Celebrating Arab American heritage

A collage of Arab American titles on a green and gold background

Your public library is here to connect you with books, online resources, and learning experiences that celebrate Arab American history and culture all year long. On this page, you can: The month of April was officially designated as Arab American Heritage Month in Illinois in December 2018. Read the proclamation » Title suggestions for all … Read more

Transgender Day of Visibility: Books, virtual tutorials & more resources

Transgender Day of Visibility text with a blue, pink, and white striped flag in the background

By Hal Patnott, Rainbow Services Librarian (adult & teen titles curated by Dontaná McPherson-Joseph, Collection Management Librarian) Held each year on March 31, Transgender Day of Visibility (TDoV) celebrates the lives and accomplishments of transgender and nonbinary people. Trans advocate Rachel Crandall founded TDoV in 2010 because stories in the media about transgender and nonbinary people … Read more

Make practicing early literacy skills a habit: Videos & activities for early learners

An illustration of children and adults standing in a line with letters of the alphabet in the background

By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian How are you doing? We’re a quarter of the way through the year. It’s a little warmer, a little sunnier. Sometimes things feel a little more manageable as the days get longer and brighter! Every week, I send a literacy tip or activity to everyone signed up for Early Bird … Read more

Honoring women’s history

A collage of Women's History Month book covers

Your public library is here to connect us with each other through books, resources, and experiences that celebrate women’s history. Browse: Title suggestions for all ages. Attend: Events celebrating women in history and women making history right now. Explore: Librarian-curated resources for self-paced learning (with your Oak Park library card and PIN). Browse titles we … Read more

Share sounds: Videos & books for early learners

Illustration of children listening to a story with sound waves in the background

By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian The grasshopper chirpeth, the lamb bleateth, the owl hooteth. Animal sounds are found in so many books and songs for children, including the first-known picture book written for children, published in 1659!   What makes animal sounds so important that they’ve been taught to young children for centuries? Not only are … Read more

Connecting you to Black history, then & now

A collage of Black History Month book covers

Your public library is here to connect us with each other through books, resources, and experiences that celebrate Black history and culture. Browse: Curated title suggestions for all ages. View: Special exhibits, including “The Work”: Black History Museum in the Idea Box and a documentary film screening. Donate: Gently used teacups and saucers for the … Read more

Holidays Around the World

A collage of library staff and family members celebrating the holidays

From Diwali celebrations to Brazilian New Year, Oak Park library staff love sharing their own winter holiday traditions with you in our annual—and now virtual, on-demand—Holidays Around the World! In addition to stories, videos, and photos, you’ll find related music, games, and stories for families to explore. Click the play button below to start celebrating … Read more

Best of 2022: Kids & picture books

Best of 2022: kids & picture books text next to a thumbs up icon with sparkles floating above, all on a misty blue orb background

Oak Park’s Best of 2022 returns! Our annual librarian-curated selection of titles features some of the titles most requested and checked out by Oak Parkers. See our kids and picture books favorites on this page or browse more using the links below. Adult fiction: General | Adult fiction: Romance, lives & relationships | Adult fiction: Mystery, history & sci-fi | Adult nonfiction | Teen fiction | Kids books | Picture books | TV shows | Movies | Music Kids books … Read more

Honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance

Transgender Day of Remembrance Idea Box display in the Main Library

Extended: ‘Gender Is a Galaxy, Gender Is a Weapon’ This Idea Box exhibit has been extended to hold space for mourning and to honor the victims of the shooting that took place on November 19 at Club Q, an LGBTQ Nightclub in Colorado Springs. One day before Transgender Day of Remembrance, a shooter attacked Club … Read more

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