By Collection Management Librarians Dontaná & Andrea Poetry is good for our brains. Studies show that reading poems activates our brain’s cognitive functions differently than when we read novels and other nonfiction. Poetry helps us recognize rhymes and rhythms, and expands our “capacity to understand complex, multiple meanings.” This National Poetry Month, we’ve paired poetry collections … Read more
Encoded Memories is an art exhibit coming to the Main Library Gallery in May. Revolving around themes of time, place, and memory, it will feature images showing Oak Park past and present, including historical scenes from the library’s Special Collections. But there’s a twist! The work that will be on display in the second-floor gallery isn’t … Read more
With hoopla‘s new BingePass and your Oak Park library card, you can get unlimited streaming for seven days with a single borrow! Let’s get started… How do I use hoopla’s BingePass? Watch the video below for an overview but please note that this video shows how to access BingePass using an iPhone. For instructions on … Read more
The countdown to the big night has begun! The 97th Academy Awards airs on Sunday, March 2, and your library has a few ways to watch some of the year’s most talked-about films. Join us: Register for our 15th Annual Oscarthon No need to wait on the red carpet—come to our 15th Annual Oscarthon movie … Read more
Oak Park’s Kwanzaa celebration drew almost 200 people to the Main Library on Monday, December 30, and was a resounding success. With music, dance, crafts, artwork, food, and ceremony, the Black American harvest celebration “truly captured the spirit of community and cultural richness that Kwanzaa represents,” said Manager of Community Engagement Chibuike Enyia. Seven principles … Read more
Time is about to move twice its usual speed. Physics will tell you this is impossible, but physics doesn’t take the holiday season into account—when there never seems to be enough time to do everything. Luckily, whether it’s planning for holiday visitors or figuring out some of the best gifts, the library has tools to … Read more
September is a beloved month for librarians, as we celebrate both Banned Books Week and Library Card Sign-Up Month—say “hi” to one of our newest library cardholders pictured above! Since you made it here to this page, it’s likely that you already have a library card. But do you know about all of the things … Read more
Your public library is here to connect you with books, events, learning experiences, and online resources that celebrate Hispanic heritage and culture this month and all year long. On this page, you can: This commemorative month (held September 15-October 15) was officially designated as Hispanic Heritage Month by the U.S. Congress in 1968. Learn more at … Read more
By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná People contain multitudes. We have multiple interests, hobbies, and even go on side-quests from time to time. Celebrities often do the same thing, exploring the depths of their creativity and passions. Books, music & more by multifaceted celebs Hidden Faces by Salvador Dalí How you know them: Salvador Dalí is one … Read more
Nothing lasts forever, and that includes your old VHS tapes. Even if you still have a VCR to play them, the tape quality can degrade as the years go by. The solution? Digitize those tapes. And you can do it for free in the Main Library Creative Studio! That’s why library patron Alex Yu has … Read more
UPDATE: All free tickets have been claimed! Thanks, Oak Park for showing your library and classical music love with us, and Ravinia Festival!
Develop a new skill, dive deep into a hobby you love, or expand your knowledge on a topic you’ve always wanted to explore with these how-to books and resources our librarians love, plus upcoming events where you can expand your knowledge, make, and create. How-to books How-to resources from your digital library Browse how-to ebooks, … Read more
By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná Happy Solstice! It is the longest day of the year. The sun is shining. The air is fresh, and we don’t have to think about fall or winter for several more weeks. To celebrate, we made you a book list. If there is an audiobook available, we noted how long … Read more
Collection Management Librarians Andrea, Dontaná, and Kathy Jump into summer with these new books, movies, and TV shows that we think will be hot, hot, hot all summer. And don’t forget to register and track your reading for adult summer reading. Sign up and start tracking now » Fiction Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen Publication … Read more
The next time you’re at Dole Branch Library, come see a wonderful collection of ceramic pieces adorning the library shelves and walls. These pieces were created by participants in the Park District of Oak Park’s Active Adults ceramics class. We’ve included some photos here, but they’re really more impressive up close and in person! The … Read more
Youth Art Month in Main Library Lobby Thanks to all the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 teachers (pictured above) for curating this display of artwork by students in grades K-5. It will be on view all March in the Main Library Lobby, in celebration of Youth Art Month. Come in and see the students’ colorful … Read more
Have you checked out the new Library of Things collection? The Library of Things is a new collection of physical objects All you need is an Oak Park library card to check out items from this collection. Items are broken up into four categories Here are some of my favorite things Bocce ball set: A … Read more
Whether you are new to crafting or a seasoned master crafter, there is something for everyone on Creativebug. An inspirational resource for DIY, crafters, and makers, Creativebug features more than 1,000 award-winning art and craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists. You can take a class on art, sewing, food techniques, knitting … Read more
Some of the best things about summer are the beaches, outdoor events, and, of course, cooling off in a movie theater. Why not recreate that movie theater experience at home with these throwback summer blockbusters? Past summer movie hits Alien (1979) Why you should watch it: With fantastic visual effects, a powerful female protagonist, and … Read more
Oak Park Public Library is thrilled to be one of more than 30 organizations around the country partnering for Collections of Culture: 50 Years of Hip Hop Inside Libraries, Museums, and Archives. And as part of our Oak Park celebration, we hosted a T-shirt design contest. With six finalists (pictured above) to choose from, we received … Read more
