By Older Adult Services Librarian Claire Steiner
September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. Celebrate your public library by trying a service you haven’t used before.
Unlock the full potential of your library card
While our library continues to provide traditional services such as lending books and movies, providing computers and printing services, and answering general reference questions, we are also very proud of all of the other services that we get to provide to you, our community.
An Oak Park library card is an access pass to a wide variety of materials and services curated for our community.
Learning Labs & at-home instruction
If you are feeling intimidated by your phone or computer, or just want to learn something new, sign up for a Learning Lab. An experienced staff member will sit down with you to help answer tech questions and boost your skills.
Sign up for a Learning Lab.
If you feel more comfortable learning at home, our cardholders have access to a vast library of online tutorials. Learn how to download ebooks and audiobooks, use computers and other technology, access legal and financial information, find the latest information on health technology and treatments, and more.
Watch How to Library videos.
Create & preserve
Our Creative Studio can help with a wide range of projects. Inside the Creative Studio Media Lab, you’ll find the Audio Booth for recording audio and Media Stations for preserving and editing media. Our preservation tools can digitize your slides, pictures, and old home movies. This is a great way to keep those memories accessible for generations to come.
The Creative Studio Makery is home to a studio space with a laminator, laser cutter, vinyl cutter, and other tools—available during open hours—to assist in creative projects. Additionally, you can submit requests online for 3D printing and poster printing.
Ready to get started? Sign up for a Learning Lab to get comfortable with the equipment.
Check out the Creative Studio.
Museum & cultural attraction passes
Whether you’re looking to get out of the house and see something interesting or you have visitors coming for the holidays, our museum passes are a great way to keep everyone entertained.
With your Oak Park library card, you can access dozens of free and discounted passes for museums all over the Chicago area—including the American Writers Museum, Chicago Botanic Garden, The Morton Arboretum, and even tickets to Chicago Red Stars games.
There are two separate museum pass systems—Museum Adventure Pass and Explore More Illinois—so be sure to browse them both to see all of the great options provided with your library card.
Request museum and cultural attraction passes.
Library of Things
Your Oak Park library card also gives you access to another interesting addition to our collection, the Library of Things. This collection consists of objects that can be checked out and brought home to use for up to three weeks.
Whether you’re looking for a label maker to help organize your home (available in print and Braille), a telescope to explore the universe, or need some disco lights and a karaoke machine for that party that you’re planning, the Library of Things has got you covered.
The library has dozens of items available that are great for short-term projects, hobby building, accessing technology, and event planning.
Explore the Library of Things.
Thank you for using your public library and being valuable members of our library community!
About Claire
Claire is the Older Adult Services Librarian. On Friday mornings, you can find her cruising around delivering books for Home Delivery. Claire loves a good podcast, awesome finds at the thrift store, and Friday happy hour.