Identity & coming out: Books, an event & a new on-demand virtual book club for grade schoolers

Tegan and Sara Junior High Book cover with a rainbow-colored overlay

October 11 is National Coming Out Day in the United States. Inaugurated in 1988, National Coming Out Day is a day to promote education, activism, and community for LGBTQIA+ people. For some people, sharing their identity with friends, family, and community can be empowering and affirming. However, coming out can also be scary or even … Read more

BingePass: A new way to explore online content on Hoopla

New! Hoopla BingePass with an icon featuring two tickets on a starbust background

With Hoopla‘s new 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 BingePass? Watch the video below for an overview of how to use BingePass. Please note: The video shows how to access BingePass using an iPhone. For … Read more

Need help with school research projects? Library resources to the rescue: ScienceFlix & National Geographic Kids (Part 4)

Student using a laptop

By Eileen Saam, Children’s Librarian  This school year, use your library card to access more than books. The library has many subscription-based resources that are helpful for school projects and assignments.  In my previous posts in this series, I highlighted CultureGrams, National Geographic Kids, AtoZ Maps Online, AtoZ World Culture, African-American History, and American Indian … Read more

Express yourself: Collaborative storytelling, tabletop roleplaying games & books for grade schoolers

Outline of multi-sided dice over a black-and-white map of castles, mountains, and trees

By Hal, Rainbow Services Librarian Find Your Voice was the theme of this year’s summer reading program. Although summer reading is coming to an end, finding your voice is a lifelong journey. Creative self-expression through collaborative storytelling and imaginative play experiences like tabletop roleplaying games are a fun way to discover your voice and share … Read more

Unplug at your library: Activities for grade schoolers

Kids creating in the Acorn Lab

By Eileen Saam, Children’s Librarian Kids, take a break from screens this summer with some unplugged activities at the library! Borrow a robot discovery kit We have several 100% screen-free robot discovery kits for different age groups. These fun robot kits help kids develop coding skills and promote problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Check out … Read more

‘Find Your Voice’ & celebrate Pride all summer

Illustrations of kids playing music, dancing, and swinging a bat on a rainbow background

By Hal, Rainbow Services Librarian What does it mean to “Find Your Voice“? When I think about our theme for summer reading this year, I imagine a celebration of self-expression. We can use our voices to make music, to stand up for what we believe in, and to share who we are. Pride Month is … Read more

Kids summer reading: Get ready to ‘Find Your Voice’

Graphics of children on green background

By Eileen Saam, Children’s Librarian Summer is almost here, and it’s time to get excited about this year’s kids summer reading program: Find Your Voice! The program kicks off on June 1 for kids ages 2-11 and continues through August 15. We are thrilled about all of the opportunities that the summer reading program provides … Read more

Visiting the Main Library Children’s Services: A virtual tutorial for kids & families

Picture of the Main Library with a pink and purple overlay

By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris Sometimes kids and adults get nervous about visiting a new place for the first time. We get it!  It can be useful to know what to expect before your first visit. With that in mind, we created a social narrative—available in multiple formats—about visiting the Children’s Services Area of the Main … Read more

Preparing for Pride Month: Books for kids

Book icon on a rainbow background

By Hal, Rainbow Services Librarian As the summer approaches, so does Pride Month. In the United States and many other countries around the world, we celebrate Pride during June in honor of the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. Nowadays, communities throughout the world celebrate Pride Month with parades of rainbows and glitter. These parades began as … Read more

STEAM Fest 2023 & more: Experience the wide world of STEAM at the library

Three students playing a coding game

By Eileen Saam, Children’s Librarian We are so excited to partner with Oak Park Elementary School District 97 and the Oak Park Education Foundation to bring you STEAM Fest 2023! On Thursday, March 2, families with students in grades K-8 are invited to come to the Oak Park Public Library to experience the wide world … Read more

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