Who doesn’t like food? And chances are if you really like food, you like to try new recipes. And even though the internet has a million recipes to search, nothing beats checking out a new cookbook. Read more about What D’ya Got to Eat?

Folks come to The Urbana Free Library for many reasons. They check out books and DVDs and audiobooks; browse the magazine collection; attend programs; and even investigate their family trees and discover fascinating local history.

But a growing number of users come to the library because they need to accomplish tasks they can’t do easily at home. The library provides the space and resources that allow our visitors to have a productive day.

Here’s just a sampling what YOU can do at the library. Read more about The Urbana Free Library—Your Office Away From Home

Manga, a style of Japanese comics/graphic novels, is all the rage.  Chances are, even if you haven’t read any manga, you might know of animated adaptations of manga such Naruto, Read more about We have manga and graphic novels too!

Here in Urbana we love everything local: goat cheese, live music, handknitted mittens, coffee shops, artwork, bike co-ops, etc. If you make it locally this community will support it. The librarians here at Urbana Free Library want to give a special shout out to some of the local "gems" you can check out from our stacks.

Local Music Highlights:

 Contra-culture by Big Bluestem String Band (bluegrass + dance music) Read more about Local Love

You’ve asked, and we’ve listened! Read more about New Additions to The Urbana Free Library’s Board Game Collection!

Read more about TV to Creep You Out: Zombies

With 2015 nearly upon us, many people are thinking about the coming year and ways to make it a happy and healthy one. I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions personally, as for me they tend to focus on the negative and can sometimes set people up for failure (as the short-lived rush of people to the gym in the next couple of weeks will illustrate), but I do love the idea of reading resolutions. Read more about Make a reading resolution for 2015!

I was never a fan of slapstick humor, sitcoms, or one liners…  I tend more toward dark humor, and edgy satire.  My favorite humor of all is the joke shared between people who are in a tough situation.  Some of my funniest moments have been in camaraderie with the ones I love – at funerals, hospital bedsides, or in the middle of a sleepless night with my kids. Read more about You May Not Find This Funny...