Library Programs

Home Delivery Service Brings the Library To You

December 15, 2021
Home Delivery Service Brings the Library To You

Home Delivery Service Brings the Library To YouDo you or a loved one enjoy reading, but aren’t able to come to the library because of illness, disability or lack of transportation? Let Algonquin Area Public Library District’s Home Delivery Service bring the library to you each month!

Give us a list of specific book titles you’d like, or if you’re not sure, we are happy to do the selecting for you. Let us know your favorite authors and the types of books you most enjoy, and once a month, you’ll receive a bag of hand-selected materials based on your preferences. If you are interested, we can provide large print, and audiobooks. In addition to books, we can also provide movies, TV series, music CDs and magazines.

If you enjoy crafting, we will also bring you a take-and-make craft kit from our Makerspace, delivered with your library items. A Home Delivery Service specialist brings all this, plus a smile, right to your door.

Signing up is easy and the service is free! AALPD cardholders can apply for Home Delivery Services online, or pick up a paper application at the Adult Services desk. If you need a library card, we can verify that you live in our district and issue one for you. (If you don’t live in our district, most libraries offer home delivery service for their cardholders.) Your Home Delivery Service will begin the following month.

Questions? Stop by or call the Adult Services desk at 847-458-6060, x-143.

December Reading Resolutions…Short & Sweet!

December 1, 2021
December Reading Resolutions…Short and Sweet!

December Reading Resolutions…Short and Sweet!Hectic holiday season? Reading Resolutions has you covered! Our tasty December challenge is to read a poem, short story, or novella. If you prefer non-fiction, choose an article, short how-to book, or essay.

Our online catalog has lots of suggestions for short reads, including collections of poems and short stories. If you check out a collection, you  don't have to read the entire book. Just one story or poem is enough, but if you want to read more, be our guest! Read on for holiday-themed suggestions,  or come into the Main library to browse our displays. Still need help? Just ask an Adult Services staff member.

 

When you've completed your December Short & Sweet Challenge, be sure to visit your Beanstack account and select this badge to be entered into our monthly gift card drawing. Don't forget our Grand Prize Drawing for a $100 restaurant gift card after Reading Resolutions ends on December 31. Each month you complete a challenge counts toward one entry. If you missed a month, there's still time to read a book for that month's theme. Select the correct badges in Beanstack by December 31 to receive your additional entries.

Christmas Tales

Heartwarming and joyful stories that capture the spirit of the season.

The Quiet Little Woman: A Christmas Story by Louisa May Alcott - Three classic Christmas stories from the author of Little Women, inspired by readers of the classic 1868 novel. (Short Story)

Can This Be Christmas by Debbie Macomber - A group of travelers, stranded at a remote New Hampshire depot on Christmas Eve, find their heartbreak turns to joy, when Christmas unexpectedly comes to them. (Novella)

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry - In turn-of-the-century New York City, a poor young couple sacrifices to purchase the perfect Christmas gift for one another. Published in 1907, it is one of O. Henry's most famous stories. (Short Story)

 

 

Let It Snow!

Wintery tales of romance and adventure, set in the world's most foreboding places.

Heating It Up by Elizabeth Harmon - The head of an international research station in Antarctica discovers a mysterious woman hiding in a deserted lodge. In a season of endless night, can love warm their hearts? (Novella)

Beyond The Great Snow Mountains by Louis L'Amour -  An American woman who has lived her life among the peaks of the Himalayas, must protect her village and tribe from an intruder. (Short Story)

 

The Gift of Self-Care

Because the holidays aren't always joyful, consider a healing and compassionate read for the season.

Stitches: A Handbook On Meaning, Hope and Repair by Anne Lamott - How do we find peace in these loud and frantic times, and where do we start again after personal and public devastation? By collecting the ripped shreds of our emotional and spiritual fabric and sewing them back together, piece by piece. (96 pages)

How To Stay Calm In Chaos by Julie M. Gentile - Smart self-care strategies, organized for each day of the week. (42 pages)

The Long Night: Readings and Stories to Help You Through Depression by Jessica Kantrowitz - A writer and theologian presents the wisdom and spiritual writings that aided her during her years-long battle with depression. Presented in short, topical chapters. (156 pages)

 

 

Fight For Your Write!

