OPPL :: News

Library to Explore Unique Café Partnership with PADS
The Oak Park Public Library and West Suburban PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) are exploring an innovative public-private partnership to provide café service in the vestibule of the Main Library. PADS would operate the café in the Library as a transitional job training program for their clients enrolled in the agency's supportive housing programs.

"We think this is an innovative solution to finding someone to manage and run the café in our Library," says Deirdre Brennan, Executive Library Director. "It's a mutually beneficial arrangement with great community benefits as well. We are able to continue to provide a popular service to library users and collaborate with a community social service agency in helping people rebuild their lives and contribute to society."

"Running the Library café would allow PADS to expand its services into pre-employment and job training services," notes Lynda Schueler, Executive Director of PADS. "By giving our housing clients an opportunity to learn the ropes in the food service industry, we will be giving them marketable skills that they can use to secure gainful employment. We also hope to inspire those in our emergency shelter who are ready to take steps toward rebuilding their lives." Schueler notes that "Similar programs have been found to be very successful in assisting the homeless re-enter the job force. We are thrilled that the Library is open to this idea."

Library and PADS staff will be working over the next month to develop a full proposal and business plan for the café. Questions to be addressed are hours, menu, changes to the existing space and funding, as well as a new name for the café. Buzz owners Laura and Andrew Maychruk have expressed willingness to donate equipment to PADS and to provide on-going free consultation and training to the staff. PADS has already received funding from a grant to pay the salary of the café manager who would be hired as part of the PADS case management staff.

Long-time volunteer and current PADS' board member John Allen has assisted in formulating the plan for this unique venture.

"We have a lot to work out," stated Brennan. "But it's a very exciting opportunity to do something really innovative and beneficial to the Oak Park community." 1/22/08

On Track: All About Trains Film Series
Like Train Films? Beginning Sunday, February 3, at 2 p.m. the Friends of the Oak Park Public Library will offer a 6-session film series titled "On Track: All About Trains." The film screenings will be hosted by Doug Deuchler, film historian and writer, at 2 p.m. on selected Sunday afternoons through May 14 at the Main Library.

Sunday, February 3 The General (1927), directed by Buster Keaton. A silent comedy starring Buster Keaton based on an actual historical incident--the hijacking of an important locomotive during the Civil War. (107 minutes)

Sunday, March 2 Union Pacific (1939), directed by Cecil B. DeMille. An epic story of the building of the first transcontinental railroad, starring Joel McCrea and Barbara Stanwyck. (136 minutes)

Sunday, March 9 Brief Encounter (1945), directed by David Lean. A bittersweet romance about a middle-aged doctor and a suburban London housewife who meet at a commuter train station just after World War II. (86 minutes)

Sunday, April 6 The Harvey Girls (1946), directed by George Sidney. A lavish Technicolor MGM musical starring Judy Garland as part of a team of waitresses in early 1900s New Mexico working in the chain of Fred Harvey railroad station restaurants. (101 minutes)

Sunday, April 13 Strangers on a Train (1951), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. A wealthy psychotic (Robert Walker) confronts a pro tennis star (Farley Granger) with a theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder.

Sunday, May 4 The Train (1965), directed by John Frankenhemer. A thriller in which Burt Lancaster is a train inspector who joins the French Resistance to stop the Nazis from smuggling a load of French Impressionist paintings out of Paris during the German Occupation. (133 minutes)

Parking Garage at Main Library
The Library learned on December 26, 2007 that effective January 1, 2008, the Village of Oak Park will no longer be providing security monitoring nor managing the pay station parking gates in the parking garage at the Main Library.

The Library Security Guards will assume temporary responsibility for assisting customers with any parking gate malfunctions and with periodically patrolling the garage during the hours the Library is open.

The parking garage will be locked when the Library closes and will be reopened for the public when the Main Library opens.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please contact Executive Director Dee Brennan at 708-697-6911 or Assistant Director Jim Madigan at 708-697-6909 if you have any questions or concerns. 1/4/08

Jim Jarmusch Film Series
Oak Park Viewers American Masters series continues with films by Jim Jarmusch on the first Wednesday of every month. Expect inspired quietude, pitch-perfect dialog, and evening explorations through the unusual and sincere stuff of life, according to Alan Jacobson, Fiction Audiovisual Librarian.

