EVANSTON, ILL. – Summer’s here, and the Evanston Public Library wants to put you on the path to summer fun. Our programs are happening in the fresh air at parks and beaches all over town as well as at our Main Library and Robert Crown Branch Library. Here’s just a few ways to enjoy summer with us:
Play READO and win prizes with Summer Reading!
This year’s children’s summer reading challenge – Read Beyond the Beaten Path – begins June 1. Drop by the Main Library, the Robert Crown Branch, or at an Evanston Public Library table at community events happening throughout town to sign up. When you register, you’ll get a free book to keep and a scratch-off READO card. Scratch off five in a row for a prize activity kit and get entered to win the grand prize at the end of the summer.
“We’re handing out books first, so everyone gets a book to start their summer,” Librarian Laura Antolin said. “Our biggest goal is to put a book in everyone’s hands. Starting out by giving out books means that we will be able to distribute new books to more families and more kids right away with the idea that that is the book that starts your summer. You pick the book that you love.”
Information on all of the programs offered by the Evanston Public Library is available at www.epl.org/summer2022. Or drop by the Main Library or EPL’s Robert Crown Branch to grab a summer read and find even more fun.
More at
epl.org/summer-reading-2022.
Hear a story in the park
Parks are perfect for storytime with antsy, young book lovers! Our children’s librarians will be reading aloud in parks around town this summer:
- Family Storytime: The books are perfect for ages 3-7, but the storytime is fun for everyone. Find us at 10 a.m. on the first and third Tuesdays at Fountain Square.
- The Young & The Restless: A 30-minute storytime for our littlest listeners, at 10 a.m. every Thursday in Brummel Park.
More at
epl.org/summer2022.
Hang out at the Teen Loft
Expanded hours at the Loft, EPL’s space for teens on the third floor of the Main Library, begin Thursday, June 9, and last all summer vacation. Stop by from noon to close – our Librarians will have activities to keep teens engaged and exploring new interests and ideas. Join us for Pride Month celebrations, learn hydroponic gardening, DIY your own crafts of all kinds and learn filmmaking with our FilmIt! Challenge.
Can’t make it to the Main Library? Our staff will also be bringing a Taste of the Loft to you – watch out for the Bookmobile that will be setting up at Evanston Township High School on Tuesdays, Fleetwood-Jordain on Wednesdays, and Chute Middle School on Thursdays this summer.
More at
epl.org/summer2022 or
epl.org/teens.
Go to camp at the Library
The Library has partnered with organizations throughout the community to develop two camps designed to provide opportunities to BIPOC and underrepresented youth in STEAM fields and entrepreneurship. A STEAM Camp in partnership with Oakton Community College launches July 18, and an entrepreneurial camp with local business owners starts June 13.
More at
epl.org/summer2022.
Branch out with inclusive reads
The #ReadInclusive summer reading program for adults starts June 1. Pick up a bingo sheet from the second floor desk at the Main Library or from EPL’s Robert Crown Branch Library, or download a copy and print it yourself. Then pick books from our
suggested reading list or by any author from a historically marginalized group (LGBTQ+, disabled, BIPOC) to start earning spaces on your bingo card. Complete a bingo and pick up a free book from our selection at the Main Library second floor desk!
Get all the details.
Find us at a pop-up in your neighborhood
Our engagement team will be at parks, beaches, and block parties all summer long to introduce you to all the Evanston Public Library has to offer.
Find us at First Fridays at Mason Park on the first Friday of every month and at Evanston’s Juneteenth Celebration on June 18. Then look for our parties happening on the fourth Friday of each month all summer long, starting with a Dime Dance-Off from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, June 24, at Brummel Park.
Our EPL On the Fly! Pop-ups are returning too! Find our librarians around town for STEAM activities like bottle rockets, beach visits with capture the flag and double-dutch, and much more.
More at
epl.org/summer2022.
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Join our Summer Giving Campaign
We can’t make all this summer fun and literacy happen without your help. That’s why we’re raising $50,000 this summer to support all our programming happening throughout the Evanston community.
The Evanston Public Library is tax-funded at just half the rate of our neighboring libraries, and we rely on the generous support of our partners who go above and beyond by giving to the Library. Visit epl.org/donate to learn more about how your gift makes a difference in bringing equity, literacy, and summer fun to the Evanston community.
