Forest Park Public Library - Library News Blog

Local resources for the H1N1 vaccine...

2009-11-10T15:00:00.003-06:00

Due to increasing awareness of the H1N1 virus, more and more people are considering vaccination. If you're looking for local vaccination sites, read on.

Beginning early November, Cook County will be distributing the H1N1 vaccine at the West Suburban Tuberculosis Clinic located at the (south east corner of Jackson and Desplaines - right across the street from the library). No firm date has been given at this time. To make an appointment to receive the vaccine, call 708-786-4000.

At this time, the Cook County Department of Public Health will focus on priority groups including all pregnant women; caretakers and household contacts of children under the age of 6 months; healthcare and emergency medical services employees; individuals 6 months to 24 years of age; and individuals 25 to 64 years of age with underlying medical conditions, such as asthma or diabetes, that put them at high risk for flu-related complications.

Upcoming Program: "Simplify the Holidays"

2009-11-02T16:17:00.004-06:00

Mark your calendars! On Tuesday, November 17th we will be welcoming back Beth Randall, certified Professional Organizer and owner of Joe Organizer for a program entitled "Simplify the Holidays." In this presentation, Beth will help you get ready for the holidays from shopping, sending greetings, handling all the toys, etc. To register for this program, call the Reference Desk (708-366-7171) or register online.

Happy Halloween from FPPL!

2009-10-31T09:21:00.011-05:00

October has been a busy month here at the library! Hopefully you've had a chance to enjoy some of our Halloween programming between the Edgar Allan Poe Big Reads event, Thursday's Haunted History program, and some of the spooky events hosted by Youth Services.

Have you ever wondered about the origins of Halloween? This month the History Channel featured a fascinating series about the history of the holiday, tracing it back to ancient pagan and Celtic traditions and tracing its evolution to present day. Visit the History Channel website to view full episodes.

Library, meet LibraryThing.

2009-10-27T14:29:00.008-05:00

The Frankfort Public Library has partnered with LibraryThing.com to bring interactive content—reviews, read-alikes, tagging, etc.—to the library catalog. Take a look at the listing for Stephenie Meyer's New Moon for a sample. Is this something you'd like to see at Forest Park? Let us know what you think in the comments, or email us at AskUs@fppl.org.

Frankfort shares our basic SWAN catalog, so the search page should look pretty familiar—but LibraryThing also has a bunch of other libraries using their service. If you see anything you like somewhere else, let us know that too. We'll see what we can do about making it happen here.

National Coming Out Day!

2009-10-14T15:24:00.012-05:00

This past Sunday was National Coming Out Day. In honor of the events, the Wednesday Journal featured a special section entitled "Coming Out," featuring a locally owned Forest Park art gallery. The Forest Park Review featured the article in this week's edition.

Over the weekend the Human Rights Campaign recognized National Coming Out Day with events and rallies across the country. The HRC website is also an excellent sources for LGBT resources. For more LGBT resources, don't forget to check our SWAN catalog - if we don't have a particular title you're looking for at the library, our library staff would be happy to locate and request titles through Interlibrary Loan.

More Poe-related media coverage

2009-10-12T20:45:00.003-05:00

I saw this on CNN this morning:
Edgar Allan Poe to get a proper burial 160 years later

CNN reported that after his death 160 years ago, the city of Baltimore finally gave Edgar Allen Poe a proper funeral. Apparently the details of Poe's death were not publicly known and only a handful of people attended his funeral. Poe's second send off included a funeral procession with a life-size re-creation of Poe’s body. At Poe's second memorial ceremonies actors portraying writers of Poe’s generation and those he inspired performed eulogizes. The actors portrayed included Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes), Ernest Hemmingway
and legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. The Big Read events being hosted locally celebrate the centennial of Edgar Allan Poe's birth.

Halloween at the library!

