Oak Lawn Public Library

It feels like summer is finally here and OLPL's June-August programming season is already underway!

Copies of our Summer 2026 Newsletter are available from the Library now, so please feel free to pick one up when you stop by. Oak Lawn residents receive a copy in the mail, with no need to sign up. A digital version is available on our website: www.olpl.org/newsletter

We offer programming fit for anyone and everyone, so find one that's right for you in the newsletter. You can also visit our online event calendar to find additional details on and register for our programs at: www.olpl.org/calendar

Local History will host The Underground Railroad Connected to the Blue Island Ridge on Saturday, June 20 from 2-3 p.m. in Meeting Rooms A/B/C.

The Underground Railroad was a network to freedom for those escaping slavery in the southern states, and was very active in the Chicago area and Northern Illinois around the Civil War. Local Historian Carol Flynn will share first-hand stories of local efforts to help the freedom seekers in this presentation.

Customer Services has planned two informative programs with Pathlights and the Cook County Sheriff's Office (Official).

Money Smart for Older Adults Wednesday, June 17; 2-3 p.m.; Encore Room

Please join the Cook County Sheriff's Office and Pathlights to reduce your risk of financial exploitation, recognize con games and scams targeted at seniors, and receive helpful resources for reporting senior financial exploitation.

Personal Safety for Older Adults Wednesday, Aug. 19; 2-3 p.m.; Encore Room

Please join the Cook County Sheriff's Office and Pathlights to learn personal safety tips at home and away from home, safety awareness to avoid carjacking and auto theft and best practices for travel and vacation planning.

Join Teen Services for one of fun summer Programs!

(R) Register for this program on our online event calendar: www.olpl.org/calendar

Teen Services also offers regularly recurring programs. Find all programs on our online event calendar above.

Resume Building
Thursday, June 11; 6-7:30 p.m.
Get your resume ready! We will talk about best practices and review what you have.

Tie Die T-shirts
Tuesday, July 7; 2-3 p.m.
Make a mess and create a colorful custom tie-dye pattern. Will we have a variety of color sets from red, white and blue to the traditional seven color mix.

Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt (R)
Saturday, July 11; 2-4 p.m.
Explore Lake Catherine Park to see which team can find the most local flora and fauna. The event is outdoors in a wooded area and entails significant walking, please prepare and dress accordingly.

Hot Ones Challenge
Wednesday, July 15; 2-4 p.m.
Try an array of hot wings from the Hot Ones series and answer interview questions. WARNING: Several available hot sauces can be painfully hot. Participate at your own risk.

Powdered Wig Party
Thursday, July 23; 6-8 p.m.
Try on 1776 fashion and run through the Revolution in Risk. How will history play out in your hands?

Terrarium in a Jar
Thursday, Aug. 13; 6-7 p.m.
Join us to create a self-contained little forest in a mason jar.

Book Binding
Thursday, Aug. 27; 6-8 p.m.
Learn to assemble your own bound faux leather journal. This project has a significant drying time and must be picked up several days later.

Visit Andy's Frozen Custard in Oak Lawn, 9507 S. Cicero Ave., on Friday, June 19 from noon- 3p.m. to celebrate their 40th anniversary and sign up for an Oak Lawn Public Library card.

Present your active OLPL card or register in person for a new card to receive a sweet treat from Andy’s! Additionally, OLPL cardholders may enter a raffle to receive four Upper Reserve tickets donated by the Chicago White Sox!

Contact Tippi Price, Customer Services Dept. Head, at (708) 422-4990 ext. 615 with questions.

Join Youth Services for one of many fun programs as our summer programming season begins!

Find all programming at: www.olpl.org/calendar

(R) Register for this program on our online event calendar above.

Drop-in Craft: Father’s Day Cards for
All ages
Tuesday, June 16; 2-3:30 p.m.
Father’s Day is Sunday, June 21! What better gift than a handmade, personalized card? Drop in to learn how to make a cute card for Dad!

