Access kid-focused subscription-based online resources, digital newspapers—including local, regional, and international publications—and more with an Oak Park library card! All resources are designed to help make digital learning more interactive, more visual, and more fun.
- Need instant digital access? All Oak Park residents ages 13+ can apply »
- Need a study space? Find two study rooms in the Main Library Children’s Services area for grades K-5. Call 708.383.8200 (select option 3) or visit the service desk to reserve (up to two hours at a time and one week in advance, once per week).
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Online resources
African-American History
A fresh way to explore the full spectrum of African-American history and culture, covering five centuries.
American Indian History
Fast access to more than 15,000 years of culture and history, covering more than 600 Native American groups.
AtoZ World Culture
Information about world history, cultures, languages, foods, religions, and more.
Brainfuse HelpNow
On-demand, anytime, anywhere learning resources for all ages, including:
- Live online help from tutors (available daily from 2 to 11 pm)
- Practice tests for college entrance exams, live assistance filling out FAFSA applications (select Live Tutoring and then choose FAFSA assistance from the Select Grade dropdown)
- Expert writing assistance
- A test center with customized study plans
- A flashcard creator
- A private virtual study room to share
Free app for iOS and Android available. Need help getting started with the app? Watch a video tutorial »
CultureGrams
Cultural information on the countries of the world, includes a States Edition with U.S. state facts.
Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos (access from inside any Oak Park library building or anywhere outside the library)
Herramienta de referencia en español para niños. Contiene miles de artículos fáciles de leer y repletos de ilustraciones, videos, mapas interactivos y una amplia variedad de juegos y actividades, diseñado para desarrollar las habilidades claves del lenguaje y de investigación.
World Book Encyclopedia for Spanish speakers—with thousands of easy-to-read articles packed with illustrations, videos, interactive maps, and a wide variety of games and activities—designed to develop key language and research skills.
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
Images, maps, and full-text articles on a wide variety of subject areas.
Gale In Context: Biography
Authoritative biographical entries covering international figures from all time periods and areas of study.
National Geographic Kids
Go on amazing adventures in science, nature, culture, archaeology, and space. NatGeo Kids offers a complete run of the magazine from 2009 to the present, as well as books, videos, and images. High-quality informational texts are available for primary, upper elementary, and middle school students.
Available in browser on laptop/desktop.
Checkout periods & lending limits
- No holds, no waiting, no limits
- Borrow as many titles as you want
Special features
- Point-and-click access to pictures, books, and magazines
- Easy access to subject indexing and related terms
- Authoritative nonfiction digital content in support of Common Core State Standards
NoveList K-8 Plus
Fiction and nonfiction book lists for children, award-winning titles, and books by grade-level or Lexile score.
Oxford English Dictionary
Online dictionary and historical thesaurus—a guide to the meaning, history, and usage of over 500,000 words and phrases across the English-speaking world.
PebbleGo & PebbleGo Next
Content hub packed with informational articles featuring engaging multimedia, interactive lessons and games, and literacy supports for grades preK-5.
- For preK-grade 3: PebbleGo subjects include animals, biographies, health, science, and social studies.
- For grades 3-5: PebbleGo Next subjects include American Indian history, biographies, health, science, social studies, and states.
Primary Search
Full-text articles, news, and current events, using grade levels or Lexile ranges, for primary students.
TumbleBookLibrary
Collection of animated, talking picture books that teach young children the joys of reading in a format they’ll love, for primary school students. Available on Apple iOS, Android, and in browser on laptop/desktop. Need help? Explore the user guide.
Checkout periods & lending limits
- No holds, no waiting, no limits
- Borrow as many titles as you want
Special features
- New book in each genre featured daily
- A collection of read-along books
World Book (access from inside any Oak Park library building or anywhere outside the library)
Explore World Book’s engaging content for learners of all ages, all in one place:
- Discover (grades 5+): Easy-to-read articles with a text-to-speech feature.
- Early Learning (grades preK+): Narrated stories, games, videos, and reading practice.
- Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos (grades 5+): Online version of World Book in Spanish, including encyclopedia articles, resource guides, citation builder, interactive maps, and study quizzes.
- eBooks (all ages): Collection of exclusive, illustrated ebooks for kids, sorted by grade level with Lexile Level and Accelerated Reader information.
- Kids (grades K+): Easy-to-read articles with engaging images, illustrations, interactive games, and activities.
- Student (grades 5+): Online version of World Book, including encyclopedia articles, resource guides, citation builder, interactive maps, and study quizzes.
- Timelines (grades 5+): Use one of the pre-generated timelines or create a timeline from scratch, adding events, descriptions, and media.