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
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
Longer, lighter days this season make it easier to fit more into each and every one. Your public library, in partnership with the Collaboration for Early Childhood, has put together a collection of activities, events, and resources for you and your little ones. Here’s to exploring, learning, and playing this spring! Activities Storytimes Events
Announcing our newest pop-up library location: Kids Unlimited Therapy Services, 820 North Blvd., Oak Park! Pop-up libraries allow community members to use the library when they’re out and about, no library card or checkouts needed. Kids Unlimited is our fourth pop-up library location, adding to ones installed in 2024 at the Community Recreation Center, Wonder Works, and Styles … Read more
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 often focus only on violence. As legislation across the country continues to target and discriminate … Read more
Interested in facilitating conversations about self-expression and gender identity? Check out these two Discovery Kits about pronouns designed to help kids explore self-expression through play. Playing With Pronouns kit The Wellness & Life Skills: Playing With Pronouns kit includes the books They, She, He, Easy as ABC and What Are Your Words? and a game … Read more
Introducing Little Pim, a new way for kids ages 0-6 to have fun while learning a new language! To get started, choose from 12 languages—Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. A series of short, engaging videos voiced by native speakers will help kids to learn the new … Read more
Announcing our newest pop-up library location: Styles 4 Kidz, 235 Harrison 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. Styles 4 Kidz is our third pop-up library location, adding to ones installed earlier this year at the Community Recreation Center … Read more
If you have a school project and need to find a variety of sources for your research, your library is here to the rescue! On the Homework Help for Kids page, you can access many subscription-based resources with your Oak Park library card and PIN. National Geographic Kids One valuable resource available to cardholders is … Read more
Sharing your identity with friends, family, and community should be empowering and affirming, but for LGBTQIA+ young people, coming out is often scary rather than a moment of celebration. According to the 2023 National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People, fewer than 40% of LGBTQ young people found their home to be … Read more
Pop-up libraries are collections you can access outside library buildings, in spaces where people already congregate. Our first one was installed this spring at the Park District of Oak Park’s Community Recreation Center, and we’re thrilled to add a second location! Kids and families can find it at Wonder Works Children’s Museum, 6445 West North … Read more
By Eileen Saam, Children’s Librarian Looking for fun and educational websites for kids without advertisements? You’ve come to the right place! From math games, puzzles, and science videos to language learning activities, art exploration, and narrated stories, the list of free websites below offers a variety of engaging online experiences for kids of all ages. … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris Every July, we come together to celebrate Disability Pride as a community! As a disabled librarian (neurodivergent and chronically ill), I love creating programs not only for disabled kids but celebrating us as well. When Miss Genevieve and I lead our Disability Understanding and Advocacy field trips for elementary kids, … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris Did you know that 70% of disabled adults do not engage in community activities? The first time I heard this statistic it gave me pause. I see it with my disabled brother and his friends, but it’s hard to see it widely confirmed. It’s what inspired me to develop a … Read more
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian 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 Adventure Begins at Your Library. Once again we are using … Read more
By Hal, Rainbow Services Librarian This year, our theme for kids summer reading is Adventure Begins at Your Library. Reading books, trying out something new in a Discovery Kit, or attending a library event can all be adventures. I think the best adventures teach us more about ourselves and those around us. June 1 is … Read more
Jacob Grant is an award-winning Oak Park author, illustrator, and dad who makes picture books, including Umami, No Pants!, and Bear’s Scare. He won the prestigious Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustration Exhibition earlier this year. And he designed our new acorn character mascot for the Pop-Up Library initiative, which debuted in April! Below, Jacob shares … Read more
In our continued quest to be a library for everyone, we strive to offer the widest possible access with the fewest barriers as possible. So we’re thrilled to offer a new way for community members to use the library and read library books when they’re out and about in the community: pop-up libraries! Pop-up libraries … Read more
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Happy Autism Acceptance Month! To understand why we’re celebrating… Let’s start at the beginning: What is autism & why acceptance? There are two brain types: Neurodiversity encompasses both brain types. Autism is a complex neurodivergent, developmental disability that affects how people experience the world around them. It’s easy to misunderstand autism because … Read more
By Eileen Saam, Children’s Librarian Experience the wide world of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) at the Main Library this spring, as we once again partner with Oak Park Elementary School District 97 and the Oak Park Education Foundation for STEAM Fest. STEAM Fest 2024: Thursday, April 18, 6-7:30 pm Families with students in grades … Read more
