Blog

"It's __________.," your doctor said definitively. "I have what?" you respond. Anyone who has just been diagnosed with a medical condition or disease knows only too well the shock and dismay that inevitably tend to accompany such news.

"What do I do now?" you ask yourself, loved ones and friends. "Where do I go from here?"

Don't hesitate to ask your physican where to find credible medical information about your condition, in print and/or online. It's important to educate yourself.

The Des Plaines Public Library can help, too. Let us serve as a guide.

Continue Reading "Newly diagnosed? Don’t despair" →

In 1914, a terrible war was being waged in Europe. The millions of soldiers who fought knew the conflict as the Great War. Today we call it the First World War. Soldiers dug trenches to protect themselves from enemy fire. The area that separated the trenches was called No Man’s Land.

 
On Christmas Eve of 1914, soldiers from the British army could hear the German soldiers singing "Stille Nacht" across No Man’s Land. They recognized the tune as the Christmas carol, "Silent Night". That was the start of the Christmas Truce.

"Stille Nacht" was written on December 24, 1818 in Austria. This lullaby-like German carol became known around the world. The song we know as "Silent Night" was translated to English in 1863. You can find hundreds of different recordings of Silent Night or Stille Nacht on our Freegal site. Des Plaines cardholders can choose five songs each week to download for free. 

You can learn more about the Christmas Truce and the song that started it in these books.

Continue Reading "Silent Night During the Great War" →

Talking about books and movies is, of course, our specialty here at the library. We even have a whole section of books especially intended for book clubs!

One trend that we love in the talking-about-pop-culture world is that of people taking their book clubs from their living rooms, and out into the community. More and more folks are holding book club meetups in coffeeshops, restaurants, and a personal favorite of many I know, bars.

Continue Reading "Pint & Click: White Elephant Book Swap at the Tap House Grill" →

Here is an interesting statistic: there are over 30,000 registered library card holders at the DPPL and that number is growing every day. Want to make some new friends? Become a partner in library programming for kids and their families and caregivers.

Over 46,000 people on average visit the library in a month, and last year the total number of visits was over 569,000! That number has incredible potential for your organization or business. The library is a wealth of opportunity for businesses and organizations of any size to market to and earn new customers or members, as well as do great things for the Des Plaines community by promoting literacy, reading, and education.

Continue Reading "Des Plaines Public Library Partnerships: Extend Your Reach" →

Frankly, my dear, we do give a damn.

It is estimated that three hundred thousand people lined the streets of Atlanta as Hollywood royalty arrived for the long anticipated world premiere of Gone with the Wind. Three days of festivities preceded the screening at Loew's Grand Theatre on Peachtree Street.

Clark Gable was there with Carole Lombard. Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. Claudette Colbert, Olivia de Havilland and governors from five former Confederate states. Former president Jimmy Carter recalled that the premiere was the biggest event to happen in the South in his lifetime.

Continue Reading "Gone with the Wind: Epic Film’s 75th Anniversary" →