Give

Toddler and preschooler with suckers

Empowering freedoms and connections

When you choose to give locally, you support work that strives to empower every voice in our community. You support the freedom to read, to learn, and to grow. And you help make our community stronger with more meaningful connections.

All donations are tax deductible. To learn more about how you can help keep Oak Park’s center of information, local history, and civic engagement strong, contact Executive Director David J. Seleb (davids@oppl.org, 708.697.6911). 

Ways to give

Dedicated endowment funds

NEW! Jim Madigan Oak Park Public Library Staff Education Fund. Give now in honor of Jim and his 25 years of service and to provide additional resources for the educational advancement of Oak Park Public Library staff. 

  • Helen M. Harrison Endowed Book Fund. Give now to this fund established by long-time library loyalist Helen Harrison for new books and materials. 
  • Fallon Family Fun. Give now to this fund helping deliver cutting-edge projects and resources for all of our community’s children. 
  • Bernard and Cecilia Sinkevitch Fund. Give now to provide ongoing support for building collections. 
  • Scoville-Hutchinson Library Fund. Give now to this scholarship support for professional development, helping library employees earn a Master of Library Science degree. 
  • Oak Park Public Library Capital Fund. Give now to support building and capital needs. Since July 2011 includes the Ina Ostertag Scholarship Fund, which honors a former library trustee. 
  • H. Spencer Green Trust. Give now to this unrestricted fund bringing special projects to our community. 
  • Friends of the Oak Park Public Library Fund. Give now to offer ongoing support for building community bridges. 

Giving locally transforms lives

Each year, neighbors choosing to give locally are supporting the power to transform lives.

  • Take, for example, a recent $500 gift to the library from the Schwab Charitable fund that was earmarked for adult literacy in memory of a loyal local patron. Twenty-six new Main Library titles in the Rapid Reads Series now offer contemporary, entertaining plots and come with tutor tools for testing comprehension and discussion. Adult Education Librarian Rashmi Swain was thrilled to be able to fulfill an Oak Park literacy volunteer’s request with the donated funds. “The new titles are perfect for instilling foundational reading skills, and for fostering a continued love of reading,” Swain said.
  • Thanks to generous contributions to the library’s Fallon Family Fund, Oak Park now has a custom-built Book Bike, used to bring library services and resources outside library buildings, and meet patrons where they are in the community. Learn more about Oak Park’s Book Bike »

Materials donations

  • Donated materials, including books, movies and music in sellable condition, are accepted anytime of the year at the Main Library for sale at the Friends of the Oak Park Public Library Annual Book Fair.
  • During open hours, bring materials to any service desk.
  • You can also call ahead to have us meet you outside or in the parking garage to help you bring in your materials.
  • All donations are tax deductible.
  • Not accepted: magazines, textbooks, and condensed texts (such as Reader’s Digest).

More local places to donate books

Park District of Oak Park Little Free Libraries on the Cheney Mansion grounds and in Austin Gardens, Lindberg Park, and Mills Park. Learn more about Little Free Libraries »

The Children’s Clinic Literacy Program
320 Lake St.
Oak Park, IL 60302
708.848.0528, ext. 225

Brown Elephant Resale Shop
217 Harrison St.
Oak Park, IL 60304
708.445.0612

Goodwill Donation Center
1900 Harlem Ave.
Riverside, IL 60546
708.442.3606

Salvation Army Thrift Store
6536 W. Roosevelt Road
Oak Park, IL 60304
708.848.1181

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