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

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

Celebrating 50 years of hip hop

Hip Hop graphic with Queens Public Library logo

Oak Park Public Library is thrilled to be one of more than 30 organizations around the country—including libraries, museums, colleges, universities, and archives—partnering for Collections of Culture: 50 Years of Hip Hop Inside Libraries, Museums and Archives.  Led by the Queens (NY) Public Library (QPL) as part of the six-month celebration, funded through a $267,760 … Read more

2022: A year in review

Pictures of the 2022 Anti-Racism Impact Report and 2022 Strategic Priorities Impact Report

In March 2021, the Board of Library Trustees voted to approve the Oak Park Public Library’s first stand-alone Anti-Racism Strategic Plan. This multi-year plan was created to address internalized, interpersonal, institutional, and structural racism in both internal and external practices at the library. To stay accountable to the work outlined in that stand-alone plan—as well … Read more

ICYMI: Recently released fiction & nonfiction

Book cover collage on a colorfully painted background

By Collection Management Librarians Dontaná McPherson-Joseph and Kathy Sexton Check out these recently released fiction and nonfiction titles that might have flown under your radar. They are perfect for celebrating Black History Month. Fiction Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction edited by Sheree R. Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki & Zelda Knight Why you … Read more

Black history in the making in the Idea Box

Children point to items on display in February's Idea Box exhibit, "The Work": Black History Museum

By Kristen Romanowski, Staff Writer & Editor Juanta Griffin was in third grade at Longfellow Elementary School when her teacher, Mrs. Simmons, turned her onto Eyes on the Prize. Griffin says it was this PBS series, which chronicled the civil rights movement from the perspective of ordinary people, that first opened her eyes and drove … Read more

Celebrate Black Love Day

Book cover collage with purple hearts on a black background

by Dontaná McPherson-Joseph, Collection Management Librarian Nestled in the middle of February’s observance of Black History Month, and the day before Valentine’s Day, Black Love Day is a celebration of love specific to Black people. Founded in 1993 by Ayo Handy-Kendi, Black Love Day rests upon “5 Loving Acts”: Love for The Creator, Love for … Read more

‘My lineage begins there. That’s a big part of my fascination and pursuit of documenting these wonderful people’: Photographer Jason Dorsey debuts portraits at Main Library

Massai tribesperson photographed in profile

By Kristen Romanowski, Staff Writer & Editor Growing up, Jason Dorsey always knew he wanted to travel. “It’s almost like I had a thread of adventure inside of me, always,” he says. So he joined the U.S. Marines in 2000, right out of high school. But after returning home from active duty four years later, … 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

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