Kids summer reading: Now kids as young as 2 can join the fun!

Graphics of children on green background

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

Oak Park Creates: Spotlight on local creators in 2023

Titles in the Oak Park Creates Collection

Each week through June, we’re celebrating a different local creator from the Oak Park Creates collection on our social media pages. We’re highlighting just some of the novelists, nonfiction authors, comics creators, and more right here in our community. We hope you find inspiration in their accomplishments, or simply find some new books to check … Read more

Celebrating Pride Month: Books, learning experiences & more

A collage of book covers

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

Juneteenth 2023: Commemorate & celebrate

Juneteenth banners and photos in the Main Library Idea Box; artist Tia Etu in her studio with Juneteenth-inspired artwork "The Call"

Above left: June 2022 Main Library Idea Box exhibit. Above right: Local artist Tia Etu with her Juneteenth-inspired artwork. Read more about The Call. On Monday, June 19, all library locations will be closed for Juneteenth. This national, state, and Oak Park holiday celebrates African Americans’ freedom from enslavement in the United States. Juneteenth titles … Read more

Visiting the Main Library Children’s Services: A virtual tutorial for kids & families

Picture of the Main Library with a pink and purple overlay

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

Tech Tips: Introducing the Media Preservation Station

Media Preservation Station

By Supervising Librarian of Creative Technology John Gargiulo Have VHS tapes, cassette tapes, or film negatives you’d like to digitize and preserve? The library’s new Media Preservation Station has equipment to help you do just that. Located on the third floor of the Main Library in the Creative Studio, the station provides a VCR, a cassette player, and … Read more

Introducing adult summer reading!

Graphics of a movie projector, book, conversation bubbles, and headphones and a beachy background

By Rose Barnes, Health & Senior Services Librarian It’s May and the library is getting ready for summer reading! As a child and teen, I always loved the summer reading program at my local library, and I am so happy to announce that this year the library has expanded the summer reading program to include … Read more

Preparing for Pride Month: Books for kids

Book icon on a rainbow background

By Hal, Rainbow Services Librarian As the summer approaches, so does Pride Month. In the United States and many other countries around the world, we celebrate Pride during June in honor of the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. Nowadays, communities throughout the world celebrate Pride Month with parades of rainbows and glitter. These parades began as … Read more