New Streamwood library not a 'warehouse for books'

Imagine a library with an adult reading area where even laptops are banned. Gaming and enclosed glass study rooms for teens. A children's section that would rival any in the area.

Residents of the Poplar Creek Public Library District won't have to wait much longer.

The $22 million expansion of the main library in Streamwood is expected to open in May - on schedule and on budget.

"This is a magnificent building that could serve as Streamwood's civic center," said Lonn Frye, president of Chicago-based Frye Gillan Molinaro Architects. "This is not a warehouse for books."

Officials drafted ambitious plans after voters supported a tax hike in an April 2007 referendum. The board recently approved the sale of about $3.3 million of bonds, the last of the $22.7 million the library district was authorized to borrow.

The expansion doubles the library, located at 1405 S. Park Ave., to about 97,000 square feet. The new facility will preserve the original 1960s Brutalist-style architecture featuring concrete and hard angles, which Frye said was avant-garde for the time. The architects also emphasized artistic touches, such as an illuminated dragon leading to the children's library and seating on a floating platform.

The real focus, of course, is on the latest technology and amenities that will make the most out of the library's 200,000-piece collection. Patrons will enjoy wireless Internet, additional computers and meeting rooms, self-checkout, a drive-up return window and flat-screen TVs. Patrons can also order books online and have a bundle waiting for them at the front desk.

Assistant Director Betty Cress added the young adult section will be vastly improved.

"It used to be downstairs in a corner," she said. "We think it's an important part of the library, and we're going to highlight it."

There's also an environmentally friendly roof consisting of vegetation that will keep heating and cooling costs down and expand its life span. Recycled materials can be found in furniture and concrete.

"Everything has been looked at from the standpoint of green architecture," said Frye. "The board was very forward-thinking."

Parking is a casualty of the expansion. Most patrons will have to park across the street at athletic fields and cross a four-lane Park Avenue. A traffic signal has been installed.

The facility will be a welcome departure from the makeshift library currently set up in a string of storefronts along Bartlett Road. Despite what Cress calls a cozy atmosphere, about 30 percent of the collection is missing from the temporary setup, along with places to sit and read.

Officials decided against keeping parts of the main branch open during construction to avoid delays and higher costs.

The district serves more than 66,000 residents in parts of Streamwood, Bartlett and Hanover Park, the site of the Sonya Crawshaw branch.