Innovations
App for Mobile Devices
Oak Park Public Library took advantange of developments in mobile technology and partnered with Boopsie in 2011 to build a completely customized app.
We now reach our users wherever they are, with a full suite of library services. Our community can search the catalog, request and renew items, manage their accounts, find our locations, contact us directly, view and register for events, and connect to our social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr—all from their phones.
The app is completely free and compatible with all web-enabled phones. Search for us in the App Store or Android Marketplace, or download here from your mobile browser.
Book Cart Drill Team
We started our Book Cart Drill Team in 2002 to add pizzazz to our local parade contingent. We knew other libraries had drill teams, and when our Assistant Director discovered a book had been published on how to form a team, we were on our way!
Our winning drill team participates annually in the Oak Park Independence Day Parade.
- 2009 Annual Library Book Cart Drill Team Championship
"Warrior Librarians" won world championship - 2008 competition at Illinois Library Association annual conference
"Warrior Librarians" tied for first and voted “Most Outrageous” - 2007 competition at Illinois Library Association annual conference
"Greased Lightning" placed second and received recognition for originality: - 2005 1st Annual Library Book Cart Drill Team Championship
“Frog and Princess” placed fourth
News Coverage
National Public Radio 2009
Wednesday Journal 2009
Gaming at the Library
Oak Park Public Library is engaging teens with video game competitions. Gaming began in 2008 with a successful Mario Kart Wii Tournament. The competition returned in 2009 with a SmashKart Wii Tournament.
Over the course of the summer and fall, players in grades 6 through 12 compete in a simultaneous single elimination tournament. Monthly prizes have included certificates to GameStop. Prizes for the tournament finals have included an iPod Touch, Nintendo DS Lite, and an iPod Nano.
In 2011 teens had a chance to try out the Library's new Kinect system, a controller-free gaming and entertainment experience for the Xbox 360 video game platform.
Librarian Monica Harris talks about how this tournament benefits the community:
genre X
Started in 2007, genre X is a book discussion group for readers in their twenties and thirties.
Monthly discussions begin at 8 pm at nearby Molly Malone's in Forest Park, Illinois. Discussions frequently occur over dinner and drinks, with each attendee paying their way.
The genre X blog provides supplementary information for the discussions and general content which appeals to readers in their twenties and thirties everywhere.
genre X also hosts after-hours events at library:
The Friends of the Oak Park Public Library support these free events.
Download Millenials Rising Presentation 2009 (PDF)
Download List of Recommended Media for 20s and 30s (PDF)
Green Roof
The larger part of the Third Floor roof of the Main Library, some 12,500 square feet, holds a thin layer of soil and was planted with many native Illinois plants including stonecrop, phlox, and sedum. Oak Park landscape architect, Carol JH Yetken, responsible for the design, selected plants that will require minimal upkeep and grow well in a thin layer of well drained soil.
The soil together with the plant material improve the energy performance of the building and contribute to better air quality in the neighborhood. The green roof, copper wall system, and recycled rubber flooring, meet one of the design goals for the new building: Minimize impact on the natural environment through the use of sustainable building materials and systems.
More about the Green Roof and Main Library architecture
Noise Level Zones
Oak Park Public Library established noise zones in 2007 to assure that all patrons have a great place to read, work, and study without unnecessary disturbance or distraction.
Silent Zones are ideal for patrons who want to work or read with no disturbance. Within Silent Zones, there will be no conversations, no cell phone usage, and only personal music players which are inaudible to others. The Silent Reading Room, Computer Classroom, and Computer Center are Silent Zones.
Quiet Zones are for those who want to work or read with only whispered conversation and minimal disturbance. Whispered conversation as well as laptop use and cell phone texting is allowed. Personal music is allowed if it is inaudible to others. The Third Floor Common Area and a portion of the Second Floor Common Area are Quiet Zones.
Social Zones are places for those patrons who want to gather with groups or talk with others. Moderate conversation levels and considerate cell phone usage are allowed in Social Zones. Personal music is allowed if it is inaudible to others. The Lobby, Children's Room, Second Floor Common Areas, and Group Study Rooms are Social Zones.
Visitors are encouraged to find the zone that is appropriate for their needs and to respect the needs of others in the zone.
Download sign (PDF)
Reward and Recognition Program for Staff
Oak Park Public Library implements a multi-faceted reward and recognition program.
Peer-driven “group hugs” celebrate the everyday greatness of our staff. When staff witness or experience an above-and-beyond effort by a coworker they have the opportunity to email send a “group hug.” On a monthly basis, a staff committee collects and sends the “group hugs” via an all-staff email.
Annual awards are given for rookie of the year, exemplary customer service, and a third category decided each year. Nominations are accepted from all staff. Last year’s recipients are not eligible as they form the Reward and Recognition committee to select the current year’s recipients. Multiple awards are given in each category. Awards are accompanied by a gift card to a local businesses of the recipients choice.
Staff are also recognized for service anniversaries every five years. Annual awards and service recognition occur at Oak Park Public Library’s annual staff day.
Rich Browsing
In 2008 Oak Park Public Library began reorganizing to make our books, movies, and music easier to browse.
Children’s picture books are grouped by categories in face-out bins. Children’s fiction books and movies are also shelved in rich browsing sections. Our teen fiction, adult fiction, nonfiction, and movies also feature categories that facilitate browsing.
Each shelving section for adult rich browsing categories holds about 50 to 60 books. Top shelves feature face-out books. Bottom shelves hold spine-out titles for replenishing and additional browsing.
Books in each rich browsing category have appropriate collection codes in the catalog and are stickered for ease in re-shelving. Adult titles rotate out of rich browsing after about two years and are moved into the regular stacks or are removed from the collection.
Oak Park Public Library staff sought inspiration and best practices in rich browsing at Richmond Public Library in Vancouver, Canada.
Spark
Oak Park Public Library is engaging the community in a transformative project to redesign library services. We aim to create a 21st century public library.
Our community conversations in 2011 laid the foundation for a strategic planning adventure in 2012.
Teen Volunteer Program
In 2008 Oak Park Public Library began a summer volunteer program for teens to build their skills, engage their talents, and allow them to give back to their community.
Teens apply to participate then volunteer two hours a week through the summer. Teams engage in special projects, from recommending books to their peers, making promotional videos, creating a mural for the teen space at the Main Library, to generally organizing and helping out.
More about the Teen Volunteer Program
Transgender Resource Collection
In 2007 Oak Park Public Library received a $3,000 grant to create the first focused Transgender Resource Collection in a US public library.
More about the Transgender Resource Collection
Video Games to Check Out
Oak Park Public Library added a video game collection in 2011.
Recognizing that games engage players in creative thinking and problem solving and help develop digital literacy, the decision was in part a response to public demand. As expected, the collection has proven very popular!
Video games for all ages can be borrowed for free. The collection includes games for Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Playstation3, and Xbox 360. Video games are listed in the library catalog and can be placed a hold. Games can be borrowed for 7 days. New games are being added to the collection.
We also make analog games (board games, card games) available for use at the library.
Yes You Can Eat in the Library
In 2011 Oak Park Public Library implemented a change in policy allowing eating in all library facilities except certain designated areas.
Trustees believed this policy change would enhance the Library as a comfortable and productive space for our community to gather and learn. This change was anticipated to particularly benefit parents and caregivers who visited with children, teens and kids stopping after school, people with low blood sugar, and people who use the Library as their office. We expected this new policy to be both popular and successful, but we also planned to evaluate it for possible revisions during the first six months.
We found this change generally improved the library experience of many of our customers, which is always our goal.
See rules about eating in the Rules of Behavior
Download sign (PDF)