Oak Park Public Library

Love the children’s area here and so do the kids. Very wide variety of books and the staff is always helpful and very nice.

Love the vibe and ease of access of this library. Easily found a perfect spot to plug in my computer, perch and read. Connected to the WiFi in a single click and had no problems with signal or connectivity.
The parking lot below is free for the first two hours and then still really cheap after that (a few dollars).
I had a question for a librarian and she was really sweet and helpful. Great first visit.

Love this library. One of my favorite places in Oak Park. There are great places to hide away with a good book.

Made another visit to the Library on a Saturday, and don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Far from the old days, when food and drink wasn’t allowed in the library, it appears to be encouraged. My visit was first disturbed by the rustle of a lunchbag and the crunch of crisp fruit as a patron seated near me dove into a red delicious apple. Minutes later I noticed the aroma of french fries and turned my head to find a young lady spreading out a Five Guys burger and fries for lunch. I thought I had seen it all but then what appeared to be a homeless man walked into the area I was sitting with a pizza, spread it out on a chair, and split it with a friend. Pizza in the library?!?
I spoke to a member of the library staff who rolled his eyes and said policy is policy and even though he strongly disagreed there was nothing he could do about it. He even shook his head and relayed that patrons have had food delivered to them in the library at times. Pretty ridiculous …

The Oak Park Public Library is one of my favorite libraries! It’s located right next to Scoville Park which is convenient on a hot day when you want to chill inside but view the beautiful park.
The book selection isn’t that great but they have ample computers which during the school hours are always available.
The library is broken up into three stories which have varying degrees of quietness. The higher you are up the quieter it is supposed to get. Unfortunately once the elementary and high school students arrive it gets unbarely loud.
The staff is extremely friendly and always willing to help out but they don’t enforce the quiet rules. I’ve witnessed the security guard walk right pass a group of extremely loud individuals and say nothing.

Beautiful library. Parking can be a little bit tricky but the inside of the library is gorgeous and the reference desk is super helpful.

Love this library. There is a play area for kids. My son loves coming here and there is always other children here having fun

Def. great place to get some serious studying done, especially if you’re studying for boards. Better during the day bc in the afternoon high-​school kids come and use the group study rooms and make a TON of noise, beyond what’s necessary to complete group projects.

Good selection of books, nice design, location etc. Unfortunately there are far too many homeless sleeping in the chairs, and large groups of kids swearing and cursing on the second floor. They come to hang out and unfortunately, that’s it.
If it wasn’t for the rowdiness, I’d give 4 to 5 stars.

This library is awesome. The children’s area is phenomenal. Tons of books to choose from and very easy to navigate. There are also computers for young kids (like 5 years old and younger) and computers for kids who are a bit older. The tween area has a wii and an xbox kinect.
The summer reading program is great and really helps to keep kids reading in the summer! The staff is also excellent and super helpful and energetic. The kids love them.
We also love the art gallery on the second floor and the quietness of the third floor. There is definitely something for everyone!

This place is a flat-​out AMAZING facility, with the 2013 – 2014 renovations turning this already good library into the jewel of the Oak Park public works. I won’t even bother getting into specifics. If you live in the area and you don’t come to this library, you’re making a huge mistake.
Just check out some books, for crying out loud.

