Evanston Public Library to Launch Pilot Program

The library will be one of 34 sites in the nation to host the hands-on education program for children and teens this summer.

  Evanston Public Library will be one of 34 sites launching a pilot program that offers hands-on education program for children and teens this summer, the Daily Northwestern reported.  Instead of memorizing, the research-based approach of the program will offer children the opportunity to learn by doing, moving an interacting with their surroundings, the Daily Northwestern reported.  For the full story, visit: DailyNorthwestern.com Read more on Patch

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Evanston Public Library Launches Smartphone App

Patrons can now access many of the library’s services through their smartphones.

  Have an overdue book from Evanston Public Library? Now you can renew it on your smartphone.  The library recently launched an app that offers many of the library’s services on the go, such as searching through the library’s catalog, downloading e-books, or checking out materials from anywhere in the library.  There’s also a cool feature called BookLook where you can scan the ISBN barcode on an item and see if it’s available at the library. So that book your friend’s reading and you want to read, too? Now you can see if it’s available at Evanston Public Library with the new mobile app.  EPL spokeswoman Jill Schacter told the Daily Northwestern that the app is part of the library’s commitment to expanding its use of technology and the …

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Evanston Public Library Receives $15,000 Donation

The Malkinson family donated the money to support the library’s American History collection.

  Evanston residents Dr. Fred Malkinson and his wife Una, recently donated $15,000 to support Evanston Public Library’s American History collection, according to a press release.  The Malkinsons have an active history of community involvement, including supporting the arts and education.  As a member of the Evanston Library Board from 1988 to 1995, Dr. Malkinson was involved in continued efforts with the City Council to plan and implement the construction of a new library for Evanston. He helped organize an international architectural contest for the design of the new library, which yielded approximately 350 entries from around the world, and he worked with the Evanston Arts Council to select numerous pieces of art that are still displayed…

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Evanston Library Spring Book Sale, April 12 – 14

Evanston Public Library will be hosting a book sale at the Main Library, 1703 Orrington Ave.

  Book lovers, Evanston Public Library will be hosting its Spring Book Sale from April 12 through 14, in the third floor of the Book Sale Room, Main Library, 1703 Orrington Ave., according to a press release.  All proceeds from the sale will benefit Evanston Public Library’s programs and collection.  A Special Preview Sale will be held on Friday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to noon, admission is $5 per person.  Regular Book Sale Hours: Related Coverage

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Library Closed Wednesday Morning For Water Main Repair

The Evanston Public Library main branch at 1703 Orrington Ave. will be closed until 2 p.m. Wednesday while a water main is repaired. Traffic at Orrington and Clark will also be impacted Tuesday through Thursday.

A water main repair near the Evanston Public Library main branch means the facility will be closed Wednesday until 2 p.m., and traffic at the intersection of Clark Street and Orrington Avenue will also be affected, according to city officials. The following press release from the City of Evanston contains further details: On Wednesday, February 6, the Main Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave., will not open until 2 p.m. due to a water shut-off for the repair of a water main in the area. This work will also shut off water service, starting at 9:30 a.m. until about noon, at the Hilton Orrington Hotel, located at 1710 Orrington Ave., along with 1725 and 1732-1734 Orrington Ave. Additionally, the intersection at Orrington Ave. and …

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Library Branch Returns to South Evanston

Evanston Public Library staff and materials have officially moved in to a branch location at 900 Chicago Ave., the former site of the volunteer-run library The Mighty Twig.

Two years after the South Branch Library closed, the Evanston Public Library has reopened a branch location in south Evanston, at 900 Chicago Ave.  Library staff and materials have moved into the location formerly operated by The Mighty Twig, a library that was run on a volunteer basis by the Evanston Public Library Friends after the South Branch closed. “Slowly but surely, we’re re-becoming a branch,” said library clerk Jennifer Hiltwein, who checked out books and DVDs to a steady stream of patrons on Wednesday afternoon. Volunteers from the Friends group started The Mighty Twig at 900 Chicago Ave. just a month after city officials closed the South Branch, citing a lack of funding. Evanston Public Library Director Karen Danczak Lyons, who…

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Library Hosts Free College Aid Tutorial

The Evanston Public Library hosts an information session for parents filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with representatives from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

North Branch Library Gets New Paint Job

After more than two decades with the same coat of white paint on the walls, the North Branch of the Evanston Public Library is now freshly painted in red, blue and green.

Fresh coats of red, blue and green now cover the walls of the North Branch of the Evanston Public Library, after more than 20 years under the same coat of white paint. "We'll try to do it more often in the future," quipped Karen Danczak Lyons, library director. Lyons and other local officials gathered at the North Branch Wednesday for a grand reopening, when the new coats of paint were unveiled. "People have come in and said, 'Oh, it looks so much more alive,'" said library assistant Nancy Engel. Engel said the branch was also celebrating its 60th anniversary, and noted that staff had used the painting as an opportunity to clean out old materials dating as far back as 1984. The investment in painting at the North Branch comes less than two…

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Evanston Public Library Book Sale Starts Friday

The Evanston Public Library hosts its annual winter book sale from Friday, Nov. 30, through Sunday, Dec. 30. All proceeds benefit library programs and collections.

The Evanston Public Library Director Answers Your Questions

We asked readers to submit their questions for Evanston Public Library director Karen Danczak Lyons, and we've got answers to your questions and more in our Q&A.

With plans to bring the Mighty Twig back under the wing of the Evanston Public Library and a transition to separate from city governance, there’s a lot going on at the library. Patch sat down with director Karen Danczak Lyons, who came onboard with the Evanston Public Library last April. Previously, she served as budget director for the city of Chicago in the early 1990s, and then worked at the Chicago Public Library from 1993 until she took the position in Evanston. We asked our own questions as well as questions submitted by readers in advance. Why did you decide to take the job with the Evanston Public Library? It’s always fun to build and create something. We’re transitioning right now so that we will no longer be a city department. We…

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