November 17, 2021

Fight For Your Write!Always wanted to write a book? Mystery, memoir, non-fiction, or something else, Algonquin Area Public Library can help! Find how-to books, connect with other authors, publish your book online, and get it into the hands of Illinois readers.

Let us inspire and encourage you to create the book of your dreams!

Algonquin Area Writers Group

Writing can be lonely! Find your tribe with this community of local authors. AAWG meets monthly at the Main library for critiques, conversation and brainstorming. Writers of all experience levels are welcome. Register today for December’s meeting!

Soon To Be Famous Illinois Author Manuscript Contest

Take your complete but unpublished adult fiction novel to the next level!  Enter the 2022 Soon To Be Famous Illinois Author Manuscript Project contest, now through January 15, 2022. Winner receives professional line editing, cover design, self-publishing guidance, and automatic entry as a semi-finalist in the Soon To Be Famous Illinois Author Project contest. Sponsored by the Illinois Library Association.

Inkie

Inkie is a free online self-publishing platform. Create professionally-designed e-books, and the PDFs needed for print book production. Upload your e-book to the Indie Illinois digital library to reach readers throughout the state!

Research Help

Need to know what medieval knights ate for breakfast? What it was like to live in Victorian London? The most popular song in 1902? Our Adult Services staff can help you find accurate information to bring your story to life.

AAPLD cardholders can access these databases from anywhere:

  • Archive Grid- Search historical collections of libraries, museums, archives and historical societies around the world
  • Birthday Time Capsule- Type in a date to learn the day's news, top movies, songs, and more.
  • EBSCO Explora (Masterfile, History Reference Center, Science Reference Center)- Arts and Literature, Biography, Current Events, Geography and Culture, Health, History and Social Science, Science and Math articles, arranged by topic.
  • Illinois Digital Archives- Books, pamphlets, photographs, and maps related to Algonquin, Lake in the Hills and McHenry County history.
  • World Factbook- Learn about the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, and military, of 267 countries.
  • Gale Virtual Reference Library- Encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources, including Grzimek's Animals Guide, American Decades, Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, Business Plans, and more!
  • Health & Wellness Resource Center- Research current disease, disorder information, conventional treatments, and alternative medicine.
  • How Products Are Made- Detailed descriptions and pictures about how things are made. Search by keyword or through an alphabetical list.
  • How Stuff Works- Covers Auto, Science, Health, Entertainment, Travel, Computer, Electronics, Home, Money, and People.
  • Freegal- Discover music from numerous genres and decades, create custom playlists to set the mood while you write!

Hints and How-To

Check out our collection of writing books! Get inspired by renowned authors like Stephen King, Anne Lamott, and Janet Evanovich. Find advice on writing for teens and kids, or finding a literary agent.

Whatever you need to know, your library is the place to go.

 

Day of the Dead: A Time of Mourning and Celebration

October 27, 2021
Day of the Dead: A Time to Grieve & Remember

Day of the Dead: A Time to Grieve & RememberJoin us for a virtual visit to The National Museum of Mexican Art’s 35th annual Day of the Dead exhibition, Thursday, Nov. 4, from 7-8 p.m. Registration is open to everyone, ages 14 and up.

“Día de los Muertos: A Time to Grieve & Remember,” pays tribute to individuals from Mexico and the United States lost to Covid-19.

The exhibit, designed by local artists in collaboration with artists from Mexico, features a massive ofrenda, an altar to honor the deceased, that includes names and photographs of more than 200 people who have died from Covid-19 since the pandemic began. Mario Hernandez, Gallery Education Coordinator for the Museum, will conduct the tour, providing insights and background about the exhibit.

The altar’s focal point is a large wooden heart, which resembles a milagro, a religious item used in prayer. Mexican artist Alejandro Garcia Nelo, who designed the ofrenda, called the heart an acknowledgement of the heartbreak the pandemic has caused throughout the world, particularly for those unable to properly mourn their loved ones.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican national holiday of collective mourning, which brings healing through remembrance and celebration. Tradition holds that on Nov. 2, the Day of the Dead, families gather to welcome back the souls of deceased relatives, for a meal of their favorite foods, and a celebration of their lives.

The exhibit is sponsored by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Joyce Foundation, the Chicago Park District, the Illinois Arts Council, BMO Harris, and Commonwealth Edison. The National Museum of Mexican Art is located at 1852 W 19th Street
Chicago.

For more information, visit nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org