Librarians like to say their libraries are the heart of their communities, and in Cynthia Fuerst's case, it is a fact. For the Kankakee Public Library, this took long, hard effort by an inspired library director, the mayor, and a developer who wanted to revive business in an economically devastated downtown. When Fuerst became the library's director in 1995, the roof leaked, the phone system did not work, there were out-of-order signs on every library machine, and there were no public computers. The tiny building was overcrowded, the staff completely demoralized. Kankakee itself was in even worse straits. With double-digit unemployment and a 25 percent illiteracy rate, it placed last in the 1999 Places Rated Almanac. Fuerst was undaunted. This article discusses the positive changes Cynthia Fuerst has made on the Kankakee Public Library in Illinois.