Get access to subscription-based resources that Google can’t offer
Your Oak Park Public Library card and PIN give you access to the online resources listed here. Have questions? Get answers to FAQs, watch how-to videos, read about your data privacy, and contact us.
Need to search multiple resources at once? Use the catalog's Article Search to find full-text results.
African American Heritage
Genealogy database devoted to African American family history research.
Ancestry Library Edition (in-library use only)
Genealogical information covering the U.S. and the United Kingdom (only available in the Oak Park Public Library).
Chicago Tribune
Get Chicago news, sports, weather, business, and more.
Browse (full website access or digital scan of print issue)
Available in browser on laptop/desktop (access to the Chicago Tribune app is not available through the library).
How to access the full website or digital scan of print issue
- Click the link above for “full website access” or “digital scan of print issue.”
- Follow the steps below based on your location.
- From any Oak Park library building (on any library computer or device connected to the library’s WiFi): Select the option “No, thanks, I want to access the news anonymously.” (Please note: You can create an account, but it is not required and only accessible from an Oak Park library building.)
- From anywhere outside the library: Enter your Oak Park library card number when prompted.
- Enjoy unlimited, full-site access.
Create an account (optional & only accessible from an Oak Park library building)
- Enter your email address and create a password or connect using an existing Google, Facebook, or Apple account. Your email address will become your username.
- Create a password. Your password must contain at least 8 characters and three of the following: a lowercase letter, an uppercase letter, a number (0-9), and a special character (!@#$%^&*). You will need to remember this username and password to log in next time.
Search (full-text articles): current (1985-present), online edition (2017-present) & historical (1849-2015)
FamilySearch
Genealogical service that includes over a billion individual ancestral entries worldwide. Additional content—including millions of records and images—is available in-library only.
Get step-by-step instructions on how to set up an account (first-time users must create an account; a library card is not needed but name and birthdate are required):
HeritageQuest Online
Genealogical and historical records, including images of U.S. federal census documents.
NewspaperARCHIVE
Access to historical issues of hundreds of Illinois newspapers, including Oak Leaves (1902-1977), with searchable articles, advertisements, editorials, classified ads, and obituaries.
Special Collections
Specific cultural and heritage collections that reflect the unique values and enduring legacies of Oak Park, including the following collections: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ernest Hemingway, Frank Lloyd Wright, Grand Army of the Republic, local authors, Philander Barclay Photograph, and more.
Steiner Index
Information on original owners, architects, building dates, and addresses for Oak Park and River Forest houses and buildings.