By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian 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 more than ten years ago, but the start of the school year is still the start of my personal new year. For a lot of young … Read more
By Eileen Saam, Children’s Librarian 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! And don’t forget to log your reading and activities for summer reading » Going on a road trip? Check … Read more
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian By now, you’re very familiar with our new Early Bird Learning video series, right? Each week we share a new video, alternating between content to watch with your kids and content just for caregivers. To help create content for these videos, we’ve partnered with our friends at Collaboration for Early Childhood, … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Eileen Saam This summer at Oak Park Library we have so much to explore, including music! I invite you to explore music in different ways and see what it brings to your life. Music may help you relax and unwind. It may bring you joy and excitement or allow you to feel … Read more
Pride is more than a month of rainbows and parades. Our celebration of Pride month comes from a history of protest for liberation for LGBTQ+ people. Learn about LGBTQ+ activists Discover biographies about activists like Stormé DeLarverie, Marsha P. Johnson, and Sylvia Rivera on Gale in Context: Biography. Check out books for young people, including … Read more
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Let’s take a walk through memory lane! In January 2016, Jenny (pictured above with Ruthie the camel) and I launched the Early Bird Reader program, with weekly literacy tips texted out and monthly videos for caregivers that dug a little deeper into a specific literacy topic. In March 2020, we had … Read more
For the past four years, Oak Park library patron Lindsay Olson has hosted a weekly Zoom storytime with her granddaughters on the West Coast. “We were so grateful we had our storytime sessions in place when the pandemic hit,” Olson says. “Not seeing our family for two years was made easier by our Sunday storytimes.” … Read more
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Have you ever explored the little side yard of the Maze Branch Library (pictured above)? It’s not exactly quiet, because it’s right next to the expressway. But it can still be a cozy place to curl up with a book, do some yoga on the grass, watch for butterflies in the … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Eileen Saam Summer is here, and so is this year’s summer reading program: Oceans of Possibilities! The program runs all summer long, June 1-August 30. Here at the Oak Park Library, we are so excited about all the possibilities that the summer reading program provides for kids and families. Everyone is encouraged … Read more
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian At the library, we often hear from parents, teachers, and other caregivers that social-emotional learning (SEL) is important to you. What exactly is SEL? Let’s take a brief look and then dig in below. What is social-emotional learning? Social-emotional learning is a learning approach that helps people understand their emotions, feel those … Read more
