Jean D

Waukegan Public Library

Waukegan's current library building is located at County and Clayton Streets and is part of a governmental complex including both municipal and county buildings. The library opened for service on December 27, 1965. In 2005 the library evaluated the needs of its patrons in the western part of the city. A decision was made to build a branch to accommodate those patrons in the western areas of Waukegan and make it convenient for them to utilize library services. In 2006 the 203 square foot Hinkston Park Branch opened, located in the Hinkston Park Field House at 800 North Baldwin Avenue, Waukegan. Two years later the library repurposed 2,200 square feet in the Children's Department to build an Early Learning Center. The concept for the center sprang from a 2006 United Way survey that showed only 43% of Waukegan kindergartners ever attended preschool, and 77% speak Spanish as their primary language. The Early Learning Center is a cutting-edge facility featuring interactive, bilingual displays and programs geared towards children ages 0-7 and their families. Portions of the lower level were renovated again in 2009 to create the Literacy Suite, a 3,200 square-foot space which offers free one-on-one tutoring for adults who wish to improve basic reading or writing skills, plus free group classes, including Adult Basic Education, Family Literacy, and computer classes in Spanish and English.