Wednesday, January 2 Stranger Than Paradise
Wednesday, February 6 Down By Law
Wednesday, March 5 Mystery Train
Wednesday, April 2 Dead Man
Wednesday, May 7 Coffee & Cigarettes
Wednesday, June 4 Broken Flowers

For more information call Alan at 708-452-3451. More information about film showings at the Library. 1/4/08

Voter Registration Available at Main Library

The League of Women Voters Oak Park/River Forest will register voters at the Main Library on Sunday, January 6 between 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition, two Oak Park Public Library staff members at the Main Library have been trained as Deputy Registrars. As Deputy Registrars, they are authorized to register residents of Cook County and other Illinois residents to vote. To make an appointment to register to vote at the Main Library, please call Bonnie at 708-697-6954.

To be eligible to register, you must be (1) a U.S. citizen, (2) 18 years old by Election Day, and (3) a resident of your precinct at least 30 days prior to the election. When you register, bring two pieces of identification, including one piece which contains your current address. More information about registering to vote. 12/21/07

a Pocket Art Vending Machine

The retrofitted cigarette machine that sells art has been moved to the Art Gallery of the Main Library. $5 tokens to use in the Art-o-mat are for sale at the Circulation Desk in the Lobby. Half the token price goes to the artist, $1 to Art-o-mat, and $1.50 goes to the Library to help purchase additional permanent art.

The Art-o-mat is the creation of artist-turned entrepreneur Clark Whittington of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Once cigarette vending machines were banned, Whittington looked for new uses. In a solo show in 1997, he included a customized old cigarette machine which dispensed his own black-and-white photos for $1. Gallery-goers loved the idea.

Today more than 40 Art-o-mat machines vend works by 400 artists from 10 countries. Wrapped like a pack of cigarettes, the handmade lithographs, prints, photographs, and sculptures sell for $5 each. Local Oak Park area artists who would like more information about selling their art through Art-o-mat can contact www.artomat.org for directions in submitting artwork to be considered for Art-o-mat.

Art-o-mat machines can also be found in the New Museum of Contemporary Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, the Cultural Center and Marshall Fields' store in downtown Chicago, several Whole Foods Markets on the East Coast, and the Central Library in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 12/13/07

Noise Level Zones Instituted at Main Library
To help assure that all Library patrons have a great place to read, work, and study without unnessary disturbance or distraction, the Main Library has instituted new Noise Level Zones. These color-coded zones within the building clarify the noise levels and activities permitted:

The "Silent" Red Zone is the silent area, ideal for patrons who want to work or read with no disturbance. Within the Red Zone, there will be no conversations, no cell phone usage, and only personal music players which are inaudible to others. The Silent Reading Room, Computer Classroom, and Technology Center are in the "Silent" Red Zone.

The "Quiet" Yellow Zone is the quiet area for those who want to work or read with only whispered conversation and minimal disturbance. Whispered conversation as well as laptop use and cell phone texting is allowed in the Yellow Zone. Personal music is allowed if it is inaudible to others. The Third Floor Common Area and Second Floor Periodical Area are in the "Quiet" Yellow Zone.

The "Social" Green Zones are the places in the Library for those patrons who want to gather with groups or talk with others. Moderate conversation levels and considerate cell phone usage are allowed in the Green Zones. Personal music is allowed if it is inaudible to others. The Lobby, Children's Room, Second Floor Common Areas, and Group Study Rooms are "Social" Green Zones.