2009-10-08T14:13:00.016-05:00

We're celebrating Halloween early at the library to coincide with the Big Read events honoring Edgar Allan Poe. Stop by and check out some of the ghoulish Halloween decorations all this month. Be sure to check out some of our Poe Big Read events. On Thursday, October 15th, at 7:00pm we will be screening the film adaptation of Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum," starring Vincent Price. The following week on Thursday, October 22, stop by the library of a Reader's Theater presentation of Poe's classic "The Tell-Tale Heart."

On Thursday, October 29 at 7:00pm check out our Haunted History event. Register online or call the Reference Desk to reserve a spot!

Looking for ghost stories and other spooky reads to read this month? Stop by Reference to check out our ghoulish displays all month. Hooked on Vampire Fiction? This week's display featuring all things Vampiric ranging from classics like Bram Stoker's Dracula to the popular Charlaine Harris's Suki Stackhouse books.

FPPL celebrates Banned Books Week

2009-09-27T13:51:00.009-05:00

This week (September 26 - October 3) libraries across the country celebrate Banned Books Week, an annual awareness campaign celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Book Week started in 1982 and promotes intellectual freedom in libraries, schools, and bookstores, while illustrating the power of literature.

The books featured during Banned Books Week are titles that have been targets of attempted bannings or challenges at various points in time. You may be shocked to note how many books of classic literature have been targets! The American Library Association has a list of the most commonly challenged books of the 20th century. For more recent challenged titles, check out the ALA's 2008-09 Banned Books Guide.

Banned Books Week is also celebrated by Amnesty International and focuses on the plight of people who have been persecuted because of works they have produced, circulated, or read.

Don't forget to drop by the library to check out FPPL's Banned Books Week display and celebrate your freedom to read!

Calling all Oprah fans!

2009-09-23T09:28:00.005-05:00

Attention Oprah fans: the queen of day-time talk has announced a new selection for her Book Club! This time it's a collection of short stories by Uwem Akpan entitled Say You're One of Them. Akpan's sophmore book is a stunning collection of stories about survival, strife, and hope in present day Africa.

Beat the mad rush and request a copy today! For more information, including links to reading questions and an author bio, visit Oprah's Book Club online or read what others are saying about the book. Happy reading!

October Book Discussion

2009-09-23T09:15:00.004-05:00

In October, the library's Monday evening Book Discussion group will be reading The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdich. We will be meeting to discuss the book on Monday, October 12 at 7:30pm in the first floor Conference Room. Copies are now available for checkout at the Circulation Desk. Remember, you can keep up with future book club happenings on our Ning site.

Happy birthday, Stephen King!

2009-09-21T10:55:00.007-05:00

Happy birthday to best-selling horror novelist Stephen King! In honor of the legendary Mr. King, revisit out some of these classic movies adapted from King's best-selling books or stop by the Reference Department to check out our newest display featuring the works of Stephen King.

Carrie (1976)
A King classic that went on to become a cult-classic on the big screen. Carrie is a mousy teenage girl who suffers daily ridicule at the hands of her teenage peers... until one day she's pushed too far and Carrie exacts her revenge with her telekinetic powers. Perhaps one of Kings best known stories.

The Shining (1980)
Directed by the epic Stanley Kubrick, the film stars legendary actor Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance as he and his family move to the Overlook Hotel after he accepts a job as the hotel's winter caretaker. Jack's son, Danny Torrance, develops psychic powers (a power known as "the shining") and begins seeing the ghosts of murdered hotel guests. Meanwhile, Jack grows increasingly evil and Danny and his mother must fight for their survival. Another cult-classic!

Pet S ematary (1989)
The Creeds family moves next door to a pet cemetery that was built over old Indian burial grounds. Creepy things start happening after the death of the Creeds' cat. Shortly after the Creeds bury their deceased cat, the once docile feline returns, only now it is destructive and vicious. The cemetery in the woods mysteriously has the ability to reanimate the bodies interned on its grounds. Later followed by a sequel.

The Stand (1994)
The 1994 television miniseries based on King's post-apocalyptic novel of the same name. The program stars Molly Ringwald, Gary Sinese, and Rob Lowe. Stephen King also wrote the teleplay for the miniseries.

