Donate

Property taxes pay only a portion of the Library’s operating expenses. We depend on support from generous individuals like you to help fund our collections, computer and job training, Internet access, children’s story hours, thousands of literacy and cultural programs and so much more. Your gift helps keep these vital services FREE for the entire Rockford community.

Your Support. Your Way.

We make it easy to give. Choose whether you want to donate online, by mail or eScrip. Then choose whether your gift will go directly to the Library, to the Library Foundation or the Friends of Rockford Public Library. No matter which you choose, your donation will help the Library provide vital services.

Honor or memorialize a loved one, friend or special reader with a Memorial gift to the Library. Your gift can provide operating support, help purchase books or other materials, or be assigned to a program or service provided by the Library such as providing books to senior citizen centers or our History and Genealogy Room.

If you would like more information about a tribute or memorial for a loved one, contact the Director of Development at 815-987-6611 or email .

CREATING A LASTING LEGACY WITH PLANNED GIVING

If you care about the Rockford Public Library and its efforts to create a more literate and informed community, consider remembering the Library in your will or making a Planned Gift to the Rockford Public Library. Your gift will help provide resources for future generations of library users. The Planned Gift offers a way for you to make a meaningful gift and, at the same time, receive financial tax benefits. It is a way to secure your financial future as well as to help secure the future of the Library. Options for fulfilling your charitable goals include:

Bequests
Endowments
Family Foundations
Retirement Plan Gifts

Planned giving is a way to enrich the Rockford Public Library now and forever while receiving personal benefits that might include avoiding capital gains taxes, garnering immediate tax credits, reducing probate costs, or even receiving regular annuity payments.

To learn more about including a Planned Gift to the Rockford Public Library in your estate plan, contact Anne O’Keefe, Director of Development at (815) 987-6611, or email .

Corporate Sponsors

Each year the Foundation and the Library partners with corporations, foundations and individuals to provide quality educational and cultural art programming that involves thousands of people through-out the community. A partnership with the Library can provide your company increased visibility and you will be working with an organization known for its quality programs and services. Our programs are designed for all age groups, presented in Spanish and English and the majority of programs are presented at no cost to participants.

By sponsoring a program or workshop your company will help promote literacy, critical thinking, art and the humanities in Rockford.

Sponsorship Opportunities

  • Visiting author program – each autumn, the Foundation presents a different celebrity author
  • Summer Reading Club – held every June through August, it’s one of the Library’s largest annual literacy programs (12,000 participants in 2012)
  • Performances by musicians, story tellers, performers or authors
  • Children’s programs, including Saturday Spectaculars
  • Young Adult Programs, such as Short Story Writing Contest
  • Adult computer classes
  • Black History Month

To learn more about corporate sponsorship opportunities, contact the Director of Development at (815) 987-6610 or email Anne O’keefe at aokeefe@rockfodpubliclibrary.org.

Get a Library Card

Getting your library card is the best way to access the wealth of information and resources available to you.

Who can get a library card?

The library is funded through City property tax dollars. If you live within the city of Rockford, you “pay” for service through your taxes and are eligible to receive a free library card. Those who live outside city limits are eligible to pay for library services and receive their library card for an annual fee of $120. Rockford city limits can be confusing, so ask us if you are unsure about whether or not you live within them.

Can I use my card from another Illinois library?

If you have a library card from another Illinois library with which RPL has a reciprocal borrowing agreement, and you do not owe library fines or have overdue materials, you may use our resources. Reciprocal Borrowers have the same borrowing privileges as a Resident, with the exception of electronic devices and remote access to certain electronic databases.

What do I need to get my library card?

Getting your library card is easy. Just bring a current photo ID and proof of residency (driver’s license, utility bill, etc.) to the Circulation desk of any Rockford Public Library location, and complete an application. Children ages 5-13 years will need a parent/guardian with them to apply for a library card.