The Month Ahead: February 2013

Here's a look at the month ahead for February 2013.

Do you love exploring the past? Then you’ll love your historical newspaper collections. With resources like the ProQuest Historical newspaper archives, you can learn how people in the past celebrated Valentine’s Day.
http://dppl.org/features/newspapers.html

If you’re a movie lover, then check out our new streaming movie collection, New World Cinema. You’ll find a selection of interesting, award winning films from around the world. It’s available from your computer and your smartphone or tablet.
http://dppl.org/edppl

Bring your kids to a live performance of Alice in Wonderland on February 17th. Presented by Emerald City Theater, follow Alice’s wild journey down the rabbit hole to Wonderland.
http://calendar.dppl.org/evanced/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=18104

Speaking of falling down rabbit holes, it’s not too early to start thinking about your taxes. Come to our workshop on February 18th to learn how to find federal and state tax forms online.
http://calendar.dppl.org/evanced/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=19079

If the thought of taxes depresses you, then cookies and candies can help. Come to our “Vintage Cookies and Candies” program on February 28th. You’ll learn the answer to questions like “When were brownies invented?” and sample cookies and candies from the past.
http://calendar.dppl.org/evanced/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=19436

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

Music: Donor, "stereotype" http://archive.org/details/txtn024

The Year Ahead: 2013

This month, library director, Holly Sorensen, gives you a look at the year ahead for 2013 at the library.

2012 was a great year at the library. Over 500 thousand people visited the library last year. They checked out over 1 million items and came to our popular events and programs.

Usage of our eBooks, downloadable music, and magazines continued to grow as well.

We appeared on Library Journal's list of Star Libraries in 2012. We're one of 20 libraries in Illinois offering you great materials, services and programs.

In 2013, we're going to work to make the library even better for you.

We're upgrading our computer area on the 4th floor. Computers will be centrally located. Finding computers and asking for help will be easier.

We're looking at other ways to improve how you use the library. We're performing a space study to make sure that every part of the library is being used in the best way possible.

It may be virtual, but our website will be upgraded as well. We want to make it timely, easy to use, and beautiful to look at.

We'll continue to expand our collections, offer great programs, and be the best library we can be. So stay tuned for these changes and check our website at dppl.org for information about all of the things we do every day.

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.

The Month Ahead: November 2012

Here's a quick look at the month ahead at the Des Plaines Public Library:

Are you writing a novel for National Novel Writing Month? If so, come to the library every Tuesday evening in November. We're hosting write-ins to help you write 50,000 words by the end of the month.

We're also celebrating books with Family Reading Night. Pick up a Reading Night bag from the 2nd floor and read as a family on November 15th.

The holiday season is coming and the Frugal Friends are here to help. Join them on November 11th for "Frugal Gift Giving" ideas. You can also follow our Frugal Friends Pinterest board for more money saving tips.

Speaking of stress, in November, we're featuring resources to help reduce homework stress. We have great free resources like HelpNow that offers live, online tutoring.

At the end of the month, teens can get into new books at our BookBlitz program on November 27th. The theme for this month is "Fall into Fantasy."

Finally, we need your help to improve the website. Take our online survey so we can make the website better.

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

Music: Metrotechno, "stereotype" http://archive.org/details/txtn024

The Month Ahead: October 2012

Here's a look at the month ahead for October 2012

Explore the sciences at our 4th Annual Family Science Expo. On October 13th bring the whole family for fun interactive exhibits and demonstrations.

Don’t forget the humanities and arts! October is National Arts and Humanities Month in Des Plaines. Come to the library on October 19th, 20th, and 21st for Des Arts, a weekend long celebration of art, dance, music, and more.

We have plenty to do for Halloween too. Teens should come to our Teen Horror Movie Night on the 26th for a screening of The Ring. Bring the family to the Halloween Hoopla and magic show on the 27th. And the Anime Club has a Halloween party for teens on the 30th.

Finally, we have a great service coming for magazines lovers. With Zinio, you’ll be able to download magazines to your tablet or smartphone. Look for it in mid-October.

For more information about the month ahead, checkout our website at dppl.org.

The Month Ahead: September 2012

Each month, I'm going to be posting a short video called "The Month Ahead." We'll preview some of the exciting things going on at the library that month.

September is National Library Card Month. This little teal card opens the door to thousands of books, music, video, and online content. So we want you to get it, bring it, and use it all this month. Don’t have a card? Come by with your photo ID to get one, or use our new online application.

Now that you have a library card, why not learn about your family history? Come to the library and explore Ancestry, one of the largest sources for genealogical information online. You’ll find a link to Ancestry in the Reference section of our website.

Our theme for the fall is “Together.” Look for special events that celebrate togetherness like the screening of the fan film, Star Wars Uncut, on September 14th and the traditional Japanese tea ceremony on September 22nd.

September also means its back to school time. Checkout our homework help sections for kids and teens.

Finally, don’t miss our Friends’ fall book sale on September 28th, 29th, and 30th.

For more information about the month ahead, checkout our website at dppl.org.