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Win Nook Reading at Des Plaines Library

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 …

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New Year’s Resolution Ideas at the Des Plaines Public Library

Cooking, time management, exercise — they are all right here on Ellinwood Street.

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 me, maybe one resolution would be to give my wife a break in the kitchen by learning how to cook five or six new entrees, during the year that is. The …

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Des Plaines Librarians Write Mystery Novel

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…

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Fiction Advances Cultural Understanding: Recommendations from a Des Plaines Librarian

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 …

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Free Computer Classes Open to All Ages at Des Plaines Library

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 …

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Borrow Digital Magazines from The Des Plaines Public Library

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, …

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New Des Plaines History Book to Be Released

“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 …

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Free Small Business and Start-up Mentoring at Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce

Mentors are existing or retired business owners and executives with years of successful experience in a wide variety of business issues like finance, sales/marketing and business plans.

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Celebrate American Indian Heritage Month with Books at 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.

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 published a 20-volume work, containing over 40,000 photographs, but was nearly ruined physically and financially by this colossal undertaking. As the …

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