Naperville Public Library Closed Friday

The Naperville Public Library will be closed March 8 for staff training.

The Naperville Public Library will be closed this Friday for staff training. Get news in your inbox. Sign up for the Patch newsletter. Like Naperville Patch on Facebook. The library will be closed Friday, March 8 for staff in-service day and training, according to the Naperville Public Library. Normal operating hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. will resume on Saturday, March 9. Drive-up returns for all materials are available 24 hours a day at the Nichols Library, 200 W. Jefferson Ave.; the Naper Boulevard Library, 2035 S. Naper Blvd.; and the 95th Street Library, 3015 Cedar Glade Dr.  Materials may also be renewed by calling 630.961.0460. The library catalog, www.naperville-lib.org, is also available for patrons to download or renew materials. …

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Holiday 2012: Holiday Closures and Garbage Pick-Up

Here are some of the closures in Naperville over Christmas and the New Year.

While the malls are overcrowded with last minute shoppers, not everything will be open for business over the holidays. The library, parks and the city of Naperville will be closed or operating with different hours. City of Naperville Closures and Garbage Collection The city of Naperville also is reminding residents that the Naperville Municipal Center will be closed on Monday and Tuesday in observance of Christmas. The Municipal Center will also be closed Jan. 1, in observance of New Year’s Day.  Residents should be aware that there will be no garbage collection on Tuesday, Dec. 25. Also, garbage collection will not take place on Jan. 1. Garbage and recycling will be collected one day later than normally scheduled during these two weeks. …

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Holiday Giving: 10 Places to Volunteer Your Time

A collection of volunteer opportunities throughout the area.

Looking for a way to give back to the community this holiday season?  From food pantries to local animal shelters, there are plenty of opportunities to lend a helping hand in the Naperville area. Below are 10 great organizations to donate the gift of time. If you or your organization is in need of volunteers for an upcoming event or project, please add them in the comments.   Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry How You Can Help: Loaves & Fishes distributes more than 60,000 pounds of groceries and serves approximately 600 families every week, according to the organization's website. Volunteers work in a variety of areas including distribution, sorting, shelving and office assistance. They must be at least 14 years old. The pantry also accepts …

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Naperville Public Library, Sikich Listed as Chicago Tribune's 2012 Top Workplaces

Two Naperville workplaces have been listed as Chicago Tribune's 2012 Chicago Top Workplaces.

Two Naperville workplaces have been listed as Chicago Tribune's 2012 Chicago Top Workplaces. Naperville Public Library and Naperville-based accounting and consulting company Sikich LLP rank among Chicago's best places to work, based on employee feedback given to the Chicago Tribune.  Employees credited their workplaces as having "dynamic, supportive and inclusive cultures," according to the Chicago Tribune. Naperville Public Library, which has three locations within the city, ranks 18th among midsized businesses on the Tribune's list. Library employees told the Chicago Tribune that the library's environment makes for an enjoyable working experience.  “I am surrounded by books and hard-working people,” one person told the Tribune.  “My work…

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Photos: Dr. Seuss' Grinch Statue Steals Spotlight at Naper Boulevard Library

A crowd of about 100 people of all ages gathered to get the first look at a new Dr. Seuss sculpture depicting The Grinch at Naper Boulevard Library Tuesday.

Dr. Seuss may have called him "as cuddly as a cactus," but people of all ages certainly warmed up to The Grinch Tuesday at Naper Boulevard Library.  Nearly 100 curious onlookers gathered outside the library's main entrance Tuesday afternoon for the unveiling of a sculpture of The Grinch along with his dog Max from the holiday classic, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Naperville's Century Walk staff secured a $50,000 grant from Naperville’s Special Events and Cultural Amenities funds for the sculpture, which is now the Naperville Century Walk's 42nd piece. "I thought the turnout was fantastic," said Naper Boulevard Library manager Karen Dunford. "We've really been looking forward to this day in a very big way because the other two …

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Naperville Library Dedicates Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Sculpture Tuesday

Naperville and fans of Dr. Seuss are invited to join the special ceremony at the Naper Boulevard Library.

He's originally from "just north of Who-ville," but Dr. Seuss' The Grinch will find a new home at the Naperville Public Library Tuesday.  Get news in your inbox. Sign up for the Patch newsletter. Like Naperville Patch on Facebook. Naperville residents and fans of Dr. Seuss are being welcomed to join the Naperville Public Library on Oct. 9 for the official dedication of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” a sculpture depicting two of Dr. Seuss’ best-known characters, which will take place at 4 p.m. at the Naper Boulevard Library.  There will be opportunities for photos with both the sculpture and a live costumed Cat in the Hat, another one of Dr. Seuss’ beloved characters. After the dedication, light refreshments will be served in the program…

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Where to Find Harry Potter Author J.K. Rowling’s New Book in Naperville

The new book, The Casual Vacancy, is to be released Thursday, Sept. 27.

Harry Potter may have vanished into the past, but author J.K. Rowling is still around, with her for-adults book The Casual Vacancy due out Sept. 27. In Naperville, you can find the book at Anderson's Bookshop as well as Barnes and Noble. If you’re looking to check the book out from the Naperville Public Library, be sure to get your name on the waiting list to reserve a copy. As of Tuesday night, 292 holds had been placed on the book. To place a hold at the library, click here or call 630-961-4100. The new book by the creator of Harry Potter is aiming this book at a grown-up audience. More than 2 million hardcover copies of her first novel are set to be released simultaneously in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New…

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Naperville Nichols Library Undergoing Roof Construction Until November

Library will remain open during construction project, which is expected to last until late November.

Re-construction of the Nichols Library roof began last week and is expected to last through Nov. 23, assuming there are no weather delays, according to the Naperville Public Library. Get news in your inbox. Sign up for the Patch newsletter. Like Naperville Patch on Facebook. The library will remain open during the construction, but the drive-thru book return may be closed periodically throughout the project. A few parking spaces will be blocked intermittently as well.   “This is a complicated project,” said Nichols Library Manager Sue Prindiville in a press release. “The first step is the removal of the river rock covering the membrane of the old roof. This will be followed by three weeks of roof removal and installation of temporary …

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Library Users Donate Nearly 5 Tons of Food in 2 Weeks

In just two weeks, Naperville Public Library users helped raise almost 10,000 pounds of food and supplies for Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry during the library's Food for Fines campaign.

Within two short weeks, Naperville Public Library users helped to raise nearly 10,000 pounds of food for Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry earlier this month. From July 9 to 22, almost five tons, or 9,948 pounds of food and household supplies were collected during the library’s Food for Fines campaign. The program allowed library users to make a food donation in place of paying a late fee for overdue books, and it certainly proved to be a success. “It was a major effort and the results show,” said Loaves & Fishes executive director and CEO Charles McLimans. “John Spears (Naperville Library executive director) and the Naperville Public Library have a fantastic staff and they put a lot of effort into marketing and organizing it.” Spears said …

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Naperville Library's Food for Fines Program Begins Today

Library users who owe fines will be able to make a food donation in place of paying the fee from July 9 until the 23 at any of the Naperville Public Library locations.