Family Puzzle Race (R)
All ages
Wednesday, June 17; 6:30-8 p.m.
Show off your puzzle prowess at our Family Puzzle Race and be the first to complete a 300-piece puzzle! Teams may consist of up to 4 players.

Star-painted Shirts
All ages
Friday, June 19; 10 a.m.-noon
Create your very own fabric painted T-shirt! We'll provide design ideas and inspiration; please provide your own white shirts or bags to paint. While supplies last.

Whether you're just starting out with Microsoft programs or looking to brush up, OLPL's Computer Center has you covered! Get more comfortable with Word, Excel and PowerPoint in our upcoming summer classes.

Find more details and additional Computer Center classes on OLPL's online event calendar: www.olpl.org/calendar

Call the Computer Center with any questions at 708-422-4990 ext. 665.

Excel Basics
Wednesday, June 10; 11 a.m.-noon
Thursday, July 9; 11 a.m.-noon
Wednesday, Aug. 5; 2-3 p.m.

Excel Advanced
Wednesday, June 17; 11 a.m.-noon
Wednesday, July 15; 2-3 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 10; 11 a.m.-noon

Word Basics Monday,
June 15; 11 a.m.-noon
Thursday, July 9; 6-7 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 13; 2-3 p.m.

Word Advanced
Wednesday, June 17; 2-3 p.m.
Monday, July 13; 11 a.m.-noon
Wednesday, Aug. 19; 11 a.m.-noon

PowerPoint Basics
Monday, June 22; 11 a.m.-noon
Thursday, July 23; 6-7 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 27; 2-3 p.m.

Summer has come to OLPL! Stop by for one of the highlighted programs or join our summer reading programs at: olpl.beanstack.org

Find all programs and more details at: www.olpl.org/calendar

(R) Register for this program on the calendar above.

Can you make it from the Peppermint Forest to Candy Castle? Find out in Life-size Candyland for ages 3 and up with an adult on Friday, June 12 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Saturday, June 13 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

A session for families with a sensory-sensitive child ages 3 and up will be held on Saturday, June 13 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

OLPL's Alzheimer's and Dementia Support Group provides an opportunity for family members, friends and caregivers to meet regularly and share their feelings, thoughts and experiences in a safe environment with others who are going through similar things. Facilitated by Mary Murphy, RN, BSN, CDP (Certified Dementia Practitioner) of Hibernian Home Care Service.

No registration is necessary. Please drop in.

Sessions will be held on Thursdays, June11, July 9 & Aug. 13 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Encore Room.

Contact Customer Services with questions by calling 708-422-4990 ext. 100.

Customer Services will host the Advocate Diabetes Support Group on Wednesdays, June 10, July 8 and Aug. 12 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. in the Encore Room.

Learn with Advocate in a space for individuals with diabetes to connect, share experiences and receive support in managing their condition. Meetings can provide emotional support, benefit overall well-being, improve A1C levels and bring valuable insights into diabetes management and comprehensive care.

Join Adult Services for Friday Classic Flix this summer!

“The Night of The Hunter”
(1955, NR, 92 minutes)
Friday, June 5; 3-5 p.m.
A menacing, fake preacher with "LOVE" and "HATE" tattooed on his knuckles pursues two young children across rural West Virginia to find $10,000 hidden by their father.

“D.O.A.”
(1949, NR, 83 minutes)
Friday, July 3; 3-5 p.m.
A fatally poisoned accountant discovers he has only a few days left to live and spends his remaining time frantically tracking down those responsible for his murder.

“Call Northside 777”
(1948, NR, 112 minutes)
Friday, Aug. 14; 3-5 p.m.
Based on a true Chicago crime story, a cynical reporter investigates a decade-old murder case and fights to exonerate a man wrongly imprisoned for killing a policeman.

Thank you to all the seniors who joined us for games and crafts in Who's Got Game this spring! More sessions of Who's Got Game are planned for the summer season.

