Happy Holidays from the Library

I can't say for sure if it will snow soon or not, but the holiday season is definitely here. The library is getting quiet. Programs are winding down. Seems like a good time to remind you that the library will be closed on the following days:

Monday, December 24th
Tuesday, December 25th
Monday, December 31st
Tuesday, January 1st

In case you missed them, here are a few holiday related things from around the web that we've written or created:

On our Positively Ellinwood blog, Jackie wrote about the slew of literary films coming out in December. Have you seen any of them? Also, David wrote about his list of best books of 2012, which were actually from 2011!

On our Tumblr blog (where we post fun, quirky things), a popular post was this list of non-holiday movies set during the holidays (think Gremlins). If you're a Pinterest fan, be sure to check out our "Holiday Magic" board with links to great tips, stories, and images of the holidays.

We hope that you have a happy holiday and great new year.

Images of Des Plaines: An Interview with David Whittingham

If you saw our post on the Positively Ellinwood blog recently, you'll know that David Whittingham, one of our Reader Service's staff, just published a book about Des Plaines with Arcadia Publishing. Part of the Images of America Series, the book is a pictorial guide to Des Plaines's history.

I sat down with David recently and spoke with him about the book. We talked about his motivation for writing the book and some of the dominant themes in Des Plaines's history. You can watch the video here or on the library's Youtube channel.

Something that I found very interesting is the ongoing tension between Des Plaines's dynamism (the "capacity to surprise" that David mentions) and the enduring presence of the river and the railroads. Miner Street, for instance, looks very different today than it did in the 1910s or 1920s, and yet we still deal with floods every few years.

14th at our book launch party. More details David also makes the case for engaging with Des Plaines's history, particularly the historical resources that the Des Plaines History Center curates. Their collections provided most of the images found in the book. Incidentally, we recorded the interview in the Kinder House. They host a number of programs like book discussions there. And, yes, that's a piano behind David's head.

Don't forget that you can pick up copies of the book at the History Center (or from other book retailers, ahem). Also, you can meet David this coming Friday, December here.

Bonus!
A special bonus for PlainTalk readers. Listen to the complete, unedited interview with David or download it below.



Download (mp3, 22 mb)

The Month Ahead: December 2012

Here's a look at the month ahead for December 2012.

Get into the holiday spirit on Sunday, December 9th with the singing quartet, Route 66. Enjoy contemporary holiday music and traditional carols. Register here.

Prevent holiday shopping disasters before they happen. Read Consumer Report reviews from home with your library card. You can find the link to Consumer Reports in the Reference section of our website. Get started now!

Celebrate the release of a new book about Des Plaines on December 14th. Images of America: Des Plaines is a pictorial guide to Des Plaines' history, written by library staff member David Whittingham with the Des Plaines History Center. More information here.

There's plenty for kids and families to do this holiday season at the library.

Kids in grades 5 to 8 can come to Art Attack on December 4th and learn how to make these festive pinecone decorations. Register now.

Bring the whole family to Frosty's Winter Wonderland on December 16th, a fun musical performance features marionettes. Register here.

Finally, the library will be closed on December 24th, 25th and the 31st for the holidays. We hope you have an enjoyable and relaxing holiday season.

For more information about the month ahead, check out our website at http://dppl.org.