Sunday, February 3, 2013
Find out how to get the most from digital resources at the Des Plaines Public Library.
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 fourth floor of the library to learn how to navigate our virtual library branch, MyMediaMall.net, and how to download materials onto your personal…
Saturday, February 2, 2013
The Des Plaines Public Library offers a multitude of resources for families that recently immigrated to the U.S.
The following information was submitted by Claire Greene of the Des Plaines Public Library. Immigration can be an incredibly difficult transition for many individuals and families. Adjusting to the norms of a new culture and society and, in many cases, learning an entirely new language, are significant challenges. Surviving in such an unfamiliar landscape would be hard enough without the additional stress of garnering a long-term visa or citizenship. Fortunately, the Des Plaines Public Library offers a multitude of resources for families that recently immigrated to the U.S. Citizenship and literacy materials are available on the fourth floor in the Language Center. These materials include books, audiobooks and CD-ROMs, which are …
Monday, January 21, 2013
Magazines, DVD’s, new books and more available to support a healthier lifestyle at the Des Plaines Public Library.
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 books and DVD’s on yoga, Pilates how to learn to eat healthily and more, available for checkout. Don’t forget the magazines. The library has print, of …
Saturday, January 5, 2013
The whole family can enter to win prizes by reading during the Winter Reading Club at the Des Plaines Public Library from Jan. 5 to Feb. 24.
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 not sure what to read, be sure to check out our book displays or ask a helpful librarian for suggestions. Each time a teen reads a book and writes a …
The author of a new book chronicling Des Plaines history spoke about the work in a video published by the Des Plaines Public Library.
The author of a new book chronicling Des Plaines history spoke about the work in a video published by the Des Plaines Public Library. David Whittingham, readers’ advisor at the Des Plaines library, in cooperation with the Des Plaines History Center authored Images of America: Des Plaines, released in November 2012, and celebrated at a release party in December. Whittingham, speaking at the historical Kinder House, said many people in Northern Illinois think of Des Plaines as being very similar to other suburbs, blending in. “But there’s a lot of very distinctive, special things to Des Plaines, and that’s one of the things I tried to point out in the book is some of those special things,” Whittingham said. Two aspects of the city that have …
Friday, December 21, 2012
Staff at the Des Plaines Public Library participated in National Novel Writing Month by producing an original work, “Murder in the Des Plaines Library.”
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 participants decided together on a genre and premise, and then set to work. Each day in the entire month of November, one person wrote a chapter of…
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Amy Bloom, Amy Waldman wrote novels that increase our cultural awareness, according to Laura Adler, readers’ services assistant at the Des Plaines Public Library.
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 heartbreaking and sometimes deadly consequences of our flawed healthcare system. This is not done by editorializing but through storytelling and complex …
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Registration for computer classes in January 2013 at the Des Plaines Public Library begins Dec. 15.
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 think he'd get a kick out of searching the Internet/Web on his own. Point being, if you or someone you know could benefit from computer classes offered …
Friday, November 23, 2012
Digital versions of popular magazine titles, some with interactive features, are available for free at the Des Plaines Public Library.
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 Economist, Runners World, Us Weekly and 70 other titles. With Zinio you will experience your favorite magazine in digital form. The colors, design, …
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
“Images of America: Des Plaines” by David Whittingham, in cooperation with the Des Plaines History Center and Des Plaines Public Library, will be available beginning Nov. 26.
A new book that chronicles the growth of Des Plaines will be officially released on Nov. 26. Images of America: Des Plaines, by David Whittingham in cooperation with the Des Plaines History Center and the Des Plaines Public Library, features approximately 200 historic photographs. The book tells the story of a community, called Rand, that began in the 1830’s, when settlers built farms along the Des Plaines River, and follows the expansion of Des Plaines into the modern-day suburb it has become, according to a press release by Arcadia Publishing. A reception to celebrate the book release will take place at the Des Plaines Public Library, 1501 Ellinwood St., on Dec. 14. Whittingham will give a presentation about the book, and will be …