Another six sessions will be held this summer in the Encore Room.

(R) Register for each session at: www.olpl.org/calendar

Tuesday, June 9: Frame the Fun; 10-11 a.m.
Tuesday, June 16: Show and Tell (Memory Vault); 10-11 a.m.
Tuesday, July 14: DIY Cap Creations; 10-11 a.m.
Tuesday, July 21: Paint Your Summer!; 10-11 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 11: Byte-sized Bowling; 10-11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 18: Magazine Collage Art; 10-11 a.m.

Funds for this program were provided by AgeOptions. Contact Samantha Prado, customer services associate, at [email protected] or 708-422-4990 ext. 508 with questions.

The Tuesday, June 16 session is sponsored by The Velvet Bakery at 5168 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn, IL 60453. Baked goods will be provided.

OLPL provided database NoveList is running their 2026 Genre Challenge, Find What You Like, which encourages you to get out of your comfort zone by reading books from a different genre each month. Try stories told through art and words in May's genre, Urban Fiction.

In addition to the books recommended by NoveList, OLPL is providing additional books from our catalog within the genre, as recommended by our staff.

Place a hold on your next read at: ols.swanlibraries.net

Find more reading recommendations from Novelist by going to: www.olpl.org/resources

From Novelist:
"The Treacherous Wife" by Saundra.

"You Could Do Damage" by K.C. Mills

From OLPL:
"Blended" by Sharon M. Draper recommended for ages 9-12

"The Girl Who Fell From the Sky" by Heidi W. Durrow recommended for teens.

"Monster" by Walter Dean Myers recommended for adults.

This week marks the beginning of the Library's Sunday closures for the summer, as well as a closure for Memorial Day. We still have plenty of fun and educational program prepared for the week, though. Stop by for one of these highlighted programs or find all programming on our online event calendar: www.olpl.org/calendar

OLPL is thrilled to introduce Explore the Suburbs: Library Passport Adventure! Running from Memorial Day through Labor Day, the 2026 Library Passport encourages you to explore our local libraries. Each stop is a chance to learn something new, celebrate local history and connect with the communities that make our region unique.

From Tuesday, May 26 through Saturday, Sept. 5 pick up your passport from the Customer Services Desk and visit participating libraries. Bring your passport and your library card to your home library once you’ve finished your adventure. For every five libraries you visit, you will earn one entry into the Passport Raffle. Three lucky participants will each win a $100 Amazon gift card!

Join Teen Services for Promicon (R), an after-hours lock-in celebrating nerdy prom on Friday, June 5 from 6-10 p.m. Dress in your prom best or your favorite cosplay! We will have food, music and more!

(R) Register for this program through our online event calendar: www.olpl.org/calendar

Join OLPL's Adult and Teen Summer Reading – Plant a Seed, Read! on Beanstack. The reading program will take place from Monday, June 1-Saturday, Aug. 1.

Plant a Seed, Read is rooted in the concept of yard-to-table. A garden grows food that nourishes our bodies; a library grows ideas that nourish our minds. Our adult and teen summer reading program encourages you to read for 30 days between Monday, June 1-Saturday, Aug. 1, and gives you prizes along the way. If you read for 15 additional days, you’ll be registered for our Keep Growing raffle! Prizes are sponsored by the Friends of the Library and local businesses.

Sign up at the second floor Adult Services Desk, by calling 708-422-4990 or at: olpl.beanstack.org

Join these Adult Young Adult Services programs to learn more about planting seeds and getting from your yard to table.

Adult Herb Garden Exchange (R)
Thursday, June 11; 6-7 p.m.
Learn the basics of growing fresh herbs, no green thumb required. Take home live herbs and recipes to inspire your summer cooking!
Thursday, Aug. 27; 6-7 p.m.
Harvest the herbs you have grown and swap with fellow participants, we will have supplies to preserve your fresh herbs for longer term use in the kitchen.

