By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris I’m one of those odd ducks who loves winter and snow and is excited to get this season started. I know—my co-workers shake their head over me, too. But I also know this is going to be a long and hard winter for a lot of people, so Jenny and … Read more
Can 26 people from 12 different Oak Park organizations unite to create positive change within our community? That’s the goal for the new Oak Park Harwood Public Innovators Lab, which kicks off on Tuesday, December 1. Over three days in December, this group of 26 community stakeholders will gather as one to listen, learn, and … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris This holiday season is not at all what any of us had planned on. For most of us, celebrations will look different and traditions might have to skip a year. These are sad and frustrating things! Young kids may not have the words to express what they’re feeling or how … Read more
Check out the 2020 National Book Awards winners and our read-alike titles, suggested by Oak Park’s fantastically well-read librarians! The National Book Awards were established in 1950 to celebrate the best writing in America. Learn more about how the awards work from the National Book Foundation » Fiction winner Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu & read-alikes … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Hal Patnott 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
By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná McPherson-Joseph November 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to honor the lives and legacies of trans people, the pioneers and the everyday neighbors, who have passed away, most often through violence. A notable and sudden passing this year was Monica Roberts, a Black trans woman who was better known … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris Miss Jenny and I both love building fun sounds into our storytimes and our videos. Sounds, especially unexpected ones, get and keep everyone’s interest and attention. Will your preschooler understand you if you give them directions using inflections and gestures but only mooing? Yes, probably! And they might even focus … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris Math. Did you just shudder? Or grin? Most people have a strong reaction to math, one way or the other. When I was growing up, one of my absolute must see shows was Square One TV on PBS. I was definitely a book person over a math person, but I … Read more
By Rose Barnes, Adult Digital Learning Librarian Smartphones have changed the way we communicate and interact with the world around us. Beyond acting as a telephone, smartphones allow us to have instant access to quick and useful tools called apps. What are apps for? Simply put, an app is a type of software that allows … Read more
While we may be spending more time apart this year, sharing stories can connect people and families across distances, whether you’re separated by long distances or if you’re social distancing. During Family Stories Month this November, connect with your family—biological, adopted, by choice—by sharing stories, both learning about your family’s story and reading stories about … Read more
