officially opened for business on March 23, 1891

The original library was located in the Woodstock Opera House (then called City Hall). In 1891, the city's population was 1,893 and library had just over a 1,000 books on its shelves. The foundation of the library's early book collection was donated to the City of Woodstock by the two private subscription library organizations: the Woodstock Literary & Library Association and the Young Men's Literary Society.

Some notable dates and statistics in the Woodstock Public Library's history:

1931 - 37,671 books checked out. City population 5,471

1971 - 96,756 books checked out. Collection size is 31,501  City population 10,266 

2010 - 329,404 items checked out. Collection size is 127,401 items. City population 24,970
 

March 23 1891 - Woodstock Public Library, located in two rooms in the Woodstock City Hall (now called Woodstock Opera House), is formally opened with a ceremony.

1959 - Library moves to its own building on Judd Street.  The building was designed by local architect William Fyfe, a former student of Frank Lloyd Wright. At 4,500 square feet and a cost of $60,000 the new library featured air conditioning and a children’s area. The brick pillars in the current building's Reference Area are from this original 1959 building.

1965 - Library became a charter member of the Northern Illinois Library System

1966 - A library addition doubles the size of the building to over 8,000 square feet. William Fyfe designed the addition. Woodstock population is 9,910

1977 - Rural Woodstock Public Library District formed after a successful referendum in. It encompasses the area in Community School District 200 which is outside the city limits of Woodstock.

1983 - Friends of Woodstock Public Library founded to support and provide fundraising for the library.

1985 – Library offers Sunday hours for the first time.

1987 - Library addition expanded the library to 23,000 sq ft. This addition created the upper and lower levels that still exist today. The Children’s Room and Story-time Room was located on the lower level, along with a meeting room. The upper level housed the Adult Non Fiction & Reference Collections.
Building addition designed by OWP (O'donnell Wicklund Pigozzi, Inc)

1987 - Computers used for the first time check out materials to patrons.

1990 - Computer Catalog available for the first time to allow customers to locate materials.

1994 – Card Catalog is officially “closed”, library staff is no long typing up card catalog cards for each item added to the collection.

1996 - Internet available to the public for the first time on two computers. Two word processors also available.

March 2000 - Successful tax referendum to expand library to 43,000 sq ft. The architectural firm of Frye, Gillan and Molinaro plans the library expansion.

April 2000 – Library collection and all contents are temporarily moved to 222 Church St (formerly Diamond Exteriors and now the Challenger Discovery Center) to facilitate expansion.

June 2001 - Library moves back to renovated library building. The expanded building offers over 20 internet stations, study rooms, two meeting rooms, self-checkout system and a greatly expanded Children's Room.

2005 - eBooks and audiobooks available for download by library patrons.

2008 - New website released.

2010 - Self Service Holds and new self check out system provided.

Library Directors 1891-2011
Erastus Richards 1891-1894
Winifred Hall 1895
Mrs. C.M. Curtis 1894-1916
Lura Wandrack 1916 to 1948
Edna Wienke from 1948 to 1959
Edith Knilans from 1959 to 1962
Margaret Marchi from 1962 to 1981
Margaret Field Crane from 1981 to 2009
Mary Petro from 2009 to present
 

Additional photographs of the contemporary and historic library are available on the the library's Flickr photostream:

www.flickr.com WoodstockPublicLibrary's Historical Photographs of the Library photoset

Library Policies

Library policies to be aware of while using the library.

Rural Woodstock Public Library District

The Rural Woodstock Public Library District serves residents who live outside the Woodstock City limits, but within the Woodstock Community School District 200 boundaries. http://www.ruralwoodstocklibrary.com (will open in new window)

What is the relationship between the City of Woodstock Public Library and the Rural Woodstock Public Library District?
The City of Woodstock Public Library is governed by the City of Woodstock Library Board which oversees the library’s budget and policies due to tax support from citizens within the City limits. The Rural Woodstock Public Library District Board has two main functions: (1) to negotiate a contract for library services and (2) to serve as an advisory board to the City of Woodstock Library Board.

The Rural Woodstock Public Library District Board of Trustees meets the first Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. There are seven members who are elected for six-year terms. Trustees must reside within the borders of the  Rural District. The meetings are held in the Board Room of the  Library and are open to the public.

Library Cards for Rural Woodstock Public Library Residents
1) A rural basic service library card is available for District residents that includes restricted library services at no charge. These services include checking out a total of  three (3) items per person at any one time and accessing the Internet on library computers. Basic cards also give patrons the ability to place holds on Woodstock Public Library materials only,  and search research databases that require a library card for access. Any rural resident 5 years of age or older may have his or her own library card.

 2) A rural full service library card is available by paying a user fee of $35 per household per year. Additional services that are available with this fee include increasing the borrowing limit to 50 items, the same limit enjoyed by City residents, the ability to place holds on library materials owned by other nearby libraries, and request for inter-library loans from any library in the U.S. Only full-user cardholders may use their Woodstock library card at other Illinois libraries.

Scholarships For Rural District Residents
Scholarships are available at the Woodstock Public Library for residents of the Rural Woodstock Public Library District whose income would qualify them for either free or reduced price meals with the school district. These scholarships are used to pay for part of the $35 per household per year user fee required for rural residents to obtain full-service library cards.

Households eligible for free meals through School District 200 receive a scholarship to pay for all but $5.00 of the $35 fee. Scholarships are available for all households meeting these requirements even if they do not have children in School District 200. The household income level to qualify varies based upon household size. Residents who think they may qualify can find out details by calling the Library (815) 338-0542 or by visiting at 414 W. Judd Street, Woodstock.

