“It’s all at the library! Everything amazing starts at the library!”
PARTNERS
The library values its collaborations with community organizations, enriching the cultural and educational experiences of our patrons. Some highlights from this year include:
• Stories in the Park partnering with the Winnetka Park District
• Best Books of 2023 and Author Events partnering with The Book Stall
• Creating Communities: A History of the North Shore—a traveling exhibit partnering with the Winnetka Historical Society
• Children’s Fair partnering with Winnetka Community Nursery School
• Monthly Book Clubs partnering with the North Shore Senior Center
• First Little Free Pantry partnering with Wilmette Girl Scout Troop 47008 and the New Trier Township Food Pantry
• Used Book Sales benefitting the Friends of the Library and supporting the Chamber of Commerce’s Sidewalk Sale and the Village of Winnetka’s Small Business Saturday
• Preschool Summit partnering with the Alliance for Early Childhood
• STEAM Night partnering with Greeley Elementary School
• Maker Faire partnering with Sunset Ridge Elementary School
• Alebrije Art Display partnering with Avoca West Elementary School
91 outreach events that met 5,230 community members outside the library walls.
A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
I am thrilled to share Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District’s FY23–24 Annual Report! This report reflects a year of growth that included new staff, increased programming, enhanced services, expanded partnerships, and—as always— dynamic collections. I am excited to highlight statistics, information, and feedback that reflect the hard work of our talented and enthusiastic staff who work to ensure you have a great experience at our neighborhood libraries!
Some high points from our fiscal year include:
1) Hiring a New Digital Services Manager to enhance maker programming at both locations and upgrading The Studio with new equipment, including a 3D printer, laser engraver, Cricut vinyl cutter, and improved lighting.
2) Completing the Winnetka Talk Digitization Project and launching the online portal so cardholders can access the collection 24-7.
3) Launching a Seed Library, the first in any North Shore library, where patrons can check out seeds to sow at home.
4) Adding Teen Learn It Kits and Rock Star Read Aloud Kits to our youth collection as opportunities to explore the world of “making” and spend quality time together.
The library is constantly growing, ensuring there’s something here for everyone! Whether you’re crafting a personalized gift in The Studio, catching up on news with our digital subscriptions during your commute, borrowing a backyard projector kit for game day gatherings, seeking a unique date night with puzzles or board games from our Library of Things, or joining our diverse lineup of live and recorded programs—these and more await you at our library!
We’re looking forward to another year of serving you as we continue finding new ways to enhance collections, programs, services, and spaces.
Warmly,
Monica Dombrowski Executive Director
We answered 33,781 of your questions
“Excellent experience today, and how fun are these stitching kits! What a great addition!”
“This library is just so good for my son. The things he gets to experience here and the things he learns from the books we check out… just mean so much to our family.”
“You guys are so sweet. Being here feels like being home.”
182,113 in-building visitors
3,307 virtual visitors
322,665 library visitors
24% increase over last year
137,245 website visitors
Study Room and Meeting Room Usage
Study Room Usage: 3,292
Meeting Room Usage: 341
Nearly 70% of District Households have library cards!
“We love how different the youth collections are from one another (Northfield vs. Winnetka). It’s not just a copy and paste so the kids are able to find different things at each location and we really love that!”
“When I say ‘you saved Thanksgiving’, it’s not hyperbole. I had three kids 5-8 having simultaneous meltdowns, but I remembered I had take-and-tinker-kits from the youth services department, and everyone has officially calmed down. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Please let the volunteers and your whole youth services staff know how important they all are to our family, and ALL the families of the district.”
“Your staff always has spot on recommendations. I loved this book and the other that was suggested to me. I was actually laughing out loud with this one.”
170,225 physical adult items
BORROWED MATERIALS
519,643 total items borrowed
137,512 digital items
211,906 physical youth items
Popular Youth Title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling Most Popular Adult Title Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
NEW OFFERINGS THIS YEAR
Seed Library
The successful launch of our Seed Library initiative inspired local seasoned and novice gardeners by providing free seeds to our patrons. In our inaugural year, we provided 100 different varieties of flower, vegetable, and herb seeds, with a total of 1,536 individual packets available for checkout!
“This is such a great project. I had lunch with friends and one had already picked up marigolds and was absolutely delighted!”
