For more information call 708-452-3440.
If you need special accommodations to attend
any of these events please call 708-452-3471.
Attendance at Library programs and events constitutes
consent to be photographed for Oak Park Public Library
publicity purposes. It should be noted, however, that
names of individuals will not be used in photo captions.
=Main Library =Maze Branch =Dole Branch
= event for kids = event for teens

more events happening at the Library

Wednesday, September 1

Library Gallery Exhibit. Works by Judy Steed will be exhibited through September 30. Open to the public. Art Gallery, Second Floor, Main Library.

Computer Class: Basic Computer Skills for Beginners. This class is for beginners who have not used computers before. Learn to use the mouse to click, double click, open a browser, highlight, scroll, and drag. This is a two-part class. Second session meets September 8. Registration with an Oak Park Public Library card is required. Sign up at the Third Floor Service Desk at the Main Library or call 708-452-3480. Non-residents with a library card can sign up one week before the class date. 9:30 am to 11:30 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Open Boardgame Play. Open game play on the first and third Wednesday of every month. Bring your own board games, or just bring yourself. 6:30 pm to 9 pm Book Discussion Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Thursday, September 2

Computer Class: Facebook 101. Learn the in's and out's of this popular social networking service and get started with your own account. Participants must have a working email address and be proficient Web users. Registration with an Oak Park Public Library card is required. Sign up at the Third Floor Service Desk at the Main Library or call 708-452-3480. Non-residents with a library card can sign up one week before the class date. 9:30 am to 11 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Reception for Gallery Exhibit. Glass mosaic mirrors and botanical plaques by Judy Steed will be exhibited through September 30. Reception and exhibit are free and open to the public. 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Art Gallery, Second Floor, Main Library.

Sunday, September 5

All Library Locations Closed for Labor Day Holiday. More Library closings.

Monday, September 6

All Library Locations Closed for Labor Day Holiday. More Library closings.

Tuesday, September 7

Computer Class: Microsoft Word. Learn to type and format text, insert images and graphics, and other word processing skills. Registration with an Oak Park Public Library card is required. Sign up at the Third Floor Service Desk at the Main Library or call 708-452-3480. Nonresidents with a library card can sign up one week before the class date. 9:30 am to 11:30 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Family Storytime. Storytime open to children ages 2 to 6 years of age. 10:30 am to 11 am Dole Branch.

Wednesday, September 8

Computer Class: Basic Computer Skills for Beginners. Second of two sessions. First session meets September 1. 9:30 am to 11:30 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Family Open Storytime. Storytime for 2-6 year olds. 10:30 am to 11 am Maze Branch.

Film and Discussion: Best of 2000's. It's an ongoing film festival as Oak Park Viewers screen and discuss some of the most interesting films of the decade. Films will be shown on the second Wednesday (at the Main Library) and the last Wednesday (at the Maze Branch) of every month. On September 8: Memento directed by Christopher Nolan, 2000, 113 minutes. Early masterpiece from the director of The Dark Knight in which a man (Guy Pearce) suffering from short-term memory loss uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife. 6:30 pm Veterans Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Great Books Discussion. A monthly discussion of selected classic readings from the Great Books Foundation. Books are available at the Second Floor Service Desk. 7:30 pm Book Discussion Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Thursday, September 9

Computer Class: Introduction to Windows and the Internet. Get a basic introduction to the Internet and how it works, including some information on searching and getting an electronic mail account. This is a two-part class. Second session meets September 16. Registration with an Oak Park Public Library card is required. Sign up at the Third Floor Service Desk at the Main Library or call 708-452-3480. Nonresidents with a library card can sign up one week before the class date. 9:30 am to 11:30 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Open Playgroup. Drop-in playgroup especially for kids under 30 months old. 10 am to 11 am Maze Branch.

Toddler Playgroup. Blocks, music and fun, fun, fun! 10 am to 10:45 am Dole Branch.

Explore Brazil in Film. Have you read the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die? Now, there's a Travel Channel series of films based on the book to take you through the beauty and cultures of well-known locales as well as destinations off the beaten path. Join newlyweds Albin and Melanie Ulle who soak up all the best sights the world has to offer on a dream honeymoon. On this afternoon, experience Brazil's pulsating nightlife to amazing sights along the Amazon River from the film 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. If you've been to Brazil, bring your own stories and photos and mementos to share. Come enjoy some airchair traveling with us. This free event is part of the Active Agers series. 2 pm to 5 pm Veterans Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Yarns and Yarn. A group of avid readers who meet to discuss books while they knit and crochet blankets and scarves to donate to the needy. No knitting experience needed. All are welcome. 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm Dole Branch.

