The Evanston Public Library (both the Main Library and Robert Crown Branch) will be closed this Thursday, April 25, for a Staff Development Day.
January 19, 2018
On Tuesday, January 23rd the Oscar nominations will be officially released. If you’re anything like me, it can be hard to keep up with what’s out there. That’s why I devised a clever solution using the library’s picture books! Too busy to see the hottest critically acclaimed films? Then just read their children’s book equivalents: […]
January 3, 2018
The life of a librarian is a seasonal affair. Spring means books about gardening, planting, and planning vacations. Summer means lots of books for kids out of school. In fall the cookbooks start flying off the shelves (to say nothing of the knitting titles). And winter? Well, that depends on what time of year you’re […]
December 20, 2017
About two or three months ago I was wandering around the Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, when I was struck by this engaging little book display: As you can see, each shelf catered to a different personality type, seen through a Harry Potter lens. I was rather awed by it all. To create a display like […]
December 6, 2017
If the people that work at Evanston Public Library know one thing, it’s how to recommend a book. Now I’m sure you’ve all already seen EPL’s magnificent 101 Great Books for Children list, produced just the other day. The list has been a great success (pick up a physical copy in the library today!), so […]
November 17, 2017
Welcome to the 2017 edition of Evanston Public Library’s 101 Great Books for Kids! Just in time for the holiday season this list provides books of mystery, science, poetry, hilarity, sorrow, and more. There’s bound to be something perfect for the child in your life. This year’s list contains books chosen by our librarians from […]
November 8, 2017
It only comes but once a year. Every November people all around the world buckle down and take to heart that sage advice from author Jane Yolen on how to write. Put simply: “Butt + chair.” Yes, November is National Novel Writing Month or, for short, NaNoWriMo (which, let us be perfectly frank, is far […]
October 26, 2017
I have many fun tools to play with at the library. Tools that tell me when items haven’t circulated in years and years. Tools that inform me how well I’m keeping up with popular materials. Tools that tell me when an item on the shelf is “grubby”. That last tool is an interesting one. Basically, […]
September 20, 2017
It’s been two years since I started as Evanston Public Library’s Collection Development Manager and I think I’m finally beginning to get a handle on what makes Evanston different from other communities around the country. Sometimes the things you learn about your new hometown are instantly obvious. Sometimes the quirks come up at the most […]
August 16, 2017
Library book displays are a struggle. A real hassle, honestly. You want to make them interesting, highlight books in your collection that don’t go out enough, while at the same time having enough books to replace those that are checked out. You also need to have topics of interest. One of the great shocks of […]
July 20, 2017
How many times has this happened to you? You hear about a pretty awesome sounding book. You go to the library to see if it is in. It’s not (naturally). You decide to place a hold on the item. Then you casually ask how many holds exist on the item already, and discover that the […]
