When the Village of Mount Prospect, IL, a Chicago suburb (pop. 53,600), commissioned a study by the Chicago Community Trust to evaluate its social services, it found that significant immigrant communities were underserved. It also discovered a willing community partner to address the issue in the Mount Prospect Public Library (MPPL), an independently funded library.

The result of that partnership is MPPL's first branch, a major physical presence in the village's Community Connections Center, which opened in August 2009. It creates access for residents who couldn't get to the main library owing to a lack of public transportation.

The 700 square foot branch is staffed by three Spanish-speaking workers, but its influence has reached beyond the Hispanic community, says MPPL spokesperson Carolynn Muci. "We are already seeing the impact we are having with this largely underserved population—primarily immigrants, predominantly Hispanic," she said. The branch offers traditional library services—books, movies, computer access, homework and reading help, information, and programs.

The village abuts an area with many Japanese speakers, and an enterprising taxi driver originally from Mexico has been learning Japanese with the help of MPPL audiotapes. The branch also caters to speakers of Gujarati, a language spoken in India; Korean; Polish; and Russian.

MPPL is the major facet of the center (2400 total square feet), which includes a flexible, 560 square foot community room that can join the library space. The center also houses an office dedicated to a police officer community liaison, a space designated for a social services representative, and a third area staffed by either school district or hospital officials, as needed.

MPPL and the village are financial partners on the venture, with the latter contributing two-thirds of construction and ongoing operating costs other than salaries and benefits. Renovation costs of two adjacent storefronts totaled approximately $232,000.

MPPL's share came from a building fund set aside each year from tax proceeds, says Executive Director Marilyn Genther. Since MPPL renovated its main library just a few years ago, the necessary expertise was at hand. MPPL staffers were able to guide the two village staff members who were appointed project managers and Public Works staff who executed the construction.

The project was also just in time. "We were fortunate to have decided to move forward with this venture in 2007/2008," says Genther. "It probably would have been put on hold had it happened in 2009. Both boards (library and village) are committed to continuing this effort."