Saturday, September 11

SmashKart Tournament. Join us for a season of competitive Mario Kart Wii and Super Smash Brothers Brawl featuring 32 players in a simultaneous single elimination tournament. Players entering grades 6 through 12 will compete monthly for a chance to win $40, $30, $20, and $10 gift certificates to Best Buy, and the chance to compete in the tournament finals. Pre-registration is recommended for this program. Please call 708-452-3440 or visit the Main Library to sign up. Doors open at 10 am Veterans Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Parent & Child Activities. Drop-in playtime for parents and children to enjoy! 10:30 am to 12 pm Dole Branch.

Sunday, September 12

Lyric Opera Lecture Series: "Macbeth." Once again this season, the Oak Park Public Library and the River Forest Public Library have joined together to offer local patrons the complete Lyric Opera Lecture Series of eight programs. The first lecture will be on "Macbeth" by Guiseppe Verdi. Verdi revered Shakespeare and it shows, as his potently dramatic music illuminates all the famous themes and scenes. Witches on a wind-blasted heath prophesy that Macbeth will wear the Scottish crown. And so begins his bloody march to power - killing king and kinsmen as his murderously ambitious wife spurs him on! 2 pm to 4 pm Small Meeting Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Monday, September 13

Computer Class: Introduction to Spreadsheets. Learn to create, edit, format, save, and print simple spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Basic Computers for Beginners and Microsoft Word. Registration with an Oak Park Public Library card is required. Sign up at the Third Floor Service Desk at the Main Library or call 708-452-3480. Nonresidents with a library card can sign up one week before the class date. 9:30 am to 11:30 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Chess Open Play. Open play, all ages, all skill levels. Every Monday. Drop in when you can. 5:30 pm to 9 pm Book Discussion Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Oak Park Photography Club. All skill levels of photographers are welcome. Members share print and digital images at meetings which are held the second and fourth Monday of each month. For more information call 708-697-6915. 7 pm Veterans Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Tuesday, September 14

Family Storytime. Storytime open to children ages 2 to 6 years of age. 10:30 am to 11 am Dole Branch.

Computer Class: PowerPoint. Learn to use Microsoft PowerPoint to create presentations. Registration with an Oak Park Public Library card is required. Sign up at the Third Floor Service Desk at the Main Library or call 708-452-3480. Nonresidents with a library card can sign up one week before the class date. 7 pm to 8:30 pm Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Wednesday, September 15

Computer Class: Genealogy on the Internet. In this beginners class, explore the best free sites and databases available for genealogical research. Registration with an Oak Park Public Library card is required. Sign up at the Third Floor Service Desk at the Main Library or call 708-452-3480. Nonresidents with a library card can sign up one week before the class date. 9:30 am to 11:30 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Family Open Storytime. Storytime for 2-6 year olds. 10:30 am to 11 am Maze Branch.

Book Discussion: So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell. Set in the 1920s in Lincoln, Illinois, So Long, See You Tomorrow is William Maxwell's masterpiece. A tenant farmer, Lloyd Wilson is murdered. This event has a devastating impact on the friendship between two teenage boys. Half a century later, one of these two boys, as a grown man, reflects upon the events that led to the murder of Wilson. The narrator acquaints the readers with his lost friend, Cletus, who unfortunately happens to be the son of Wilson's killer. This autobiographical novel won the National Book Award in 1980. Copies of So Long, See You Tomorrow are available at the Second Floor Service Desk. 1 pm Book Discussion Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Open Boardgame Play. Open game play on the first and third Wednesday of every month. Bring your own board games, or just bring yourself. 6:30 pm to 9 pm Book Discussion Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Book Discussion: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Remember those classics you couldn't seem to find the time to read in high school or college? Here's your second chance! This fall the Maze Book Group will revisit the works we all found on our syllabi, but for one reason or another, never read. Our "You've Read The Cliffs Notes, Now Read the Book" series continues through December. For September we will be discussing F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Please join us...and be sure to read the book this time! 7 pm Maze Branch.

Thursday, September 16

Computer Class: Introduction to Windows and the Internet. Second of two sessions. First session meets September 9. 9:30 am to 11:30 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Open Playgroup. Drop-in playgroup especially for kids under 30 months old. 10 am to 11 am Maze Branch.

Toddler Playgroup. Blocks, music and fun, fun, fun! 10 am to 10:45 am Dole Branch.

Kids' Drop-in Craft. Create your very own Bird Cage! 4 pm to 5 pm Dole Branch.

Friday, September 17

Read & Reflect Book Discussion: Deep Economy by Bill McKibben. An impassioned call for an economy that creates community and ennobles our lives. Journalist Bill McKibben offers the biggest challenge in a generation where he observes "more" is no longer synonymous with "better," they have become almost opposites. Copies of Deep Economy are available at the Dole Branch. 12 pm Dole Branch.

