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Summer Photo Recap

October 5, 2022 by Meghan White in Around the Library

Summer is such a special time at Skokie Public Library that it was hard to choose among so many awesome events and moments. I managed to narrow it down to 10 pictures, which I think are a beautiful illustration of what we love about our library in the summer. I hope you enjoy!

A child in a red t-shirt sits in the grass reading a picture book in front of the Skokie Public Library book bike, which is a yellow and blue open box on wheels, filled with books.

Warm weather means it’s time for the book bike! This is my first year riding the book bike for the library, and it has been a blast. So many eyes light up when they see this wheeled box of books, and even more when they learn they can take a book for free! It’s so rewarding to bring something special and unexpected to our community and to share the library with people who may not often have a chance to visit the building. You can read more about the book bike in another of my blog posts.

A woman in a blue dress helps an adult in a white shirt and her child pick out a book from the long shelves inside the bookmobile.

Speaking of blog posts, Monica, one of our bookmobile assistants, (in the blue dress above), has written an awesome post about working on the bookmobile . It was fun hanging out with her that day, taking pictures, because she is such an enthusiastic person who clearly loves helping people. 

A teen volunteer in a green shirt and shorts pulls a tray of native plants out of the back of a pick-up truck parked beside a park in Skokie.

Teen volunteers are some of the coolest people I’ve met while working at the library. This summer they helped the Skokie Park District plant scores of native plants at Peccia Park. It was so fun to watch how everyone just jumped in, ready to help. Gotta love that youthful energy!

Four older adults hold their hands behind their head as part of an exercise class. An instructor in a blue shirt sits in front of them, leading the exercise.

I’m constantly amazed by the events the library offers. I often think back on my own library growing up, wishing I had even half of what Skokie has. This is one of my favorites, a health and fitness exercise class for older adults. I feel proud of how invested the library is in events and resources for all ages.

A toddler wearing a striped sleeveless jumper looks up at their parents with a smile. The parents, sitting on a red and white blanket, are smiling back.

Summertime means the Skokie Farmers’ Market, and we had a weekend library dance party on the Village Green. While this little one watched more than danced, this cute interaction couldn't be missed. Many kids came to dance, and I love when the library can work with other Skokie organizations to bring something fun and meaningful to the community.

A woman wearing a black mask and a black t-shirt gestures with her hands toward a green milkweed plant, which is part of the pollinator research garden at the library.

Laurel, our teen services manager, loves monarch butterflies. And she loves the science behind what makes the best garden for them. Another of our teen volunteering opportunities, the Monarch Community Science Project is part of a Field Museum study that has community participants monitor milkweed gardens for monarch eggs, caterpillars, and eventually butterflies. It is so fun to watch Laurel supervise this group of volunteers, because her passion for butterflies and her passion for working with teens is so apparent. 

An adult and a child sit on a stone ledge on the Village Green in downtown Skokie. They are both wearing t-shirts with the silhouette of a woman with an afro and text about the Skokie Juneteenth Celebration.

I caught this moment at the Skokie Juneteenth Celebration, a beautiful night. The different generations in this picture make me think about what we share with our children, and why, and the meaning of identity and community that we can pass on.

A few dozen library staff members, all wearing the summer reading t-shirt that says "Read, Read, Read" posed for a silly group photo.

Summer reading was so fun, and t-shirts are back! The library staff got together for a goofy photo to celebrate, and while I’m in this one (that’s me on the left with the green pants), it’s still one of my favorites from this summer.

A staff member wearing glasses and a black mask holds a book with pictures of trucks as part of a storytime. A child with a red long-sleeve shirt is pointing at the book while another child with brown hair looks on.

A couple of days before the start of summer reading, we had a lovely weekend storytime in the South Courtyard. There was dancing, ukulele playing, and, of course, a story. As soon as the book came out, the kids came forward, making sure they could see every picture, every plot point. Seeing children so engrossed in a book never fails to brighten my day.

A child reaching high above their head to pick a book off of the top shelf. The shelves are white and the books are colorful.

I love this photo because we all know that feeling: there’s a book we want, but the shelf it’s on is just a bit taller than we are. You can almost imagine this child standing on their toes, reaching high to get that coveted item. I saw so much reading going on this summer, and this picture felt like the perfect illustration of all that enthusiasm.

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