Tag: evanston public library

Kanopy Offers Free Streaming Movies with Your Library Card

introducing KanopyKanopy is here!

The Evanston Public Library is now offering free access to Kanopy, an all-movie streaming service. Kanopy brings more than 30,000 of the world’s best films to stream on computers, tablets, and other mobile devices. EPL  cardholders can sign up to start streaming films instantly onto any computer, television, mobile device or platform at the Kanopy website: kanopy.com

The Kanopy collections includes recent indie hits like Ladybird, Moonlight, and The Florida Project; classics like Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, The Great Dictator, and Modern Times as well as Rashomon and The Little Shop of Horrors; and award-winning documentaries like the 2017 Oscar-nominated I Am Not Your Negro and Sundance Film Festival winner Mother of George. Kanopy’s motto is “thoughtful entertainment,” and the films often have social and cultural value or are difficult or impossible to view anywhere else.

Films can be streamed onto any computer, television, mobile device or platform by downloading the Kanopy app for AppleTV, iPhone, and iPad; Android TV and Android; and Fire TV and Fire Tablet. Library users can stream three films per library card per month. Each movie is available for 72 hours (3 days). Many of the titles are unavailable on DVD. The foreign language collection is especially impressive, as are the number of documentaries and Criterion Collection films.

“A Garden of Cinematic Delights” says the The New York Times.

Available films include award-winning documentaries, rare and hard-to-find titles, film festival favorites, indie and classic films, and international films from France, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia, and Italy. The films come from such sources at PBS, the Film Board of Canada, New Day Films, and A24, as well as The Great Courses, Samuel Goldwyn, Music Box Films, and thousands of independent filmmakers.

Kanopy was founded in 2008 by CEO Olivia Humphrey as an educational tool for colleges and universities. Before, only Northwestern students in Evanston were able to use Kanopy as it is available through their academic library system. Now everyone in town with an Evanston Public Library card can benefit.

Pop-Up Stores Step Aside: Introducing the Pop-Up Library

November 6, 2018

Imagine you’re sitting, waiting, bored. Maybe you’re at the Robert Crown Center, waiting for your kid to get out of hockey practice. Maybe you’re in the waiting room at the Erie Family Health Center waiting for your appointment. Perhaps you’re at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, waiting for a show to begin. Waiting can be tough, so wouldn’t it be cool if there were free books available for download at each of those locations? And wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t need your library card to look at them?

Introducing the Pop-Up Libraries of Evanston, IL, brought to you in partnership with Baker and Taylor and the Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation. You’ve heard of pop-up stores, I’m sure, but a library? Absolutely. Evanston Public Library has strategically placed five mobile hotspots filled with free books around the city. If you see one of our signs, you’ll be able to whip out your phone or device and instantly download a book for free of your choice. An array of hot titles have been loaded onto these hotspots, and there’s no waiting. See something you like? You can have it for a week, no charge. Just log-in to the mobile hotspot by going to your wireless settings and tapping on the Pop-Up Library wi-fi connection. Next, go to the website on the poster, and select your book. After you’ve done so a prompt will appear, instructing you to download the book to your phone or smart device so you don’t have to stream it to read it. You don’t need to download an app. Just put the book on your browser and go.

Why are we doing this? Here at the library, we realize that a lot of people have phones and other smart devices but not everyone keeps their library card on them at all times, or even has one that they can use. This is our way of getting ebooks into people’s hands in the places where they often have time to kill. And Evanston is one of only five library systems in the United States trying out these devices.

Interested in giving it a go? Here are the Pop-Up Library locations at this time. Look for the instructional posters at each site:

  • Erie Family Health Center (1285 Hartrey Ave, Evanston, IL 60202)
  • Presence St. Francis Hospital (355 Ridge Ave, Evanston, IL 60202)
  • Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center (1655 Foster St, Evanston, IL 60201)
  • Robert Crown Center (1701 Main St, Evanston, IL 60202)

There’s also a fifth location but it’s a bit of a surprise. Expect that to be announced another day.

La Biblioteca le da la Bienvenida a la Nueva Bibliotecaria Latina / Library Welcomes New Latina Engagement Librarian

La Biblioteca Pública de Evanston se complace en dar la bienvenida a Mariana Bojorquez, la nueva bibliotecaria Latina. Bojorquez, quien se unió a la biblioteca en septiembre, coordinará y trabajará para establecer servicios informativos para la comunidad Latino en Evanston, tanto adentro como afuera de las paredes de la biblioteca, con un énfasis en las necesidades únicas de la creciente población Latino de Evanston. La población Latino de Evanston ha crecido de 9% en 2010 a una estimación de 11% en 2017 y sigue creciendo.

