Carol Stream library to raffle e-readers at party

In the fall of 1962, a one-room library opened within Carol Stream's village hall, then located at 397 Blackhawk Drive, with books, magazines, furniture and shelves donated by residents.

Fifty years later, the Carol Stream Public Library — at its facility at 616 Hiawatha Drive since 1978 — has grown to have a total volume collection of 190,500 materials, and a circulation demand of more than a half-million materials a year.

But it's also changed with the times — as one of the first libraries to have a digitized card catalog system in the 1980s, and a local-area network in the 1990s.

So on its 50th anniversary, the library continues to forge ahead and celebrate, in part, by giving away new e-readers to patrons at a birthday celebration this Saturday.

Every hour on the half-hour, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., library staff will hold drawings for new Kindle Paperwhites. Carol Stream library cardholders who have checked out materials since the beginning of September have received entry forms for the drawing — a maximum of one entry per day.

The library will give out a total of eight Kindles on Saturday, said Mary Clemens, the interim assistant library director and head of youth services.

An array of family activities is planned to celebrate the library's anniversary on Saturday:

Ÿ From 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., a fire truck from the Carol Stream Fire Protection District will be in the library's parking lot.

Ÿ From 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the Adler Planetarium will host balloon rocket demonstrations.

Ÿ From 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., children will be able to ride an energy bike, a “hands-on and feet-on” learning tool, Clemens said, sponsored by the SCARCE environmental group.

Ÿ From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Museum of Science and Industry will host a variety of hands-on, science-related activities.

Ÿ From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., DuPage Animal Control will have a table promoting its animal care and pet adoption services.

Ÿ From 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the SciTech Wimshurst Static Electricity Show “will make your hair stand on end,” organizers say.

Also Saturday, the Friends of the Carol Stream Public Library will host a membership drive from 1 to 3 p.m.

Culver's Frozen Custard will serve free custard from 1 to 3 p.m., and free popcorn will be available all day from West Suburban Bank.

Clemens said the anniversary celebration coincides with activities related to the first national Star Wars Reads Day.

If you go

What: Carol Stream Public Library 50th anniversary celebration

When:9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6

Where: 616 Hiawatha Drive

Cost: Free

Info: (630) 653-0755 or cslibrary.org