The Big Read commemorates Edgar Allen Poe

2009-09-15T17:12:00.004-05:00

In the month of October, Forest Park Public Library joins other area libraries and universities in presenting a variety of Poe-themed programming in celebration of The National Endowment for the Art's "The Big Read." At the Forest Park Public Library, we're hosting a discussion of Poe's story "Fall of the House of Usher" on Wednesday, October 7th. On October 15th, we will screen a film adaptation of Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum." Finally, on October 31st there will be a discussion of the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" at the Forest Home Cemetery.

Stop by the Reference Desk for a free copy of the NEA's Poe Reader's Guide and CD Audio Guide. Prepare for the Poe discussions by visiting the University of Texas at Austin's Edgar Allan Poe Digital Collection. Visit the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virgina... online! You can also learn more about the life Poe at the Edgar Allen Poe Society of Baltimore's website.

Download audiobooks, eBooks, and music...to your phone!

2009-09-10T13:53:00.009-05:00

In May, we announced the unveiling of Overdrive's MediaOnDemand, a service providing free downloadable for Forest Park Library patrons. More exciting news! Now, patrons with phones that have the Windows Mobile operating system can now download Overdrive content using their Forest Park library card and cell phone. For more information, or to download Windows Mobile, visit the Overdrive website.

International Literacy Day

2009-09-08T09:23:00.004-05:00

If you're reading this, take a moment and appreciate the value of that skill. It's not available to everyone. Seven million American adults, or about 3% of the adult population, could not complete even the most basic literacy tasks in the main assessment of the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). This doesn't merely reflect a lack of education; nearly 1 in 5 adults in the nonliterate in English group had a high school diploma or GED.

The social costs of illiteracy are obvious: imagine the struggle of being unable to read well enough to understand a job application, a newspaper, a medicine label or a telephone directory. But illiteracy has an economic impact as well. According to ProLiteracy Worldwide, American business currently spends more than $60 billion each year on employee training, much of that for remedial reading, writing, and mathematics. Annual health care costs in the U.S. are four times higher for individuals with low literacy skills than they are for individuals with high level literacy skills.

Illiteracy is a global issue. September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO on November 17, 1965. It was first celebrated in 1966. Its aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies.

To mark this day, why not read to someone? According to researchers Hart and Risley (Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children), children in professional families hear an average of 2,153 words per hour, in working class families 1,251 words per hour, and in welfare families only 616 words per hour. Exposing children to more words can increase their working vocabulary, and vocabulary size has been directly linked to reading comprehension.

While close to four billion people in the world are now literate, much remains to be done in order to achieve literacy for all.

H1N1 Prevention at the Library!

2009-09-01T15:36:00.004-05:00

As summer draws to a close and many kids and adults return to school/work, concern about the H1N1 virus has resurfaced in the media. We at the Forest Park Public Library are taking steps to maintain healthy and clean facilities, including sanitizing our Internet stations and headphones and providing hand sanitizer at our service desks.

Where can you go for more information...
There are several government agencies that maintain up-to-date and reliable online resources about H1N1. The Illinois Department of Public Health maintains a helpful Question & Answer website on the virus.

There's also Flu.gov, updated by the federal government complete with general information, educational webcasts, statistics, and up-to-date information about the virus. Finally, if you're looking for nearby flu shot clinics, try FindAFluShot.com.

How you can help...
You can help prevent the spread of H1N1 at the library by following a few simple steps including washing your hands, covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough/sneeze, and avoiding public places when you are sick to reduce the risk of infecting others.

Powerpoint is boring? Not to these guys.

2009-08-25T12:59:00.005-05:00

Okay, okay... Maybe this is a little too arty for the office, but the skills demonstrated by the pecha-kucha presenters can definitely be applied in a business presentation. Too often, presenters use slides only to bullet point important concepts or phrases. In skillful hands, however, Powerpoint can really make an impact. If you're inspired by this video, these titles can help get you there:

	Beyond bullet points : using Microsoft PowerPoint to create presentations that inform, motivate and inspire
	Power points! : how to design and deliver presentations that sizzle and sell

Facebook, anyone?

