Special Collections curates, houses, and conserves Oak Park’s historical treasures, and makes them publicly available both in person and digitally. In 2018 we worked with the Conservation Center in Chicago to conserve a work of art of special significance to the library—a rare window from the Scoville Institute, the late 19th-century building that once stood … Read more
It’s been one year since we launched our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, and our early readers are off to a fabulous start. The library’s long-term reading program is designed to prepare babies, toddlers, and preschoolers to arrive ready to learn come kindergarten. So far, 36 families have achieved the goal of reading 1,000 books together … Read more
In our three-part Race Conscious Readers series this fall, families came together to find ways to talk about race with kids in early elementary school. As one parent said: “It’s important my kids hear these conversations around them all the time, not just at home. It reinforces how important it is.” Books that celebrate, empower, … Read more
The first time Chicago police officer Tim Crawford observed a peace circle, he was skeptical. But after a while, “I started to see—hold on—this works,” he said. “Especially with people who experience trauma on a regular basis. You’ve got to have a place to vent, to speak your truth.” Crawford (pictured far right) works with … Read more
After a career working in libraries around Illinois, Susan Burke retired to Oak Park. It was a return—she grew up in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood and lived in Oak Park in the early 1970s. “Oak Park has always been committed to social justice, and that was why I came back,” she said. Burke also gives back. … Read more
Join us this winter—and all year round—for activities that can help foster empathy in our community. On Wednesday, December 12, discover world holidays through crafts, games, books and artifacts from the Multicultural Collection at Holidays Around the World from 4 to 5 pm at Dole Branch Library. And join members of the community to celebrate Kwanzaa, a celebration … Read more
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