The Main Library is open for self-service Mondays through Saturdays, 10 am-6 pm (parking garage closes at 6:15 pm).
All floors are open for safe materials browsing; masks are required and hand sanitizer is provided throughout the building. We’re also pleased to introduce new features and improvements to enhance your in-person library experience. Read more about what’s new on this page.
What to know before your visit
- Building capacity is set at 120 total, 40 people per floor; real-time capacity is displayed during open hours on the library website and on a large screen in the lobby.
- Visitors must wear masks correctly (covering nose and mouth) to enter and to remain in the building and visits should be under one hour. More about keeping each other safe »
- Seating, study rooms, and meeting rooms are unavailable.
- Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Third-floor public computers are available by appointment only for Oak Park cardholders. Call ahead to 708.697.6942 and learn more now »
- Also available now: a wide range of virtual services, available from anywhere »
Where to go for your holds
- From Monday, March 1 through Saturday, March 6
- Did you receive a “Checkout Receipt?” Go to the lobby, know your items are already checked out.
- Did you receive a “Library Hold Notice?” Go to the second floor, self-checkout your items.
- Beginning Monday, March 8, all holds will be on the second floor and all will require self-checkout.
New! Better browsing on second and third floors
“We are always evaluating how the community is using materials,” said Materials Services Manager Barbara Fitzgerald. “When sections of the library were closed to browsing because of the pandemic earlier this year, we took a very close look at how to make specific improvements.”
As a result, during February about 58,000 items were reorganized on the second and third floors, which is about 1,000 shelves or 25% of the total physical collection. The results maximize use of current shelf and floor space and are intended to offer everyone a better in-person browsing experience.
Here are links to new floor maps, a list of materials by floor, as well as a quick summary of changes by floor:
| AS OF MONDAY, MARCH 1 |
| New materials on the third floor Large type (where Recently Returned Nonfiction used to be) Print magazines (check out the expanded digital collection; print newspapers remain unavailable) |
| Changes on the second floor DVDs moved to stacks in the middle of the second floor Audiobooks moved to stacks at the north end of the second floor (near the book discussion room) Space created for teens |
New! Use your phone to self-checkout from anywhere in the library
We’re also glad to introduce meeScan, a new free library app, available for Android and iOS that lets anyone with a library card self-checkout materials with their phone. Learn more about meeScan »
Related, a pilot meeScan desktop self-check station has been installed directly behind the second-floor service desk. It works very similarly to the app. You enter your library card number, scan the item’s library barcode, hear a “beep!” and checkout is completed. You automatically receive an email receipt (if you have this notification turned on in your SWAN account). Learn more about changing SWAN notifications »
New! Locker pickup by request
To provide a new convenient pickup and return option with no in-person contact we have invested in two sets of lockers at the Main Library. The outdoor set of 35 will be located to the right of the main entrance. The indoor set of 17 is located in the lobby under the stairwell. If you are interested in using a locker for your materials, please contact us.
Questions?
- Visit oppl.org/contact »
- Call 708.383.8200 and leave a message; we will return your call as soon as possible.
- Use our live chat service. Start a session by clicking the icon in the bottom right corner of oppl.org. Hours are the same as building hours, 10 am- 6 pm Mondays-Saturdays.
