New Lenox Public Library District
Text size: Larger | Smaller
library hours
Hours
Monday - Thursday 10 am to 8 pm
Friday Closed
Saturday 10 am to 2 pm (summer)
Saturday 10 am to 4 pm (school year beginning the Saturday after Labor Day through the Saturday before Memorial Day)
Sunday Closed

CLOSINGS: New Year's Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Eve (close at 5 pm), Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve.


Materials & Services
New Lenox Public Library District offers many resources and services to users. Some of those include:
  • Books
  • Audiobooks (on tape and CD)
  • Music CDs
  • Videos
  • DVDs
  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Interlibrary Loan
  • E-Mail Notification of holds or overdue materials
  • Internet Access
  • Word processing and other software
  • Faxing
  • Scanner
  • CD-Rom products for children
  • Microfilm reader/printer
  • Voter Registrar



Newsletter
View our newsletter.


Policies
New Lenox Library Policy Statements


Mission Statement
The New Lenox Public Library District provides access to the universe of information and makes it available to the community in order to promote the communication of ideas, to enlighten citizens, and to enrich the personal lives of all district residents. View our Long-Range Plan!


Staff
Director, Jo Ann Potenziani: jpotenziani@newlenoxlibrary.org
Circulation Manager, Jennie Suttle: jsuttle@newlenoxlibrary.org
Head of Adult Services, Colleen Waltman: cwaltman@newlenoxlibrary.org
Head of Youth Services, Dana Russell: drussell@newlenoxlibrary.org



Trustees
Board meetings are generally held the second Monday of each month.

Linda Evans, President
Janet A. Ballerini, Vice President
Colette Loecke, Secretary
Dr. Edward A. Tatro, Treasurer
Louis J. Broccolo
James R. Lauterbach
Ann Podoba

View the most recently approved Board minutes.


Donor Tree
Friends
The Friends of the New Lenox Library is a group of people who support the New Lenox Library and help the library expand its potential to serve the New Lenox community.

Founded in 1996, this active group has purchased several "big ticket" items for the library.

Friends also:
  • Sponsor events
  • Maintain a continuous Book Sale at the library
  • Staff booths at community events
  • Maintain the Read and Ride book rack at the New Lenox train station



Donor Tree Project

The Friends of the Library invite you to support the library by giving to the Donor Tree, a permanent visual expression of your community spirit for generations to come.

Through the ages, trees have been symbols of knowledge. The Friends have selected a beautiful sculpted Donor Tree, designed by Stanford Werfel, and display it in the building foyer.

We will engrave each donor's name and message either on a brass or copper leaf, an acorn, or a foundation stone. Expressions can honor your family, memorialize a loved one, celebrate a birth, or recognize those who have touched or illuminated your life. Join us in this campaign to support our library.

Open a PDF of the Donor Tree Project Form.


Friends Membership Information

The Friends of the New Lenox Library are always looking for more people interested in joining. If you are interested in getting involved with our fun and active group, then please download an application and fill it out today. You can also pick one up at the Information Desk here at the Library. Individual membership is $10 per year with a family membership being $25 per year. This is a great way to get involved with your community with just a little time and effort to commit. We meet once a year with different committees meeting more often as needed.


Friends Meeting Information

We are always looking for new members who want to be involved but do not have a lot of time to commit. We have one yearly meeting with other committees meeting as needed depending upon the project. Watch this space for dates.


Friends Ongoing Book Sale

Please remember to stop by the Friends Ongoing Book Sale. All profits go right back into our beautiful library.


Top Shelf Recipes Cook Book

Top Shelf Recipes Cook Book The Friends of the New Lenox Library cook book, TOP SHELF RECIPES, is now available. The cook books are $15 each with 100% of the profits going right back to benefit our library. If you have already pre-ordered a book, you can pick them up at the Adult Services desk upstairs. Copies are available for purchase at New Lenox Mail and Parcel, 354A West Maple, 815/485-9626, and Petals and Twigs, 427 West Francis Road, 815/485-5976.




Donations
Join your neighbors and local businesses that show their support for our library through their donations. Following is a list of recent donors.
  • American Legion Auxiliary (New Lenox)
  • Bolker Realty (New Lenox)
  • Bruns & Bruns CPAs (New Lenox)
  • Candice L. Gibbons, DDS (New Lenox)
  • Gym-Kinetics (New Lenox)
  • Heritage Bank (New Lenox)
  • Huntington Learning Center (New Lenox)
  • Inland Arts & Graphics (New Lenox)
  • Joliet Jackhammers Baseball (Joliet)
  • Midwest Bank (New Lenox)
  • Morgan’s Thunder Bowl (Mokena)
  • Nancy’s Pizzeria (New Lenox)
  • New Lenox Ace Hardware (New Lenox)
  • New Lenox Auto Parts (New Lenox)
  • New Lenox Baking Co. (New Lenox)
  • New Lenox Restaurant (New Lenox)
  • Phillips Chevrolet (Frankfort)
  • Pizza Hut (New Lenox)
  • Suburban Bank & Trust (New Lenox)
  • Target (New Lenox)



History
The New Lenox Public Library celebrated its 60th anniversary in 1996. Begun in February, 1936 as a volunteer project run by members of the New Lenox Woman's Club, the first home was a small room in Haven School. The library had four other locations before it moved into its own building on Cedar Road in 1975. An addition was completed in 1986 increasing the library's size to 11,500 square feet.

In 1946 a referendum was passed and the tax-supported New Lenox Township Library was created. The library remained a part of the township government until 1987 when it became a library district, an independent unit of local government. The seven trustees are elected by the voters for six-year terms.

When the library first opened in Haven School in 1936, it housed 385 books. In 2000 the collection had grown to over 80,000 books, 200 magazines and newspapers, 3,000 CDs and tapes, and over 500 videos. These materials were housed in a building of 11,500 square feet.

Because the building was too small to adequately serve our rapidly growing population (projected to be 50,000 by 2010), the voters approved a referendum supporting construction of a new building.

The new building is located at 120 Veterans Parkway and opened on December 10, 2001. It is approximately 56,000 square feet, has room for over 200,000 books and seating for 176 people. While it was planned to meet current and future space needs, the layout is flexible enough to accommodate new information formats.