Outreach Services
Alpha Park Public Library is committed to providing library services throughout the district, not just at our building.
Outreach Services are brought directly to patrons in order to reduce gaps in access and increase community connections. To request a visit or for more information, contact Heidi Rhea, Outreach Librarian, at 309-697-3822 x25 or email heidi@alphapark.org.
Join the Alpha Park Library, the Limestone Township, & the Bartonville Park Committee each month for coffee, donuts, socializing, and a guest speaker. This program runs from April through November each year.
Held at the Clubhouse in Alpha Park (across from pavilions). Social time from 8 am to 8:25 am with a speaker from 8:30 - 9:00 am.
Speakers for 2025:
April – Food / Nutrition
May – Peoria County Bicentennial Committee
June – ICC Geologist Ed Stermer
July – Peoria St. Hospital Museum
August – BINGO
September – Peoria Art Guild
October – Downsizing by Sandi Beck RE/MAX Traders Unlimited
November – Christmas Work Day!
Highlights from 2024 October's Senior Coffee:
Joke of the Day (by Deanne)
A German Shepherd, a pit bull, and a cat all died and went to heaven. St Peter opened the gate, and he said, “First you all need to go to stand in front of the throne of God.”
God looked at the pit bull and said,” Tell me what you believe in.” The pit bull poked his chest out and said, “I believe in hard work, discipline, and dedication and listening to everything my owner tells me to do.” God says, “That’s Great. Come take a seat on the right-hand side of my throne..”
He looked at the German Shepherd and asked, “What do you believe in?” the German shepherd poked his chest out and he said, “I believe in life. I believe in laughter. I believe in loving my master and everyone inside that household.” God said, “That’s beautiful. Take a seat on the left hand of my throne.” He looked at the cat and asked,” Tell me, what do you believe?”
The cat said, “I believe you are sitting in my seat.”
Highlights from 2024 September's Senior Coffee:
Joke of the Day (by Deanne)
An elderly man rear-ended a younger man who was driving a very expensive European sports car. Enraged, the younger man hops out and confronts the old man. “Look what you did to my car!” he yells.
“I demand that you give me 10,000 right now or I’m going to beat you to a pulp.”
“Oh my,” the old man said nervously, “I don’t have that kind of money.” Just let me call my son, he said with hope. He trains dolphins. He’ll know what to do.
Dolphins! Right! The other driver huffed.
The old man took out his phone, dialed his son, and just as his son answered, the angry man snatched the phone away from the old man. “So, you're the dolphin trainer, huh?" The angry man yelled. "Well your old man here just rear-ended my car and I need ten grand, right now or I’m going to beat you and your old man to a pulp!" "I’ll be there in 10 minutes."
Exactly 10 minutes later a s jeep pulls up and a guy hops out and proceeds to pulverize the bully leaving him in a heap on the side of the road. When he finished he walked over to his father and said…
"Dad, for the last time, I train Seals, Navy Seals. Not dolphins."
Highlights from 2024 August's Senior Coffee:
Joke of the Day (by Deanne)
Farmer Joe and Farmer Sam were talking one day and found out they both had pigs on their farms. But one farmer had five male pigs and the other had five female pigs. So, they decided they should breed them and start a pig farm together. Joe suggested that Sam bring his pigs to the farm and that they would let all 10 pigs out into the pasture to do their thing.
The next day Farmer Sam loaded his female pigs into his station wagon and transported them to Farmer Joes' place. Sam asked Joe, “How will I know if my pigs are pregnant?” Joe said, “Tomorrow morning if they are rolling around in the mud, they are pregnant. If they are rolling on the grass, they aren’t.” The next morning Sam Checks on his pigs and they are all laying on the grass, with not a bit of mud on them at all. So again, he loads them into the station wagon and takes them back to Joes' farm.
The next morning, again, Sam's pigs are rolling on the grass. So again, the process is repeated. After a week, Sam gets up and his wife is looking out at the barnyard. Sam asks, “Are the pigs rolling in the mud or on the grass?” “Neither,” she said. “They are in the car”
Highlights from 2024 July's Senior Coffee:
Joke of the Day (by Deanne)
Two guys grow up together but after college, one moves to Georgia and the other to Texas. They agreed to meet every 10 years in Florida to play golf. At age 32 they meet, finish their round of golf, and head for lunch. "Where do you want to go?" "Hooters." "Why Hooters?" "They have those servers with big boobs, tight shorts, and gorgeous legs." "You’re on."
