Prospect Heights Public Library

What Prospect Heights Public Library does

Prospect Heights Public Library District (PHPL) is a tax-funded local-government public library serving residents of Prospect Heights, Illinois, and the surrounding library district. Founded in 1957 and headquartered at 12 Elm Street, Prospect Heights, IL, the organization operates from a single location with 11-50 employees and extended weekday hours (Mon-Thu 9am-9pm). Services are provided free of charge to district residents, funded through local property taxes rather than commercial revenue.

The library's core offerings span traditional lending (physical books, ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, DVDs, museum passes), digital resources, and an unusually broad portfolio of community programs. Its flagship technology initiative is The Lab, a maker space equipped with American Button Machines, Sawgrass SG1000 Sublimation Printer, Brother Embroidery Machine, Silhouette Cameo 4, Ellison SureCut die-cuts, iMac workstations, 3D printers, and laser engravers, alongside digitization services for photos, slides, vinyl records, and cassettes. Specialized non-lending services include a Seed Library, Library of Things (tools, kitchen equipment), passport acceptance, license plate renewal, homebound delivery, room reservations, and a drive-up pickup window. Accessibility is supported via adaptive technology (large-font keyboards, mobile hotspots, hearing-aid meeting-room tech) and a partnership with the State of Illinois Talking Books and Braille Service.

PHPL runs 100+ monthly programs spanning youth (storytimes, LEGO Builders Club, Korean Storytime, Study Buddy homework center), teens (Teen Advisory Group, Dungeons and Dragons Club), adults (book clubs, technology classes, chair yoga, sign language), and seniors (classic film screenings, historical presentations). The library operates as a horizontal-segment community hub addressing access barriers, the digital divide, social isolation, and accessibility needs. Distribution occurs via walk-in access, a BiblioCommons online catalog, drive-up service, and free library card registration, with outreach through the phpl.info website, Elm Leaf newsletter, and Facebook/Twitter channels.

Name

Prospect Heights Public Library

Legal name

Prospect Heights Public Library District

Website

https://phpl.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Prospect Heights Public Library District is a tax-funded public library in Prospect Heights, Illinois, serving district residents with free lending collections, digital resources, maker-space fabrication services, civic services, and 100+ monthly programs for youth through seniors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA), Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community programming
• Digital lending
• Maker space services
• Library collections

Headquarters

HQ city

Prospect Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Prospect Heights Public Library District is a publicly funded local government library district that provides free lending collections (physical and digital books, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, DVDs), a maker technology space (The Lab), educational and cultural programming for all ages, and civic services such as passport acceptance and voter registration to residents of the Prospect Heights, Illinois service area. The library also operates specialized services including a Seed Library, Library of Things lending collection, museum passes, homebound delivery, and accessibility partnerships with the State of Illinois Talking Books and Braille Service.

Product overview

Prospect Heights Public Library District operates as a comprehensive community resource center offering traditional library services alongside innovative maker and digital services. The core offerings include physical and digital collections (books, ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers), while the flagship technology initiative is The Lab—a makerspace providing 3D printing, laser engraving, digitization, and craft equipment. The library distinguishes itself through specialized services including a Seed Library, Library of Things (non-traditional item lending), passport services, museum passes, and homebound delivery. Programming spans all ages through youth storytimes, teen advisory groups, and adult education including technology classes. Accessibility services include Talking Book and Braille Service partnership with the State of Illinois. The service portfolio reflects a modern public library model combining traditional literary services with community hub functions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Lab (Makerspace)

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• State of Illinois Talking Books and Braille Service (TBBS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the State of Illinois to promote Talking Books services and programs. The service provides braille materials, audiobooks, players, and assistive devices to patrons with visual or physical disabilities. The library connects patrons to the Illinois Braille Bookstore (ilbph.org) for these specialized accessibility resources.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Evanston Public Library: Suburban Illinois public library with comparable service breadth including maker activities, accessibility services, and extensive programming for all age groups.
• Schaumburg Township District Library: Suburban Illinois library district with comparable district-funded model, maker/tech services, and broad programming calendar. Directly comparable in scale and service breadth.
• Oak Park Public Library: Suburban Illinois public library with similar service breadth including maker activities, technology lending, and community programming. Comparable scale and service portfolio to PHPL.
• Skokie Public Library: Suburban Illinois public library district of comparable size serving a similar demographic footprint. Offers maker/tech services, extensive programming, and digital lending — directly comparable operating model to PHPL.
• Gail Borden Public Library District: Illinois library district with similar maker space, digitization services, and broad community programming. Directly comparable modern public library model.
• Naperville Public Library: Larger suburban Illinois public library offering maker services, digital collections, and extensive programming. Comparable operating model with broader scale.

Others

• OverDrive: Digital content platform provider serving public libraries including PHPL's eBook and audiobook collections. Ecosystem participant enabling library digital lending services.
• New York Public Library:
• BiblioCommons: Catalog and discovery platform provider used by PHPL (phpld.bibliocommons.com). Technology infrastructure enabler for PHPL's digital lending operations rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Public Library: Major urban library system serving the broader Chicago metropolitan area. Overlaps with PHPL on collections, programming, and digital services, but operates at much greater scale with 80+ branches.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Youth%20Volunteers%20Needed%20-%20LEGO%20Builders%20Club%20https%3A//www.phpl.info/event/youth-volunteers-needed-lego-builders-club-82027
• Facebookfacebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A//www.phpl.info/event/youth-volunteers-needed-lego-builders-club-82027&title=Youth%20Volunteers%20Needed%20-%20LEGO%20Builders%20Club
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prospect-heights-public-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prospect Heights Public Library