This year marks the fifth annual Fall Library Crawl. In 2019, Bethalto Public Library came up with this wonderful idea of having a Library Crawl within the Illinois Heartland Library System. Patrons have the opportunity to venture out of their home library and experience what other libraries have to offer. We are fortunate to be a part of the the Illinois Heartland System which allows access to over 400 libraries. This year 158 libraries participated in the Library Crawl.

To participate, all you need to do is stop by your home library and pick up a passport. The passport lists all the participating libraries. Once you have your passport all you have to do is map out a plan! Each town you visit not only offers you a library experience, but there are some great little shopping areas and yummy restaurants and cafes to explore. When you visit each library, get your passport stamped. Sometimes, you may even leave with a small gift!

The day of our crawl was a little overcast, but that didn’t dampen our enthusiasm as we pulled out of the library parking lot with our gift bags in tow. We were excited about visiting some of our fellow librarians and seeing what they had going on at their locations.

Our first stop was in Collinsville. We had a good visit with the Director Karla Waltermire and Amy, the Circulation Manager. They were happy to see that we were able to take part in the crawl and that we started our trip with a visit to their branch. We also visited Leslie in the Genealogy Department. She shared her most recent archiving project.

Our next stop was Maryville. This was our first time visiting their new location. We received a very warm greeting from the ladies at the front desk. The staff has done a wonderful job making this an inviting space, and they were excited to show it off a bit! We had a chance to visit with Heather Gaines, the Library Director, and hear about some of the plans she is working on to complete the set-up.

Then, we dropped in on our friends at the library in Glen Carbon. The sun was beginning to peek from behind the clouds, so we took the opportunity to snap a picture in from of their beautiful gazebo. The interior of this building is so warm and inviting. We chatted a bit with their Director, Christine Gerrish about some of the future plans for the space. We then visited with the youth services staff. Aimee, the Youth Service Director and Sam showed us around their department. What a great place for kids of all ages. Sam showed us the mural she painted in the teen room, and I must say, she is quite the artist. They shared their vision for the teen area, as they want to continue to make this a place where young people want to hang out. Their excitement was contagious. Nothing is more thrilling to this former teacher’s heart than seeing librarians who are enthusiastic about pulling kids into a space that draws them to reading!

We decided to have lunch at Twisted Biscuit in Edwardsville. That is an experience I would recommend if you are in the area and like biscuits and yummy breakfast/brunch foods.

After lunch, we visited our friends at the Edwardsville library. We received such a warm welcome here from Jim, the Circulation Manager and his circulation crew! It was such fun swapping stories and catching up with some of these folks I have spoken with on the phone numerous times throughout the years. Now, I have faces to go with the names! We also had a chance to visit with the director Diane Sussman and the Social Media Coordinator, Katherine Rose.

We turned toward home and popped in on the satellite branch of the Granite City library. The ladies at this branch were so excited that we stopped by on our outing. This is another library that has utilized their space very well. It is always interesting to see different layouts and the new possibilities for displays and set-ups. Paula was our tour guide here. Just as we were leaving, we had a chance to say hello to the Director, Betsy Mahoney

Our final stop was the library in Caseyville. This was an exciting way to end the day, as they are in the process of building a new library. This branch will serve the elementary school, which is right next door, as well as the Caseyville community. Jackie, the Library Director and Eleka spent some time showing us the drawings of the buildings and how they will connect. They also showed us the floor plan of their new library space. The next few months will be busy for them, but they are excited about the new opportunities these buildings will provide.

No trip to Caseyville would be complete without a stop at Dairy Haven. Since we were going right by it, we pulled through for an end of the day treat, then headed back to O’Fallon.

As we wandered through these libraries and spoke with the staff, I was once again reminded just how amazingly creative and fun librarians can be! Their love of and enthusiasm for reading and learning is a gift to each community where they serve. They were all warm and welcoming, and very generous in sharing their ideas. I think it is this attitude that makes our Heartland Library System special. We are all working together to provide, not just books, but also a wide variety of opportunities for the communities we serve!