Fire on the Mic Teen Poetry Night. For over 16 years now, the Oak Park Public Library has hosted an open mic for teens to recite poetry, sing, dance, and express themselves in a variety of ways. Food & drink provided. 7 pm to 9 pm Veterans Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Monday, September 20

Chess Open Play. Open play, all ages, all skill levels. Every Monday. Drop in when you can. 5:30 pm to 9 pm Book Discussion Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Tuesday, September 21

Computer Class: Travel Planning on the Web. Join us for ideas, sites, and strategies that will help you plan upcoming travels economically, with local insights, utilizing the experience of others, and more. Begin with these resources for travel in the United States. Registration with an Oak Park Public Library card is required. Sign up at the Third Floor Service Desk at the Main Library or call 708-452-3480. Nonresidents with a library card can sign up one week before the class date. 9:30 am to 11:30 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Family Storytime. Storytime open to children ages 2 to 6 years of age. 10:30 am to 11 am Dole Branch.

Brown Bag Book Group: The Girl of His Dreams by Donna Leon. In this mystery Police Inspector Guido Brunetti investigates the death of a gypsy found floating in a canal. Brunetti suspects she fell off a nearby roof while fleeing an apartment she had robbed - but something about the case continues to haunt him. Copies of The Girl of His Dreams will be available at the Dole Branch one month before the discussion. 12 pm to 1 pm Dole Branch.

Library Board of Trustees Meeting. Open to the public. 7:30 pm Dole Branch.

Wednesday, September 22

Computer Class: Beyond the Basics of the Internet. Move beyond the topics covered in the Introduction class. Learn about email, advanced finding tools, and evaluating the accuracy of web pages. Registration with an Oak Park Public Library card is required. Sign up at the Third Floor Service Desk at the Main Library or call 708-452-3480. Nonresidents with a library card can sign up one week before the class date. 9:30 am to 11:30 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Family Open Storytime. Storytime for 2-6 year olds. 10:30 am to 11 am Maze Branch.

Robert K. Elder with The Last Words of the Executed and Kartemquin Filmmaker Steve James. Northwestern journalism instructor Robert K. Elder will discuss his book, The Last Words of the Executed. Elder will be joined by Steve James, the award-winning documentary director, producer and co-editor of Hoop Dreams, the Kartemquin film which won every major critics awards as well as a Peabody and Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. Steve James will show clips of At the Death House Door, his documentary film about Carroll Pickett, the death house chaplain in Huntsville, Texas, and Carlos DeLuna who was executed in December 1989 after prosecutors ignored evidence that should have set him free. From colonial era public hangings, to the last moments before a lethal injection, Elder's book revisits the final words of the condemned. Those people who are condemned often express contrition or angry denial, sometimes accompanied by an argument against capital punishment. Elder calls his book an oral history of the overlooked, the infamous and the forgotten, who speak to a common humanity with their last act on earth. Elder culled his material from newspaper accounts, prison archives, and religious counselors who transcribed for posterity the final utterances of the roughly 16,000 men and women who've been executed in the United States. The late Studs Terkel contributed the eloquent foreword. The Book Table of Oak Park will have books to sell at the program which is free and open to the public. 7 pm Veterans Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Thursday, September 23

Open Playgroup. Drop-in playgroup especially for kids under 30 months old. 10 am to 11 am Maze Branch.

Toddler Playgroup. Blocks, music and fun, fun, fun! 10 am to 10:45 am Dole Branch.

Twain Film: Tom Sawyer and More. Mark Twain has often been portrayed in film while Mark Twain's novels and stories have been portrayed in film even more often. Film historian Doug Deuchler has chosen a variety of films and will examine the popular American writer's life and words through screenings and discussions beginning September 23. All six films will be shown on Thursday afternoons at 2 pm. Deuchler will lead discussions of each film following each screening. Two shorter films will kick off the series: Tom Sawyer (1917) a 59-minute silent movie with musical accompaniment, directed by William Desmond Taylor; and The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg (1984) a 40-minute film starring Robert Preston. The second film is based on Twain's short story about a town that enjoys a national reputation for protecting every citizen against all temptation from infancy through death. But then a mysterious stranger, who has nursed a grudge against the town, plots revenge. 2 pm Veterans Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Yarns and Yarn. A group of avid readers who meet to discuss books while they knit and crochet blankets and scarves to donate to the needy. No knitting experience needed. All are welcome. 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm Dole Branch.

