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    Oak Park Public Library

    4.3 (86 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Oak Park Public Library Libraries Photos

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    Focus time!
    Nicole G.

    This is a stunning library! Living in the Oak Park area, I've driven by the library countless times and just explored it recently. The library is clean and well organized from the minute you walk in. They have many people at counters on all levels available for help if needed. I like how there are different sections of the library. Theres a library map that points out where quiet, moderate talking, and communal areas are. This was so helpful because I was able to find the quiet areas easily to get some work done for the day. I ended up getting a private room that was open. The room was spacious, there was a white board for notes or groups, and big windows to let in the natural sunlight. They internet was also very easy to connect and there was an outlet right under the table for convenience. Later on in the day I realized that you're supposed to reserve theses rooms ahead of time for your desired time slot. The guy who walked in my room let me know about all of this and that you can reserve it online. Noted! I can't wait to come back here with a book of choice and read for fun by one of their big windows. The have a parking garage attached that you can find a spot in if you're lucky, it's a small lot. I ended up finding a street spot for 4 hours and walked the 2 minutes over.

    Maronda H.

    I always ride pass this library and never stepped a foot inside. Well on yesterday I finally got my change to visit this branch. I had signed up for a wellness seminar off Eventbrite that was held here @ The Oak Park Library. The staff was friendly and helpful. Very nice and spacious. There are rooms you can reserve for private events or just come to get some quiet time to yourself. This library is filled with a lot resource and informative information. The library has 3 levels for anyone to come and enjoy the library. Study time, meet up's or just to get away for some one on one time. There are so many events for adults, kids and teens. So, there is never an excuse not to get out of the house. There is a nice park outside where you can enjoy the outside atmosphere.

    The front of the beautiful OPPL
    Graham S.

    First off, let me just say how great the library is! The library is full of perfect activities for kids weather that be reading, borrowing a backpack, or playing in the playset. For others the library is a spacious 3 floor building with tons (and I mean TONS) of books, movies, videogames, or whatever. The library is also a very good place for older kids to go after school to work on homework. You can rent computers or rooms. Overall the Oak Park Public library is a perfect library for anyone!

    Sculpture in the entrance of the library
    Shay R.

    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.

    The sign behind the circulation desk
    Yvonne B.

    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 passe, 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.

    Oak Park Public Library!!!
    Justine T.

    I have to say I didn't like it at first 'cause I felt like it was knocking down a piece of my childhood, but now the Oak Park Public Library is one of my favorite places to go. There is a wonderful feature for members is the online book reservations. This way you can check if the library has your book in before you go, and you can even have it set aside for you. They let you know when it is in via e-mail and then you can quickly check it out at the automated check out stations. It is very hi-tech, very cool! The cushy chairs can be a little too comfy when you are tired. I totally fell asleep in one a couple months ago while reading a magazine and was awoken by a guard. Thank goodness there is a coffee shop on the first floor called the Buzz where you can get really great coffee to keep you awake!

    Front entrance on Lake Ave.
    Doctor C.

    We moved to Oak Park in May 2018 and have been impressed by the public services available in OP! The library is exceptional. As a researcher and professor, I've had lots of experience with libraries. This one is by far one of the most comprehensive public libraries I've been to, short of the gigantic inner city libraries that are famous. The librarians are helpful, kind, and have a terrific working knowledge of the resources available, online and in person. My daughter LOVES this library, she's in second grade. Well done Oak Park!

    Children's section of OPPL.

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    3 years ago

    I missed Oak Park Library which is convenient, clean and quiet. And their staff are kind, respectful and helpful.

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    2 years ago

    This is a great library, easy access to both formats of books and a great accommodating staff, very friendly and helpful.

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    Ask the Community - Oak Park Public Library

    Review Highlights - Oak Park Public Library

    The staff are super helpful, the selection is super wonderful, and there used to be a cafe on the ground level....

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    Oak Park Public Library Dole Branch - Returning long overdue books! I sure do miss my neighborhood library!!

    Oak Park Public Library Dole Branch

    3.8(5 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    This compact neighborhood branch is such an asset to the community. It's much less hectic than the…read moremain branch, has free street parking, and a good selection of books, magazines and films. There are a few community rooms for meetings, kids events and classes. I've taken ballroom dance thru the Park District in a nice spacious classroom on the upper level. Friendly, competent staff. Well-tended gardens and outdoor space for letting the kids run around a bit. Or they can hop over to the Whittier playground for a spell. We are lucky to have Dole in our neighborhood!

    I always thought some things were assumed: Banks are closed…read moreon Sundays The grass is green Libraries are quiet At times I need to work remote from the area. My mom's house has time and again proven to be an unworkable place due to loud TV watching, constant interruptions, and a slew of honey dos she lines up for me. When Maze was closed, I headed over here. It started out promising, I found a parking spot right in front and an empty table with a power strip next to it and got set up to work. I put on my headphones, not to listen to anything, but to help prevent distraction. And then it started. Like a storm rolling in. First with a few giggles, cascading into loud requests from a few kids, and quickly escalated into children running around, screaming laughing and shouting. One could have mistaken the place for a book-filled Gymboree. Full disclosure, children aren't my thing. While it would easy to blame them or attribute it to a parent or two letting their special snowflake run amok; this behavior was known and encouraged by staff. As I said, the library is small and it doesn't have a separate children's room. Maybe an interactive space is this small library's thing, but for the uninitiated, some level of disclosure would have been nice. Silly me for assuming that libraries = quiet spaces.

    Photos
    Oak Park Public Library Dole Branch
    Oak Park Public Library Dole Branch - Main floor facing west, where you walk in from front. Notice African masks above the door!

    Main floor facing west, where you walk in from front. Notice African masks above the door!