Youth Kits
We were delighted to introduce our new Teen Learn It Kits and Rock Star Read Aloud Kits this year. These grab-and-go kits are perfect for teens who love to craft wherever they are and for families to enjoy chuckling over curated collections that are sure to tickle their funny bones.
“My daughter spent much of the afternoon yesterday making bracelets while listening to an audiobook. It was awesome that she could have the opportunity to pursue an interest by checking out shared equipment. We have watched as the library has evolved into a community resource center, branching out from exclusive devotion to books and periodicals to include other materials. Not only has it allowed us all to try new things from bracelet making to engraving without fully investing in a new hobby, it has given us a chance to expand our knowledge base. This new addition is major for our family and our kids, so… thank you.”
2,847 visits to The Studio for help with projects!
THE STUDIO
“It’s so much fun to make a lantern from scratch, it’s so beautiful and easy to make, and in the process, learned a lot about Korean culture and even travel tips from fellow participants. I’m truly grateful that Winnetka Library offered such a great program and hope the library continues to offer more arts & craft programs.”
Most Popular Projects This Year
1. Friendship Soup Jars
2. Out of This World Necklaces
3. Pressed Flower Luminaries
4. Art Deco Sun Catchers
5. Valentine Love Wreaths
6. Resin USB Drives
7. Art Deco Light Switch Covers
8. Spooky Fall Wreaths
9. Zodiac Coasters
10. Personalized Lunch Totes
“I am a disabled/homebound person. I struggled with loneliness and depression priot to 2020...COVID opened up the world again via virtual programming, which enriches my life. I am now part of a community again, I can engage in topics and have meaningful conversations with participants and the knowledeable presenters. Thank you for making a difference in my life.”
“This program was exceptionally wonderful, with professional musicians who entertained and educated the audience. Petra’s beautiful voice and articulate explanations were amazing. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute and feel lucky to live in a community where I can go to my local library and experience such a high-quality performance.”
“This was our first experience with library programming....it was simply wonderful. We look forward to future offerings. Thank you so much.”
654 youth events reached 18,510 people
28,416 event attendance
160 Studio events reached 861 people
252 adult events reached 9,045 people
46% increase over last year
Most Popular Events of the Year
Youth Events
1. Sensory Shenanigans
2. Noon Year’s Eve
3. Not So Spooky Halloween Sensory Happenings
4. Bluey Party
5. Mini Pumpkin Decorating
Adult Events
1. From Queen Victoria to the Modern Royals
2. Lilly Pulitzer: A Living History Portrayal by Leslie Goddard
3. Vincent van Gogh in the City of Light with Jeff Mishur
4. At the World’s Fair: North Shore Residents’ Roles in the 1893 Columbian Exposition
5. Bombshells: Hollywood’s Leading Ladies
“The library is the BEST. It’s so underrated and brings so much value to our lives.”
“I just have to tell you; the library is so wonderful. You have the best programs, everyone who works here is so nice and friendly; the library is one of the best parts of moving here!”
“We’ve lived in nearly 100 places, and this is the best library we’ve ever been members of by far. It’s amazing the amount of programs you guys do for us!”
HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU SAVING BY USING YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY?
Households saved an average of $2,161 last year
Childrens Materials Borrowed
$782
Adult Materials Borrowed $629
eBooks Borrowed
Music Borrowed
Reference Assistance
$450
$140
$49
Childrens Programs Attended
Adult Programs Attended
Computer Use (per hour)
Meeting Room Use (per hour)
Databases Accessed
$35
$24
$24
$20
$8
Cost savings per household were calculated using the American Library Association’s Library Value Calculator for the period of July 1, 2023 — June 30, 2024. For more information, please visit www.wnpld.org/node/5859.
Free Wi-Fi
Free Restrooms
Free Water
Free Climate Controlled Spaces
YOUR 2023 PROPERTY TAX DOLLAR
Using an example property tax bill of $20,000, a District homeowner would pay $544 per year for library services, which equals 2.7% of the tax bill.
69.3% School Districts
12.4% Municipalities/Township
6.5% Cook County
4.5% Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
4.4% Park Districts
2.7% Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District
0.1% Mosquito Abatement District
“You are creating a sense of community at the library for a wide variety of ages and generations to play and communicate and be together.”
*According to Serving Our Public: Standards for Illinois Public Libraries, Personnel costs should account for 60%-70% of the Operating Budget and Material costs should account for 8-12% of the Operating Budget.
†Money allocated for the Northfield Library Branch expansion project that experienced delays.
