The following information was submitted by Jacqueline Dennison of the Des Plaines Public Library. Keeping up with evolving technology can be a challenge. It seems that every year, more and more people are given a shiny new electronic device as a holiday gift. These include smartphones, eReaders, and, more and more, tablets such as the iPad mini. Many of these can even be used to check out and read eBooks and audiobooks from our library. However, not everyone knows all the ins and outs of using this technology. The library is here to help! We hold weekly walk-in classes in the Computer Lab on …

The following information was submitted by Lynne Rubio, readers' services supervisor at the Des Plaines Public Library. Crochet is back. And it is not your grandma's crochet. Look around at how the younger set is bundling up this winter and you will see a lot of hand-crocheted hats, infinity scarves, and gloves. They keep the cold away, look fantastic, and let you express your personal sense of style. But hand-crocheted accessories can be expensive. A scarf made out of a $6 ball of yarn can cost $30 or more on Etsy. The same is true of the machine-made look-alikes sold at local chain stores. …

The following information was submitted by Gwen LaCosse of the Des Plaines Public Library. Inertia can run particularly rampant in January. It’s still winter, and you may not be at all interested in information at the Des Plaines Public Library about starting to exercise and to eat better. Then again, you just might be. Remember, not all Americans look like the people in advertisements for health and fitness clubs. Materials at the library can get you moving, literally, in the right direction, towards the shape you’d like to be, and the shape you’d like to be in. The library has hundreds of …

The following information was submitted by Tracy Gossage of the Des Plaines Public Library. Now that the holidays are over and the weather seems to finally be dropping, the time is right to chill out with a good book! Starting Jan. 5 the whole family can enter to win prizes simply by reading during our Winter Reading Club. Every book you read counts as one chance to win the grand prize, a Barnes & Noble Nook, or one of our runner-up gift card prizes. For adults, entering is as simple as filling out an entry slip for each book you read, and entries can be submitted through Feb. 24. If you are …

The following information was submitted by Bob Blanchard of readers’ services at the Des Plaines Public Library. I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions. It’s not for lack of ideas or motivation. It’s just that resolutions made in years past went bust in a couple of weeks, or even days! But maybe — for 2013 — I’ll do something revolutionary and make, stick with, some New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps you’ve already made your 2013 resolutions. Perhaps you intend to, but haven’t put pen to paper yet. Either way, there’s no better place than the library to get inspiration for resolutions. For …

The following information was submitted by Jacqueline Dennison of readers’ services at the Des Plaines Public Library. November was annual National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short. Each year, participants scramble to write an entire novel, from beginning to end, within just one month. The goal is not necessarily to write the perfect novel, but to get something down on paper, sometimes with the intention of later editing and perfecting the work.  This year, the staff of the Des Plaines Public Library decided to participate by writing a group novel. How does a group write a novel? …

The following information was submitted by Laura Adler, readers’ services assistant at the Des Plaines Public Library. An author I admire, Amy Bloom, once said that fiction writers who attempt to change public opinion or promote a cause with their work don't write good fiction. She's not alone in this belief, which is understandable: fiction paved with good intentions is often potholed with propaganda, and the reader’s journey is bumpy with authorial heavy-handedness. That said, Bloom nevertheless wrote a short story called Silver Water that is not only brilliant but also highlights the …

The following information was submitted by Gwen LaCosse of the Des Plaines Public Library. In a nursing home in a nearby suburb lives an older gentleman who has become a frequent caller to the reference desk at the Des Plaines Public Library. While I am not at liberty to mention his name, I can say he has the wherewithal to learn to operate a computer. Without a doubt, he has the requisite curiosity to do so. In the absence of a computer, he has asked my reference desk colleagues and me many questions over many months. These include trying to find people from his youth and family. I really …

The following was submitted by Joanne Griffin of the Des Plaines Public Library. Des Plaines is an old suburban community that remains vital, in part, because it has been a transportation hub since the mid-nineteenth century. The history of this community is told in a new book written by David Whittingham of the Des Plaines Public Library in a joint initiative with the Des Plaines History Center. The book tells the story of Des Plaines using photographs from the 1830’s to the present day. A book launch party will be held at the Des Plaines library on Friday, Dec. 14. An informal reception …

The following information was submitted by Cathy Friedman of the Des Plaines Public Library. Some people are surprised to find out they can borrow magazines from the library — delightfully surprised, in fact. Many patrons think you must read them in the building. With great excitement, we are happy to further-delight magazine lovers using computers, tablets and mobile devices with a new service for borrowing magazines electronically called Zinio. Grab your library card, click to the Des Plaines Public Library’s website and checkout an electronic copy of Good Housekeeping, Chicago Magazine, …

