By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris Music is a valuable way for kids to learn! Songs can help kids hear how words are made, listen better to instructions, and take important movement breaks. All of these things will support kids when they are learning in school. Caregivers can use slow songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to … Read more
As an Oak Park library cardholder, you have access to more than 10 million items from 100+ area libraries through the SWAN catalog. It’s this collaborative “resource sharing” that gives more people more access, more choices, and more value when using their public libraries. Why is SWAN testing a potential new catalog? To ensure the … Read more
Held yearly in March, Women’s History Month celebrates women’s contributions to history, culture, and society in the U.S. On this page, you can: Find suggested fiction and nonfiction titles for adults, teens, and kids, all hand-selected by our librarians. Log in with your Oak Park card and PIN to use online resources for self-paced learning … Read more
The next Consolidated Municipal Election is Tuesday, April 6. Let the Oak Park-River Forest League of Women Voters help you do your voting homework on candidates running for elected positions in our village. This series of local candidate forums is co-hosted by the library and the league, a grassroots non-partisan political organization encouraging the informed … Read more
By Collection Management Librarian Kathy Sexton Looking for some nonfiction reading suggestions? Discover these recently released under-the-radar gems just waiting for you! Recently new nonfiction titles Girl, Gurl, Grrrl by Kenya Hunt Why you should try it: When you are reading, do you love the feeling that you and the author are having a genuine, … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris Engineering sounds like a big and overwhelming topic, especially for caregivers that aren’t as familiar or comfortable with science. But in fact, even babies and toddlers explore engineering! Engineering activities include: Building (with blocks, legos, and more) Construction Cause and effect Math Paper airplanes Not too overwhelming, right? Check out … Read more
By Digital Learning Librarian John Gargiulo Advertisements are all over the internet these days, and while some are helpful, some add clutter, and others can link to scams and websites that can’t be trusted. Ads also are present in Google searches; sometimes displaying above the results you want to see. Ad placement in search results can create … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris What kind of things do you hear during the winter? When there’s a lot of snow on the ground, it can actually be very quiet! Until a snowplow comes by. Or the wind starts blowing and whistling. Or kids start playing in the snow. There are many benefits to paying … Read more
By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná McPherson-Joseph We miss talking books with you, especially now that the deep winter has set in. But don’t worry, we’ve still got some excellent reads to get you through. Check out these hidden gems just waiting for their readers. Fiction titles you might have missed The Living Is Easy by Dorothy … Read more
Last January, Tatiana Swancy was among eight library staff members who trained to become peace circle keepers, or facilitators. “A peace circle is a tool to have community conversations where everyone is valued,” she explains. “It’s rooted in the idea that everyone has a story, and it’s a great way to address difficult topics. It … Read more
