SECTION 2
Resources to help with staying home and dealing with hardship due to COVID-19
SECTION 3
Details about the temporary closure of the Library building and the status of materials and services
Contact your Librarians
Your librarians are available to answer your questions. You can reach them by phone and online.
Live Chat
Librarians are available Monday–Saturday, 9:00 am–5:00 pm. The live chat portal is in the lower right corner of your screen. Start your live chat session by sending a reply or clicking the envelope icon or "We Are Here."
Contact Form
Submit a message on our Contact page
Send a message to reference@lakeforestlibrary.org
Phone
Call 847.810.4610 and leave a voicemail
Request personalized reading recommendations
Complete our "Just for You" Readers Advisory form and your Librarians will email you a list of suggested books they think you'll enjoy
Upcoming Virtual Events
PJ Storytime with Miss Amy (Virtual Event on Facebook Live)
Teen Book Club: New Kid (Virtual Event on Microsoft Teams)
In addition to checking out our curated list of Free Virtual Activities, consider following the Library on Twitter. We're retweeting a lot of great resources!
Lake Forest Mayor message, May 20, 2020
Lake Forest Mayor message, May 13, 2020
Building Temporarily Closed
As a precaution, Lake Forest Library has canceled all on-site programs and temporarily closed the building to public access in support of COVID-19 prevention.
As we all have discovered, the situation is changing rapidly. Please check back on our website or social media pages for the latest information.
This change is a proactive, precautionary measure and is not due to any known COVID-19 exposure. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to support social distancing as recommended by the CDC.
See all updates about the Library's response to COVID-19.
Status of Services and Resources
| ⬤ | Digital resources including eBooks, streaming movies, and most databases are available for access from home to all Lake Forest residents with a library card. Request a temporary virtual library card. |
| ⬤ | Reference and Readers Advisory services are available. You can contact your librarians by live chat, phone, and email. |
| ⬤ | Virtual Events are available through Microsoft Teams and other platforms. Library Live mini programs including live storytimes are available on the Library's Facebook and Instagram pages. For details on how to join, visit our Virtual events page. |
| ⬤ | Book return boxes behind the Library and the book return slots in the wall at the West Train Station are open and accepting returns, excluding Takeout Tech and Oversize. Please hold on to these items until further notice. Due dates are currently extended to July 1 and we are a fine-free library. |
| ⬤ | Physical library materials from the Lake Forest collection are available for pickup as early as June 3. Search the online catalog and place holds on items you would like. Make sure "Limit by" is set to "Lake Forest Materials." You can also call us to place holds. For more information, visit the Curbside Collect page. |
| ⬤ | Library Wi-Fi is available from outside the building or nearby parking spots, but the signal strength varies. When near the Library building, connect to "Public." |
| ⬤ | Library building is closed to public access. |
| ⬤ | Public computers and physical library materials are unavailable while the building is closed. |
| ⬤ | Holds and Interlibrary Loans are currently unavailable. |
| ⬤ | DVD2GO machine is currently unavailable. |
| ⬤ | Book donations to the Friends are not currently being accepted. Please do not leave any items at the back dock. |
FAQs while the building is closed
When are my items due?
All due dates have been extended until after the library building reopens.
Can I pick up items?
Curbside Collect pickups begin June 3! Place items on hold and wait for a personalized phone call from Library staff letting you know your items are ready to pick up.
Can I return items?
Yes, as of May 18 the book return boxes behind the Library and the book return slots in the wall at the West Train Station are open. Please do not return Takeout Tech and Oversize items at this time.
Can I place holds?
Yes! When searching in the catalog, make sure "Limit by" is set to "Lake Forest Materials." Interlibrary loans are not yet available.
When will holds become available?
All existing holds currently in the system will be processed at the end of May, in preparation for the start of Curbside Collect service in early June.
What if my library card expires?
Library staff have proactively pushed back library card expiration dates. If your library card is not working, please contact us via the channels listed on this page.
Where can I get info on library digital resources?
Please visit our Download and Stream page, the Databases page, and follow us on social media, where we share the latest offerings.
What is the staff up to?
Library staff is working from home. They may be placing orders (especially of digital materials), setting up new eResources and databases for you to use, sharing community and library information on social media, participating in webinars and online training, planning and running virtual programs, and answering your reference and reader's advisory questions. Library staff are also working to bring you more services and plan the reopening of the building.
Where can I find reliable info on COVID‑19?
Please see the resources listed on our COVID‑19 page.
Where can I find info on financial hardship resources?
Please see the resources listed on our Resources to Help You Recover from Financial Hardship resulting from COVID‑19 page.