Three months after voters handed it a $17.5 million renovation mandate, the Glencoe Public Library at 320 Park Avenue is saying thank you in the best ways a library can.

Its summer newsletter, the first programming announcement since the March 17 vote, unveils a space-themed lineup that includes the Adler Planetarium bringing filtered telescopes to the library's front lawn, an LED-lit mini-golf course in the Children's Department, and reading clubs for all ages running June 6 through August 9.

"I think we were always hopeful the community would come out in support of the referendum, but you can never be too sure," Executive Director Andrew Kim told the Chicago Tribune after the measure passed with 1,168 in favor and 590 opposed.

The referendum, approved by 66.4% of the 1,820 ballots cast on March 17, funds the bulk of a $20 million project to expand the library from roughly 22,000 square feet to just over 26,000. Property owners will see an estimated $135 annual increase for every $10,000 paid in current property taxes.

The remaining $2.5 million comes from a private capital campaign that had raised nearly $1.9 million as of January 2026.

The building hasn't had a major renovation since it opened in 1941. (Interior work was done in 2001 and a new HVAC system installed in 2017.)

A capital needs study identified more than 300 maintenance issues, including original cloth-covered wiring that poses a fire hazard, frequent basement flooding from a compromised foundation, and a heating-and-cooling system cobbled together from 20 separate units.

Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is designing the renovation. The project architect, SOM partner Adam Semel, is a Glencoe resident. Key changes include a 1,840-square-foot community room on the southwest side that will hold up to 150 people, a 1,000-square-foot children's services addition on the top floor, a new central elevator for ADA compliance, and a south-facing public entrance opening onto Wyman Green. The beloved north façade along Park Avenue and the historical Johnson Room will be preserved.

The library's "A Universe of Stories" theme runs all summer. Highlights include:

• Saturday, July 25, 1–3 p.m. — Adler Planetarium's Scopes in the City program brings large filtered telescopes for safe daytime solar viewing on the library's front lawn. Free, all ages, weather dependent.
• Saturday, June 27 — Portable planetarium visit (ages 5+, registration required).
• Saturday, July 11 — Galactic Golf, a nine-hole LED-lit mini-golf course in the Children's Department.
• Friday, July 3 — Red, White, and Bike Decorating on Wyman Green, featuring the library's book bike in patriotic parade attire.
• Sunday, July 19 — Family Fairy Houses, with creations hidden along the Green Bay Trail for Green Bay Trail Day on Saturday, July 25.
• Saturday, August 8 — Fantastic Foam Fest to close out Summer Reading Club.

Adult programming includes a Big Books series on Oscar Wilde's plays led by Teresa Grosch, a former fiction editor for Playboy, beginning Tuesday, July 14, and Preston Sturges film screenings introduced by Adult Services librarian Matthew Byrd on Fridays starting July 24.

The children's Summer Reading Club (all ages through grade 8) rewards 25 days of reading with a free paperback. The adult club offers weekly gift card raffles, including a $100 card donated by Guildhall.

The library aims to complete detailed design planning by the end of 2026. Construction is targeted for early 2027, with an 18-to-24-month build putting reopening between mid-2028 and early 2029, according to the library's renovation FAQ. The building will close during construction, but Kim said the library plans to offer services at temporary locations within Glencoe.

The Village Board must formally issue the bonds. Village President Howard Roin told the Tribune the board will do so when the Library Board requests it.

The library is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Parking is available in the three-hour public lot across Green Bay Road.