I love this library because they always have something on the second floor, such as, small art exhibits. I get pretty stoked whenever I come to the Oak Park Library because there is always something interesting or exciting happening here. «Coming Together» is a really unique exhibit by Jennifer McNulty which consists of nineteen 3-​D Photo Mosaics. These works combine the graphic elements of photography with the sculptural qualities of tiled mosaics. A mixed media artist who received her education at the University of Illinois — Urbana. McNulty”s recent works were inspired from her love of pop culture coupled with genealogy and paired with important historical figures or important historical events. My three favorite pieces were: President Obama, President Lincoln and Tony Bennett. Of course, these pieces are also «for sale» except for the Tony Bennett piece. As I stood about 15 ft away from the President Obama and President Lincoln pieces, I began to notice that their faces were coming into focus. If you stand up close to the art piece you can see the details of the mini tiles. They are colorful and interesting to view up-​close. Really cool. McNulty’s art pieces are inspirational and thought-​provoking. If you have an opportunity to check it out, don’t miss out on this exhibit. I recommend it for people of all ages (including kids over the age of 9).
I was at the library less than two hours. I parked in their underground parking lot. I inserted my ticket to «pay» but because it was less than 2-​hours, I did not have to pay. The art exhibit on the second floor is free and it is well worth viewing! After I left the library, I heard «live» music coming from the park that is almost next door to the library, so I stopped to listen to the «live» music being performed by college students. It was really, really good music and I was impressed with their talent level. Wow! I sat on a bench and enjoyed the beautiful day while taking in the sounds of Summer!

Fantastic library, but their late fee structure must have been designed by a former Blockbuster executive. Ridiculous.
(Never borrowing a movie again; book fees aren’t quite as bad.)

Really nice, really big library. Parking lot below and meters on the street. Open until 9 on weekdays. Nice meeting rooms that the public can reserve, which is pretty great. Great audiobook and DVD collections of stuff once would actually want to borrow.

Great potential for such a space. Its really nice inside, the architecture is incredible, the view is beautiful.
But alas, it is a loud place for a library. And because it is in Oak Park that is… well… OVERLY tolerant it is a beacon for the homeless to come in and hang out in a bit of an intrusive way. On top of that its also the after school hangout for kids with no where better to go. Not that I want them roaming the streets — but they are loud as sh*t. I hate to sound like Little Lord Fontleroy but its excessive and surely we can provide better options for these activities that allows for a quiet place to read and study.

I love the OPPL; it is a nice structure, comfortable chairs, ample table space, silent reading room.
However, in the past few years, it’s become a haven for homeless people, who snore and eat lunch in the silent reading room, as well as for people who can’t/won’t follow restrictions about talking on cell phones in the quiet areas, etc.
I used to love to take my laptop and spend time in the public library; however, it got to the point where people were always abusing privileges and not following established rules for certain areas.
I’ve mentioned these instances to library staff, but the problem continued, and I’ve not been back in a while. If OPPL wants to serve as a homeless shelter, they should put up cots in the garage or something. The current situation is not an appropriate use of public space.
One of my other peeves is that when I want a book, I look it up, it says it’s on the shelf, I go to find it… and it’s not there!

When I first moved here, the library was my sanctuary. It was the only place I could effectively do my job searching since it has free wifi, printers and a fax machine. I love their debit program for using printers too! You don’t have to carry around a smattering of loose change just to print some stuff.
Their movie selection is ok, but it could be better organized. I haven’t borrowed any books yet, but I’ve gone there to study and was a bit disappointed with the noise level that some students were keeping. I had to go over and ask them to quiet down after 20 minutes of escalating chatter. Finally, one of the staff asked them to move into a study room if they were going to continue to talk. Maybe he should have just told them to be quiet because they were in a library?

