LGBTQ+ people & history: Books, trivia games & resources for grade schoolers

Pride flag overlayed with a rainbow of colors

By Hal, Rainbow Services Librarian Did you know? Illinois is one of only seven states with an inclusive curriculum bill that ensures students in public schools learn about LGBTQ+ and their contributions as part of their history curriculum. In their published survey results from 2021 (pdf), GLSEN found that inclusive curriculums have a positive impact … Read more

Trans Youth Town Hall: A virtual tutorial for grade & middle schoolers

Trans flag with trans symbol

By Hal, Rainbow Services Librarian 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 Explore a new virtual tutorial: Trans Youth Town Hall The same fight for liberation continues today. Transgender and nonbinary youth … Read more

Resources for autistic people & their caregivers

Autism with cut paper rainbow on a cloud

By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris So you, your child, or your student has been diagnosed with autism? Congratulations! As overwhelming as it can be to hear a diagnosis, you are now ready to find and receive the supports you need to live the life you want for yourself. There are a lot of negative and … Read more

STEAM Discovery Kits: At-home learning & exploration for grade schoolers

STEAM written inside a circle and surrounded by different line-drawn icons: a laptop, a pencil, a paint brush, the numbers 1, 2, and 3, a compass, a microscope, and clouds, all with a square grid background

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

Meet Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, the man who built a library: At-home activities for grade schoolers

A portrait of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg sitting in a chair with books on a shelf in the background

In honor of Black History Month, let’s learn more about Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, a Puerto Rican historian, writer, curator, and activist! Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1874, Schomburg was the son of a Puerto Rican merchant of German descent and an Afro-Caribbean woman from the Danish West Indies. He spent the majority of his … Read more

Bomba music: Videos, books & more at-home activities for grade schoolers

Hands drumming

Welcome everyone! Today we will briefly explore a pillar of Puerto Rican cultural expression known as Bomba. We will learn that beyond its existence as a musical genre in Puerto Rico, Bomba has its origins amongst the enslaved Africans on the island dating back to at least the 17th century and it was used as … Read more

Need help with school research projects? Library resources to the rescue: AtoZ Maps & AtoZ World Culture (Part 2)

Kid raising hands in triumph while working on a laptop with shelves filled with books in the background

By Children’s Librarian Eileen Saam 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? … Read more

All about origami: How-to videos, books & more for grade schoolers

Butterfly origami

Library assistant Margaret can always be found doing origami and helping kids learn! Origami helps kids practice visual and spatial skills, concentration, and math, and is a great fidget activity for experienced creators. It’s also a lot of fun! Watch this video Can you make a butterfly following her tutorial? It’s the perfect way to … Read more

Butterflies! At-home activities for grade schoolers (part 1)

Monarch butterfly on milkweed

The Village of Oak Park has proclaimed 2021 as the Year of the Butterfly, and we’re doing our part to ensure everyone knows all they can to protect the monarch butterfly! Find facts, fun activities and resources, books to check out, and programs to attend below. Discover facts about monarch butterflies About the monarch butterfly … Read more

Transgender Day of Visibility: Books for early learners & grade schoolers

Book covers

By Hal, Rainbow Services Librarian March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility (TDoV). Founded in 2009 by Rachel Crandall, Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates the resilience and accomplishments of transgender and nonbinary people. Back in November, we shared books and resources about gender identity. This time, in honor of TDoV, let’s explore some books written … Read more

New! Live virtual chess tutoring & more

Wooden chess board with two players

With the explosion of interest in chess fueled by Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit last fall, library resource BrainFuse HelpNow has responded by offering live chess tutoring with expert coaches. Expert chess tutors are available Monday through Thursday from 3 to 9 pm CT. Tutors have certifiable qualifications such as high Elo ratings (2000+), chess coaching … Read more

Discover & explore for grade schoolers: Gender identity

Transgender spelled out on cubes

By Hal, Rainbow Services Librarian It’s Transgender Awareness Week, an annual event dedicated to educating our communities about the lives of transgender people. Transgender Awareness Week is celebrated every year during the week leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20), a day set aside to recognize each life lost during the year to … Read more

Discover & explore for grade schoolers: Code, create, design, play & learn digitally

Pixel alien on wall

Learn about new tech information in a safe manner with digital titles available in your digital library, create-on-your-own websites, and tech news sources for kids! Check out these digital titles The Fake News Phenomenon by Duchess Harris Snap It! Snapchat Projects for the Real World by Carolyn Bernhardt The Robot Book by Bobby Mercer: Create projects by repurposing … Read more

Raising kids? Top 5 reasons you need your library

Kids at 2018 Code Fest

Know someone without a card? Help us spread the word! Learn more about getting and using your card » #1: You get to say yes more! No late fines and automatic renewals? Go ahead, get all the books, music, and movies you can carry—and then some. With each library card, you can check out up to 200 … Read more