As school projects are assigned throughout the year, know that your library is here to help! In addition to books, your Oak Park library card gives you access to a number of subscription-based resources that you can use to help you with your research, such as American Indian History. American Indian History This library research site … Read more
As mentioned in my first post in this series, Google is a great resource of information and can be a useful first source when researching for school projects. But did you know that there are many subscription-based library resources that can be accessed online with your Oak Park library card? Not only that, but you … Read more
Welcome to the -ber months: September, October, November, and December! Most people celebrate the start of a new year in January. Not me. I graduated from library school more than 15 years ago, but the start of the school year is still the start of my personal new year. For a lot of young kids, … Read more
Did you know that children’s staff have created more than 400 early learning videos since March 2020?! You can watch them all in a YouTube playlist and find them organized into 16 different categories on the Early Learning page—including art, en español, life skills, and supported. To make it even easier to find what you … Read more
There are so many ways to use your library, and we’ve rounded up a few special ones for kids and families here. Not all of them require a library card, but we encourage Oak Park residents of any age to get one—even babies! I like to explore new places A library card can help you … Read more
With hoopla‘s BingePass and your Oak Park library card, you can get unlimited streaming for seven days with a single borrow! Let’s get started… How do I use hoopla’s BingePass? Watch the video below for an overview. For more detailed instructions, see How do I borrow a BingePass. What can I borrow with unlimited access? … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Eileen Saam At the Oak Park Public Library, we are always looking for ways to foster learning experiences for children who we serve. We have developed a sizable collection of Discovery Kits, which are filled with everything you need to foster the kinds of exploratory, hands-on experiences that are inherent in STEAM … Read more
Have you ever wished you could explore the worlds of your favorite characters? Do you dream of running off on a grand adventure with your friends by your side? If you answered yes to either of those questions, then you might want to try tabletop roleplaying at your next game night. I am a huge … Read more
Planning a road trip or visiting a nearby park? There are so many fun things to do during the summer, and at the library, we have some great resources to take with you that will make it even more fun! Don’t forget to keep track of all your reading and activities for summer reading—either in … Read more
Have curious kids in grades K-5 who want to explore the world? Log in to Pebble Go and Pebble Go Next with your Oak Park library card and find answers to questions like “What do axolotls eat for breakfast?” and “How do I stand up for a friend?” PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next are content hubs … Read more
Introducing Little Pim, a new way for kids ages 0-6 to have fun while learning a new language! To get started, choose from 12 languages—Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. A series of short, engaging videos voiced by native speakers will help kids to learn the new … Read more
From Diwali, Christmas, and Hanukkah celebrations to the observance of the winter solstice, Oak Park library staff love sharing their own winter holiday traditions with you in our annual Holidays Around the World! In addition to stories, videos, and photos, you’ll find related music, games, stories, and recipes for families to explore. Click the play … Read more
If you have a school project and need to find a variety of sources for your research, your library is here to the rescue! On the Homework Help for Kids page, you can access many subscription-based resources with your Oak Park library card and PIN. National Geographic Kids One valuable resource available to cardholders is … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris The sun is setting earlier, and nights are lasting longer. This is the time of year when our “Chills and Thrills” bin of picture books gets checked out the most, teachers take out stacks of Halloween books, and kids ask for mysteries and scary stories. Even I love to be … Read more
By Eileen Saam, Children’s Librarian Looking for fun and educational websites for kids without advertisements? You’ve come to the right place! From math games, puzzles, and science videos to language learning activities, art exploration, and narrated stories, the list of free websites below offers a variety of engaging online experiences for kids of all ages. … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris Did you know that 70% of disabled adults do not engage in community activities? The first time I heard this statistic it gave me pause. I see it with my disabled brother and his friends, but it’s hard to see it widely confirmed. It’s what inspired me to develop a … Read more
By Eileen Saam, Children’s Librarian Experience the wide world of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) at the Main Library this spring, as we once again partner with Oak Park Elementary School District 97 and the Oak Park Education Foundation for STEAM Fest. STEAM Fest 2024: Thursday, April 18, 6-7:30 pm Families with students in grades … Read more
By Hal, Rainbow Services Librarian Developing accurate and affirming language to name the parts of our bodies and understanding how bodies change as we age is an important skill for young people to learn. Not only is it a matter of physical health, but it also provides young people with better tools to advocate for … Read more
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian We often come back to the topic of emotions and social-emotional learning with our kids. Sometimes it may feel like we’re repeating ourselves! But we keep returning to the topic because it’s an important one. Kids (and adults!) learn best when they feel that they are safe and secure in … Read more
Crafting is a fun way to express yourself. The library has all kinds of resources to support and encourage young artists. Let’s explore a few! Create & craft with Creativebug Creativebug is one of my favorite resources. To get started, you’ll need to create an account with your Oak Park library card and log into … Read more
