We work with many local groups to provide great programs and services for our community. We'd love to work with your organization too! Here are some of the events and programs you can help support:

• Materials and prizes for summer and winter reading programs
• Speakers for programs and events

Contact me if you want to know more about funding a program here at the library.

Some of our community partnerships

Friends of the Library

The Friends of the Des Plaines Public Library have been faithful and prolific fundraisers for more than fifty years, supporting programming for all ages and making generous gifts like our meeting room sound system, our new piano, and other major donations. Please consider joining our Friends group or visiting their regular book sales!

Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce

We work with the Chamber to provide programming that supports our small businesses, such as online marketing and other digital learning. We also provide space for the Chamber every year during the Summer Fling to promote the Chamber and its activities. In turn the Chamber promotes our activities in its newsletter and to its other members.

Des Plaines Park District

The Des Plaines Park District works with us to bring storytelling and other activities to their seasonal festivals and in turn supports our annual Battle of the Bands and Des Arts fine art programming.

Kiwanis Club of Des Plaines

The Kiwanis Club of Des Plaines is a proud financial supporter of the second floor Early Learning Center (construction beginning in 2014). The library's director, Holly Sorensen, is a past President and an active member of Kiwanis too.

Lattof YMCA

The Lattof YMCA welcomes our Youth Services staff into its preschool and sends the Y staff to support healthy eating and excercise programs in the library.

Local businesses

Local businesses like Millennium Bank, the Greek American Restaurant Association, Village Bank and Trust and others have provided financial support for Summer Reading Club events and prizes.

Local schools

Our local schools encourage their students to get and use library cards, bring parents and kids on tours of the library, and promote our family programs in their emails and newsletters. Our librarians reguarly go to the local schools on outreach visits to promote our collections and services.

Oakton Community College

Oakton Community College is our longtime partner in providing adult literacy, computer instruction and special storytimes to Spanish speakers in the library.

Rotary Club of Des Plaines

The Rotary Club of Des Plaines funded the beautiful Rotary Heritage Reading Room on the third floor, as well as other individual programs. Our Assistant Director (that's me) represents the library at Rotary meetings and events.

Thanks to these organizations and all of the individuals that help us be the best library we can possibly be.