On Wednesday, January 17, more than 200 community members attended the inaugural Oak Park Code Fest, a collaborative event put together by Oak Park Public Library, Oak Park Elementary District 97 teacher librarians, and community members. Students from all 10 schools in grades K-8 attended with their families to explore coding apps, robots, and websites. For an … Read more
To better preserve and provide access to Oak Park’s history and local content, in 2017 we made some updates to our Special Collections. “I feel I’m carrying on a tradition started by the earliest librarians here, who knew they needed to focus on and collect these artifacts and stories for the community,” said Leigh Tarullo, … Read more
Institute of Museum and Library Services awards $150,000 grant to deliver new college and career readiness initiative The Washington, D.C.-based Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded a 2017 national leadership grant to Triton College. The $150,000 grant supports a new initiative developed in partnership with Triton, the Oak Park-based Equity Team, Inc. … Read more
Did you know socks are consistently among the most requested items at homeless shelters? All October, we’re collecting new pairs at all library locations to benefit the clients of Housing Forward and other organizations. It’s our second year participating in Socktober, an international, monthlong sock drive inspired by Kid President. In 2016, thanks to the generosity of our community, we … Read more
Turning outward for action and change Four years ago this October, Executive Director David J. Seleb attended a three-day workshop so influential it forever changed the way he looked at his work and the direction of the Oak Park Public Library. “In my 28 years working in libraries, I’ve been introduced to lots of initiatives, … Read more
What’s your personal mission? What are three qualities of a great leader? What would you say to a young man who stopped you on the street to ask? For five Wednesday afternoons this summer, participants in the library’s Leading Edge youth development program set out from the Main Library to pose such questions to pedestrians … Read more
Last March, as part of our strategy to rethink how we engage with all patrons, we hired a social worker—a first for us, but part of a growing trend for public libraries, including those in Evanston, Denver, and Washington, DC. “Around the nation, public libraries have become de facto community health centers for people who … Read more
In our MinecraftEdu World Have kids who love Minecraft? Opportunities are coming up in August for them to get inspired by the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright while playing with friends! In our Frank Lloyd Wright MinecraftEdu World program held in the Main Library Idea Box, players will learn about Wright and create their own … Read more
Automatic renewals to debut in June Starting Wednesday, June 14, eligible items will renew automatically, giving you more peace of mind as well as more time with library materials. So what do you need to do? Nothing! How automatic renewal works Starting June 14, eligible items checked out on your account that have a due … Read more
By Frances Kraft As parents, teachers, and family members, we hope to foster in our children a love of reading from the earliest age. We encourage them to get lost in a book and allow their imagination to take them anywhere they want to go. Books eliminate boundaries and erase borders in our minds. But in reality, … Read more
