Transgender Awareness Week: Books, a workshop & resources

Transgender flag drawn in chalk

This November 13-19, we celebrate Transgender Awareness Week, an annual event dedicated to educating our communities about the lives of transgender people. Transgender Awareness Week takes place in the week leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20)—a day set aside to recognize each life lost during the year to transphobic violence around the … Read more

November is National Entrepreneurship Month

Library staff, board members and Chamber of Commerce members celebrate the opening of the Main Library Creative Studio with a ribbon cutting

November is National Entrepreneurship Month. According to the White House, it’s a time to celebrate those who “create businesses that are the heart and soul of our communities.” Your library is a resource for entrepreneurs, new businesses, and nonprofit organizations. All Oak Park business owners, nonprofits, and employees can get a library card and gain full … Read more

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Books, an event, learning experiences & more

Native American Heritage book display in the Main Library

Oak Park Public Library acknowledges that Oak Park is situated on the ancestral land of the Bodewamiadkiwen (Potawatomi), Myaamia (Miami), Oceti Sakowin, Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), and Peoria. We honor them and thank them for their stewardship of this land. Source: native-land.ca Your public library is here to connect you with books, videos, online resources, and learning experiences that … Read more

Celebrate Día de Muertos at library & in community

Front row, left to right: Jessy Martinez, Latine Language & Culture Librarian Nora Sanchez, Alma Martinez, Laura Pulido, and Maya Puentes. Back row: Omeyocan Dance Company

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is typically celebrated on November 1 and 2. The celebration, which originated in Mexico, is rooted in indigenous practices that existed long before Spanish settlers arrived.  Together with community members, our Latine Language & Culture Librarian Nora Sanchez has been working to bring the celebration to the library … Read more

Chilling reads, thrilling tales & lots of Halloween fun

Smiling jack-o-lantern in a dark forest

Feel that chill in the air? Halloween season is here! And your Oak Park librarians are back with spine-chilling reads, creepy tales, and lots more Halloween fun: Browse: Spine-chilling tales & scary stories More from your digital library, sorted by audience & app HORROR FOR ADULTS HORROR FOR TEENS HALLOWEEN FOR KIDS Attend: Upcoming events … Read more

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

Hispanic Heritage books, events, videos & more

Collage of books

Your public library is here to connect you with books, events, learning experiences, and online resources that celebrate Hispanic heritage and culture this month and all year long. On this page, you can: This commemorative month (held September 15-October 15) was officially designated as Hispanic Heritage Month by the U.S. Congress in 1968. Learn more at … Read more

So long, ‘Sunday Scaries’!

Collage of book covers with a green and gold background

By Collection Management Librarian Kathy You may know it by another name—”Sunday blues,” “Monday dread,” just good ol’ general anxiety—but apparently, there are a whole lot of us who suffer from some form of stress caused by the start of a new work or school week. Here are some books to help you stave off … Read more

The 2023 Booker Prize Longlist

The 2023 Booker Prize book covers

By Collection Management Librarian Kathy The UK’s most prestigious literary award, The Booker Prize is awarded annually to the best novel of the year written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. Check out the longlist titles below—featuring all of the titles currently or soon to be available in the U.S.—and look for the shortlist … Read more