Finally time to look inside new Elgin library

As Margaret Peebles and her staff have worked to ready the Gail Borden Library's Rakow branch for its debut this weekend, they've had visitors.

"We've had people peek in (through the windows)," said Peebles, director of branch services at the west-side facility. "We've definitely had people walking through the parking lots."

This weekend, you can see the 10,000-square-foot, $4.2 million library from the inside, too.

From 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, library officials will hold an open house, featuring seven tours, ice cream, kids activities and a 1 p.m. ribbon cutting for the library district's first branch in its 135-year history.

Sunday is the first full day of operation for the facility at 2751 W. Bowes Road, west of Randall Road.

The branch will be open from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Thursday and Friday. The phone number is (847) 531-7271.

The branch will complement services offered at the main library campus at 270 N. Grove Ave. rather than try to replicate them.

It will be geared more toward self service, with self-checkout kiosks and a 24-hour DVD dispenser outside the building.

The Dewey Decimal System will still be intact, but less emphasis will be placed on it.

"It's really set up in a more friendly book store-type arrangement instead of a traditional library," Peebles said.

The branch will feature a popular collection, a computer cafe, Zen gardens and a small "family room" with a fireplace.

The building can be expanded up to 30,000 square feet and features environmentally sustainable elements such as geothermal heating and cooling.

Tickets for the open house tours are available at the main library desk.

"We're trying to get as many people in on the first day that we can," said Denise Raleigh, the library's marketing director. "We think people are going to be very excited. It's going to be a wonderful atmosphere," she said.

For details, visit gailborden.info.

The building was named the Rakow branch earlier this year after Tom and Sue Rakow, their children and grandchildren honored Melvin E. "Pete" and May T. Rakow and their daughter Barbara Rakow Rietz with a large donation.