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My son received his first LEGO set for Christmas when he was 2½ , and ever since then, we’ve been a LEGO household: LEGO creations randomly left in rooms, LEGO manuals stashed, and trips to Target or Toys R Us that can never skip the LEGO aisle or requests for “just one small set?”

And don’t get me wrong, LEGOs are awesome – they build hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, facilitate learning to read instructions, encourage imaginative building, and they're a great way to entertain a little one when you're waiting for dinner at a restaurant.  But in a home, they can easily become a source of chaotic mess and deep foot pain (if you’ve ever stepped on a 2x2 brick camouflaged on a carpet, you know what I mean!)  

Continue Reading "Taming the LEGO Beast" →

We all know someone who doesn’t know how to use a computer or who secretly wants to become a little (or a lot) more computer savvy. Well, let them know their time has come! This month the Des Plaines Public Library is resuming its ever-popular computer and technology classes.

All of the sessions will be in the Forum, the library’s new educational center, located on the fourth floor:

Instruction is free and open to the public.

Registration is required for all these events, so don't delay.

To sign up, stop by the Reference desk on the fourth floor. Or, call us at 847-376-2917. Or, you can register online at the library’s web site; go to our calendar and click on the class you’d like to attend to access its online registration form.

 Our Adult Summer Reading weekly contest is almost over. Since June 4th, patrons have been voting for their favorites from a selection of 32 popular novels.  Each week, the winning books from that round moved on and one lucky voter won a gift card to Tap House Grill. The field of fiction has been narrowing. We’re down to just two challengers. On July 30th, we’ll finally see which book reigns supreme! 

Come on up to the 3rd floor to cast your vote and take a chance to win the last Tap House Grill gift card. It's head-to-head between The Help by Kathryn Stockett and the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. Which will you choose?

Continue Reading "Fiction Fight! Which book will win?" →

In episode 11 of the Pint & Click Podcast, Jami, Tony and special guest Charlie talk about the Lindy West book Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, the Monkees' album Good Times, the Duncan Jones-directed movie Moon, and Peter Jackson's trilogy of films adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings.

In episode 12, Dave, Tony and special guest Simon explore the various VR platforms currently available: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Playstation VR and Gear VR.

Continue Reading "Heat got you down? Cool off with cool, fresh episodes of the Pint & Click Podcast!" →

Pokemon Go is the newest sensation and all over the news and social media.  It is an augmented reality game you play on your Android or iPhone.  Unlike virtual reality, which substitutes your visual experience, augmented reality takes the real world and adds an extra layer to it.  Just like how we used Aurasma to see into the future of the library’s renovation project, Pokemon Go lets you see through the eyes of a Pokemon trainer.

Continue Reading "Who Let a Pidgey into the Library?" →