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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
IN RECOGNITION OF THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GLENVIEW PUBLIC LIBRARY
WHEREAS, the Glenview Public Library is the heart of the community with a mission to provide access to the world of information and ideas through collections, programs and services for Glenview’s vibrant, diverse community; and
WHEREAS, in 1930, the midst of the Great Depression, the small Glenview community of about 2,000 voted to transform an empty room in the basement of the Glenview Civic Building into a library, over the other choice of a public gymnasium; and
WHEREAS, less than half an hour down the road, the city of Evanston already had a well-established library in place and the two communities partnered to allow Glenview to borrow up to 1,000 books each year from Evanston; and
WHEREAS, the Glenview Public Library opened to the public on March 2, 1931 with 398 books on the shelves, donated from residents and local civic organizations; and
WHEREAS, trained librarian Ruth Hubbell was chosen as Glenview’s first director for her extensive library education; and
WHEREAS, it also helped that Director Hubbell had a car, as there were up to 90 requests for books each week and Ruth had to drive between Glenview and Evanston to collect and return books to keep up with the interests of the community; and
WHEREAS, the Friends of the Glenview Library have served the Library’s mission with tireless dedication and thoughtful vision since 1939; and
WHEREAS, in 1953, land at Washington Street and Glenview Road was secured and, with the completion of the dedicated library in 1955, the library’s collection of 14,000 books were moved with the assistance of children in scouting; and
WHEREAS, during the expansion years of 1960-1989, the library added to its collections and technology: the first copier was introduced in 1964 and a new addition was added in 1968 to house 110,000 more volumes; and
WHEREAS, in the 1970s, the Glenview Public Library housed and impressive 425 periodical subscriptions, and telephone books for major cities across the U.S. and Europe; and
WHEREAS, in 1976 librarians digitized the circulation system in only four months, and were able to quickly get statistics on what materials were the most popular, automatically print overdue notices, complete check-ins and check-outs faster, and communicate with other libraries in the area with the same computer system to electronically share inventory; and
WHEREAS, during the innovation years of 1990-2020, the library brought in CDs, and DVDs;
WHEREAS, in 1996 Poet Laureate of Illinois Gwendolyn Brooks did a reading and book signing for 400 visitors in the Glenview Public Library; and
WHEREAS, in 2010, the new 85,000 square foot Glenview Public Library building was completed and over 285,000 print items and 40,000 audio visuals were moved to the new location; and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Cook County Board of Commissioners recognizes the profound impact the Glenview Public Library has on the Glenview community by offering over 1,200 programs each year and hosting an average of 360,000 visitors annually; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Cook County Board of Commissioners recognizes the illustrious community history of the library as a place to gather, to learn, and to educate, and looks forward to 90 more years of the Glenview Public Library serving their Glenview residents and neighbors.
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