Westmont Public Library

It's another BEAUTIFUL weekend for a StoryWalk! 🌳🚶🚶‍♀️🌞

This month, enjoy Milkweed for Monarchs by Christine Van Zandt with the whole family while you stroll through Diane Main Park.

Simply follow the path around the lake, reading signs placed along the trail, to take in the full story.

This StoryWalk will be available through Monday, September 16.

Losing a loved one is difficult and the stages of grief can be hard to navigate alone.

On Saturday, September 14, at 10 am, registered nurse Sharon Bowers will present supportive means to navigate the grief process, common difficulties one experiences when facing a loss, local resources, and more.

Register online at westmontlibrary.org/events.

Westmont Public Library will be closed all day, Friday, September 13, for staff training.

Our book returns and Digital Branch are always available: westmontlibrary.org/digitalbranch.

We will be open normal hours on Thursday, 9 am - 8 pm, and again on Saturday from 9 am - 5 pm.

Thank you!

In our new social media series "This Week On Kanopy," Adult Services Librarian Alex highlights a popular move, series, and documentary available on Kanopy—all free with your library card!

This weekend, we encourage you to settle in and check out the 1981 classic, Escape from New York. Or start the series Father Brown—but keep in mind, there are 11 seasons! And if you're up for some real mental stimulation, take a look at Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth.

These are all available now on Kanopy with your library card and an email address!

Visit our digital branch for access: westmontlibrary.org/digitalbranch.

In the first floor Art Gallery for the month of September, enjoy a fascinating collection of fabric postcards by artist Cindy Vrtis!

These creative pieces will be on display until September 27.

Miss Adrian is excited to announce that the Play PIZZA KITCHEN is back in the early literacy center, in Youth & Teen Services on the second floor. 🍕🍕🍕

This creative play station includes placemats, plates, a pizza cutter, menus, toppings, seasonings, and drink cups. There's even a phone and a calculator for taking those really big, adult orders!

* Sorry, no take out orders at this time!

Westmont Public Library will be closed Sunday, September 1, and Monday, September 2.

Our book drops and digital branch are accessible 24/7: westmontlibrary.org/digitalbranch.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday!

📚 Congratulations to this young reader who recently joined the Growing Readers Together program, and has already read 100 books on the journey to 1000 books before kindergarten! 📖

Growing Readers Together invites you to read 1000 books to your babies, toddlers, and preschoolers—all before kindergarten!

Sign up at the Youth & Teen Services Desk or online at westmontlibrary.beanstack.org.

AUGUST 28 UPDATE: This upgrade has been rescheduled for Thursday, August 29, from 1 – 5 pm. The same functions will be impacted. We apologize for any confusion.

On Wednesday, August 28, from 1 – 5 pm, our catalog and the SWAN Libraries + app will be getting a technical upgrade.

During this time, the majority of account functions will be unavailable in both our online catalog and the SWAN Libraries + app.

You can still search, but an item's status will not update, which means items may shown as "on shelf," even though they've already been checked out.

Thank you for your patience while this upgrade is performed!

Tuesday, August 27, 3 pm
3:25 pm UPDATE: All systems are back online, except hoopla.

The SWAN system is experiencing some technical issues this afternoon.

Many of our online resources have been affected and are temporarily unavailable.

We will update you here as we learn more.

If you have questions in the meantime, please call us at 630 869 6150, or email [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].

Thank you for your patience as this issue is resolved!

Dog Days of Summer Celebration
Saturday, August 24, 11 am – noon
second floor Kwasek Meeting Room

Celebrate our fur-ever friends with the Hinsdale Humane Society!

Join us as we learn about dogs and dog care. Plus, see the Library's vinyl cutter in action as we make doggy decals to take home.

Donations of supplies for the Hinsdale Humane Society are welcome.

Space is still available, but going fast!
Register: westmontlibrary.org/events.

The Library's resident wildlife photographer, Miss Sarah Jane, took a break from spending time with our youngest patrons, to spend some time with her other busy little friends in the garden!

These BEE-u-tiful pollinators are enjoying a variety of native plants and flowers today.

Our 2024 Summer Reading program, Read, Renew, Repeat! wrapped up yesterday, and we wanted to check in with some final numbers and announcements.

First, we managed to read 8,885 books for a total of 152,780 minutes of reading!

Second, our favorite eco-mascot, by far, was Woodsy Owl! Thank you for all your votes.

Third, we collected approximately 1,175 bread tags that will NOT end up in landfills. Instead, they have been donated to SCARCE (scarce.org), who works with the nonprofit Danielle Cares for Chairs to purchase mobility devices for individuals in need.

And finally, thank you to all of our sponsors for providing the donations that allow us to keep promoting the value of summer reading!

It’s National Night Out at Ty Warner Park Pavilion, and Colleen, Sarah Jane, and Aaron are all here helping the Westmont Police Department celebrate!

Join us for fun, food, and music, and be sure to say Hi…we’d love to see you!

We would like to congratulate the winners of our first ever 🧩 Puzzle Race! 🧩

Team Taking This Too Seriously completed their 500-piece puzzle in 33 minutes to win a Fair Game gift card.