At age 42 they meet and play golf again. "Where do you want to go for lunch?" "Hooters." "Again? Why?" "They have a cold beer, big screen TVs, and side action on the games." "Okay."
At age 52 they meet and play again. "So, where do you want to go for lunch?" "Hooters." "Why?" "The food is good and there is plenty of parking." "Okay."
At age 62, they meet again. After a round of golf, one says, “Where do you want to go?” Hooters. Why? Wings are half-price, and the food isn’t too spicy. Good choice.
At age 72 They meet again. Once again, after a round of golf, one asks "Where we go for lunch?" "Hooters." "Why?" "They have 6 handicapped parking spaces right by the door and they have senior discounts". "Great choice."
At age 82 they meet and play again. "Where should we go for lunch?" "Hooters." "Why?" "Because we’ve never been there before." "Okay, let’s give it a try."
Highlights from 2024 June's Senior Coffee:
Joke of the day (by Deanne)
There were identical twin brothers who lived together. One happens to be a well-respected dentist and the other can’t seem to keep a job. Instead of actively looking for work, he likes to sit around the home. One Saturday, the dentist is hungry and puts his brother on the spot. He tells him to get off his lazy behind and get them some food. After some protest, the lazy brother takes the car and leaves for the store. In the meantime, the dentist takes a nap on his day off. He turns off his phone so he would not be interrupted.
About 30 minutes later the lazy brother gets into a head-on collision in the intersection by the store. His vital signs were fading. He’s unconscious and barely moving. An ambulance picks him up and rushes him to the hospital. He ends up in the ER under observation, but his condition is critical. They try calling his brother, but he doesn’t pick up, his phone is off.
The dentist wakes to a knock at the door. Suspecting a solicitor, he ignores it, but the knocking continues. Eventually, he resolves to get up and yell at the person at the door.
When he opens the door, he sees the Grim Reaper standing there. He looks just like the movies portray him, a skeleton with a long black tattered cloak.
The Grim Reaper swears,” Oh no! This always happens with identical twins.”
“What do you mean?” said the dentist. “Well, if you must know your brother was in a critical car accident and I’ve come to take him to the underworld. I’m afraid his time on earth has ended. I’ll take my leave now.”
The dentist is noticeably upset. He says,” Wait, isn’t there some way I can challenge you for my brothers’ life? After all, you made the mistake. Certainly, there must be a way I can bargain for his life.”
The Grim Reaper asks, ”What do you have in mind?”
The dentist thinks, ”How about a challenge? If I beat you, you let my brother go free. The Grim Reaper laughs.” I will beat you in any challenge. What do you propose? “
The dentist smiles, “I propose we see who has the cleanest teeth after 5 minutes of brushing, then we decide.
“Very well.” says the Grim Reaper who makes his way to the bathroom. He gets a toothbrush and loads it with toothpaste and begins brushing. After 5 minutes the shiniest teeth anyone has ever seen glisten and make the room bright.
The Grim Reaper grins, “You are foolish, human, but you are entitled to your chance.”
The dentist takes his brush and loads it with toothpaste and starts brushing like a madman. When his 5 minutes are up he smiles. It's unbelievable! The shine from the dentist’s teeth is so beautiful that he can see the Grim Reaper's reflection in his perfectly clean teeth. The winner is obvious!
The Grim Reaper hangs his head in shame. “You win human, this time your brother will live.”
He disappears in a puff of smoke. At the same instant, the bedridden brother wakes up in the hospital not only is he uninjured but seems perfectly healthy. Suddenly the phone next to his bed rings. It's his dentist brother.
He picks up, "Hey bro you’ll never believe what happened. Apparently, I went out to the market and got hit by a car. They say I almost died!
The dentist smiles on the phone and says,” That’s interesting bro. Today You might say that I also had a brush with death.”
Highlights from 2024 May's Senior Coffee:
Joke of the day (by Deanne)
Three sisters were in a very bad accident and all three died! When they get to the gates of heaven, St Peter is there to greet them. He says to the three, “We only have one rule here in heaven. Don’t step on a duck! If you do you will be chained to the ugliest man here for the rest of eternity.”
They were thinking that it wouldn’t be a problem, but when they walked through the gates, they saw ducks EVERYWHERE!
