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During these challenging times, we're doing all we can to provide Library materials, services, and expertise to you and your household. While the Library building remains closed until further notice, we're expanding and enhancing the ways we serve you digitally and in person.
Try our new Parking Lot Pick-Up service!
Parking Lot Pick-Up is an easy, convenient, and safe way for you to borrow books and other materials from the Barrington Area Library. Here's how it works.
- Search the online catalog for books and movies.
- Place requests on items you'd like to borrow. If you already have items on hold, those requests will be automatically changed to Parking Lot Pick-Up requests. Note that items may only be picked up at the main Library at this time. Also, Interlibrary Loan service is unavailable until further notice.
- Watch for an e-mail or text notification when the items are ready for pick-up. Come to the Library during Parking Lot Pick-Up hours: Monday - Friday, 1 - 6 PM, Saturday, 9 AM - 1 PM.
- Park in a designated pick-up spot (near the book return), call the number on the sign, and tell us the number of your parking spot.
- If all six spaces are full, please pull around to the front of the aisle near the Library canopy, and wait for the first available spot to open. Have your Barrington Area Library card number ready when you call. Walking or biking, or don't have a mobile phone? Come to the pick-up table outside the building and follow posted instructions.
- A staff member will check out your materials and deliver them to your vehicle.
- Enjoy your Library materials, and rest assured: our building has been disinfected to EPA standards, and our staff equipped with PPE/social distancing training and equipment. Health and safety remain our highest priorities.
Questions? E-mail or chat with our Customer Service representatives, Monday - Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM. .
June 12: You may begin to notice "overdue" items in your library account. Rest assured: no fines will accrue at this time. The drive-up book return at the main Library and eight other return locations are open again. Click this link to see which returns are open and which remain closed until further notice.
Please note: all returned items will be quarantined for seven days, due to guidelines from the Reaching Across Illinois Library System. So even after you return items, they will remain on your account for another seven to ten days.
Please do not worry about overdue fines - we've got you covered. We appreciate your patience and good will during these challenging times.
What else can the Barrington Area Library do for you?
Renew: https://www.balibrary.org/renew-your-card
Digital collections, including thousands of e-books, e-audiobooks, digital magazines and newspapers, streaming movies and TV shows. Many of these providers have expanded their offerings to give you more choices, and more checkouts per month, at this time. Get started: https://www.balibrary.org/downloads
Use the Library’s email contact forms: https://www.balibrary.org/contact-us#email or online chat via our website or social media sites to send in your questions.
https://www.balibrary.org/contact-us#email
https://www.balibrary.org/downloads
Research services: https://www.balibrary.org/databases
Online courses/video tutorials: https://www.balibrary.org/online-learning
NEW: Ancestry.com is making its Library Edition available for free to at-home users at this time. Get started on our Genealogy page, have your BALibrary card number handy:
The Barrington Area Library will be temporarily closed to public entry as of 9 PM, Friday, March 13, 2020 and until further notice.
Why is the Library closing until further notice?
The Library has been closely monitoring information regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak for several weeks. We have taken this unprecedented precaution based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and local health authorities, which cite social distancing and event cancellations as effective means for preventing the spread of disease. We care deeply about the health and safety of the communities we serve, especially seniors, people with underlying conditions, and others who are at greater risk. We want to support the efforts of our school district, local government, and healthcare organizations, by making this well-informed, proactive decision for the public good.
Take care of yourself, take care of your loved ones, and we look forward to serving you when we are able to reopen the Library building to the public.
How can I stay informed about the Library closing?
We will keep you informed via our website (balibrary.org), social media channels (Facebook and Twitter), and e-mail newsletters. Our response to this situation will undoubtedly continue to evolve, so please stay in touch.
How and when do I return my Library materials?
There is no need to worry about returning Library materials during this temporary closure. Until further notice, due dates will be extended and customers will not accrue fines on any items borrowed from the Library.
Will there be any Library services available during the closure?
In addition to items you currently have checked out, Barrington Area Library cardholders will also have 24/7 access to our outstanding digital collections of e-books, e-audiobooks, e-magazines and newspapers, streaming movies and TV shows and music, and downloadable music. Students and anyone with research needs may make use of our online research databases and homework help. We hope these resources keep you and your household informed, entertained, and connected during the coming weeks.
We encourage you to keep in touch with us via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, where we’ll do our best to answer your questions and share helpful information and resources. You may also use the Contact Us email form on our website – we’ll respond to your messages as quickly as possible.
