“In a time when a lot has changed for kids, the fact that summer reading is for fun has not.” —Nora Flynn, parent of a 9-year-old summer reading champ To keep everyone safe and reading for fun, we’ve gone virtual with this year’s summer reading program. And while it looks different this year, kids and … Read more
By Children’s Librarians Shelley Harris and Genevieve Grove 5,100 challenges completed. 2,000 books read, in 285,000 minutes. 975 readers. 11,000 beads earned. AND COUNTING! Six weeks into our new virtual summer reading program, kids are blowing us away with their enthusiasm and determination. Adults know that kids who read at least 20 minutes a day … Read more
Our library’s Executive Director David J. Seleb has joined the board of directors of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. He began serving on the 11-member board in June 2020, as he continues to lead the library using the Harwood Institute’s “turning outward” approach. “The Harwood Institute has profoundly influenced my professional and personal life … Read more
Like so much else these days, our monthly library groups for writers, performers, language learners, and more are now meeting virtually. While all in-person programs are canceled through August, these online programs are drawing new participants as well as regulars. For example, Oak Parkers who joined the virtual French Conversation Hour in April met new … Read more
While our library buildings are closed and many library services have moved online, we haven’t forgotten our dedicated volunteers who are waiting to return to help at our physical locations. April is National Volunteer Month. This year, we’re feeling the difference, as we aren’t able to express our appreciation to library volunteers in person. But despite the … Read more
We are living in uncertain times with a lot of fear and suffering. As library employees, we recognize this reality for ourselves, our households, our communities, and our world. And yet, even as library buildings are closed during the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, we’re striving to connect, collaborate, and make a positive impact. Now more than … Read more
Becoming a ‘Dementia Friendly Community’ We know aging in place is a community aspiration. That’s why, last October, the library joined the Village of Oak Park, the Oak Park Township, and the Park District of Oak Park in the effort to become a designated “Dementia Friendly Community” by the nonprofit organization Dementia Friendly America. A dementia-friendly … Read more
Stewardship is one of the library’s three key priorities. It means we sustain, share, and respect community resources. That includes the nearly 150 people who work across our three library locations. “Having happy, stable, successful employees means that our patrons are going to have a better experience using their library,” says Director of Human Resources … Read more
About the library’s budget Each year, seven publicly elected Trustees of the Library Board review and approve the budget of the Oak Park Public Library. In accordance with Illinois law, because we are structured as a local village library, the approved budget is then submitted as a levy resolution to the Village of Oak Park, … Read more
Thanks to a unique partnership with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, people without adequate health care coverage have been receiving confidential mental health assessments from a licensed clinical psychologist at the Main Library since last fall. “Rush University Medical Center is recognizing that our library is where people are coming every day,” says the … Read more