No sooner than they walked in the first sister stepped on a duck! St Peter immediately appeared with the ugliest man the three had ever seen and chained him to the first sister.
The second sister was careful for three weeks when totally by accident she stepped on a duck!
St. Peter was there in an instant, because he sees everything, of course. He had another of the ugliest men they had seen, and she was chained to him for all eternity.
No, the third sister didn’t want that to happen to her and so she was very, very careful. Four months later St Peter appeared but he had the most handsome man she had ever seen on a chain. The man was tall, well-built, and had beautiful eyes!
The third sister said,” I don’t know what I did to deserve this!”
The man said, “I don’t know about that but I stepped on a duck!”
Highlights from 2024 April's Senior Coffee:
Joke of the day (by Deanne)
Three brothers aged 92, 94, and 96 live in a house together. One night the 96-year-old draws a bath, puts his foot in, and pauses. He yells down the stairs, “Was I getting in or out of the bath?”
The 94-year-old yells back, “I don’t know, I’ll come up and see.” He starts up the stairs and pauses, then he yells down, “Was I going up or down the stairs?”
The 92-year-old was sitting at the kitchen table having a coffee listening to his brothers. He shakes his head and says ”I sure hope I never get that forgetful.” He knocks on wood for luck. He then yells, "I’ll come up and help you both as soon as I see who is at the door.”
Library programs can be brought directly to patrons at schools, daycares, businesses, Senior Centers, and other community gathering places. They are also available for book clubs, homeschool groups, local festivals, fairs, and more.
Examples include:
Schools/Homeschools/Daycares:
- Library Tours
- Story Times & Book Talks
- Library Use Instruction
- Research Instruction
- Library at Your School
- Homework Help
- Pop-Up Library
- Book Discussion Kits
Senior Living Communities:
- Book Delivery
- Book Talks
- Programs
- Technology Classes/Assistance
- Memory Kits/Program
For Kids & Families:
- Special and Seasonal Events
- Park Story Time
- Technology Classes/Assistance
- Homework Help
- Book Discussions or help to get your books for everyone.
What this looks like:
Schools/Homeschools/Daycares:
Currently, the Outreach department hosts two pop-up libraries in Oak Grove and Pleasant Hill Schools. Students are given the opportunity to have a school library brought to them utilizing Alpha Park materials. Schools have the option to choose between having the student come to a centralized room in the building functioning as the 'library', or having the library go from classroom to classroom.
Senior Living Communities:
Once a month the library hosts a crafting program at the Villas of Holly Brooks memory care unit. This program is to help build a connection within their care facility, build relationships, stimulate the brain, improve both verbal and non-verbal communication, increase feelings of connectivity, improve confidence, and more.
For Kids & Families:
Every week, the outreach department travels to Glasford, the furthest point of our district, to host a pop-up library for patrons who cannot travel to our building. we offer homework help, library card applications, material checkout, and much more!
We keep our Little Free Libraries stocked with all types of books for all ages: fiction and nonfiction, picture books, early readers, chapter books, YA, mysteries, romance, and more! Little Free Libraries encourage readers of all ages to take a book home, read it, and share it! Feel free to leave books for others to take and share!
Nico Contreras created the Alpha Park and Union Hall Little Free Libraries for an Eagle Scout project in 2021. Bartonville's Troop 200 maintains it today.
The Library at Your Door!
Long-Term Homebound Service:
Available to anyone unable to get to the library on a regular basis, this service brings you monthly deliveries of regular or large print books, audiobooks, movies, and more. Service is available to your home or to a senior residence and care facility within the Alpha Park Public Library District.
Short-Term Delivery Service:
Short-Term Delivery Service is available to library district residents of any age who will need delivery service for less than 4 months. This service is used while recovering from surgery or a prolonged illness, etc.
Make It Happen:
To request homebound delivery services, contact the Outreach Specialist at 309-697-3822 x91, or email kindred@alphapark.org.
Application:
Please either fill out the application below, or download the form and email it to kindred@alphapark.org.
Homebound Application Form.docxOr fill out the form below.
Free recorded books, magazines, and playback equipment are available by mail or app to eligible Illinois residents who are blind, visually impaired, physically disabled, or reading disabled. Contact Kindred, Outreach Specialist at 309-697-3822 x91 or email kindred@alphapark.org to assist with enrollment or get the application from the State of Illinois Talking Book program at 800−426−0709.
