Schaumburg Township District Library serves around 130,000 residents in Schaumburg Township, including portions of Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg and Streamwood. Each year, more than 1 million visitors come through the doors of our three branches.

Vision Statement

Inspiring a lifetime of learning, personal growth, and community engagement.

Mission Statement

We spark curiosity and enrich our community by connecting services, resources, and people.

Values Statements

Service

We are passionate about service and treat all people with courtesy and respect by:

  • Providing timely and accurate information
  • Being responsive to user needs
  • Maintaining safe, comfortable and appealing state-of-the-art facilities
  • Being accessible to all and easy to use
  • Maintaining a convenient, 24-hour Virtual Library Branch of information, collections and services

Trust

We provide high-quality resources, programs and services to meet the needs of our community through responsible financial stewardship.

Dedication

We are committed to and connected to our community. We open doors to learning, fun, curiosity, culture, economic development and personal growth. We support the freedom to explore, hold and express ideas and information.

Leadership

We are a leader in our community and libraries nationwide. We promote innovation and creativity and foster strong community partnerships.

Harmful Content Statement

Descriptions in our library catalog

Our collection, much like our community, is diverse and dynamic. Part of organizing materials in our collection includes the use of standardized metadata and descriptions in our catalog. At the Library, we are committed to creating inclusive descriptions that accurately describe our materials. However, we recognize that there may be language in our collection descriptions that are outdated, insensitive or inaccurate. Such descriptions do not reflect the Library’s viewpoint, but rather the social attitudes and circumstances of the period or place in which it was created. We are dedicated to finding ways to mitigate use of harmful language in descriptions in our catalog.

We acknowledge that we are often describing communities of which we are not a part. We recognize our responsibility to describe our collection respectfully and carefully. We also recognize that we may sometimes fail and are dedicated to a process of constant reflection and improvement.

How are materials described, and why are some of the descriptions harmful?

When processing our collections, staff make choices about what language to use when describing our materials. Some of these descriptions were written many years ago, using language that was acceptable at the time. Librarians often use a standard set of terms, such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), to describe materials. Some of these standardized terms are outdated, offensive, or insensitive. Staff sometimes make mistakes or use poor judgement. We are committed to working to improve access and update descriptions that are harmful.

How are we working to address this problem and help users better understand this content?

  1. Working directly with misrepresented and underrepresented communities to improve the ways they are represented
  2. Informing users about the presence and origin of harmful content
  3. Proposing changes and additions to standard vocabularies to promote more inclusive and accurate access to works
  4. Implementing vocabularies from alternative vocabulary and classification systems
  5. Including descriptive metadata in the original script for works in languages that do not use the Latin alphabet
  6. Favoring terms used by the communities and individuals being described in our collections
  7. Engaging in ongoing discussions dedicated to examining our legacy and historical cataloging practices

How can I report harmful content?

Maintaining updated and accurate description of materials is an ongoing process and we may not always make the right decisions. We encourage feedback from all members of our community, so that we can learn and adjust our practices. You can reach out to us here.

Strategic Plan

Back in 2021, we set out to plan for the future of our Library, gathering input from our community, staff, and Trustees to shape a strategic plan that would guide us through 2024. Now, as we look ahead, we're excited to share that our updated plan has been extended through 2027! While the core vision remains the same—connecting people, resources, and services to spark curiosity and lifelong learning—this update ensures we can continue evolving to meet the needs of our ever-changing community. At the heart of everything we do is our commitment to excellent customer service, removing barriers to access, and making Schaumburg Township District Library a welcoming space for all.

Check out the one-page Strategic Plan 2024-2027 overview to see how we’re building on our foundation and looking toward the future.

Read the complete Strategic Plan and Learning Report from 2022 – 2024.

Organization Chart

View the Library's organizational structure and departments.

Library History

Transparency in Coverage

In accordance with the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury's Transparency in Coverage Final Rule, you can find the negotiated rates between the plan/issuer and in-network providers and the out-of-network allowed amounts for the Library's health insurance plans here, in the form of machine-readable files.

Image Release

All Library visitors permit the Library to take photos and videos and to use these images in future Library publications and promotions, in print and online.