What about Library items that I have on hold?
If you received notification that your on hold items are now ready for pick up at our remote lockers, you have seven days from the notification date to pick them up.
If you currently have holds on items in our catalog, those holds will remain in the system and will reactivate when the building has reopened.
We encourage all community members to seek out reliable, factual information about coronavirus disease. The following websites are helpful resources for staying informed.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Share Facts About COVID-19”
Illinois Department of Public Health, “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)”
Lake County, IL, Health Department, “COVID-19”
Cook County Department of Public Health, “Novel coronavirus”
Village of Barrington, “Information about the Coronavirus (COVID-19)”
World Health Organization, “Novel Coronavirus 2019” website
2026 Seed Library Now Open!
We're back with more than 100 varieties of kitchen, native, and flower garden seeds, and we hope you find something you love. Please visit the links below to learn about our Seed Library Launch and the seeds we'll be offering in 2026. Questions or comments? Please email lkirchhoff@balibrary.org. Happy growing!
Want to suggest that we add a seed for next year? Use our handy form.
Launch Day Details
Printable Seed List
Herbs
Vegetables
Flowers
Seed Library FAQ
Q. What’s in the Seed Library?
A. We stock a variety of native and common garden seeds. Produce seeds are non-GMO and organic, and we try to offer both very common seeds (like basil and cosmos) as well as seeds you may not commonly see in stores.
Q. What do the seeds cost?
A. Seeds are free!
Q. Do I need to have a library card to use the Seed Library?
A. No. The only time a Barrington Area Library card is required for the Seed Library is on launch day, when our cardholders get priority admission.
Q. I have questions about seeds that you’re offering. Who can I ask?
A. The Illinois Master Gardener Help Desk is an excellent resource if you have questions about your garden or particular plants. If you have questions about our program or particular seeds we’re offering, you can contact librarian Liz Kirchhoff at lkirchhoff@balibrary.org.
Q. Do you take seed donations?
A. Yes! You can drop seeds off at the Customer Service desk at the front of the Library. Please include the name of the seed and a way for us to contact you in case we have questions.
Q. How long is the Seed Library available?
A. Our season generally runs from late January through the end of April, or while supplies last.
Seed Library Resources
Seed Sources:
Helpful Info
ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants for Pets
About Our Teaching Garden and Teaching Prairie
Begun in 2021 as a partnership between the Library, the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, and the University of Illinois Extension Cook County North Master Gardeners, our Teaching Garden is an outdoor classroom for hands-on, multi-generational learning, as well as a quiet place to relax and read. Located in the southeast corner of the Library’s upper parking lot, the Garden is fully accessible, and offers comfortable seating in a beautiful setting.
Our 2025 season has now come to a close. We hope to see you next year!
Local Gardening News
BALibrary Garden & Environment Webinars
The Barrington Area Library is proud to announce that it has received a coveted four star ranking in the annual Star Libraries report, published by Library Journal. We are one of only 17 libraries in Illinois to receive a star ranking this year.
For the 2019 report, Library Journal surveyed 6,333 public libraries in the United States, and 261 received star rankings. This places the Barrington Area Library in the top 4% of libraries nationwide, based on six major service measures – physical material circulation, electronic circulation, number of visits, program attendance, public computer users, and wifi sessions, all per capita - from the 2016-2017 fiscal year. As in past years, BALibrary performed exceptionally well in overall circulation (top 2% nationwide) and e-circulation (top 1% nationwide), which comes as no surprise to our staff: we are proud to serve a community of engaged and curious readers of all ages.
The top 30 libraries in each of Library Journal's nine expenditure categories receive three, four, or five star rankings. See the full Star Libraries report online. The Barrington Area Library received three star rankings in 2010, 2017, and 2018.
We are pleased to share our latest annual report, covering the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
This year's report highlights the many ways in which the Library's programs and services support our mission statement and goals.
Explore how the Library stimulates imagination, creates (young) readers, develops information fluency, and fosters lifelong learning, all in comfortable physical and virtual settings.
Discover a group of young makers changing lives around the world, then discover how great stories and screen-free time change lives right here in the Barrington area.
Learn about Library technology, like the BALibrary app, Creativebug software, and genealogy services, and learn about improvements made to the Library building and campus this past year.
Take note of the many ways in which the Library collaborates with both nonprofit and business organizations, building relationships that inspire innovation and real world problem-solving.
We share this annual report with our thanks for your ongoing support and encouragement.
Read the report online below, or download a printable PDF.