Schaumburg Library can help you with last-minute travel

It happens to the best of us. We turn the page on the calendar, see the word "September," and wonder what happened to summer.

There was supposed to be a trip - a family vacation, a romantic getaway, a girl's or guy's day out. But time marched on without anyone making the plans or reservations.

Fortunately, it's not too late. With a little help from the Schaumburg Library, you can soon be on your way with flip-flops, hiking boots or camera in tow.

Nestled in the library's book stacks and DVD shelves are vacation ideas for every kind of trip. Additionally, librarians are at-the-ready if you need an escort to the right section, or want help finding destinations, flights or accommodations online.

Whether you prefer to travel abroad, hit a national park, snorkel in the Gulf or visit museums, vineyards, battlefields, shopping meccas or water parks, we can get you on the right path.

If day trips are your preferred mode of vacation, check out the library's bus trips, listed in the June-July Guide and at www.SchaumburgLibrary.org. (August trips are included.)

Looking for an overnighter or long weekend? Consider Michigan and Wisconsin, which both offer an array of beaches, nature trails, galleries, zoos and more. You'll find enough options to make your head spin in the state-by-state travel books.

For all other options, simply stop by the Reference Desk on the second floor for librarian assistance, or head straight for the 900 book stacks for a plethora of guidebooks and travel narratives.

In the 910 area, you'll find general titles such as "1001 Escapes," "Food Lovers' Guide to the World," "500 Places to See Before They Disappear," "Cruise Vacations" and. of course, "The Best Places for Everything."

If you have a general travel area in mind, look on the 914 shelves for European destinations, 915 for Asia, 916 for Africa, 917 for the U.S. and Caribbean (including national parks), 918 for South America and 919 for Antarctica and Australia. (DVDs are located on the first floor, use the same Dewey Decimal numbering system.)

Or, forget the numbers and just ask a librarian to point you to the travel area. You'll have fun browsing the titles and considering all the possibilities.

If you are specifically interested in visiting spots in the Land of Lincoln, walk past the book stacks and head for the Illinois Collection, housed in a special area. There you will find information on places like the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Shawnee National Forest with its Garden of the Gods, Anderson Gardens, Starved Rock State Park, Cahokia Mounds, and, of course, our own Sweet Home Chicago.

Planning to drive? There are road maps in a file cabinet along the Reference Area's back wall and general maps in the 912 book stacks. Atlases can be found on the atlas stand and book shelves near the Reference Desk.

Beware the danger of Atlases, however, for you'll see the proximity of one destination to another and say, "If I go here, I can also go there … and there!" Before you know it, that one-week trip has stretched into two.

Whether you're dreaming of a staycation, a U.S. destination or travel abroad, the library can help you get there and discover options for food, entertainment, lodging and more.

Make Schaumburg Library your first stop, and don't let another summer slip by without a trip.