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Celebrate Juneteenth with EPL!

Juneteenth is Sunday, June 19, and the Evanston Public Library is celebrating Black freedom with programs for all ages. Join us this week for: 

• Thriving in the Face of Trauma: Racism, Mental Health and Healing in This Juneteenth Era. Led by community educator and village builder Dr. Elisha Hall, this workshop seeks to restore African healing legacies that have always accompanied African resistance and self-determination. Get mental health wellness tools and strategies. Friday, June 17, 7-8:30 p.m. on Zoom. Register. 
• Family Game Night: Celebrating Juneteenth and Black History. Participate in family-friendly competitions of Uno, spades, trivia, Black Card Revoked and other games, and enjoy catering from some of Evanston’s Black-owned restaurants. Play as a family and win prizes! Sunday, June 19, 4-7 p.m. EPL's Robert Crown Branch Library. Register. 
• Juneteenth Sip & Paint at Temperance Beer Co. Join us for an evening of art making, fun, great conversations, and classic beers. Each participant will get their own canvas and  materials needed to create their own art pieces. Must be 21+. Wednesday, June 22, 6-8 p.m. Temperance Brewing Co. 200 Dempster Street. Register. 
• Juneteenth Grab & Go Craft Kits for Kids. Grab a craft kit and learn about the national holiday Juneteenth and important Black historical figures. Available from both our the Main Library and EPL's Robert Crown Branch Library now while supplies last!

Plus, our librarians will be at this Saturday's Juneteenth Parade, stepping off at 10 a.m. from the Robert Crown Center and ending with a celebration at Ingraham Park. Stop by our table for more library fun. 

Join us this afternoon!

After a decade of leadership, Executive Director Karen Danczak Lyons is retiring from the Evanston Public Library. Come join us in celebrating her contributions to the Library and the Evanston community, and bid her farewell with an open house this afternoon, Thursday, June 16, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the community room of the Main Library, 1703 Orrington Avenue. Hope to see you there!

WHERE'S EPL THIS WEEK?

Our librarians are bringing fun (and books!) to parks and beaches all over Evanston this summer. Here's where to find them this week for drop-in events: 

Saturday, June 18

• Twiggs Park: Storytime. 10 a.m. 
• Ingraham Park: Juneteenth Celebration, 11-6 p.m. 

Monday, June 20

• Robert Crown Reading Garden: Storytime and Free Play, 10:30 a.m. 
• James Park: EPL on the Fly! 11-1 p.m.

Tuesday, June 21

• Fountain Square: Family Storytime, 10 a.m. 
• Fleetwood-Jourdain: EPL on the Fly! 11-1 p.m. 
• ETHS/Gibbs: Taste of the Loft. 2-4 p.m. 

Wednesday, June 22

• Mason Park: EPL on the Fly! 11-1 p.m. 
• Fleetwood-Jourdain: Taste of the Loft, 2-4 p.m. 
• Erie Family Health: Pop-up Library, 4-6 p.m. 

Thursday, June 23

• Brummel Park: The Young & the Restless Storytime, 10 a.m. 
• Chute MS: Taste of the Loft, 2-4 p.m. 
• Brummel-Dobson: EPL on the Fly! 5-6 p.m. 

Friday, June 24

• Brummel Park: Dime Dance-off, 5-7 p.m. 

This summer at EPL: 1,000 hours in the parks. 3,000 free books. And $50,000 to make it happen.

Together with community partners, Evanston Public Library is setting youth on the path to a brighter and more equitable future with a robust summer program. In fact, EPL staff will spend over 1,000 hours outside the Library walls and distribute more than 3,000 free books this summer. These additional resources, staff time, and materials cost money. As we join the Evanston community's goals to create an equitable future for our children, we need your financial support.

For this special summer campaign, our goal is to raise $50,000. Join us as we provide free books and STEM activities, attend park-based events, and create connections to all of the Library's resources.  

Support EPL this summer and give a gift today!

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS, TEENS & KIDS:

Pride Month Continues! Celebrate Pride Month with history lessons, crafts, parties and more for all ages. Learn about LGBTQIA+ history at our Rainbow Crash Course on June 17. Dance at our Teen Pride Party on Wednesday, June 22, or drop in anytime for rainbow-themed craft kit. Get details at epl.org/pride-month.

Film It! Challenge: There's still plenty of time for teens to sign up for our summer Film It! Challenge. Create a short movie that is 30-90 seconds long and including five core filmmaking elements. Interview your grandparent, make a stop-motion video with objects, create a tik-tok style dance, or a how-to tutorial on something you want to show others. It’s up to you! Submit your movie, win prizes, and see it on the big screen at our Film It! Challenge Festival on July 28. Open to all D65 students and Evanston residents entering 5th through 8th grade this fall. Get details at FilmItChallenge.org.

Applying Astrology to Tarot: Learn how to interpret tarot cards through an astrological lens. Part 3 of our Divination series. Tuesday, June 21, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at EPL's Robert Crown Branch. Register.

Learn to Container Garden: Learn how to select, plant, and maintain container gardens so that they can become attractive season-long additions to the home landscape. Includes recipes for outstanding container displays from UIC Master Gardeners. Sunday, June 26, 6-7 p.m. at EPL's Robert Crown Branch. Drop in.

BOOK GROUPS AND DISCUSSIONS

The Evanston Public Library partners with other libraries across the state to bring our patrons author talks with Pulitzer Prize winners, New York Times best-selling authors and other big names in books. Coming up next: 

• An Evening with Chef Kwame Onwuachi.  A James Beard Award-winning chef born on Long Island and raised in New York City, Nigeria, and Louisiana, his first cookbook, My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef celebrates the cuisine of the African diaspora, “the world’s wisest food.” He'll share the importance of the connections between cuisine, place, and culture. In conversation with Chef Erick Williams of Virtue Restaurant. Wednesday, June 22, 7-8 p.m. Via Zoom. Register.

•  Illinois Libraries Present: An Evening with Michelle Zauner: Join us for an evening with musician and author Michelle Zauner as she discusses her music career and her beloved bestselling memoir, Crying in H Mart. Jessica Hopper joins her in conversation. This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering high-quality events. Thursday, June 30, 7 p.m. Register.

LITTLE-KNOWN LIBRARY SERVICES

One-on-One Tech Help EPL offers one-on-one tech help in English and Spanish to help you get the most of your devices. Sign up for a session with one of our librarians, who can get you up and running with basic tasks on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays and noon to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Call 847-448-8635 to schedule.

...BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

Don't forget our digital collection. No need for Netflix and Audible -- the library is free and open online 24/7 for eBooks and eAudiobooks,  Streaming Movies and TV, and eMagazines. 

Stop by! Check current hours and COVID-19 updates. Note: The Library will be closed on Sunday, April 17, in observance of the Easter holiday.

Sign up for more news and information. Get library news for kids, teens, Spanish-speakers, job-seekers and more! We have a variety of newsletters on different topics. Check out our e-publications and sign up for those that interest you.

Become a library supporter. A gift to the EPL is a gift that benefits the entire Evanston community. Make a donation to support EPL’s collection building, digital content, programs, and more. Thank you!