The Soapbox

After a lot of behind-the-scenes activity, we are merging most of our sub-blogs into one giant superblog!

Think of it like Voltron, in blog form. You remember Voltron, right?

From now on, you can get all the great information you received from The Answer, The Bookshelf, The Radar, and the Soapbox in one place: blogs.skokielibrary.info.

Please update your bookmarks and feeds accordingly. See you at the superblog!

Gone are the days you had to call in to book study room!  Now you can book a study room online or through a handy dandy kiosk at the new Technology Help Desk. We understand that the study rooms on the 2nd floor are one of the most popular features of the Library and have made changes to streamline the process of getting one.

The URL to book a study room is studyrooms.skokielibrary.info.

Please take a few moments to review the changes to the study room booking system and rules by going to our website http://www.skokielibrary.info/s_about/how/study-rooms.asp.  Please let us know what you think of the new system!

Monday: Go goth as three top paranormal YA authors—Kendare Blake, Marta Acosta, and Lisa Desrochers—visit to talk about their newest books, which will be available for purchase and signing after the presentation.

Wednesday: Need a dysfunctional literary fix? Check out two of the season’s most anticipated novels, One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper and Martin Amis’ Lionel Asbo: State of England, both released this week.

Friday: Say goodbye to summer with one last popcorn flick: Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner try to foil a terrorist attack in our screening of the high-flying action extravaganza Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol.

Saturday/Sunday: Join the fun and visit Skokie’s Backlot Bash street festival. All weekend long the library stage will feature music, arts and crafts, dance, and more.

Monday: Join us for a screening of Footnote, an Academy Award-nominated Israeli film that Roger Ebert called “one of the smartest and most merciless comedies to come along in a while.”

Wednesday: If you couldn’t get enough of BMX during the Olympics, come watch professional BMX biker Matt Wilhelm tear it up with tricks and spins in this week’s Wednesdays on the Green outdoor event.

Thursday: Learn how to stand out in the college admissions game as Kaplan’s experts reveal the secrets of Getting Into Your First-Choice School.

Friday: Children entering kindergarten through third grade are invited to a thrilling journey back to the Jurassic era with Excavating Ice-age Dinosaurs. Time machine not required (but registration is, for both kids and their parents).

Monday: Do you dream of writing the Great American Novel? Learn the basics of modern publishing technology, along with strategies to promote your existing books online, in Writing and Publishing for Today’s eBook World.

Friday: Family Movie Night goes to the dogs (and lions and zebras) with a screening of the wacky 2011 Kevin James comedy Zookeeper.

Sunday: Bossa Nova meets Baroque as the Avanti Guitar trio visits for an afternoon concert celebrating the music of Brazil and Beyond.

Great news! The Library has 3 new study rooms ready for business.  The 3 additional study rooms give us a grand total of 10. The decision to add additional study rooms was made because of the overwhelming demand for the 7 we had previously.

To book a study room call or come to the Technology Help Desk on the 2nd floor, you can book up to a week in advance.  In the very near future we will be moving to an online study room booking system which will be accessible from an internet device and via kiosk on the 2nd floor.

We have also created more places with outlets to be able to plug-in your laptops, phones, and other devices that need charging.

If you are interested in volunteering at the Library or elsewhere in Skokie, check out SkokieServes.org for volunteer opportunities throughout Skokie.

If you are part of an organization that needs volunteers you can post your volunteer opportuinities on SkokieServes.org .  Just click on Post An Opportunity and  fill in the form for your volunteer position.

If you are a business you can post any internship opportunities you have, in the same way, as well.

SkokieServes.org is a cooperative effort of the Village of Skokie, the  Human Services Department of the Village, St. Paul Lutheran Church, and the Skokie Public Library

Monday: iPads are sleek, alluring and—to those who need a manual but don’t get one in the package—somewhat mystifying. If you or someone you know is iConfused, our Hello, iPad class helps you understand and get the most from this tablet computer.

Tuesday: Cinephiles won’t want to miss film critic Rob Elder discussing his book The Film that Changed My Life, an oral history of cinema that features 30 acclaimed directors talking about the movie that most influenced them in their formative years.

Wednesday: Looking for a new job? Learn how to stand out from the crowded field of candidates with the Streetwise Guide to Job Interviewing workshop.

Friday: The fun is elementary as Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprise their roles as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in this screening of Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows.

Photo credit: Twid via Flickr.

Monday: Do you like reading manga, watching anime, and nibbling on tasty Japanese snacks? Join other like-minded teens for all three activities in the latest meeting of our manga/anime appreciation club.

Tuesday: Hip books + great conversation + local bar = Lit Lounge, our social book discussion group. Join us for tonight’s meeting where we’ll talk about Don Winslow’s Savages, recently made into a film by Oliver Stone.

Wednesday: Dance to the beat as the Windy City All-Stars, the official drumline of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, performs at Wednesdays on the Green.

Thursday: Learn how to tap into the world’s largest professional network with our Introduction to LinkedIn.

Friday: Revisit Hollywood’s Silent Age with the beguiling French film The Artist, winner of this year’s Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director, and Actor.

Monday:  Enjoy Meryl Streep’s mesmerizing Oscar-winning performance as former British PM Margaret Thatcher in our evening screening of The Iron Lady.

Tuesday: Snakes: Friend or Foe? Your kids can find out if that’s a trick question as a ranger from River Trail Nature Center visits to discuss the serpent species common to Illinois.

Wednesday: Learn how to deliciously go “green” on the grill when Dave Esau of Dave’s Specialty Foods demonstrates Summer Grilling with Fresh Herbs.

Friday: Tap your inner DJ and create a podcast in our Digital Media Lab. Our class shows you the ropes, from setting up equipment to editing and putting your show online.

Saturday: It’s not too late to join our Summer Reading Clubs—register online or at the Library by July 31, log your reading and be eligible for fabulous prizes and fun swag.