September 2, 2025
The Glencoe Public Library and community leaders are working together to lay the groundwork for a major library building renovation planned for 2026-2028.
The purpose of the Capital Campaign Advisory Council is to solicit donations toward the renovation project. The council’s “Rooted in History, Building for Tomorrow” campaign got underway this summer with several information sessions at businesses and private homes in Glencoe as well as at the library. The council will host an additional event on September 12 that will take place on Wyman Green and in the library. More events will be scheduled later this fall.
The Campaign Advisory Council is co-chaired by Linda Lin and Michael Pope. Its members are Jessica Aspen, Ann Bates, Alisa Bergstein, Megan Cummins, Carla and Jay Edelston, Lori Muller, Jill Takiff Hirsh, John Tuohy, Marilyn Vender, and Rachel Zimmerman.
“Our library has been providing terrific service to Glencoe families since its building was completed in 1941,” says Michael Pope, who also is a member of the library’s Board of Trustees. “Now–eighty-four years later–a major renovation is needed. The architects at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill have created an exciting design that will bring daylight to all three floors of the building, create suitable office space for our hard-working staff, and increase our program space for Glencoe residents of all ages. This renovation will ensure that our library remains a ‘jewel’ of our village for many years to come.”
For information about donating to the “Rooted in History, Building for Tomorrow” campaign, please contact the library’s executive director, Andrew Kim, or visit the Support section of the campaign website.
In late August, a separate and permanent entity named the Glencoe Public Library Foundation was launched. The role of the foundation, which has 501(c)(3) tax-exemption status, is to receive donations and disburse funds on behalf of the library. Donations will support the renovation as well as library services and resources beyond its regular operating budget.
The Friends of the Glencoe Public Library was established in 1962 and supports library collections and programs through an annual appeal and semiannual used book sales.
Glencoe officials continue to work with the library’s Board of Trustees as renovation plans unfold. On August 27, 2025, the Village of Glencoe Zoning Commission and the Village of Glencoe Plan Commission met jointly for a presentation on the latest architectural renderings of the library project. In September, the Zoning Commission will consider a special use permit for the proposed large program and community room and the Plan Commission will conduct an external appearance review for the project as a whole.
The library’s renovation is estimated to cost $17.3 million and will be funded through a combination of private and public funding and grants. In November, the Village of Glencoe Board of Trustees will consider accepting the library board’s pursuit of a bond to finance the renovation project. If approved, the project will be presented to Glencoe voters in a nonbinding bond referendum on March 17, 2026. The amount sought will depend on the success of prior fundraising efforts. Construction is slated to begin in late 2026.