Yuriy Goshovskiy

ENGLI-1101-NET59
Fall 2021

Poplar Creek

Public libraries are great avenues for learning all sorts of topics. With over 9,000 active

public libraries throughout all 50 states (LibGuides), the possibility of providing communities

with unique learning opportunities are endless. However, what are these communities like, and

how often do they even use their nearest library? Even more, do libraries serve the same purpose

they did many years ago, and do they deal with any social pressure? To answer these questions

and many more, I will be researching and gathering information on my nearest library: Poplar

Creek Public Library.

The Poplar Creek Public Library District was formed on June 22, 1971, with a mission of

enriching lives by providing books, free access to technology, and other materials. With a two-

million-dollar budget, the construction for the Streamwood building began years early of 1978

and officially opened to the public on June 1st, 1978 (History). Though the library had already

been built, it continued to expand in other ways. Soon after they added, “…young adult services

and a government documents department,” (Poplar Creek Public Library - a Visual History). The

library’s opening was a success. The Village of Streamwood and its neighboring town Hanover

Park found a comforting and innovative library to turn to. In fact, the library’s 2009 renovation

led to its featuring in the Library Journal where Poplar Creek Public Library would become one

of the first libraries to win an architectural award, (LJ’s New Landmark Library). Clearly, this

library has a rich history, and it deserves a firsthand look.

I began my Saturday morning by taking a visit to the Poplar Creek Public Library. It was

only a couple of minutes away. As I was approaching the library, I noticed something. Its

entrance was very inviting and architecturally beautiful. I had never seen a library like it. I guess
they won an architectural award for a reason! Upon walking through the revolving door, I was

greeted with very inviting faces. The workers there were wonderful in helping me find whatever

I needed. To really give the library a fair overview, I decided to pick out a book and find a spot

to read. I was lucky enough to find “Man’s Search for Meaning,” a book I had been wanting to

read. As I was looking for spots to sit, I noticed something interesting. There were certain parts

of the library that have lots of “white noise.” I call it white noise, but really, it’s just noise

coming from the vents. This is something I find enjoyable in case of outside distractions. A 2014

study found that playing white noise could improve memory and overall concentration (Rausch

et al.). This could be why some libraries set up reading areas where lots of white noise is present.

However, I noticed that Poplar Creek is all for satisfying the reader’s needs. The library

allows readers to read and work in separate rooms without any noise. After examining much of

the upper level, it’s clear these nicely furnished rooms aren’t there for show. Users can

completely immerse themselves in their work with little to no distraction using these rooms. This

felt like a luxury considering I hadn’t been to a library in years before visiting Poplar Creek. So

far, I have seen many individuals take advantage of these rooms. I rarely see people reading or

doing their work where lots of white noise is present, a spot I would easily take. There could be

multiple reasons for this. Perhaps people find it too noisy, or maybe these wide-open

environments for reading are too distracting. Nonetheless, everyone has a preference, and I can

assure you that Poplar Creek does their best to suit everyone’s needs.

Libraries have been a place to find and read books for hundreds of years. More recently,

libraries have become much more than that. As mentioned earlier, Poplar Creek’s mission is to

enrich life by providing books, technology, and other materials. I can give a personal anecdote of

them providing a service that many might not expect them to offer. Last month, I took a trip to
Spain and that would not have been possible had I not gotten my passport. Luckily, Poplar Creek

offers passport services! The lady at the library was super nice in helping me fill out my passport

application and she went ahead and shipped it off for review (Passport Services). Furthermore,

people are at the library to learn and get work done. I see students of all ages make use of the

computers provided at Poplar Creek, many of which also use the printers which I have only

recently discovered! What got me even more excited is how Poplar Creek makes an effort to be

inclusive. Their ESL Conversion Club focuses on practicing English skills for those still learning

the language. Additionally, they also offer library members to use “Mango,” a language learning

website that partnered with the library district. There was not one thing that I wasn’t excited

about when first entering this library (eLearning).

I went into Poplar Creek with an open mind, meaning I really didn’t know what to

expect. Because I rarely went to libraries as a kid, I always thought they were just kind of boring.

I feel like that is what most kids today think considering many children are surrounded by tech

24/7. Personally, it was a nice change of environment. After thoroughly researching my nearest

library, I can safely say my questions have been answered. I’ll start off by saying that I have not

once noticed any sort of social, racial, or economic pressure at the Poplar Creek Public Library.

In fact, I have gotten the complete opposite. I have seen acceptance, diversity, accommodation,

and most importantly, passion. Poplar Creek has followed through with their mission every time

I went there. They have a passion to provide all sorts of services, and I couldn’t be more grateful

for my community to have that. Next time you hear someone call a library boring, have them

rethink that. It might just take a little bit of exploring to find something great and meaningful.
 Works Cited

“LibGuides: Number of Libraries in the United States: Home.” American Library Association,

14 June 2019, libguides.ala.org/numberoflibraries.

“History.” Poplar Creek Public Library District, pclib.org/history. Accessed 18 Oct. 2021.

“Poplar Creek Public Library - a Visual History.” YouTube, uploaded by Studio 1405 - Poplar

Creek Public Library, 28 May 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf6PWXy__qc.

“LJ’s New Landmark Library | Poplar Creek Public Library.” Library Journal, 11 May 2011,

www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=ljs-new-landmark-library-poplar-creek-public-

library.

Vanessa H. Rausch, Eva M. Bauch, Nico Bunzeck; White Noise Improves Learning by

Modulating Activity in Dopaminergic Midbrain Regions and Right Superior Temporal

Sulcus. J Cogn Neurosci 2014; 26 (7): 1469–1480.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_00537

“Passport Services.” Poplar Creek Public Library District, 2021, pclib.org/services/services-

library/passports.

“ELearning.” Poplar Creek Public Library District, 2021,

pclib.org/elearning?highlight=WyJtYW5nbyJd.