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Librarian Shelley Harris recognized for dedication to young people
The Illinois Library Association (ILA) Youth Services Forum has awarded Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris with the 2021 Golden Ticket Award for her “outstanding local contribution” to young people through programs …Rhythm & rhyme & harmony: Videos & activities to help early learners practice self-regulation
This week, I shared a video on using breathing to regulate your body when you’re feeling stressed or getting too excited on a fun day. A lot of the songs …Sharing books when you don’t feel like reading: Videos & activities for early learners
What do you think of when you see a book? Are books something stressful? Boring? Magical? Exciting? Something in between? It’s okay to not always feel excited about books or …Beyond ‘Twinkle Twinkle’: Videos & activities for early learners
This week, the Fred Rogers Center shared an article from Zero to Three about the power of music for infants and toddlers. It ties music to key early development skills: …Wild, witty, wonderful words: Videos & activities for early learners
Marvelous! Splendiferous! Sensational! There are so many delightful and fun words that exist. The more words that kids know, the easier it will be for them to decode and read …Sounds, science & snow: Videos & activities for early learners
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian What kind of things do you hear during the winter? When there’s a lot of snow on the ground, it can actually be very quiet! …‘Anxious People’: Waiting for it? Loved it? Try these titles!
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 …How to help young kids process upsetting events in the news
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Well, 2021 has certainly begun right where 2020 left off: with a lot of tough topics. Even our youngest kids know when big or upsetting …Take a sad year & make it better: Videos & activities for early learners
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Every year, our final Early Bird Reader tip we send via text (Want weekly early learning tips from the Oak Park Public Library? Sign up …Virtual learning & fun for early learners: Songs to set a mood
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Songs are powerful! When we plan our storytime classes, we organize them to build energy and then calm kids down before we send them back …Fun in the snow? Say it ain’t so: Videos & activities for early learners
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian I’m one of those odd ducks who loves winter and snow and is excited to get this season started. I know—my co-workers shake their head …Fun with sounds: Videos, activities, books & music for early learners
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Miss Jenny and I both love building fun sounds into our storytimes and our videos. Sounds, especially unexpected ones, get and keep everyone’s interest and …Discover & explore for grade schoolers: Math
Math. Did you just shudder? Or grin? Most people have a strong reaction to math, one way or the other. When I was growing up, one of my absolute must …Tech Tips Smartphone 101: How to install apps on iPhone & Android
Smartphones have changed the way we communicate and interact with the world around us. Beyond acting as a telephone, smartphones allow us to have instant access to quick and useful …Sing, sing a song: Videos & activities for early learners
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Mr. Andy, one of our past librarians, always used to tell caregivers that he could remember the words to “Sweet Caroline” much better than he …Storytelling: Videos & activities for early learners
Sometimes, at the Children’s Services desk, small kids come up to the desk and proudly read a book to us. Their caregiver will laugh and say they memorized it or …Virtual learning & fun for early learners: Whoosh, bang, boom
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris When we think about talking with our smallest kids, there are so many sounds involved: animal sounds, choo choo sounds, airplane sounds. These may feel …Let’s learn & practice new words: Videos & books for early learners
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Miss Jenny and I have been sharing a lot of words this week—big ones like “disappointed” and fancy ones like “scarlet.” The more words kids …‘My Dark Vanessa’: Waiting for it? Loved it? Try these titles!
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 …Raising kids? Top 5 reasons you need your library
Know someone without a card? Help us spread the word! Learn more about getting and using your card » #1: You get to say yes more! No late fines and …