    Oak Park Public Library Dole Branch - Front desk, main floor

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    Front desk, main floor

    Irving Austin Chicago Public Library - Artistry underfoot... The custom terrazzo floor on the second floor is a stunning backdrop for the library's mission... Read Learn Discover

    Irving Austin Chicago Public Library

    4.0(10 reviews)
    4.5 miDunning

    This is the absolutely best library! The staff is very friendly and helpful, especially in…read moredealing with the questions and book requests from my grandkids. The Monday night crochet classes are awesome! Being a senior I really appreciate the ability to learn something new in a positive and encouraging setting. The instructors are terrific and so patient with beginners ;) . They really seem to enjoy teaching and have so much knowledge to share. I've never experienced an unfriendly staff member or any negative encounter at the Austin-Irving library!! Keep up the great work.

    Helpful people that work at this location. I went in to pick up a book I placed on hold. The…read moreholding shelves are well organized. I was able to grab my book and quickly check out. There is a parking lot, but it was packed to capacity. I parked on the street, and it was not big deal. I was able to see my car from where I was seating and reading. I've lived all over the state of Illinois, and I've had library cards from all over, but my first library card was from the Chicago Public Library. So, now that I live back in the city, it is really nice to return back to my literacy roots. There is nothing like having a library card. It's an important passport to the past. Books are our only ability to travel back in time and connect the dots of the present day. So, thank goodness for one of the oldest infrastructures in American history to still be up and running... The Public Library...everyone is welcomed at the Public Library regardless of race, nationalism, religion, and social economic status.

    Photos
    Irving Austin Chicago Public Library
    Irving Austin Chicago Public Library - I watched an interview of this author, and I had to read her book.

    I watched an interview of this author, and I had to read her book.

    Irving Austin Chicago Public Library - I'm on a quest to visit every branch of the CPL system and this is me in front of the Austin-Irving branch!

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    I'm on a quest to visit every branch of the CPL system and this is me in front of the Austin-Irving branch!

    Chicago Public Library - Computers and air filter

    Chicago Public Library

    4.3(11 reviews)
    6.2 miNorwood Park

    A very nice and clean library with free parking. It has all the nice things you need such a clean…read morebathrooms, printing, lots of free events or discounts to activities and classes, a scanner, books and audiobooks, DVDs and CDs, a teen section, and free movie nights. You also have access to computers if you need to work on them. So quiet and relaxing to be here. You can get books on hold online at the library website. And they have free naloxone kits for potential overdose on opiate based drugs and a bleeding control kit.

    This library is walking distance to my home. It opened over 10 years ago. During the summer months,…read morehours are very different. On Thursdays, for example, it opens at 10 a.m. while other days it opens at 12 noon. You need to CALL before going to make sure they are OPEN since summer hours vary from day to day. It is a small library with a very helpful staff. The artwork up in the ceiling area of the library is very colorful and pretty to look at from time to time. If you need to SCAN a document to someone (send it in an email) you can use their Scanner for FREE. Yes, there is NO CHARGE to scan documents (if under 10 pages). Also, you make a copy on the scanner (if you need a hard copy) and this service is ALSO FREE. Note: YOU DO NOT NEED a library card to use the scanner or make a copy on the scanner. The bathrooms are very clean. It is a quiet library during the summer months. During the regular school year, this library becomes crowded with children from Oriole Park Elementary school which is located very close to the library. It not only gets crowded, but it is LOUD with children talking, laughing, etc. This is WHY I NEVER go to Oriole Park library during the school year. Movies, books and books with audio are available at this library (yes, you need a Chicago library card to check these items out of the library). The free parking lot is not huge, but I have never struggled to find a parking spot. The library is HIDDEN several feet behind Oriole Park elementary school. If you have never been to the Oriole Park library before, use your GPS because you will never see the library from Oketo Ave. One must drive down a side street in order to FIND this hidden library.

    Photos
    Chicago Public Library - Cute Xmas display

    Cute Xmas display

    Chicago Public Library - Events and recycling and nice plants

    Events and recycling and nice plants

    Chicago Public Library - Beautiful art

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    Beautiful art

    West Belmont Public Library - Eastern View of Front Entrance

    West Belmont Public Library

    3.6(5 reviews)
    3.3 miMontclare

    Came in today to study for an exam and couldn't focus because the staff did nothing to quiet some…read moreloudmouth that wouldn't stop bothering others and talking loudly and making noise. He was a complete distraction. Tried to move to another area to study but they reserved the complete, entire other half of the library to children only, which I would normally understand, but I couldn't even sit there despite no children being present. Didn't want to make a scene, was hoping staff would quiet the person but they let it continue for a half hour or so. Got so frustrated and distracted that I couldn't study, packed up my things and left. Guy was still sitting at the computer talking, whistling, and generally being an enormous distraction. Libraries should be quiet. Library staff should help keep libraries quiet and distraction free the best they can. No effort isn't acceptable.

    I will begin here. This location has been my go to library for years. I believe I might still my…read moreoriginal library card. I would come here when I had to do my research for a project and more. I would also come here to look for books to take home to read. I do love this location. The staff has changed over the years. But I still get the warm comfortable feeling upon entering. The computers have changed which is a definite bonus. Friendly staff upon entering and leaving. Which is always welcomed. What more could I say I love libraries. This location will always be my go to. I support the Chicago public libraries.

    Photos
    West Belmont Public Library - I'm on a quest to visit every CPL branch. This is me in front of West Belmont!

    I'm on a quest to visit every CPL branch. This is me in front of West Belmont!

    West Belmont Public Library - Early voting began today!

    Early voting began today!

    West Belmont Public Library

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    Oak Park Public Library - libraries - Updated May 2026

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