Team Molina came in second, with Team Baxter coming in third. All the teams go home with bragging rights and a cool custom certificate.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this entertaining event!

Let's face it, printers have never been fun to use. They're difficult, messy, and expensive. And they NEVER work when we're under a deadline.

We have your printing solution!

Did you know you can send a document to the Library's public printer from home, so it's ready to be printed in black-and-white or color when you arrive? westmontlibrary.org/print-from-home

And did we mention that we have a large format poster printer available in the Makery? Find all the details: westmontlibrary.org/poster-printer.

It's FIRETRUCK NIGHT at Cruisin' Nights and you'll find Sarah, Sara, and Colleen waiting for you to help create another collaborative art project.

They'll be onsite until 8 pm, but be sure to stick around for the parade at 9 pm!

It may be a Monday, but we are starting the week off by celebrating a special young reader who recently finished reading 1000 books before kindergarten!

Congratulations, young reader...that is quite an accomplishment, and it sets the pace for an amazing lifetime reading experience!

Growing Readers Together invites you to read 1000 books to your babies, toddlers, and preschoolers—all before kindergarten!

Sign up at the Youth & Teen Services Desk or online at westmontlibrary.beanstack.org.

There's still plenty of time to join us at Cruisin' Nights for Public Works night!

Kristen and Alex are here until 8 with our collaborative art project and plenty of fun giveaways!

We're happy to celebrate this young reader who recently joined the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program and has already read 100 books!

Well done, reader—we're excited for your journey!

Growing Readers Together invites you to read 1000 books to your babies, toddlers, and preschoolers—all before kindergarten!

Sign up at the Youth & Teen Services Desk or online at westmontlibrary.beanstack.org.

Today's Storytime in the Park will be at Diane Main Park, but we'll be gathering under the pavilion since the grass is a bit too damp.

We can't wait to see you there!

Exciting news for our Youth & Teen Services patrons!

Renovations of our 2nd floor restrooms and staff area will begin Monday, July 15, and are expected to run through the end of the month.

We anticipate the following:

• Some occasional noise
• No interruption to services or access to materials
• 2nd floor bathrooms will be unavailable

Thank you for your patience...we're sure you love the improvements!

How much time do you spend anticipating the end of your current read, wondering what you'll read next? Our Adult Services Librarians can help!

Every month one of your favorite librarians offers a Book Talk on one of their current reads. Check them out on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/WestmontPublicLibrary.

And if that's not helpful enough, they'll even provide personalized recommendations based on your specific reading needs.

In the mood for murder? We've got you covered. Hooked on romance? How many do you want? Or maybe it's time to explore cyberpunk. Would you prefer steampunk or nanopunk? Manga? Graphic novels? Historical fiction?

Spend a few minutes telling what you're looking for, and you'll get a curated list delivered to your inbox! westmontlibrary.org/personal-book-recs

📖📚📖

🦋 Our swallowtail butterfly has emerged and been set free! 🦋

Miss Sarah Jane discovered our little friend earlier today, and after giving the wings some time to dry, she gently relocated it to our pollinator garden.

We were really impressed with the vivid colors this one produced!

Due to potential rain, today's Storytime in the Park has been moved to the Library.

We will be starting at 9:45 am and we hope you'll be able to join Miss Adrian in the second floor Kwasek Meeting Room!

We are excited to share that both of the monarch butterflies in Youth & Teen Services have emerged from their chrysalises (or chrysalides)!

Miss Heidi gently removed butterfly #1 from the enclosure using a stick, and carefully relocated it to our pollinator garden.

The following day, Miss Sarah Jane released butterfly #2 into the garden, as well.

There's still one more chrysalis, but this one's a swallowtail, and it has a very different chrysalis from the monarchs.

And finally, we'd like to thank Miss Sarah Jane for the fresh flowers from her garden that you also see in the swallowtail photo. We hope you'll enjoy them as much as we do during your next visit to the Library!

Westmont Public Library will be closed all day, Thursday, July 4, for the holiday.

Our book drops and Digital Branch (westmontlibrary.org/digital) are always available.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday!

Our third young reader this weekend has read an impressive 500 books on the journey to 1000 books before kindergarten! Way to go, reader!

Growing Readers Together invites you to read 1000 books to your babies, toddlers, and preschoolers—all before kindergarten!

Sign up at the Youth & Teen Services Desk or online at westmontlibrary.beanstack.org.

Our second impressive young reader has just read 300 books on the journey to 1000 books before kindergarten! Way to go, reader!

Growing Readers Together invites you to read 1000 books to your babies, toddlers, and preschoolers—all before kindergarten!

Sign up at the Youth & Teen Services Desk or online at westmontlibrary.beanstack.org.

This weekend, we are celebrating three dedicated young readers.

Our first reader has just reached the first milestone on the journey to 1000 books before kindergarten by reading 100 books!

Congratulations, reader...keep up the fun!

Growing Readers Together invites you to read 1000 books to your babies, toddlers, and preschoolers—all before kindergarten!

Sign up at the Youth & Teen Services Desk or online at westmontlibrary.beanstack.org.