Can I move to Oak Park, please? If I ever move here, I would be lying if I said the main library had nothing to do with it.
LOVE:
–The selection. It is huge. There are books, DVDs, games, books on CD, etc. GALORE. The library also has copies of several different books that are particularly popular, which is ideal. I mean, how annoying is it when you reeeally want to read a book but it’s checked out and there are 547 893 709 876 holds on it? That’s much less of a problem at this library than at others.
–Classes offered. That’s right. CLASSES. At the library today, I found brochures for classes on job seeking as well as technology. How cool is that? Pretty darn cool if you ask me. The job search series have classes like «Things About the Job Search You May Not Know… But Should» and «Tips for Submitting Online Job Applications.»
–Something for everyone. There are huge distinct sections. Children’s. Teens. Adults. OPPL has it all and there is definitely something for everyone here. My jaw dropped to the floor when I first came here and I have still not explored the whole thing! I have never seen a library with as extensive of a manga/​comic/​graphic novel section and I have never seen a library with a huge teen café-​like hangout section. This library caters to EVERY age group and it’s amazing. There is even the option to get materials delivered to your home for the sick/​disabled. Incredible.
–Technological. The library is ahead of the times when it comes to technology.
–Programming. There always seems to be something going on at OPPL. All kinds of somethings. Tonight, there is even going to be a «Dating Game» for 20s-​30s singles (first drink free). Today, I saw virtuoso violinist Rachel Barton Pine give an excellent master class here. There are tons of events for kids on the calendar, gaming, open mic night for teens, book discussions, improv workshop, Facebook tutorial, knitting, etc. If you can imagine it, it’s probably been done (or will be done) here!
DO NOT LOVE:
–Steep fines. I know every library is different when it comes to fines, but I think $ 1/​day for DVDs and video games and then $ 0.25/day for books is quite pricey. Really pricey. Most other libraries in the ‘burbs charge $ 0.10/day for overdue books. Of course, I’m not *really* complaining because I am responsible and I always renew online if I know I can’t make the return date.
–Architecture. I know this is really nitpicky, but it feels kind of sterile in here. Not homey. I think OPPL reminds me more of a Borders or Barnes & Noble than it does of a library. That’s fine, but I don’t «love» that about it. I love libraries with some history, like the Riverside Public Library.
–Bells & whistles. For example, there are 50 Nooks available for rental (three weeks at a time). There are also self check-​out stations. Now, I do not think it is a bad thing at all for the library to have these things. In fact, I think it’s pretty wonderful and cushiony. That being said, I can’t help but ask: where does all this money come from? Taxes? There are a stunning THREE libraries in Oak Park. No, I don’t hate this and I’m not complaining exactly. I just hope that OPPL has not used thousands for these «extras» instead of building an even better library of books and movies.
Just because I am not in love with absolutely every aspect of OPPL does not mean that I am not, in fact, actually totally in love with this library. It is as close to perfect as I have seen yet in a library! I’m so happy Oak Park values its libraries.
Tip: Beware the first stall of the women’s bathroom on the second floor. The space between the wall and the stall is 1.5-inches. Yikes!

After moving to Oak Park, I realized what was missing… a library card!
Free wifi, TONS of books (with access to the all of the Chicagoland area public library collections), Nook rentals, and tables/​chairs to sit at and work.
I was in here the other day and the staff are very kind and helpful. They certainly know their library rules and are also helpful at giving book recommendations.
OPPL also hosts many a town event, from kid’s book readings/​activity days, to student events, to adult special interest groups. They always have a list of what is happening that month posted when you walk in.
Best thing? Free/​cheap parking right under the building.

Ever since I could barely read, I’ve had a library card. It was a right of passage — like driving, voting, and drinking. I took it so seriously that getting a library card was my initiation to a new town every time I moved (and I moved a lot!). When I was 15, I proved my loyalty by working at a library. I know libraries. And the Oak Park Public Library is the bomb-​diggity!
In the age of Kindles and Nooks, you’d think that libraries would become passé, but the OPPL has taken that in stride. I reserve my books and DVDs online and then pick them up when I’m ready. Their high-​tech system will order them from other libraries if they don’t have it on the shelf for me and get it in my hands in a couple of days. Oh — and speaking of eReaders, I could rent one of those too if I wanted.
I could get into the nitty-​gritty of what sets the three levels of OPPL apart from its peers (e.g. the easy self-​check-​out stations or the impressive way to return items that are sorted on a maze of conveyor belts), but it really is just basic things such as the parking garage that’s free for an hour. The greeter at the door always makes me feel welcome and then bids me adieu when I depart. I just love the literary quotes and pictures all over the place — artfully placed in the floor and on walls — that make me reminisce about their beloved sources. Lastly, if I feel like curling up with a good, old-​fashioned read or my computer, there is an abundance of places to sit or study, all equipped with outlets and free wifi.