2009-08-21T10:32:00.001-05:00

Check us out!

Forest Park Public Library on Facebook

September Book Discussion

2009-08-19T13:48:00.005-05:00

September's selection for the Adult Book Discussion is The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Copies are available for check out at the Circulation Desk and no registration is required. Join us to discuss the book on Monday, September 14th at 7:30pm in the first floor Conference Room. To keep up-to-date with future book club events, check us on Nin g.

Flower Arranging Workshop a Blooming Success

2009-08-13T11:09:00.015-05:00

On Thursday night, fifty enthusiastic Forest Parkers gathered in the library's Austin Room to learn the fine art of flower arranging. Kathleen Obirek, member of the Society of American Florists, professional flower arranger, and educator, demonstrated that everyone can create beautiful floral displays. It looks like Ms. Obirek has developed a following among our more green thumbed patrons, thanks to her previous workshops on container and serenity gardening!

Wednesday's attendees learned a lot about making the perfect arrangements for decorative accents and gifts, and several lucky people got to take the floral displays home with them at the end of the night. Thanks to Ms. Obirek and to all the attendees for making this another successful program! For more photos, including some details of the arrangements, check out our Flickr site.

Here are the lucky winners:

Back to School

2009-08-12T10:55:00.004-05:00

Back-to-school season is almost upon us again. These days, returning to school isn't just for the kids anymore. In lieu of the economy, many adults are seeking continuing education opportunities to polish up on their job skills.

When planning for college or graduate school, don't overlook some of the excellent government resources on the web. If you're planning to start or return school, check out some of these online resources:

Students.gov provides helpful links for college students and their families on planning your education and on financial aid.

Student Aid on the Web is a great source of free information on funding your education beyond high school, published by the U.S. Department of Education. Check out this link on "Understanding Grants and Loans."

FAFSA will walk you through the filing process for Federal Student Aid.

College Zone is the official site for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. This website links Illinois residents to financial aid programs and services on the local and federal level.

Whether your preparing your high school senior for college, or whether you're returning to school yourself, there are a wealth of federal aid programs to consider. The library is also a great resource for materials about scholarships and financing your education.

A Tribute to local legend John Hughes

2009-08-07T20:33:00.001-05:00

John Hughes, iconic 1980s director, died yesterday. Hughes was something of a local legend. His movies went on to become classics and were all set in fictional Shermerville, Illinois, loosely based on Hughes' upbringing in nearby Northbrook. Often referred to as Brat Pack films, Hughes' teen-oriented movies were set in the suburubs outside Chicago explored various teenage archetypes and aspects of teen identity. I was too young to really appreciate his movies at the time, but I would later discover them a decade later as a teen in the 90s. Check out these five great moments from classic Hughes films by NPR.

Revisit or explore for the first time one of these classic Hughes films, available through the library or through interlibrary loan:

The Breakfast Club (1985)
The story follows five high school students, each from a different school clique, as they spend a Saturday in detention. The Princess. The Athlete. The Basketcase. The Criminal. The Brain. Through their time in detention they come to learn that they are all so much more than their high school stereotypes. Staring 1980s film greats like Molly Ringwald and Emilio Estevez and featuring an amazing 80s soundtrack.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Starring Matthew Broderick, this Hughes classic follows high school senior Ferris Bueller as he decides to skip school and spend a day cavorting with his friends in down town Chicago. The city of Chicago features prominently in this film. Scenes are shot in nearby attractions like the Art Institute, Wrigley Field, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Pretty in Pink (1986)
Named after the Psychadelic Furs song, Molly Ringwald plays New Wave teenager Andie Walsh from the wrong side of the tracks. Andie falls in love with wealthy, popular Blane McDonough (played by Andrew McCarthy) and when they get together, they have to answer to the disapproval of their respective social cliques. Features yet another excellent 1980s New Wave soundtrack.

