On Sunday, April 19, more than 1,000 people gathered at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library to celebrate a major milestone: the library’s 100th birthday.
“The library is the heart of the community,” said Library Board Trustee President Amy Somary during her opening remarks. “At 100 years young, it has stood the test of time, and our next 100 years look brighter than ever.”
The Arlington Heights Memorial Library began as a volunteer-run women’s reading circle in the late 1800s. By 1926, the Village of Arlington Heights held an official election to establish the library, granting it formal recognition and allowing it to hire its first staff member. In 2026, the library marks 100 years as an officially recognized public library.
“We honor the generations who have built this library and look ahead to the future generations it will inspire.” said Library Director Mike Driskell as he reflected on the milestone, noting the library’s long‑standing role in the community.
To mark the centennial, library staff organized a birthday celebration with refreshments, entertainment and family-friendly activities. Guests enjoyed cake pops from Soha’s Sweet Treats, live music by ButterBean, close-up magic by El Mago the Magician and juggling by Jason Kollum, along with other library-planned entertainment such as decades trivia and the unveiling of a new storytime puppet.
“It’s a lot of fun seeing all the excitement, especially with the kids,” said Brandi Bunting, one of the library’s bookmobile assistants who attended the celebration. “The energy is here, and everyone is just so excited to celebrate this milestone.”
The celebration also included a commemorative time capsule display, showcasing items that will be buried and opened in 50 years, in 2076. The capsule is intended to offer a future generation of Arlington Heights community members a snapshot of what was meaningful during this moment in time. It includes items voted on by community members, as well as selections curated by library staff to reflect current culture.
“I hope I remember to come,” said District 214 student Teagan Garcia, who is already making plans to be there when the time capsule is opened. “When I was looking at the [time capsule display], I got really excited.”
Teagan’s father, Allen Garcia, shared their enthusiasm. “I’ve seen time capsules from when we were kids, and it’s interesting to think about what today’s kids will see when they reach our age and look back at what we were doing. That part is kind of cool,” he said.
The time capsule items will also be on display on the second floor of the library throughout the month of May. Beyond the festivities, the celebration also marked the unveiling of a new exhibit, A Century of Stories, which explores the library’s history and its enduring role in the community over the past 100 years.
During opening remarks, Arlington Heights Village Trustee Greg Zyck began his speech by reading the foreword written by former Arlington Heights Memorial Library Executive Librarian Frank J. Dempsey in This Bookish Inclination by Margery Frisbie. The book, which chronicles the library’s history from 1887 to 1987, was a key resource in curating the exhibit now on display on the first floor.
In the foreword, Dempsey writes, “The people who built [the library] carefully, over the years, like an intellectual cathedral stone by stone, book by book, deserve to be remembered.”
“I think my parents would have felt like this was the dream come true of what they envisioned, because it’s a fabulous library,” said Teresa Frisbie, daughter of author Margery Frisbie and former board president Richard Frisbie. Both played significant roles in the library’s history and are featured in the A Century of Stories exhibit. Members of the Frisbie family attended the celebration specially for the occasion.
“I felt pretty emotional because of their involvement—my dad being on the board for 44 years and my mom having written the history of the library,” she said, referencing her parents’ recognition during the opening remarks and their inclusion in the exhibit. “When they read the introduction to [This Bookish Inclination] out loud, it made me cry.”
Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia was also in attendance to present a proclamation issued by the Village of Arlington Heights, officially recognizing April 19, 2026, as Arlington Heights Memorial Library Appreciation Day in celebration of the library’s 100th anniversary.
“Arlington Heights has the kind of library that many communities dream of having” said Tinaglia. “The more the library does, the more that people expect, and the more the community is willing to support it—the library is, in short, the jewel of the community.”
The library's centennial celebrations continue through September. Learn more at ahml.info/100.