Patrons are encouraged to find the zone that is appropriate for their needs and to respect the needs of others in the zone. The Library is experimenting with this zone system. Please send us your questions or comments on this topic. 10/29/07

Representative LaShawn K. Ford Helps Get Grant for Maze Branch
Assistant Director Jim Madigan, Executive Director Dee Brennan, and Illinois State Representative LaShawn K. Ford Illinois Representative LaShawn K. Ford, (D) - 8th District, was instrumental in obtaining a $100,000 state grant for the Oak Park Public Library to use at the Maze Branch. The grant is from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. This is an additional grant for improvements to the Maze Branch. Among the projects that will be funded with this grant are: tuckpointing of the terrace limestone which was loosened during construction, irrigation of the property to maintain landscaping, improvements to accessibility for people with disabilities and for bicyclists. Representative Ford met recently at the Maze Branch Library with Oak Park Public Library Director Dee Brennan and Assistant Director Jim Madigan. 10/22/07

Oak Park Public Library Builds Transgender Resource Collection
The Oak Park Public Library has received a prestigious $3,000 grant to create the first focused Transgender Resource Collection in a US public library. "Transgender" is an umbrella term that applies to people whose gender identity does not conform to what society has commonly associated with their birth sex.

The Library is purchasing materials that will serve, reflect, and welcome transgender people. The Transgender Resource Collection will also increase public awareness and understanding of gender identity and gender expression issues. This unique public library collection consists mainly of nonfiction materials and includes medical information, legal concerns, and social issues. With its own resources, the Oak Park Public Library has added popular and lesser known fiction titles as well as films.

As a Village, Oak Park has long been nationally recognized for its commitment to diversity. "We believe strongly that the Library is the place for all residents to have access to a full range of information sources," notes Bleue Benton, Collection Development Librarian and creator of the Transgender Resource Collection grant. "This collection will serve not only transgender people, but also anyone seeking information, including employers, medical providers, allies, friends, and family members."

In addition to purchasing materials, Oak Park Public Library provided awareness workshops for staff. "We want to make certain that all library staff are prepared to provide excellent customer service to people who are transgender," says Executive Director Deirdre Brennan. Shannon Sullivan, Executive Director of the Coalition for Education on Sexual Orientation (now Illinois Safe Schools Alliance), facilitated four workshops for staff to increase their knowledge about gender identity and heighten awareness for working with others.

covers of eight titles in the collection
The Transgender Resource Collection contains general works, memoirs, and personal stories, medical and legal concerns, and historical, cultural, and global views. Books include a wide range of titles such as Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman; Sex Changes and the Politics for Transgenderism; Christine Jorgensen: A Personal Autobiography; Current Issues in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health; Voice and Communication Therapy for the Transgender/Transsexual Client; Transgender on Screen; In a Queer Time and Place: Transgender Bodies, Subcultural Lives; Intersex and Identity; and Clothes Make the Man: Female Cross Dressing in Medieval Europe. All titles can be found through a Library Catalog keyword search for Transgender Resouce Collection.

Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library, a division of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the federal Library Services and Technology Act. Oak Park Public Library is committed to expanding the collection as new materials become available. For more information, contact Bleue Benton at 7/10/07

Wi-Fi Now at all Oak Park Public Library Locations
Access the Internet from anywhere in the Oak Park Public Library through our publicly accessible wireless network. The Main Library, Dole Branch, and Maze Branch now offer a wi-fi network for patrons who have laptop computers or hand-held personal digital assistants (PDAs) configured for DHCP. These connections offer high speed access but cannot print to any library printers. Patrons need to bring their own laptop computer or PDA complete with wi-fi cards, supporting either 802.11b, 802.11a, or 802.11g (operating at 802.11b speeds). The Library does not provide equipment or hardware.

To use these connections configure your laptop's network connection for DHCP. Your SSID should be set to "opplair" in order to be connected to the Library's wireless network. Also, ensure that your wireless session is set to infrastructure mode and not ad-hoc. Oak Park Public Library cardholders log in using their 14-digit library card number and pin number (the last four digits of your telephone number unless you have changed it). Those without an Oak Park Public Library card log in by entering their email address in the "Guests" section on the screen. All users must accept the terms of service for a successful authentication to take place.

The Library continues to offer computers with Internet access and wired connections for laptops. 6/15/07

Borrow Free Brookfield Zoo Passes from Main Library
Oak Park Public Library cardholders can check out free Brookfield Zoo passes from the Main Library. The Brookfield Zoo Wild About Reading Library Pass entitles any combination of four adults or children free general admission during all public hours at the zoo. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Parking is not included.

Step 1
Choose a day you would like to go to the Brookfield Zoo.
Step 2
Call the Oak Park Public Library at 708-452-3401 to reserve your date.
Step 3
On your reserved date check out the Wild About Reading Library Pass at the Main Library.
Step 4
The Wild About Reading Library Pass has a one-day checkout period and must be returned to the Main Library prior to midnight.