Forest Park Review Archives - Available now online!

2009-07-29T15:40:00.005-05:00

Curious about the history of Forest Park? The Library is now offering access to the Forest Park Review Archives through the library website, dating as far back as 1917.

You can search the Review by keyword (names, places, etc.) or browse through each issue by date. In addition to news articles, the archives feature advertisements, editorials, notices of births, deaths, and marriages. The quality of the earlier papers prior to 1950 does affect searching. We recommend that you scan these earlier papers through manually in addition to trying the "Search" function.

To find the archives, visit our home page at www.fppl.org and click on "Online Research." The Forest Park Review is listed under the link for "Magazine and Newspaper Articles."

Need help getting started? Contact the Reference Desk by phone at (708) 366-7171 or through the Contact Us link on our home page.

Summer of Music (Part 1)

2009-07-28T13:56:00.006-05:00

Music can define a summer: driving with the windows down and the stereo turned up; sitting on the porch with friends listening to a favorite CD; the smell of charcoal lighter fluid mixed with the sounds of that perfect summer hit.... Everybody's got a different summer playlist, of course. But here's some music that might end up on yours.

All these CDs are available, for free, at the library. Click on the album name to check our online catalog, or give us a call and we'll set our copy aside for you.

The White Rabbits brought in the summer with their May release, It's Frightening, on TBD Records. This Brooklyn band was named one of the top three bands at SXSW 2008 by NME Magazine, and the Rabbits' mix of inventive rhythms and brooding melody makes It's Frightening a stand out early summer album.

The Black Eyed Peas latest offering is The E.N.D., and the hit single "Boom Boom Pow" may be hard to avoid this summer. Not that anyone would want to.

Japandroid's Post Nothing, out on CD in August, is exactly the kind of trashy, lo-fi garage rock that you want to accompany a night of cheap beer and maybe a charred burger or two. It's music about girls, and guitars, and being frustrated, and not caring, and girls, and maybe a little bit of melancholy. This is an album full of teen anthems, but it's also a reminder that growing up doesn't have to mean giving it all away.

"We used to dream/ Now we worry about dying/ I don't want to worry about dying."

The idosyncratic Bitte Orca from the Dirty Projectors might not provide the summer's best sing-along, but the Projectors' mix of unusual song structures with orchestral beauty may make this the perfect album for a lazy summer Sunday.

For Saturday night, though, there's Passion Pit's new CD Manners. It's the thick synth lines and dance-floor beats that anchor Passion Pit's music, but main contributor Michael Angelakos isn't afraid to bring in horns, a string section, and even a children's choir when the muse takes him. This is music which sees melodrama as a virtue, but these hyperemotional tracks will definitely get your summer block party moving.

There's a lot more music coming out this summer, of course. What's your standout track for Summer 2009?

Summer Reading Thanks!

2009-07-27T11:48:00.003-05:00

Ways to Stretch a Dollar

2009-07-27T10:07:00.005-05:00

Looking for tips on how to stretch a dollar? In tough economic times, the Internet can provide a wealth of tips on how to save money and live frugally. The Frugal Family Examiner is one excellent example of the great tips available on the Web. Check out tips on saving money on school supplies. Trying to reduce your weekly grocery store bill? This article on Mahalo has some helpful money-saving tips on frugal shopping.

There are also a wealth of government websites that are often overlooked by many Internet users. Check out Mymoney.gov for more information on how to plan a budget. You can also find a free downloadable Excel template to begin your planning your family budget here.

Interested in books about frugal living? Check out some of the following new titles available at the library:

10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Full Budget, Wise Bread (2009)
365 Ways to Live Cheap, Trent Hamm (2009)
$3 Meals: Feed Your Family Delicious Healthy Meals for Less than the Cost of a Gallon of Milk, by Ellen Brown (2009)
Eat Cheap But Eat Well, by Charles Mattocks (2009)
Taste of Home Dinner on a Dime, Readers Digest (2009)
Money Savings Meals, by Sandra Lee (2008)