On Wednesday, June 19, all library locations will be closed for Juneteenth. This national, state, and Oak Park holiday celebrates African Americans’ freedom from enslavement in the United States. Celebrations at the Main Library Juneteenth is a joyous celebration of freedom, but also a time to remember the countless sacrifices made to achieve it. Join … Read more
Jacob Grant is an award-winning Oak Park author, illustrator, and dad who makes picture books, including Umami, No Pants!, and Bear’s Scare. He won the prestigious Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustration Exhibition earlier this year. And he designed our new acorn character mascot for the Pop-Up Library initiative, which debuted in April! Below, Jacob shares … 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
In October, OPALGA+ (Oak Park Area Gay and Lesbian Association) recognized our library for “outstanding efforts on behalf of LGBTQ+ people in Oak Park and the surrounding area.” The library’s Executive Director Joslyn Bowling Dixon accepted the OPALGA+ Mel Wilson Founders Award at the OPALGA+ Annual Scholarship Fundraiser Gala on October 22. Library staff, including … Read more
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is typically celebrated on November 1 and 2. The celebration, which originated in Mexico, is rooted in indigenous practices that existed long before Spanish settlers arrived. Together with community members, our Latine Language & Culture Librarian Nora Sanchez has been working to bring the celebration to the library … Read more
Know an Oak Park neighbor, co-worker or educator—even a newborn—without a library card? Send them our way! Every Oak Park resident and Oak Park-based educator, daycare provider, and business owner can get complete access to public library services and resources. A card gives you full access to library services
When Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris was gearing up for Disability Pride Month celebrations at the library earlier this year, she kept thinking to herself: “I really want to go big. I want to go so big.” Harris spoke recently with WBEZ Chicago’s Reset about the library’s third year celebrating Disability Pride Month, which marks the … 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
The library is partnering with the Oak Park Township to offer free personal hygiene supplies for youth at the library. Kids and their families can help themselves to soap, shampoo and conditioner, toothbrushes and toothpaste, floss, deodorant, lotion, and menstrual products. The supplies are located inside a small latched cabinet in the wheelchair-accessible bathroom in … Read more
Please note: As of March 24, 2023, the library has changed its usage from “Latinx” to “Latine.” Nora is now the Latine Language & Culture Librarian. “As an organization, we are continuously learning and evolving to meet the needs expressed to us by our community,” says Manager of Community Engagement Sarah Yale. “Increasingly, we are hearing from … Read more
If you’ve visited Maze Branch lately, you may have noticed a new spot to sit down and take a rest, on a green bench just outside the building entrance. The inviting new PoSITivity Bench came to Maze Branch this spring, thanks to a local chapter of The Links, Incorporated. Made up of professional women of … Read more
The Illinois Library Association (ILA) Youth Services Forum has awarded Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris with the 2021 Golden Ticket Award for her “outstanding local contribution” to young people through programs that “promote a love of literature and instill positive feelings about libraries.” Shelley’s “creativity, incredible work ethic, and commitment to serving young patrons and their … Read more