Bird Feeder (R)
Friday, June 12; 4-5 p.m.
Learn about our local backyard birds and create your own suet style feeder to take home. All ages welcome.

Grow Lettuce and Herbs in a Bag
Saturday, June 13; 11 a.m.-noon
Grow a salad in a bag with lettuce and herbs led by a Master Gardener from the UIC Extension Service.

Eat What You Sow (R)
Wednesday, July 15; 7-8 p.m.
Join expert Meredith Meder as she covers Midwest garden herbs and veggies, and pairs them with cheese!

Summer is almost here! Get ready to enroll your child in the Youth Services Summer Reading Program: Plant a Seed, Read!

Join on Beanstack at olpl.beanstack.org and stop by the Youth Services Desk to pick up a reading log in person starting Monday, June 1. Plant a Seed, Read! runs to Saturday, Aug. 1

Koala Club: Ages 0-3: Read, Write, Sing, Talk and Play! Plant the seed of your child's future reading by engaging in the five practices of early literacy!

Ages 4-14: Harvest fun all summer long with a bounty of summer reading and activities!

Join OLPL for in-person book discussions in June!

Find more information and future dates for each book club on our online event calendar: www.olpl.org/calendar

Exploring the Outer Limits (Sci-Fi Short Stories) will discuss "The Path to Exile" by Charles Nadolski on Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. The group meets in OLPL's Book Nook.

Friends Short Story Discussion Group will discuss “Tips for Women” by Dave Barry from “The 50 Funniest American Writers” edited by Andy Borowitz on Wednesday, June 10 at 1 p.m. The group meets in OLPL's Mary Nelson Room.

Sage Stories Culture Club will discuss “We Need No Wings” by Ann Dávila Cardinal on Thursday, June 18 at 10 a.m. The group meets in OLPL's Encore Room & and on Zoom. Find Zoom access on the online event calendar.

20’s/30’s at Heart will discuss “Where the Wildflowers Grow” by Terah Shelton Harris on Thursday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. The group meets at Cork & Bean, 4931 W. 95th St.

Mysteries in the Morning Book Group, led by the Friends, will discuss “A Man Lay Dead” by Ngaio Marsh on Friday, June 19 at 9:30 a.m. The group meets in OLPL's Book Nook.

Teen Book Wyrm Summer Book Club will discuss “Dungeons & Drama” by Kristy Boyce on Friday, June 19; at 2 p.m. The group meets in OLPL's Teen Room.

Refreshing Reads will discuss “Golden Girl” by Elin Hilderbrand on Tuesday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m. The group meets at Avenue Wine Bar, 10632 S. Cicero Ave.

Friends Book Discussion Group will discuss “Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven” by Fannie Flagg on Wednesday, June 24 at 1 p.m. The group meets in OLPL's Meeting Room C.

Here's a friendly reminder of our upcoming closures.

The Library will be closed on Sundays, starting May 24 through Sept. 27.

The Library will also be closed Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day.

OLPL Fan Fest on Saturday, May 9 gave patrons an opportunity to get in touch with their creative side!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the event. Whether you participated in the event's Community Art Jam led by artist Justin Castaneda, took home a painted craft, folded origami with Ty Yamamoto with the Japanese Culture Center, made a paper craft in Youth Services or helped decorate the Drive-up with chalk.

More photos from this event will be posted to an album on our page in the coming days.

Get ready for another week of programming with OLPL. Stop by for one of these highlighted programs or find all programming on our online event calendar: www.olpl.org/calendar

(R) Registration is required. Please sign up in person at the Youth Services Desk, or by phone at 708-422-4990 ext. 400, starting 10 days before this sensory-friendly program.

It's okay to ask for help! Drop in for assistance with your computer, smartphone or other device at this weekly help session from 2-4 p.m. on Mondays.

Call the Computer Center with questions at 708-422-4990 ext. 665.

See our online event calendar for future dates: www.olpl.org/calendar