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
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Play is how kids learn. We say this so often because it’s one of the most important things for adults who raise or work with kids to remember. Librarians included! Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers learn best when they can explore the things and world around them in their own way and own … Read more
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Did you know that April is Autism Acceptance Month? This month devoted to celebrating autistic people and autistic experiences was created 11 years ago by advocate Paula C. Durbin-Westby. In this interview, Durbin-Westby explains, “The word ‘acceptance’ is much stronger than ‘tolerance,’ especially the begrudging sort of tolerance I saw so … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Hal Patnott If you’re looking for a relaxing craft that’s easy to learn, try cross-stitching! Once you know the basics, following a pattern is a lot like doing a paint-by-number. Even a beginner can create beautiful designs. Join us for an interactive crafting workshop, check out our virtual tutorial On April 28, … Read more
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Jenny and I are huge fans of nature programming at the library. We’ve offered nature classes for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary-aged kids, and kids of all ages with disabilities, for years. That’s because nature allows us to expand learning in both reading and science! As Anne of Green Gables would say, … 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 the children who we serve. We have done lots of research into ways that we can emphasize STEAM learning in the resources that we offer our young patrons. In particular, we have developed … Read more
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian How young is too young to introduce kids to history? There’s no such thing as too young! There are so many delightful and age-appropriate ways to share information on fascinating people from all time periods. Below are some suggestions for videos, books, and activities to share with your early learners! … Read more
