Vernon Area and Indian Trails libraries simplify how to get a library card in Buffalo Grove. Neighbors in Buffalo Grove no longer have to worry about which side of the street they live on when it comes to checking out library books.
The Vernon Area Public Library District (VAPLD) and the Indian Trails Public Library District (ITPLD) have officially launched a reciprocal registration partnership to provide seamless service to Buffalo Grove residents.
Effective immediately, residents can visit either library building to verify their residency and walk away with a fully active library card, regardless of which service area their home falls within.
Unlike many municipal services, the library district borders in Buffalo Grove — which straddles both Lake and Cook counties — cut through neighborhoods and individual streets. Historically, this meant a resident might visit the Vernon Area Library, only to find they “belonged” to Indian Trails. Under the old rules, staff had to send the patron to the other district’s physical building just to register.
“It was a lot of running around,” noted Vernon Area Public Library Director Anne Rasmussen. “We wanted to replace a frustrating administrative hurdle with an experience that is easy and simple. This partnership puts patron needs ahead of zip code maps.“
Smart Partnership Improves Service
As a result of a new administrative partnership, both libraries can now verify residency and issue cards for the neighboring district on the spot, providing a “one-stop” registration experience, relieving residents of the burden of knowing district boundaries.
“It’s a friendly administrative solution to a long-standing local quirk,” added Indian Trails Executive Director Brian D. Shepard. “We want our residents to spend their time reading and learning, not navigating district maps. We’ve seen firsthand how much communities thrive when you remove these artificial barriers.“
Indian Trails Public Library District, which operates a branch location in Prospect Heights, has had a similar card-coordination agreement with the Prospect Heights Public Library District in place since 2012.
This seamless service is made possible by both libraries’ participation in the Cooperative Computer Services (CCS) consortium. Both VAPLD and ITPLD share the same database, catalog, and registration procedures.
About Indian Trails and Vernon Area Public Library Districts
Indian Trails Public Library District serves 67,000 residents across Wheeling, Buffalo Grove, Prospect Heights, and Arlington Heights. Vernon Area Public Library serves 44,000 residents and businesses in and around Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, and Vernon Hills in Lake County, Illinois. Both districts are members of the Cooperative Computer Services (CCS) consortium.