Juneteenth is the June 19 holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States. Long celebrated by the African American community, it is now an Illinois state holiday, an official Village of Oak Park holiday, as well as an official library holiday. And now, for the first year ever, it’s become a U.S. federal … Read more
By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná McPherson-Joseph In addition to being Pride Month, the American Library Association, and the Rainbow Roundtable have designated June as Rainbow Book Month. It is a celebration of LGBTQ+ stories, and you can find some recent favorites below! Want more? Find more title suggestions for all ages, virtual activities, online resources, and … Read more
By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná McPherson-Joseph May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and this week we are celebrating by sharing stories written by Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander authors. Want more? Find more title suggestions for all ages, videos, online resources, and more » Southeast Asian & Pacific Islander creators & stories Long Live the Tribe … Read more
By Collection Management Librarian Dontaná McPherson-Joseph May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and this week we are celebrating by sharing stories written by South Asian authors. Want more? Find more title suggestions for all ages, videos, online resources, and more » South Asian creators & stories The Parted Earth by Anjali Enjeti Why you should try … Read more
By David J. Seleb, Executive Director Note: A version of this post first appeared in Wednesday Journal and OakPark.com on May 11, 2021. Read the piece on OakPark.com » We are on an anti-racism journey. This includes working with a local consultant and implementing a new anti-racism strategic plan. Why are we doing this? Because as … Read more
By Collection Management Librarian Kathy Sexton May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and this week we are celebrating by sharing stories written by East Asian authors. Want more? Find more title suggestions for all ages, videos, online resources, and more » East Asian creators & stories Second Sister by Ho-Kei Chan Why you should … Read more
Built as a yearlong, self-paced reading program to offer intentional learning experiences, the Anti-Racism Resource Challenge features specially selected books, media, articles, websites, and more—all from the library’s two curated anti-racism resource guides: Anti-Racism: A Starter’s Guide Countering Anti-Black Sentiments Adults and high schoolers are invited to participate—no Oak Park library card is required. In … Read more
Your public library is here to connect you with books, online resources, and learning experiences that honor Asian Pacific American history and culture all year long. On this page, you can: Watch Multicultural virtual learning videos. Browse suggested fiction and nonfiction titles for adults, teens, and kids, all hand-selected by our librarians. Log in with … Read more
In the April 2021 issue of Library Journal, our Teen Services Manager Stephen Jackson writes about restorative practices and libraries. Read the article online or access the entire digitized issue. He illustrates how our library has integrated restorative practices since he joined the staff in 2016. Examples include the use of circles, annual community conferences, … Read more
This spring, join us for anti-racism community discussions using the model of circles, a restorative practice which honors our stories, community relationships, and ability to keep learning from each other. Register for upcoming anti-racism circles Wednesday, March 31, 6 pm: Community Circle – Identifying the Real Story of Rosa Parks. Register in Zoom » Thursday, April 15, … Read more
