By Children’s Librarian Shelly Harris For kids, play is serious learning. That means storytimes are both fun and serious learning! Every class we lead rests on the foundation of the Very Ready Reading Program, which offers seven ways to immerse kids in early literacy. Those seven ways are sharing books, songs, stories, words, rhymes, sounds, and … Read more
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Summer is almost here! Most people look at summer as a time to relax and have fun. For Children’s Services Librarians, it’s our busy season! We’ve spent the past few months preparing the summer reading program, and now it’s here! This summer, our theme is Find Your Voice. Once again we … Read more
Your public library is here to connect you with books, learning experiences, events, and online resources that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in June and all year long. On this page, you can: Browse titles we suggest Just for kids From your digital library Ebooks, audiobooks & movies Magazines Join us for upcoming events Celebrate Pride: … Read more
By Eileen Saam, Children’s Librarian Summer is almost here, and it’s time to get excited about this year’s kids summer reading program: Find Your Voice! The program kicks off on June 1 for kids ages 2-11 and continues through August 15. We are thrilled about all of the opportunities that the summer reading program provides … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris Sometimes kids and adults get nervous about visiting a new place for the first time. We get it! It can be useful to know what to expect before your first visit. With that in mind, we created a social narrative—available in multiple formats—about visiting the Children’s Services Area of the Main … Read more
Your public library is here to connect you with books, online resources, and learning experiences that honor Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history and culture all year long. On this page, you can: The month of May is officially proclaimed as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by the White House but … Read more
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian April can be a challenging month for many autistic people. Many organizations that aren’t run with or by autistic leaders have campaigns about “lighting it up blue”—furthering stereotypes that autism only affects boys—or about curing autism. These organizations often push for autism awareness. Many autistic people, however, prefer to celebrate autism … Read more
April is National Poetry Month! And whether you love poetry or are looking to try something new, we hope you’ll find a new favorite poem (or two!) in these lists of new titles for all ages, curated by your Oak Park librarians. Poetry books for all ages Looking for more? Check out digital poetry titles … Read more
By Rainbow Services Librarian Hal (adult and teen titles curated by Collection Management Librarian Dontaná) 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 so … Read more
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