The overdue fine for the Brookfield Zoo Wild About Reading Library Pass is $10 per day and the replacement fee if lost is $40. For more information call 708-452-3410. 2/6/07

Maze Branch Library Receives "Calvacade of Pride" Award
The Maze Branch Library has been honored with a 2007 "Calvacade of Pride" award from the Community Design Commission of the Village of Oak Park.

Village President David Pope presented the award November 20, 2006 at the Village Board meeting. Assistant Library Director Jim Madigan accepted the award on behalf of the Oak Park Public Library.

The annual awards are given to home and business owners of properties that demonstrate excellence in their maintenance and beautification. 11/21/06

Library Director Deirdre Brennan, Trustee Mila Telez, and former Trustee Steve Fruth joined Assistant Director Jim Madigan in celebrating the award.

Maze Branch Gala 70th Anniversary Celebration
Celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Maze Branch Library at a 1930s themed fundraiser. The after-hours celebration will be on Saturday, September 30, 2006 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Maze Branch. Enjoy musical entertainment, catering by Cucina Paradiso, dessert table, and wine and soft drinks. Ladies, find a hat if you can, you wouldn't have left home without one in the 1930s. Gored skirts were popular as separates or part of the dress. Men's trousers fit loosely and usually sported cuffs. Reservations are limited to 125 people and admission will be by ticket only. Tickets are $45 per person. Call 708-386-4751 for information and reservations. Proceeds will restore a Carl Krafft painting which was donated to the Library in the early days. Come celebrate 70 years of the neighborhood library at 845 Gunderson with music, games, and displays of memorabilia. Learn about the history of the Maze Branch Library. 9/10/06

Library Board of Trustees Names Dee Brennan New Executive Director
The Library Board of Trustees of the Oak Park Public Library ratified the appointment of Deirdre "Dee" Brennan to the post of Executive Director at a special board meeting held on Wednesday, July 5, 2006. Ms. Brennan says that she treasures "the opportunity to work in such a diverse, interesting and innovative community and library."

Ms. Brennan is relocating from Boston where she had a 6 year career at the Boston Public Library and held a series of senior leadership positions. According to Library Board President Janet Kelenson, speaking on behalf of the board, "The Boston Public Library is considered to be one of the premiere urban public libraries systems in America with a collection in excess of seven million volumes and 26 branches. We are quite fortunate to attract a librarian of Ms. Brennan's stature to Oak Park. We believe it is a testament to the growing national peer recognition of the Oak Park Public Library and our many innovative programs. We look forward to her leadership in moving our library to the next level."

Prior to joining the Boston Public Library, Ms. Brennan was Director of
the Reading Massachusetts Public Library for 9 years. At Reading, a Boston suburb, Ms. Brennan planned and implemented library initiatives in response to customer needs. Since mid 2003, Ms. Brennan has been the Chief of Public Services at the Boston Public Library. In this role, she is responsible for all aspects of public services, including reference and research, circulation, virtual services, 26 branch libraries, communications, publicity, marketing, exhibits, and programming.

Prior to her current position, she served as a Regional Program Administrator. The focus of her job was to improve the delivery of library services to all Massachusetts libraries and residents. Ms. Brennan is also active in state and national library activities. From 1998 to 1999, she was the president of the Massachusetts Library Association. She is also a frequent presenter at national conferences. In the past four months, Ms. Brennan presented at both the Public Library Association and the American Library Association.

"The choice of Dee Brennan was the result of an innovative selection process," according to board president Kelenson. "What made this selection process different from past efforts was our outreach to gain meaningful input from a broad variety of constituencies. The process included input from the current library leadership team, all levels of staff, the Friends of the Library organization as well as emails and letters from community residents. The executive director of the Metropolitan Library System worked in conjunction with our own Human Resources Department to assist us in conducting this search. Ultimately, we garnered over 30 applicants for this position."