Wonder Lake Book Return
Wonder Lake residents can return Woodstock Public Library books at the Thompson Road branch of the Wonder Lake State Bank, at 3316 Thompson Road, Wonder Lake.

Additional Information for Rural Woodstock Public Library District Citizens The “brick and mortar” costs of the library, as well as operational costs, are paid entirely by the City residents through taxes.  The contract negotiated between the City and Rural Boards covers library services only. The Rural District currently holds no equity in the building, furnishings, or collections of the Woodstock Public Library.

Services Available

Meeting Rooms              Voter's Registration

ESL Tutoring                  Talking Book Program

Photocopiers                   Tax Forms

Public Fax                        

Your Library Card

Your Woodstock Public Library card provides access to books, DVDs, and many other items. Your card also allows you to download movies, audiobooks and use the library's online databases for research . Click here to learn how to get a library card.

Computers

• 37 public internet stations throughout the building (26 in Reference; 6 in Children's; 4 in Young Adult; 1 in Local History) . Reference Area internet stations include Microsoft Office 2007.
• 3 Educational Activity stations in the Children's Room
• 3 Homework Stations in Children's Room with Microsoft Office 2007
• Up to 3 hours of access per day for library customers (depending on demand)
• USB ports & floppy drives available for downloading & uploading
• Media Card readers are available at the Reference Desk

Logging On:

Logon to the Internet stations with your library card number. When logging on for the first time cardholders should enter a password or PIN when prompted on the login screen. Non-cardholders can logon using a guest number, obtainable at the Reference Desk.
Children (13 and under) need to have a parent present to fill out an Internet Agreement form in order to access the internet the first time.

Printing
Cost is 10 cents for B&W; 50 cents for color. Please add money to your Printing Account at the Reference or Children's Staff Desks prior to printing

Everyone who uses a library computer must follow our policy regarding computer and Internet use.

ESL Tutoring

Volunteers needed - take on a rewarding challenge and help the community by becoming a volunteer tutor with the Woodstock Public Library’s English as a Second Language Program. This program assists adults who want to learn English. Tutors receive special training and don’t need teaching experience or fluency in another language besides English. After training, tutors are assigned to work one-on-one for two hours a week with a student at the library. Persons interested in becoming a tutor should call Julie Fee or Andrea Vernola at the library at 815-338-0542.

Meeting Rooms

The library has two meeting rooms available for community meetings. Additional information is available in the "How Do I" section of the website.

Photocopiers

There are two public photocopiers: a color copier and a B&W copier.  Copies are 10 cents for B&W copies; 50 cents for color copies. The color copier also does double-sided copies.

Programs and Events

See our online calendar for upcoming programs and registrations. The library's programs are also published in the City of Woodstock's City Scene newsletter which comes out three times a year. A PDF copy of the library's portion of the most recent City Scene is available here.

Public Fax Service

Faxes can be sent at the Reference Desk, please ask the Reference Librarian for assistance. The cost is one dollar per page. Incoming faxes for individuals can not be accepted.

Talking Books for the Blind & Physically Handicapped

Talking Book and Braille Service provides audiobooks and Braille texts to residents who are blind, visually handicapped, or have other physical limitations or a reading disability. (PDF Application Form)

Tax Forms

The library has federal and state tax forms available, free of charge, in the Reference Area. If the tax form you need is not available on the Tax Forms display, check to see if the Reference Librarian can print a copy from the IRS website or the Illinois Department of Revenue website (cost 10 cents a page). Federal tax forms usually begin arriving at the end of December, Illinois state forms usually are available towards the end of January.

Reference Desk

The librarians at the Reference Desk are here to help you find whatever you are looking for whether it is a book, poem, information for a report, or help with the internet. Please ask us--we are here to help you.

Voter's Registration

Register to vote for all local, general and primary elections at the Library. Please bring two forms of valid identification. An individual may register to vote in Illinois if he/she is 18 years or older on the next election day, resides in the jurisdiction for 30 days prior to the election, and is a U.S. citizen. Registrations can not be taken during the 30 days prior to an election.

To register to vote by mail refer to the Illinois Voter Registration Application online.  Additional information is available at the Illinois State Board of Elections website.

Friends of Woodstock Public Library

The Friends of Woodstock Public Library were formed in April 1983 to support the library through fundraising, special programs, and volunteering. In their 25 years, Friends have donated over $150,000 in gifts, supported two successful building referenda in 1985 and 1999, sponsored many special programs and baked cookies for the annual Ice Cream Social.

Spotlight on Friend’s Gifts
The Friends have presented the library with generous gifts for such things as the new monitor at the Front Desk that is used to promote upcoming programs and services, photocopiers, a wheelchair for patrons, a CD/DVD buffer and the Modern Scholar lectures on CD. The Friends have paid for most of the Activity Kit backpacks in the Children’s area and have purchased the entire collection of PlayAway audio books on MP3 players.

The Friends pay for the maintenance of the library's 390-gallon salt water aquarium The most recent purchases were the Wii and PlayStation2 gaming consoles and games.  These were introduced during the 25th Anniversary Open House in April, and are used regularly during after school programs.  Teen gaming in public libraries is a hot topic—thanks to Friends we can be part of the scene.

Friends Events in 2012

March 17, 2012- MiniLinks in the Library!

To Join The Friends
Fill out and mail in the attached (below) Membership Form or bring it to the front desk at the library.

FRIENDS OF THE WOODSTOCK PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD MEMBERS:
President................................ Claude Smith
Vice President........................ Michael Gullotto
Treasurer ................................Mary Ellen Prindiville
Corresponding Secretary .......Betty Hopp
Recording Secretary.............. Rick Johnson
Members at Large.................. Gayle Hoch
                                                Gay Mather 
                                                Elizabeth Collins                                                
                                                OPEN