About the Library Main Page
The River Forest Public Library Board has just approved a new Strategic Plan for the River Forest Public Library. Click here to see the plan. Further information on our plan will be included in the upcoming edition of the library newsletter The Bookplate.
Click here for the Library Catalog!
The library’s collections and friendly staff are at your service. Your library card gives you access to thousands of materials including books, periodicals, music, movies, and online research databases. Internet access is available at our seated terminals, or you may bring your laptop and enjoy free wifi. We hope that you will make the library your home away from home. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Library Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 9:00 a.m-5:00 p.m.
Sunday (Sept-May): 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Closed Sundays Memorial Day through Labor Day
The River Forest Public Library will be closed each year for the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. We will be open on all other holidays.
Library Location
The River Forest Public Library is located at 735 Lathrop Avenue in River Forest, Illinois. View a map of our location by clicking here. Need driving directions? Click here. If you’re looking for another local library near River Forest, click here to view our list of area libraries
Important Links
Loan Rules and Account Information
Job Openings and Volunteer Opportunities at the Library
History of the River Forest Public Library
Click here to view our Strategic Plan
Microsoft Word version / Plain text version
Click here to view the Library Levy
Click here to view the Library Budget
Library Services
Interlibrary Loan information
The River Forest Library is a member of SWAN, which is a group of 80 libraries that agree to share materials with other member libraries. With your library card, you have access to hundreds of thousands of titles via interlibrary loan and reciprocal borrowing among participating libraries. You may ask a librarian to request items for you, or you may place holds and requests yourself by logging into your account on the SWAN catalog website.
If the item you are looking for is not available via the SWAN catalog, please ask a librarian. We may still be able to find the item for you and place an out-of-system interlibrary loan at your request.
Photocopying in the Library
The River Forest Library has two photocopy machines for patron use, one on the first floor in the Children’s Room and one on the second floor near the microfilm machine. Photocopies cost $.10/page for black and white ink, and $.50/page for color ink.
Fax Services
The library provides a self-service fax machine at the second floor Reference desk. The fax machine will send up to 8 pages at a time. The charge for domestic faxing is $1.50 for the first page and $1.00 for any additional pages. The charge for international faxing is $4.95 for the first page and $3.45 for any additional pages. You can pay with a credit card or by paying cash at the Reference desk for a fax card. We are unable to receive faxes for our patrons.
Voting and Notary Services
The River Forest Library is not currently a polling place. If you are looking for your polling place for an election, you may visit www.voterinfonet.com, type in your address, and you will be directed to your specific polling location.
We occasionally offer voter registration, hosted by the League of Women Voters. Click here to find information about registering to vote.
The River Forest Public Library does not provide notary service at this time.
Meeting Room Use and Foyer displays
The Barbara Hall Meeting Room on the first floor is available for rental. To view the Meeting Room Policy or print an application, please Visit the Meeting Room Policy and Application page. Please inquire at the Circulation desk for more information. You may call the Circulation desk at 708-366-5205 x 304.
The River Forest Library welcomes local patrons to use our foyer as a display for artwork. Please contact Hadley Ford for more information at 708-366-5205, x 319.
Homebound Delivery Services
The library will provide delivery services for homebound River Forest residents. Please call our Head of Circulation, Ted Bodewes, at 708-366-5205 x 306 for requests or more information.
Available For Purchase at the Library
The River Forest Library sells stamps as well as portable flash drives at the 1st floor Circulation desk. The Friends of the River Forest Public Library also occasionally offer book bags, local history books, and notecards for sale. Please inquire at the first floor Circulation desk if you are interested in purchasing one of these items.
Museum Pass Information
The River Forest Public Library is a participant in the Macy’s Museum Adventure Pass program. The Museum Adventure Pass grants free or reduced admission, or other discounts to 18 Chicago area museums and attractions, including the Brookfield Zoo. River Forest Library Adult cardholders (age 14 and up) in good standing (non-expired cards with less than $5.00 in fines) may check out one pass per family, for up to three attractions at a time. The Library will have 4 passes to each of the 18 attractions, and the passes are first come, first serve. The passes are valid for 7 days once they are checked out. Patrons must come to the library in person to check out the pass. Please visit the first floor Children’s desk or the second floor Reference desk to check out the Museum Adventure Passes, or visit the Macy’s Museum Adventure Pass website at www.museumadventure.org for more information, including the list of all participating locations.
Test Proctoring
The River Forest Public Library offers test proctoring to the public. Proctoring is free for River Forest residents. There is a fee of $20 per test for proctoring to nonresidents. Please contact Blaise Dierks, Head of Adult Services, at 708-366-5205 x 318 to request an appointment.
Computer Use
Free wifi is available throughout the building. Seated Internet workstations are available for children on the first floor, and for adults on the second floor. River Forest Library cardholders may use the Internet computers for 3 hours a day (limited to 1 hour if others are waiting). You may print from the Internet computers for $.10/page for black and white ink, or $.50/page for color ink, by adding money to your library card. If you have questions or need assistance, please ask and a staff member will help you get started.
Short term (15 minute) terminals are also available for non-River Forest cardholders- 1 terminal on the first floor and 1 terminal on the second floor. If you would like to use Microsoft Office Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, or Excel, or access the River Forest library subscription databases, we have 1 terminal available on the second floor for these purposes. This computer is open to the public and does not have a time limit.
Help us make this website more accessible…
We are trying to make this website as accessible as possible for all of our visitors. If you have any problems accessing information on this website please let us know by sending an email to reference(@)rflib.org, or by calling us at 708-366-5205 x 316. We welcome your feedback and suggestions.
