Celebrating Hispanic heritage

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Your public library is here to connect you with books, events, learning experiences, and online resources that celebrate Hispanic heritage and culture this month and all year long. On this page, you can:

Titles we suggest

More to explore

Available in Spanish from your digital library

Upcoming events

For adults

English Language Conversation
Saturdays through December 13, 10 am, Main Library

Join other English language learners to practice English and learn new vocabulary in an informal setting. Conversation facilitators will lead the session with a variety of topics for conversation. Free and open to all English language learners.

Wednesday Movie Matinee: Problemista
Wednesday, September 24, 1 pm, Main Library

Join us each Wednesday for an afternoon film screening at the Main Library! In Problemista, Alejandro is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream. From writer/director Julio Torres.

Dominican University Author Visit: Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
Monday, September 29, 7 pm, virtual

Join us virtually for a book reading and conversation with Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, the author of the National Book Award finalist The Undocumented Americans and Catalina.  Her work, which focuses on race, culture, and immigration, has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vogue, Elle, n+1, The New Inquiry, Interview, and on NPR.

Presented by The PASOS Network in collaboration with The Siena Center, this event is generously supported by Latinx/Latin American Studies and the Study of Women and Gender Departments, the Office of Hispanic Serving Initiatives, and the Oak Park Public Library.

Presentación y bingo de Medicare Fraude
Saturday, October 4, 12 pm, Main Library

El fraude en el Cuidado de Salud es muy común. Para prevenirlo, necesitar conocer las estafas mas comunes. Los estafadores harán todo lo que puedan para obtener provecho de sus víctimas. Pero hay algo que puedes hacer para detectar fraude de Medicare. El programa contra el Fraude de Medicare (SMP) está aquí para ensenarle sobre estafas en Illinois y aprender como prevenir, detectar y reportar abusos y engaños. La sesión tendrá un Bingo después de la presentación para recordarle lo que vaya a aprender.

This program will be provided in English at 10:30 am.

Bilingual Laser Cutter Workshop: Día de los Muertos Photo Frames
Tuesday, October 7, 6:30 pm, Main Library

Learn the basics of designing a project using Glowforge laser cutter software in a bilingual (English and Spanish) setting. Design and cut a meaningful photo frame in celebration of Día de los Muertos to take home after the program!

Latine Author Book Cafe: Chicano Frankenstein
Tuesday, October 14, 6 pm, Main Library

Join us on the second Tuesday of each month as we discuss works written by Latine authors. Spanish language copies will be made available when possible. In Chicano Frankenstein by Daniel A. Olivas, an unnamed paralegal, brought back to life through a controversial process, maneuvers through a near-future world that both needs and resents him. As the U.S. president spouts anti-reanimation rhetoric and giant pharmaceutical companies rake in profits, the man falls in love with lawyer Faustina Godínez. His world expands as he meets her network of family and friends, setting him on a course to discover his first-life history, which the reanimation process erased. With elements of science fiction, horror, political satire, and romance, Chicano Frankenstein confronts our nation's bigotries and the question of what it truly means to be human.

For kids

Cuenta Cuentos con Kathy/Spanish Storytime With Kathy
Fridays, September 12, 19 & 26, 10 am, Main Library

Join us for a Spanish-language Storytime facilitated by Kathy Valdivia. Come hear stories, songs, and dancing! This program is open to all children ages 3 to 6 and their caregivers, and is best for those who are eager to be immersed in Spanish language. 

Special display in the Idea Box

September 15-October 15: Check out our Hispanic Heritage Month display in the Main Library Idea Box.

Watch Spanish-language videos for early learners

Created for our youngest patrons and their families, these videos feature Oak Park’s favorite librarians and storytime friends.

Online resources to explore

Get access to subscription-based resources that Google can’t offer, with your Oak Park card and PIN:

For kids

For adults & teens

  • Gale in Context: Biography: Explore authoritative biographical entries covering international figures from all time periods and areas of study, including a collection of biographies on notable Hispanic Americans. To start your search, choose Browse People and from the Topics dropdown, select Hispanic Americans.
  • Mango Languages: Reach conversational proficiency in Spanish.
  • Novelist Plus: Find book reviews, annotations, read-alikes, discussion guides, and book lists for fiction and nonfiction readers. Use the Advanced Search option to find titles by Hispanic American authors by selecting Hispanic American under Authors Cultural Identity.