"The Board of Trustees believes that this process aided in our selection of a highly qualified candidate of national stature to lead our library for the foreseeable future," said board president Kelenson. 7/6/06

Oak Park State Senators Allocate Funds to Maze Library
Library Trustees and staff thank Senators Lightford and Harmon. State Senator Kimberly Lightford (D-4) and State Senator Don Harmon (D-39) have announced that they each have allocated funds to be distributed to the Oak Park Public Library in the amount of $100,000 for capital expenses related to renovation of the Maze Branch Library. Both allocations, a total of $200,000, will be funded through grants administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development. Both State Senators toured the Maze Branch Library during the period of public input, Sen. Harmon in November 2004 and Sen. Lightford in February 2005. Library Board President Janet Kelenson and Assistant Director Jim Madigan met with each of the senators in April 2005 to discuss the plans for the Maze Branch Library. "We greatly appreciate the personal interest of State Senator Lightford and State Senator Harmon in the Maze Branch Library," stated Library Board President Janet Kelenson. "The Maze Branch is a well-used, well loved library facility, and these funds will be of great assistance in renovating the building so it can be accessible to all members of our community." The project, currently underway, will result in making the Maze Branch accessible to persons with disabilities. Plans call for renovation to remove the architectural barriers at the main entrance on Gunderson Street and for an addition which will house an elevator and new stairs. Patrons will be able to use the stairs or elevator to reach the library's meeting room, and new washrooms will be accessible to all patrons. The project will upgrade the operating systems of the building to achieve reliability, efficiency and safety. This will include new electrical wiring, new heating and air conditioning, a sprinkler system and new data cabling. The Maze Branch of the Oak Park Public Library is located at 845 South Gunderson. It was built in 1936 as a WPA project, and has been designated as an Oak Park landmark. More history of the Maze Branch... 3/13/06

Oak Park Public Library's New Van Celebrates Diversity of Services
The new Oak Park Public Library van is much more than a vehicle used to deliver books and packages for the Library. It's a lively billboard which helps to celebrate the diversity of library services and library patrons in Oak Park, according to Jim Madigan, Assistant Library Director. "The new van has provided a way to celebrate Oak Park authors as well. One panel features a photograph of a stack of books by contemporary authors including Elizabeth Berg, Jane Hamilton, Harriette Robinette, Alex Kotlowitz, Carol Shields, and Pam Todd as well as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ernest Hemingway, and Frank Lloyd Wright. A book by cartoonist Tom Tomorrow and a video by filmmaker Steve James are also included in the stack," continues Madigan. The white van has been outfitted with large color photographs on both sides, as well as the Library logo on side doors and Friends of the Oak Park Public Library logo on a back door. The design and application are made possible by a grant from the Friends of the Oak Park Public Library. The new library van is a way to remind patrons to visit the Library as it travels about town. 1/4/06

Additional Bike Rack Installed at Main Library
For the convenience of patrons who ride bikes to the Main Library, an additional bike rack has been installed at the northeast corner of the Oak Park Public Library. Patrons can reach the bike rack via Grove Avenue or Lake Street. "Studies have shown that about half of the patrons who come to the Main Library come on foot or via bicycle," says Executive Director Ed Byers. "The bike racks by the flag pole on Lake Street have been well utilized since the new Main Library opened in October 2003. This new bike rack will provide an additional space for patrons to safely lock their bikes." 5/31/05

Recycle @ Your Library
Patrons can drop off inkjet/toner cartridges for recycling at the Dole Branch and Maze Branch Libraries. The program is being coordinated by Business Essential Service Team of River Forest. Another drop-off site is Barbara's Book Store at 1100 Lake Street in Oak Park. Cell phones can be dropped off at the Village of Oak Park Public Works at 131 South Boulevard in Oak Park. 8/26/04

Friends New Germination T-Shirt
The Friends of the Oak Park Public Library are happy to announce that new Friends t-shirts are now available. The shirts feature a watercolor painting titled Germination by local artist Susan Bjornsen which the Friends purchased during the October 2003 "Glory of Books" exhibit at the Main Library. T-shirts are available in adult small to XXL sizes and are $15. Purchase shirts at the Circulation Desk the Main Library, at the Dole Branch, or at the Maze Branch. 8/18/04
Move your mouse over the t-shirt for a close up of Germination.

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