Blog

Join us for a special event with Dr. Temple Grandin, one of the world's most accomplished and well-known adults with autism. Dr. Grandin has been at the forefront of research and activism for autism and neurodiversity for decades. Her memoir Emergence: Labeled Autistic, was published in 1986 and she has continued to write about autism and neurodivergence. Her most recent book is Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions.

(This program originally aired over Zoom on June 4, 2024 and will be available until July 6, 2024.)

The Youth Services Team loves going on adventures together through books, movies, video games, and much more. Find out where your favorite librarians have traveled this month!

READ IT NOW

Are You Ready for the Cicadas?

After a lot of anticipation, some excited and some nervous, Northern Illinois’ cicadas, known as Brood XIII, are beginning to emerge.

Brood XIII only comes out every 17 years – it’s what’s known as a periodical cicada.

This means that if your kids are younger than college age, they either missed the last time Brood XIII was above ground or are probably too young to remember it.

They may have some anxiety surrounding these gentle creatures and of course, many questions!

Don’t worry, our Youth Services Department has answers!

Continue Reading "Cicada Questions?  We’ve Got Answers" →

Every May, the United States acknowledges the history and achievements that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) have played in our shared history.

Here is a brief overview of how this month-long observance came to be as well as a curated list of books, films, music, and other resources featuring and/or created by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Asian/Pacific Islanders Explained

A rather broad term, Asian/Pacific Islander encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).

Continue Reading "10 Books Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month" →

On this episode, Angelo, Sarah, Michelle, and Annie discuss comic books, graphic novels, and the conventions that celebrate them.

Listen to their conversation in the player below:

Continue Reading "Comic Books and Comic Conventions" →