By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná Since Oprah’s first book club pick in 1996, we have been reading as the celebrities do, falling in love with, or hating, characters with our fellow book club readers. Book clubs offer an opportunity to be in community with others, even if we’re not together in person. Other celebrities who … Read more
Our library’s vision is to empower every voice in our community, and our Middle & High School Services Team is doing just that for students this year. We’re excited to offer three new ways for youth in grades 6-12 to build relationships, learn with their peers and mentors, and grow in their schoolwork, job readiness, … Read more
After a pandemic hiatus, the Oak Park Community Kwanzaa Celebration was back in person at the Main Library in December, with a full house. “This year’s Kwanzaa celebration was the best one yet!” said Multicultural Learning Coordinator Juanta Griffin. Griffin organizes the annual intergenerational event, last held in person at the library in 2019. Among … Read more
By Eileen Saam, Children’s Librarian As the school year starts and school projects are assigned, know that the library is here to help! In addition to books, your Oak Park library card gives you access to a number of subscription-based resources that you can use to help you with your research. In my previous posts … Read more
By Hal, Rainbow Services Librarian Did you know? Illinois is one of only six states with an inclusive curriculum bill that ensures students in public schools learn about LGBTQ+ and their contributions as part of their history curriculum. In their most recent published survey results (pdf), GLSEN found that inclusive curriculums have a positive impact … Read more
By Rose Barnes, Health & Senior Services Librarian January is a month when many set intentions for the New Year and some may even take on new projects or hobbies. This year, my intention is to slow down and be more present in my interactions and activities. With that in mind, I’d like to highlight … Read more
Happy New Year, Oak Park! Not big on resolutions? We understand! For some, the start of a new year is a time for wish-making and goal-setting. What would you like to feel, do, or experience more—or less—of this year? Might we suggest less stress, more movement, less clutter, or more color in 2023? Below you’ll … Read more
By Eileen Saam, Children’s Services Librarian Thanks to grant funding from TechGirlz—a nonprofit program of Creating IT Futures that provides free, fun, interactive workshops—the library now offers new ways to support engaging, hands-on learning for middle school girls. Recent additions in the library’s new Creative Studio include 3D printers, toolkits to dismantle and assemble computers, … Read more
Oak Park Public Library earns Five-Star Library status from Library Journal We’re thrilled to share that our library has once again been named a “Five-Star Library” in Library Journal’s Index of Public Library Service. For 2022 and out of the 5,359 libraries reviewed, Oak Park was ranked No. 3 in the country in its expenditure … Read more
By Rose Barnes, Health & Senior Services Librarian As the nights get longer and the temperature starts to really drop, I love to stay home and get cozy. One of my favorite winter activities that I’ve embraced since the start of the pandemic is watching movies while I work on puzzles. While there are so … Read more