“Queremos que todos se sientan en casa en la biblioteca, y reconocemos que esto puede ser un poco difícil para nuestros residentes Latinos, especialmente aquellos quienes el inglés no es su primer idioma. Mariana es una bibliotecaria Latina bilingüe con mucha creatividad, competencia cultural, entusiasmo, y con habilidades de comunicación excepcionales. Sabemos que ella nos ayudará a continuar avanzando nuestra visión de tener una biblioteca equitativa con programas y servicios relevantes para nuestros residentes Latinos,” dijo Karen Danczak Lyons, Directora de la Biblioteca Pública de Evanston.

Bojorquez, quien se graduó de Dominican University con una Maestría en Bibliotecología y Ciencias de la Información (MLIS) en 2018, nació y fue creada en Los Ángeles, California. Su padre fue un conductor de autobuses para el Distrito Escolar de Los Ángeles y era bilingüe; su madre solo habla español.

Ella afirma, “Tengo el privilegio de estar en una posición única para participar y colaborar con no solo la comunidad Latina en Evanston, pero con mis compañeros de trabajo también, para descubrir y atender las necesidades de los Latinos en Evanston. Espero traer nuevas perspectivas a la biblioteca con mi presencia y a animar a los Latinos a visitar la biblioteca, para que la vean como una institución que puede tener un impacto significante en sus vidas y en las vidas de sus hijos con el desarrollo de programación relevante a sus intereses.”

(Photo by Lynn Trautmann, LTPhoto)

_______________________________

The Evanston Public Library is pleased to welcome Mariana Bojorquez, the Library’s new Latino Engagement Librarian. Bojorquez, who joined the Library in September, will coordinate and work to provide library services for the Evanston Latino community both within and beyond the walls of the library, with an extra emphasis on the needs of Evanston’s growing population of Spanish speaking residents. The Hispanic population of Evanston has grown from 9% in 2010 to an estimate of 11% in 2017.

“We want everyone to feel at home in the Library, and we recognize that this can be more challenging for our Latino residents, especially those for whom English is not their primary language. Mariana is a bilingual Latina librarian with exceptional communication skills, resourcefulness, cultural competence, and enthusiasm.  We know she will help us continue to move forward in providing equitable access and relevant programs and services to our Latino residents,” said Karen Danczak Lyons, EPL Library Director.

Bojorquez, who graduated from Dominican University with a Master’s of Library and Information Science in 2018, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her father was a bus driver for the LA school district and is bilingual; her mother speaks Spanish only.

She states, “I’m privileged to be in the position to engage and collaborate with the Spanish-speaking community and our own library staff to uncover and address the unique needs of our Latino community. I hope to bring a new perspective with my presence and to encourage the Latino/a’s of Evanston to see the library as an institution that can have a meaningful impact on their lives and the lives of their children through relevant programming.”

(Photo by Lynn Trautmann, LTPhoto)

Get a Clue! Mystery and Suspense Author Panel

October 14, 2011

You’re invited to join us Saturday, October 22, 2:00 – 3:30pm, for a panel of four local mystery and suspense authors. David Heinzmann, Michael Dymmoch, Luisa Buehler, and Diane Piron-Gelman (pen name: D. M. Pirrone) will discuss their writing process, inspiration, and recent projects. A paperback exchange and book sale will follow.  Refreshments will be served. Registration is not required. Community Meeting Room (1st floor). Questions?  Contact Genevieve Guran at 847-448-8618.

African American Literature Read In at Fleetwood-Jordain Center

February 17, 2011

In honor of Black History Month, the Fleetwood-Jordain Center will host eight multi-talented authors reading and performing excerpts from their published works. The 2011 African American Literature Read-In and Book Fair is sponsored by Books Inc Bookstore and organized by
A Work of Faith Ministry & Literacy. The first annual event will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 1655 Foster Street, Evanston, IL. Evanston Public Library will have a table at the book fair where residents can learn about the library’s collections, programs, book clubs or sign up for a library card. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged. For information, contact Gevell Wagner at (773) 350-4675.

Susan M.

