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 to explore HORROR FOR ADULTS HORROR FOR TEENS HALLOWEEN FOR KIDS Attend: Upcoming events ADULTS Wednesday Movie Matinee: Practical … Read more

38 things to do with little ones this fall

An illustration of animal families playing in a leaf pile in the park

It’s a beautiful season! From playful family adventures to creative fun, fall is for connection and new ways to learn and grow. Take a peek at all the exciting happenings for families—curated by your public library and the Collaboration for Early Childhood—and we’ll see you around the neighborhood! Activities Storytimes Places Events

New year, new transitions! Videos & books for early learners

Text reading Back to School alongside colorful illustrations of a school bus, flowers, clouds, trees, and a smiling sun

Welcome to the -ber months: September, October, November, and December! Most people celebrate the start of a new year in January. Not me. I graduated from library school more than 15 years ago, but the start of the school year is still the start of my personal new year. For a lot of young kids, … Read more

Celebrating Hispanic heritage

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Traducir esta página al español Your public library is here to connect you with books, events, learning experiences, and online resources that celebrate Hispanic heritage and culture this month and all year long. On this page, you can: Titles we suggest More to explore Available in Spanish from your digital library Upcoming events For adults … Read more

Early Bird Learning videos: A virtual tutorial for babies, toddlers & preschoolers

Shelley pointing to a visual aid featuring autumn animals

Did you know that children’s staff have created more than 400 early learning videos since March 2020?! You can watch them all in a YouTube playlist and find them organized into 16 different categories on the Early Learning page—including art, en español, life skills, and supported. To make it even easier to find what you … Read more

BingePass gives you 7 days of unlimited streaming

Text reading Hoopla BingePass in front of graphics representing various BingePasses listed below.

With hoopla‘s BingePass and your Oak Park library card, you can get unlimited streaming for seven days with a single borrow! Let’s get started… How do I use hoopla’s BingePass? Watch the video below for an overview. For more detailed instructions, see How do I borrow a BingePass. What can I borrow with unlimited access? … Read more

Learn for the fun of it

Develop a new skill, dive deep into a hobby you love, or expand your knowledge on a topic you’ve always wanted to explore with these books our librarians love. Check out the curated titles below, plus more to explore in your digital library and upcoming events where you can expand your knowledge, make, and create. … Read more

Disability Pride books, a display & supported events

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Your public library is here to connect you with books, learning experiences, events, and online resources that celebrate people with disabilities and disability as an identity in July and all year long. On this page, you can: What is Disability Pride Month? Disability Pride celebrates people with disabilities and disability as an identity, honoring the … Read more

Celebrating Disability Pride for young learners & caregivers

An adult and three kids all smile and hold up handmade signs in the Main Library entryway in support of disability pride and awareness.

July 26 marks the 25th anniversary of signing the Americans With Disabilities Act into law, and July as a whole marks the 25th anniversary of Disability Pride Month. As always, we are eager to celebrate this vibrant, vital, diverse community within our larger library community!  For many non-disabled people, disability is considered a negative word, … Read more

44 things to do with your little ones this summer

Illustration of animal families enjoying lemonade in the park in summer

There is so much to do and explore during the summer! Together with the Collaboration for Early Childhood, we’ve put together a collection of activities and free, fun, local community events happening all summer long—especially for families with young children. Take advantage of this beautiful season and drink in the sunshine and long days with … Read more

New pop-up library at Oak Park Township

Oak Park Township staff Stephanie Scaletta and Yazmin Morales hold up books in the lobby of the Township offices.

Announcing our newest pop-up library location: Oak Park Township, 105 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park! Pop-up libraries allow community members to use the library when they’re out and about, no library card or checkouts needed. ‘A simple way to make our spaces more inviting’ The idea for this new book bin in the Township’s lobby … Read more

Celebrating Pride Month

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Your public library is here with books, resources, and experiences that can help us connect and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Titles we suggest More to explore Reading lists for kids From your digital library Upcoming events For all ages Book Bike: Out in the BurbsSaturday, June 7, 12-4 pm, downtown Oak Park The Book Bike … Read more

Books & bagels: New pop-up library at Daly Bagel

In a cafe window, there's a tray with a to-go coffee cup and a sesame seed bagel, a bin of kids books with a sign that says "Read while you wait," and paper event calendars

Announcing our newest pop-up library location: The Daly Bagel, 130 Chicago Ave., Oak Park! Pop-up libraries allow community members to use the library when they’re out and about, no library card or checkouts needed. “We are thrilled and honored to be part of the Pop-Up Library initiative!” said Adrienne Guldin and Amanda Daly of The Daly Bagel. … Read more

Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander heritage

Collage of book covers, see titles listed below

Your public library is here with books, resources, and experiences that can help us connect and celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage. The month of May is recognized as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Illinois. Other organizations also honor this month as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, … Read more

Celebrating Jewish American heritage

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Your public library is here with books, resources, and experiences that can help us connect and celebrate Jewish American history and culture. The month of May is recognized as Jewish American Heritage Month in Illinois. Title suggestions for all ages More to explore Special display Idea Box: Jewish American Heritage MonthMay 13-31, Main Library Local … Read more

Tech Tips: How to use Beanstack to register for summer reading

A person holds a phone with one hand and swipes the screen with the other. A logo for Beanstack is in the upper left.

By Digital Learning Specialist Amelia Get ready for an awesome adventure at your public library this summer! We’re thrilled to kick off our summer reading program (for kids and adults), which runs all summer long—June 1-August 19. Once again, we’re bringing back Beanstack, a cool digital tracker, to help you keep track of your summer … Read more

New pop-up library at Oak Park’s Village Hall

A shelf of books in the lobby of a municipal building, and two Village of Oak Park staff

Announcing our newest pop-up library location: Oak Park’s Village Hall, 123 Madison St., Oak Park! Pop-up libraries allow community members to use the library when they’re out and about, no library card or checkouts needed. This new shelf, located in the welcome center of Oak Park’s main municipal building, offers books about fire trucks, voting rights, community … Read more

Celebrating Arab American heritage

Collage of book covers featured below

Your public library is here with books, resources, and experiences that can help us connect and celebrate Arab American history and culture. The month of April is recognized as Arab American Heritage Month in Illinois. Title suggestions for all ages More to explore Celebration event Arab American Heritage CelebrationSaturday, April 12, 12-3 pm, Main Library … Read more

Normalizing autistic acceptance: Videos & books for early learners & caregivers

Collage of book covers on a rainbow watercolor background

Happy Autism Acceptance Month! In the past, we’ve shared information about: This year, let’s talk about misconceptions about autism and autistic people. I know so many autistic adults who have felt gaslit their entire lives, their needs not only unmet but dismissed. It doesn’t have to be that way!  Autism is a neurodivergence: Autistic brains … Read more