By Children’s Librarian Eileen Saam During winter break, parents and caregivers may find themselves stressing about the amount of time that their kids are spending on a screen. While it’s surely important to set limits, time spent playing educational apps can offer kids fun and valuable learning experiences. But with so many games and apps to … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Eileen Saam The internet can be a powerful educational tool and a fun place for kids to explore, but here at the library, we understand that online safety for kids is top-of-mind for parents and caregivers. Keeping kids safe online can feel like an insurmountable task, but I’ve gathered some information to … Read more
By Digital Learning Specialist Amelia You probably have seen them somewhere by now, black and white square or circular barcode images—known as QR codes (short for Quick Response codes)—on contactless menus, advertisements, and even as a form of payment around the world. But what are QR codes? These barcode images are readable by digital devices—like … Read more
October is a big month! Many kids are excited for Halloween, of course. We finally enter an autumn that will last a while; that’s usually pretty great. Sometimes we even see a few snow flurries, which is probably more exciting to me than to others. And of course, every year, Jenny and I love to … Read more
I love how much our community uses the library. Sometimes that means waiting for the hottest titles. Don’t fret! I can help you find a similar reading experience to THAT book you are waiting for or that you finally read and loved. Tom Lake readalikes Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney Why you should try … Read more
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is typically celebrated on November 1 and 2. The celebration, which originated in Mexico, is rooted in indigenous practices that existed long before Spanish settlers arrived. Together with community members, our Latine Language & Culture Librarian Nora Sanchez has been working to bring the celebration to the library … Read more
Since 2019, the library has been partnering with researchers from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine to develop a digital tool to help teens with anxiety. Now in the fourth year of a five-year grant, the research partnership has won an award for its strong collaborative research principles and work to impact health and equity … Read more
When Robert Kelly (pictured above with his grandsons) was working in the software industry, he subscribed widely to magazines and newspapers from around the country. “I like to be able to read a lot,” he told us. “Because there’s so much going on in the world, I like to have a variety of opinions.” After … Read more
“You’ve made this day a special day, by just your being you. There’s no person in the whole world like you, and I like you just the way you are.” Strong, meaningful words from Fred Rogers, my early childhood hero. He was, as most know, the host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood on PBS for almost … Read more
I love how much our community uses the library. Sometimes that means waiting for the hottest titles, especially when they get TikTok famous. Don’t fret! I can help you find a similar reading experience to THAT book you are waiting for or that you finally read and loved. Fourth Wing readalikes In Fourth Wing, a scribe-to-be … Read more
Know an Oak Park neighbor, co-worker or educator—even a newborn—without a library card? Send them our way! Every Oak Park resident and Oak Park-based educator, daycare provider, and business owner can get complete access to public library services and resources. A card gives you full access to library services Have questions about how to get … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris It’s never too early to talk about emotions with children, even babies and toddlers. The end of summer and start of new autumn routines is close, and with all of the big changes can come big feelings. Below are a few activities you can do together to encourage kids to … Read more
When Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris was gearing up for Disability Pride Month celebrations at the library earlier this year, she kept thinking to herself: “I really want to go big. I want to go so big.” Harris spoke recently with WBEZ Chicago’s Reset about the library’s third year celebrating Disability Pride Month, which marks the … Read more
By Amy Hofmockel, Creative Technology Librarian When using apps or programs you may come across an image, article, or link that you want to share with someone else. You could copy or download the media and paste it into or attach it to an email to send to the recipient. However, most apps actually have a … Read more
July is Disability Pride Month! It’s been celebrated since 1990, when President HW Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, though many non-disabled people have not heard of it. Disability Pride Month means different things to different people: honoring early activists, recognizing that their disability is intrinsic to themselves, celebrating disability … Read more
By Digital Learning Specialist Amelia You might be familiar with the keyboard shortcuts to copy, cut, and paste (and if you’re not, check step-by-step instructions on how to use these shortcuts in Microsoft Word and on your smartphone). But did you know that there are more keyboard shortcuts you can use to navigate your computer … Read more
Big news! At its June 20 regular meeting, the Village of Oak Park Board of Trustees approved a new resolution declaring the Village of Oak Park a Book Sanctuary Community. This local resolution follows a new state law that Gov. JB Pritzker signed in early June that is meant to discourage state libraries from removing … Read more
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
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
All across the United States, there is an unprecedented campaign to censor books in school and public libraries. In March, the American Library Association (ALA) reported that 2022 saw the highest number of attempted book bans in 20 years, nearly double the number in 2021. “Overwhelmingly, we’re seeing these challenges come from organized censorship groups … Read more