Romance: the program

January 23, 2011

 If you are a sucker for the happy ending, if you crave the comfort of a well-told tale of love, if you seek out authors who can satisfy your love of star-crossed couplings, paranormal trysts, romantic suspense, or urban young adult and inspirational romance, then romantic fiction is for you, and you won’t want to miss this February 12 romance fiction program!

“Indulge in Romance” will feature a panel discussion by five talented Romance authors, Barbara Binns; urban young adult romances, Julie James; romantic suspense novels based on her experience as a lawyer, Maureen Lang; inspirational romances with a historical twist; Margot Justes; international mysteries, and Patricia Rosemoor, author of fifty Harlequin Intrigue novels as well as books in the contemporary, historical and paranormal sub-genres.

The Saturday program begins at 2 p.m. and includes a Borders Books Shop and Share program, with a percentage of all weekend proceeds benefiting Evanston Public Library. In addition, Romance program attendees can indulge in cupcakes, take part in a raffle of luscious gifts from local merchants, Belgian Chocolatier Piron, Pivot Point Academy, and Benefit Boutique and swap for gently-used romance novels.

Warm up February and Indulge in Romance. Contact Juliette Swett at jswett@ecityofevenston.org for details.

Susan M., RA

ALA Banned Books Week ReadOut event at EPL

September 4, 2010

If you are passionate about the Right to Read and want to celebrate Banned/Challenged books, then join the discussion during a “Banned Books Week ReadOut” at Evanston Public Library on Friday, September 24 from 3 – 6 p.m.  ALA’s annual “Banned Books Week” will be observed September 25 – October 2, 2010.  (read more) Continue reading “ALA Banned Books Week ReadOut event at EPL” →

Jewish American Heritage Month

May 19, 2010

The death of postwar Yiddish writer Chaim Grade’s widow on May 2, means that his many untranslated, unpublished writings, which were  jealously guarded by Inna Hecker Grade, may finally become available to general readers. Grade lived in Lithuania until the Nazis arrived. Eventually, he made his way to the New York, where he wrote for Yiddish newspapers. Not a lot of his work has been translated into English, but the good news for EPL users is that the library carries three of Grade’s fiction books, The Seven Little Lanes, The Yeshiva, and Rabbis and Wives, and a memoir, My Mother’s Sabbath Days. For more on Chaim Grade, see the New York Times.   Also see EPL’s reference book in the Dictionary of Literary Biography series Writers in Yiddish on the library’s 3rd floor.

(Mary B., Reader’s Services)

Local Library Auction Action

May 7, 2010

In case you haven’t heard, Evanston’s libraries are in a tight spot. Due to lack of funding, the Evanston Public Library is set to close its North and South branch locations at the end of the summer. But we’re not going without a fight! The Evanston Public Library Friends have been valiantly hitting the streets, raising money, spreading the word, and talking to people about saving our local libraries. Starting May 15th, you too can get in on the very worthwhile action of saving your libraries and bolstering your community strength and spirit, all without leaving the comfort of your home. Continue reading “Local Library Auction Action” →

I Feel Like a Million Books!!!

February 24, 2010

Thursday, February 25, 2010 marks a very special occasion. Sometime tomorrow, one lucky patron will check out the 1,000,000th item to circulate at the library this year. For the first time ever we’re going to hit the one million (!) mark for items checked out from Evanston’s three libraries (North, South, and Main Branches) in the past twelve months. And it wouldn’t have happened without all you good folks in Evanston and the Chicagoland area recognizing and appreciating the wonderful (and money-saving) resource of your local libraries. So a hearty and heartfelt “Thank You” to everyone for making us here at the library feel so necessary, especially in these difficult times. Be sure to stop by your favorite Evanston Public Library branch (or, if you can’t pick just one favorite, go nuts and stop by all three!) on February 25th to help us celebrate. The lucky patron who checks out the 1,000,000th item this year will win a handy-dandy EPL tote bag stuffed to the gills with library goodness. Inside are great prizes including free tickets to Ravinia, a punch-card for 10 free DVD rentals at the library, a Caldecott Medal winning book, commemorative EPL note cards, and more. And if you’re lucky enough to be our winner, we promise not to embarrass you. Well, not too much, anyway. So get on into the library and make use of the coolest card in town. You’ll be glad you did. And thanks again, Evanston, you’re truly a swell and well-read bunch.

Translate »