Sunday, September 26

Film Showing. Film program co-sponsored by the Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice. 2 pm Veterans Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Monday, September 27

Chess Open Play. Open play, all ages, all skill levels. Every Monday. Drop in when you can. 5:30 pm to 9 pm Book Discussion Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Oak Park Photography Club. All skill levels of photographers are welcome. Members share print and digital images at meetings which are held the second and fourth Monday of each month. For more information call 708-697-6915. 7 pm Veterans Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Tuesday, September 28

Computer Class: Consumer Information Online. Learn to access Consumer Reports, other consumer information, and newspaper articles using online tools available at the Library. Registration with an Oak Park Public Library card is required. Sign up at the Third Floor Service Desk at the Main Library or call 708-452-3480. Nonresidents with a library card can sign up one week before the class date. 9:30 am to 11:30 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Family Storytime. Storytime open to children ages 2 to 6 years of age. 10:30 am to 11 am Dole Branch.

Michele Norris with The Grace of Silence: A Memoir. Join National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" host Michele Norris as she discusses her new book, The Grace of Silence: A Memoir. In the wake of talk of a "post-racial America" upon the ascendance of Barack Obama as president of the United States, Norris, set out, through original reporting, to write a book about "the hidden conversation on race" that is going on in this country. But along the way she unearthed painful family secrets - from her father's shooting by the Birmingham police within weeks of his discharge from service in World War II to her grandmother's peddling pancake mix as an itinerant Aunt Jemima. Tickets are $5. Tickets can be reserved in advance at www.booktable.net or at The Book Table, 1045 Lake Street, Oak Park. Your ticket not only gains you admission, but also gets you $5 off the purchase of The Grace of Silence on the night of the event. This special event is sponsored by The Book Table, the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation, the Friends of the Oak Park Public Library, and Midwest Media. 7 pm Unity Temple, 875 Lake Street, Oak Park

genre X Book Discussion: Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. genre X is a book discussion group for those in their twenties and thirties. The group meets every fourth Tuesday at 8 pm Molly Malone's, 7652 Madison Street, Forest Park.

Wednesday, September 29

Computer Class: Job Searching Online. Learn to use the Internet to find and apply for jobs. Learn to search job sites and sort and refine search results. Also learn formatting choices and tools for resumes. Prerequisite: valid email account. Registration with an Oak Park Public Library card is required. Sign up at the Third Floor Service Desk at the Main Library or call 708-452-3480. Nonresidents with a library card can sign up one week before the class date. 9:30 am to 11:30 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Family Open Storytime. Storytime for 2-6 year olds. 10:30 am to 11 am Maze Branch.

Film and Discussion: Best of 2000's. It's an ongoing film festival as Oak Park Viewers screen and discuss some of the most interesting films of the decade. Films will be shown on the second Wednesday (at the Main Library) and the last Wednesday (at the Maze Branch) of every month. On September 29: City of God (Cidade de Deus) directed by Fernando Meirelles, 2002, 130 minutes. Two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer. In Portuguese with English Subtitles.
1:30 pm Maze Branch.

Thursday, September 30

Computer Class: New SWAN Catalog. Learn how to search, request, and renew items and how to access relevant articles using the Oak Park Public Library’s new SWAN catalog. SWAN is a resource sharing consortium of 80 area libraries. 1,000,000 titles from 80 libraries are now at your fingertips! Registration with an Oak Park Public Library card is required. Sign up at the Third Floor Service Desk at the Main Library or call 708-452-3480. Nonresidents with a library card can sign up one week before the class date. 9:30 am to 11:30 am Computer Classroom, Third Floor, Main Library.

Open Playgroup. Drop-in playgroup especially for kids under 30 months old. 10 am to 11 am Maze Branch.

Toddler Playgroup. Blocks, music and fun, fun, fun! 10 am to 10:45 am Dole Branch.

Film Series: Mark Twain Tonight! In this 1967 film, Hal Holbrook portrays the author late in his life. Holbrook received an Emmy Award for this television performance on CBS. 90 minutes. Discussion to follow. 2 pm Veterans Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

Ray Hanania: An Arab-American Reflects on Growing Up in America. Ray Hanania is an Arab/American radio host, author, stand-up comedian and Middle East peace activist. Hanania will reflect on his experiences growing up Arab in Chicago and his work as a journalist and radio host covering politics. The program is free and open to the public. After September 11, 2001, Hanania began a successful stand-up comedy career lampooning his life growing up Arab in Chicago and his unusual marriage to his wife, Alison, who is Jewish. Ray Hanania has been host of "Mornings with Ray Hanania" Monday through Friday from 8 to 9:30 am on WJJG Radio (AM1530). 7 pm Veterans Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

August 2010