Choose your champions

Vote with us on Oak Park's favorite things and watch them compete head to head in our own version of March Madness. Our newest Idea Box installation runs today through March 31 at the Main Library. See photos and learn more about Idea Box, a dynamic participatory experience ›

Build your family tree

All you need is a couple of names and dates and these tools can help you build your family tree. Log in to HeritageQuest Online from home with your library card and PIN to see images of U.S. census records. Visit any of our libraries and use Ancestry Library Edition to see U.S. and United Kingdom records. At the Main Library, microfilm, manuscripts, and other media can provide Oak Park history. Need more help? Ask our staff or take our free Genealogy on the Internet class on Thursday, March 21. Our genealogy and history tools are great resources for exploring any heritage ›

Explore Country, Bluegrass, and Rock

Delve into these uniquely American musical genres with documentaries screened and discussed on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm in the Main Library Veterans Room:

• Tonight we focus on Country and Bluegrass with High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music. Weaving haunting archival footage and photographs from the 1930s and 40s with toe-tapping live performances, this film traces the origins of bluegrass music from the Kentucky hills of Appalachia through the innovations which shaped its current form.
• March 12 the focus is on Rock with The History of Rock n Roll: Episode 6, Plugging In. From the comprehensive 10-part series on rock and roll, this film centers on the reinvention of rock in the 1960s, including a fateful meeting between Bob Dylan and the Beatles in London.

Plus, join us for a live performance by American blues-rock-soul band The Fuzz and The Fury on Saturday, March 16 at 3:00 pm at the Main Library. Learn more about upcoming 'America's Music' events' ›

Getting ready for kindergarten

Oak Park District 97 kindergarten registration begins in March. If you know a family and child getting ready for this major milestone, we can recommend a few reads to help prepare. From Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come by Nancy Carlson to I Am Too Absolutely Small for School by Lauren Child, we have books that approach the topic from lots of perspectives, gently and with humor. Check out these suggestions to get ready for school ›