The following information was submitted by Joel Sawyer of the Des Plaines Public Library. November is American Indian Heritage Month. There are many books available at the Des Plaines Public Library exploring the vast array of these rich and vibrant cultures. A recent release is the National Book Award-winner Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis by Timothy Egan. Recounting the efforts of photographer Edward Curtis to capture the fading remnants of American Indian cultures at the beginning of the last century, it relates how he eventually …

It is difficult to imagine a more fitting theme for an art exhibition displayed at a library than one currently showing at the Des Plaines Public Library titled Readers. Steven Wagner, local artist and member of the Des Plaines Art Guild, produced 40 paintings in his series, 14 of which are on display at the library throughout November. The images include soldiers reading mail from home, a man proofreading a passport, a woman immersed in fantastic stories, a boy inspired to pick up a book and more. Wagner, who had another series of his work about the history of Terre Haute, IN, on display at …

The following information was submitted by Claire Greene of Readers’ Services at the Des Plaines Public Library. As the days shorten and the air cools, my first instinct tends towards hibernation; a warm blanket and a long book are exactly what the winter months call for in the Chicago area. Of course the Des Plaines library has books in abundance and a staff of Readers' Advisory associates ready and eager to make recommendations to any interested party. Two programs, which are perhaps lesser-known, are our Tuesday morning and Thursday evening book discussion groups. These discussions revolve…

The following information was submitted by Lynne Rubio, supervisor of Readers’ Services at the Des Plaines Public Library. The holidays are on their way. Whether you have more people on your list than you have dollars to spend, or you just want to give heartfelt gifts that show how much you care, do-it-yourself, or DIY, gift-giving can be both frugal and fun. Join us at the Frugal Friends Coupon Club for a thrifty gift-giving workshop from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 10. We have some creative, easy and thoughtful gift ideas to make you and your loved ones smile. Also, you can get a jump…

The following information was submitted by David Whittingham of the Des Plaines Public Library. With election season in full swing, I am getting tired of listening to all the real politicians. I reach a point where I just start disliking all the candidates. That’s a good time to go and find some fictional candidates that I can either love or hate without having to worry about how they might impact my real life. I am talking about reading political fiction. An older book that I always think of during election season is Primary Colors. It was initially published anonymously but it was later …

The following information was submitted by Tracy Gossage, readers services assistant at the Des Plaines Public Library. Did you know October is National Arts and Humanities month? Des Plaines Public Library is celebrating by hosting a three-day event dubbed Des Arts.  Des Arts is presented by the Des Plaines Art Council in order to showcase local talent and appreciate art in its many different forms. The event is free to the public and will kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, with a reception. Des Arts will be open to everyone on Saturday, Oct. 20 and Sunday, Oct. 21. You can participate …

The following information was submitted by Gwen LaCosse of the Des Plaines Public Library. Did you know you can come to the Des Plaines Public Library to register to vote for next month’s general election, or re-register if you have relocated? You have through Tuesday evening, Oct. 9, to do so. Then, on Tuesday, Nov. 6, be sure to vote, a privilege too many Americans take for granted. Consider the Arab Spring. News accounts from late 2011 described how Egyptians turned out in large numbers — undeterred by long lines and other delays — to vote in parliamentary elections following the ouster of…

The following information was submitted by Laura Adler of Readers’ Services at the Des Plaines Public Library. Books can be a great escape from the stress and turmoil of the world, but some books do more than that. Some books are so powerful that they inform the way we see the world and the people in it ever after. One such book is There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz. Published in 1991, There Are No Children Here is a nonfiction account of two brothers growing up poor in Chicago’s Henry Horner Homes, a dangerous public housing complex in which mothers feared their children might not …

The following information was submitted by Lynne Rubio, Readers’ Services supervisor at the Des Plaines Public Library. In the Jewish faith, the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which this year is from Monday, Sept. 17 through Wednesday, Sept. 26, is time to be spent in atonement for the sins of the past. By asking for and granting forgiveness in preparation for the coming year, a person can relinquish the past and start fresh. The benefits include emotional peace, stronger relationships, and even improved physical health. Regardless of our religious affiliation, we could all …

The following information was submitted by Joanie Sebastian of the Des Plaines Public Library. Back-to-school time at the Des Plaines library means we’re thinking of all the ways we can help Des Plaines students succeed. We’re here to help take the stress out of back to school. One of the most exciting new services we are offering to high school students is an opportunity to borrow Macbook Pro laptop computers. You can check out a Macbook just like a book. Macbooks can be used for research and writing, but they aren’t just for students without home computers. We’ve loaded them with iLife …