Please call 800.272.3900 to register! Walk-ins Welcome!
Alzheimer’s Association® support groups, conducted by trained facilitators, are a safe place for people living with dementia and their care partners to:
• Develop a support system.
• Exchange practical information on challenges and possible solutions.
• Talk through issues and ways of coping.
• Share feelings, needs and concerns.
• Learn about community resources.
What the Library Can do For Your School:
Offer Library Cards
Options for your School or Classroom incude:
- APL Library Cards – Library card applications can be dropped of at the school for the students to have parents' sign and return. When the apps return, cards will be made and dropped off to the school. These are cards they keep. They will then have full access to the Library's online databases & materials including ebooks, audiobooks, movies, and music. They will also be able to check out at the library (3527 S. Airport Rd, Bartonville).
- School Cards - This card is issued for schools in which the library brings books for checkouts on a regular basis. Either the teacher or librarians will keep the card and get it out when the pop up occurs. The books can be taken home or some schools choose to leave them at school (classroom, locker, etc) to be read only at school. The choice is up to the teachers. This limits use of the card to in school only.
- We can issue both cards! It's confusing at first, but this allows kids to check out during the school pop up or access online material even if they have fines on their APL Library Card.
We are happy to talk with you about these options and see what fits your needs. It may look different for different grades/classes or we could consider one option for the whole school.
Reading Awards
We would be interested in providing an end of year reading award at your award assembly to honor the student who read the most books during the school year. They would receive an award plus a name plaque on a sign inside the library. This is new to us so we are open to other ideas here.
Library Instruction:
We are happy to come to any class and give a demo on how to access free eBooks, download free movies & music or how to use Worldbook or Novelist. We make it fun.
Tumblebooks is great for young readers or anyone struggling with reading – and it's very entertaining.
Novelist is great for tracking books read and finding read a likes or other authors/books.
Learning about our online programs will give students a boost with high school research and navigating websites, as well as improve literacy.
Pop Up Library:
We can bring books for checkout to your classroom or for the entire school. For example, we visit a 3rd grade class at Pleasant Hill weekly providing books they request (specific topics usually) and then some random books for them to browse and choose. For Oak Grove School, we bring a pop up library to gym and each class rotates in. We do this biweekly.
Library Sponsored Reading Challenge:
We use the online Beanstack program to create and track readers. For the 3rd grade Pleasant Hill class, they have a challenge to read 40 books by the end of the year. The teacher logs them and the library provides incentive stickers and a final prize when the challenge is met.
Book Discussions
- We could host book clubs in a class, during lunch, before or after school or off site.
- We could provide books for your own book discussions. We have some book discussion kits or we could always order books.
Getting Students Involved
We have a teen board that meets 2x a month at the Library. We are also looking into forming tween library groups at the schools to reach the younger crowd. These boards discuss what type of programs the library offers, the type of books or other materials they'd like to see in the library and socialize.
Have Other Ideas?
We are open to other ideas as well. Contact us if you would like to hear more about what we offer.
Heidi Rhea
Outreach Librarian
Alpha Park Public Library
309-697-3822 x25
Heidi@alphapark.org
Kindred Ahrens
Outreach Specialist
Alpha Park Public Library
309-697-3822 x91
kindred@alphapark.org
Monroe Grade School held an Incentive Behavior Party at the Library for all Kindergarten and 1st Grade students with excellent behavior all year! These students attended a special train-themed storytime, featuring How to Train a Train By Jason Carter Eaton. After the story, the students boarded the library train for a magical library tour before ending the day with free play and a coloring book gifted by Amtrak!
March 23, 2024 was the annual Safety of Senior TOTALLY FREE event sponsored by the Bartonville Police Dept and the Alpha Park Library. Over 30 vendors were on hand to talk to seniors about safe living, common scams, staying active, health and retirement, finding a hobby, and more! Speakers were Illinois State's Attorney Jodi Hoos and Peoria County Sheriff's Office Victim Services Coordinator, Aimee Shinall. Attendees could sign up for drawings, enjoy refreshments, and talk with local organizations including the Police, Fire Dept, Sheriff's and local US Represtative Sharon Chung. And, the mobile DMV was set up to renew licenses.
This annual event will return in 2025!
