Poet Luis Tubens has been working with young people at the Main Library since January 2017. That’s when he became the library’s first artist in residence, consistently drawing lots of middle schoolers to his after-school writing workshops and open mics. Although his residency ended in summer 2017, Tubens didn’t stop working with kids at the … Read more
It’s been one year since we launched our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, and our early readers are off to a fabulous start. The library’s long-term reading program is designed to prepare babies, toddlers, and preschoolers to arrive ready to learn come kindergarten. So far, 36 families have achieved the goal of reading 1,000 books together … Read more
In our three-part Race Conscious Readers series this fall, families came together to find ways to talk about race with kids in early elementary school. As one parent said: “It’s important my kids hear these conversations around them all the time, not just at home. It reinforces how important it is.” Books that celebrate, empower, … Read more
Join us this winter—and all year round—for activities that can help foster empathy in our community. On Wednesday, December 12, discover world holidays through crafts, games, books and artifacts from the Multicultural Collection at Holidays Around the World from 4 to 5 pm at Dole Branch Library. And join members of the community to celebrate Kwanzaa, a celebration … Read more
October is National Disability Awareness Month. All month, families and kids with special needs can find fun at the library, with programs featuring stories, songs, and movement, plus tools and supports to help all children be successful. The fun includes yoga, spooky stories, and exploration of our just-launched sensory garden at Maze Branch. Accessible and … Read more
This spring, parents and caregivers of children from birth to age 5 participated in a special workshop at the library, learning how to enrich their children’s lives with language and play. Pediatric speech-language pathologist Clare Kilbride from Kids Unlimited Therapy Services in Oak Park joined us to discuss communication milestones, red flags for communication, and … Read more
Know someone without a card? September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month. Help us spread the word about all the great things libraries have to offer! 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 … Read more
Last year, the founder of local Facebook group Raising Race Conscious Kids in and around Oak Park reached out to us. Although she had been raised to be “color-blind,” Andrea Kovach wrote, she is raising her 3- and 6-year-olds differently because “research has shown that instead of dismantling structural racism, that way of parenting just … Read more
“One way we welcome all families into the library is providing supports for kids with disabilities,” said Early Literacy Librarian Shelley Harris. Pens that scan and read text aloud With one of the scanner pens available for checkout (pictured above), you can scan text in a book and hear the words read aloud. You also … Read more
Earlier this year, Library Assistant Hal Patnott (pictured above) saw an opportunity to spark conversations about gender identity with families in the Main Library Children’s Services department. As a transgender man who’s often mislabeled as “she,” Patnott said, “it gets exhausting after a while.” So he put up a sign at the service desk: “Ask … Read more
