A surprisingly strong group of friends grew out of a chance encounter at last year’s Speed Friending program, hosted by the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. These patrons come from all walks of life and yet have found a rewarding connection in their love of the library and its programs.
The Arlington Heights Memorial Library
“I had been trying to find a community for a few years, but nothing ever clicked,” says Stephanie Aragon of Arlington Heights.
As a single, young adult, she noticed that many social circles in her age group revolved around parenting young children. She had recently moved to Arlington Heights and she found when she started attending library events, meaningful new relationships formed naturally.
“Just check out the (library’s) newsletter, check out all the events, and say hi to the person next to you,” she says. “If they’re at the same event, you already have something in common.”
The Speed Friending event, now called New Friends’ Network, is intended to advance part of the library’s mission, by providing a wide variety of programs which engage people of all ages, backgrounds and interests.
The group that Aragon met now considers itself to be something of a club, but their connection goes deeper than the typical book club.
The group attended the One Book, One Gala event in September.
“The book group I was in before had mostly people of similar backgrounds,” says member Heath Resnick. “This new group gives me the opportunity to learn something new from every person. I can tell you something fascinating about every single one of them.”
Resnick was the one who initially brought the group together. They started having conversations on WhatsApp, sharing which library programs they planned to attend, and they soon realized they were naturally gravitating toward many of the same programs.
“It’s been very fun and enriching for me,” Resnick adds. “It’s something different from your regular friend group.”
Another member, Michele Greenberg, says she found herself in a transition period after retiring early. She turned to the library and when she attended more programs, including the Speed Friending event, she found a stimulating, new community of friends.
Check out all of the events offered in the library’s latest newsletter.
“You start to make connections by continuing to attend [programs],” Greenberg says. “Sometimes you don’t realize that you’ve been closed off because of that stage of life you’re in. You never know who you’re going to meet.”
Now, the group has a maintained a steady presence at many programs, from book discussions to crafting classes at the Makerplace. They were among the first patrons to sign up for the “One Book, One Gala” event in September, which celebrated The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis, the 2025 One Book, One Village selection.
Together, they walked the red carpet, posed for photos, and mingled over drinks and small bites, enjoying yet another library event together.
“Over the last year, they’ve attended countless programs and book discussions together,” says William Tolan, communications and marketing specialist for the library. “This story is a true example of how libraries can bring people from different walks of life together.”
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