Normal is a town in McLean County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 52,736. Normal is the smaller of two principal cities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area, and is Illinois' seventh most populous community outside the Chicago metropolitan area. The main campus of Illinois' oldest public university, Illinois State University, a fully accredited four-year institution, is in Normal, as is Heartland Community College, a fully accredited two-year institution. Chris Koos has been Normal's mayor since 2003.
Illinois State University (ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of the top ten largest producers of teachers in the US according to the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
The Newberry Library is an independent research library, specializing in the humanities. It is located in Chicago, Illinois, and has been free and open to the public since 1887. The Newberry fosters a deeper understanding of our world by inspiring research and learning in the humanities and encouraging conversations about ideas that matter. Its mission is rooted in a growing and accessible collection of rare and historical materials.
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world.
John Cotton Dana was an American library and museum director who sought to make these cultural institutions relevant to the daily lives of citizens. As a public librarian for forty years Dana promoted the benefits of reading, pioneered direct access to shelved materials, and innovated specialized library services of all types.
The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is an international professional association for library and information professionals working in business, government, law, finance, non-profit, and academic organizations and institutions.
The Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) is the Massachusetts, United States professional library association that "advocates for libraries, librarians, and library staff, defends intellectual freedom, and provides a forum for leadership, communication, professional development, and networking to keep libraries vital." MLA publishes standards for library services to Massachusetts children and young adults. MLA sponsors an annual conference, as well as continuing education programs and organizational reports of interest. The current President of MLA is Esme Green, Director of the Goodnow Library in Sudbury.
The Newark Public Library (NPL) is a public library system in Newark, New Jersey. The library system offers numerous programs and events to its diverse population. With eight different locations, the Newark Public Library serves as a Statewide Reference Center. The Newark Public Library is the public library system for the city of Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The library system boasts a collection of art and literature, art and history exhibits, a variety of programs for all ages. The library is home to author Philip Roth's collections.
The Maricopa County Library District is a public library system located in central Arizona, United States. It is the largest library system in the US by population served.
The Kitsap Regional Library is a public library system in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It has nine locations that serve over 280,000 residents in Kitsap County; its collection includes over 300,000 items that have an annual circulation of 2.4 million. Founded in 1945 as the Kitsap County Rural Library District, the modern system was formed from a 1955 merger with the Bremerton city library.
The Barrington Area Library, located at 505 N. Northwest Highway in Barrington, Illinois, serves the approximately 45,360 residents of the Barrington Public Library District. One of the largest geographic public library districts in Illinois, the Barrington Public Library District covers a 72-square-mile (190 km2) area in Cook, Lake, Kane, and McHenry counties, and encompasses all or part of the communities of Barrington, Barrington Hills, Deer Park, Lake Barrington, North Barrington, South Barrington, Tower Lakes, Algonquin, Fox River Grove, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, Palatine, Port Barrington, and some unincorporated areas.
St. Charles is a city in DuPage and Kane counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It lies roughly 40 miles (64 km) west of Chicago on Illinois Route 64. Per the 2020 census, the population was 33,081. The official city slogan is "Pride of the Fox", after the Fox River that runs through the center of town. St. Charles is part of a tri-city area along with Geneva and Batavia, all western suburbs of similar size and socioeconomic condition.
The Riverside County Library System (RCLS), located in Riverside County, California, United States, is a public library system composed of 35 libraries, two museums and two mobile resource vans. The RCLS is a member of the Inland Library Network. It is the first library system in the nation that turned over its entire operation to a private company.
The Morton Grove Public Library (MGPL) is a public library that serves residents and businesses of the village of Morton Grove, Illinois. Morton Grove is located 12 miles (19 km) north of downtown Chicago. The library is located at 6140 Lincoln Avenue, Morton Grove, IL 60053 and serves a population of 23,270 residents. The mission of the Morton Grove Public Library is to "provide a place offering materials, programs, and services to assist the community in its pursuit of personal growth and lifelong learning."
Guy St. Clair is an American educator, author, and knowledge services specialist. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia (M.S.) and the University of Illinois (A.B.).
The John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award, usually referred to as the John Cotton Dana Award, is an annual award given by Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, American Library Association for excellence in library public relations. It is named for John Cotton Dana, a Progressive Era librarian who strove to make libraries accessible to as many people as possible. This award has been given continuously since 1946 and is sponsored by EBSCO Information Services, the H.W. Wilson Foundation and the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Eight winners receive a $10,000 prize and a plaque. The award is considered to be the ALA's most prestigious honor.
The Illinois Library Association (ILA) is the eighth oldest library association in the world and the third largest state library association in the United States. It is headquartered in Chicago.
The Roddenbery Memorial Library (RML) is a single branch public library system serving county of Grady, located in Georgia. The library is located in Cairo, Georgia.
Sarah Ann Long is an American librarian and columnist for The Daily Herald. She frequently advocates for libraries and literacy.
The Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) is a professional organization for Colorado's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Arvada, Colorado. It was established in 1893 as the Colorado Library Association. John Cotton Dana was elected president of the organization in 1895 but left after taking a controversial position on the gold standard and John Parsons succeeded him. The organization faltered in 1896 and then was "resuscitated" in 1905. Alfred Whitaker was the president of the association in 1905.
