Our favorite resources for digital picture books

Family with baby looking at laptop

Searching for good picture books online? Here are some of our favorite digital resources! Your digital library Babybug & Cricket on Flipster: Find stories just for kids in two award-winning magazines. Hoopla: Easy to navigate and use, the app offers educational and fun options for young readers of all ages. Media on Demand & Libby: From … Read more

Tech Tips: How to scan a QR code (plus, how to print from a smartphone at the library)

Printing sign with QR code sitting in front of printers at the Main Library

By Digital Learning Specialist Amelia You probably have seen them somewhere by now, black and white square or circular barcode images—known as QR codes (short for Quick Response codes)—on contactless menus, advertisements, and even as a form of payment around the world. But what are QR codes? These barcode images are readable by digital devices—like … Read more

Relevant reads: Pandemic novels & short stories 2020

Illustration of people wearing surgical face masks

By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná From the plague to the 1918 influenza to now, pandemics have been unwelcome members of society. Touching everyone and everything, global sickness and the changes we have to make to get through makes us anxious and sends us looking for an escape. No wonder we turn to fiction that explores … Read more

Cover stories: Romance novels with illustrated covers to pique your interest

Book covers: Red, White & Royal Blue, The Bride Test, Something to Talk About, Royal Holiday, Love Her or Lose Her, Girl Gone Viral

By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná Illustrated covers have become a trend for contemporary romance novels. They’re cute, expressive, and can be drawn to fit the mood and style of the author and story. In honor of International Kissing Day, here are some romance novels with illustrated covers. Check out the kiss-o-meter to learn more about … Read more

Dark thrillers for a not-so-typical summer

Dark figure walking

By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná Summer is here, but it looks nothing like how we imagined it. In a pre-pandemic world, this would be a list of fun and breezy reads to take with you to the beach. For now, though, enjoy these dark thrillers from the comfort of your backyard, deck chair, or favorite … Read more

Audio Booth

Record and edit music and podcasts in the Creative Studio’s Audio Booth, located on the third floor of the Main Library. The 8-foot-by-12-foot space is acoustically treated to provide a quiet space for audio recording and editing. Patrons ages 14+ can work on self-directed projects; children ages 13 and under require an adult caregiver. Training … Read more

‘My mission is transmitting the folklore’: A volunteer’s story

Of all the Peruvian folk dances that Oak Park resident Kathy Valdivia has studied and taught, her favorite is the Huaylarsh. It’s “a happy dance,” she says, one that recalls agricultural work and courtship among young people in the central Andean highlands of Peru, where Valdivia is originally from. When Valdivia (pictured) moved to Oak … Read more