Transgender Awareness Week: Books & resources

Transgender flag drawn in chalk

This November 13-19, we celebrate Transgender Awareness Week, an annual event dedicated to educating our communities about the lives of transgender people. Transgender Awareness Week takes place in the week leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20)—a day set aside to recognize each life lost during the year to transphobic violence around the … Read more

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

Book cover collage

Oak Park Public Library acknowledges that Oak Park is situated on the ancestral land of the Bodewamiadkiwen (Potawatomi), Myaamia (Miami), Oceti Sakowin, Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), and Peoria. We honor them and thank them for their stewardship of this land. Source: native-land.ca Your public library is here to connect you with books, videos, online resources, and learning experiences that … Read more

Tech Tips: How to use Consumer Reports

Two older adults laughing while using a laptop and holding a credit card

Are you thinking about buying a new car, appliance, gadget, or literally anything else, but feeling overwhelmed or not sure where to start? Consumer Reports is designed to help you navigate all of the options and narrow down products based on consumer tests and reviews. Their goal is to create a fair and just marketplace … Read more

Discover a hidden gem: Special Collections at the Main Library

Two people in the Special Collections Reading Room. One examines a framed drawing on the table, another sits near a woman's heeled shoe

Tucked away in the northwest corner of the Main Library’s third floor are treasures you might not expect to find in a public library. For example, there’s a childhood essay that Ernest Hemingway wrote on lined paper, titled “A Trip to Field Museum.” A baby book that documents the first 18 months of Ernest’s older … Read more

Relevant reads: Pandemic novels & short stories 2024

Illustration of people wearing surgical face masks

By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná From the plague to the 1918 influenza to now, pandemics have been unwelcome members of society. Touching everyone and everything, global sickness and the changes we have to make to get through makes us anxious and sends us looking for an escape. No wonder we turn to fiction that explores … Read more

Chilling reads, thrilling tales & lots of Halloween fun

Collage of book covers

Feel that chill in the air? Halloween season is here! Your Oak Park librarians are back with spine-tingling reads, creepy tales, and plenty of Halloween fun for all ages. Browse: Spine-chilling tales & scary stories More from your digital library HORROR FOR ADULTS HORROR FOR TEENS HALLOWEEN FOR KIDS Attend: Upcoming events FOR ADULTS Wednesday … Read more

Need help with school research projects? Library resources to the rescue: National Geographic Kids (Part 1)

Two grade school students using a laptop to study outside

By Children’s Librarian Eileen Saam If you have a school project and need to find a variety of sources for your research, your library is here to the rescue! On the Homework Help for Kids page, you can access many subscription-based resources with your Oak Park library card and PIN. One valuable resource available to … Read more

5 ways to take charge of your health, with help from your library

Older adult sitting on a couch smiling and looking at a tablet

October is Health Literacy Month, a time to recognize the importance of making health information easy to understand and the healthcare system more accessible to navigate. Did you know that our library offers a variety of resources and programs dedicated to health and wellness? Explore our collection of resources and find support for your health and … Read more

Books with (pumpkin) spice

Collage books with a repeating pattern of pumpkins, mushrooms, leaves, and fall flowers behind

It’s that time of the year—the leaves start turning, a chill is in the air, the sun sets earlier, and we all start craving the deliciousness of pumpkin spice. Okay, maybe not all of us, but it is time to get cozy and comfy, start baking and boiling, and bust out the sweaters and hoodies. … Read more

Tech Tips: Getting started with cloud storage

Smartphone and tablet both displaying a list of files to upload to cloud storage

Have you heard people refer to backing up digital files to “the cloud”? Or the term “cloud backup” or “cloud-based storage”? All of these phrases are ways of describing how files are saved to an offsite location that can be accessed remotely. Companies like Apple, Dropbox, Google, and Microsoft store these files for you at … Read more