State Rep. Cross to Stop in Montgomery for Office Hours

Don't miss your chance to pepper the house minority leader with some questions.

State Rep. Tom Cross (R-Oswego) will host traveling office hours  from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, at the Montgomery campus of the Oswego Public Library District, according to information on his website.  The office hours provides an opportunity for constituents to talk to Cross at a time and location that is convenient. “This is a good opportunity for residents to have a chance to meet with our staff and discuss issues of concern regarding state government,” Rep. Cross said. “Traveling office hours are a great way for us to interact with constituents face-to-face and share how our office can help answer questions and offer valuable resources.” The Oswego Public Library’s Montgomery campus located at 1111 Reading Drive. For more news…

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Library to Begin Lending Video Games

Latest in library lending gets kids in the door.

After frequent suggestions by patrons that the Oswego Public Library District carry video games for check-out, officials set to work making that happen. “We had done a survey last year for new technology as well as the (survey) we’ve just put on our website and a gaming collection is one of the things often requested,” said Sarah Skilton, the library district's director. Library officials created a committee to determine the scope of the video game collection. After setting a budget of $1,000, they decided to purchase 75 video games for the children’s department and 75 games for the teen area, which will be split between the Oswego Public Library’s two locations. The video games, with ratings ranging from E for everyone to T for teens, are…

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Giving Back: Library Volunteers, Operation Welcome You Home, Trivia Night

There are plenty of ways for area residents to give back to the community. Here you can find several ways to do so.

WHAT: Teen Volunteer Opportunity WHEN: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 28 WHERE: Oswego Public Library, 1111 Reading Drive, Montgomery. WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Teens ages 13 to 17 are needed to assist with the library's Dia de los Muertos program. WHY GO? Teens will volunteer with program registration, the program itself, and/or both. The library is looking for mature and responsible students to serve as volunteers. Teens must register to volunteer. MORE INFORMATION: Visit http://www.oswego.lib.il.us/evanced/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=3509&rts=&disptype=&ret=eventcalendar.asp&pointer=&returnToSearch=&SignupType=&num=0&ad=&dt=mo&mo=10/1/2011&df=calendar&EventType=ALL&Lib=&AgeGroup=ALL&LangType=0&WindowMode=&noheader=&lad=&pub=1&nopub=&page=&pgdisp= WHAT…

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Volunteers Needed for the Oswego Cemetery Walk

Sign up to be part of this popular Halloween tradition.

Imagine that you're standing alone in a cemetery. The sun has sunk below the horizon and twilight is giving way to night. The wind is whistling through the trees and you can hear sounds of traffic passing, but it seems far away. You hover in the deepening gloom by the headstone that tells your name. It tells your name, when you were born, and when you died. But it does not tell your story — the story of your life. No, you are not a ghost. You're a player in the 11th annual Oswego Cemetery Walk set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Oswego Township Cemetery. The Oswegoland Heritage Association and the Oswego Public Library are looking for actors to portray the figures in this year's walk. Specifically they are looking for an African-…

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On Loan from the Library

Library Calling All Muggles for Harry Potter Events

Friday activity, essay contest celebrate latest movie.

Calling all muggles ages 7-14! Oswego Public Library District Youth Services is having a Harry Potter Celebration for the release of the last Harry Potter movie. Join us from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, July 8, at the Montgomery Campus. Test your magical abilities at seven different stations. It will take approximately 35 minutes to complete all activities. The Harry Potter Essay Contest is open to all muggles and wizards ages 8-17. In 500 words or less, tell us what character (besides Harry) is the most important and why. All essays will be judged equally on originality, clarity of ideas, and the sentiment behind the essay. Completed essays can be dropped off at the Youth Services desk at either the Oswego or Montgomery Campus no later than 4 pm …

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On Loan from the Library

Library Offering Downloadable eBooks

All you need is a library card, PIN and an internet connection.

The Oswego Public Library District now offers downloadable eBooks for adults, teens and children. With an internet connection and an Oswego library card and PIN, you can download your selections at home to a PC, a Mac, and a variety of other portable devices. Currently Kindles are not compatible devices, but eBooks for Kindles are expected to be available to libraries soon. eBooks are provided by OMNI (Online Media of Northern Illinois)/Overdrive. To begin downloading your eBooks, visit the library’s website and select Downloadable Books.  Family Reading Challenge at the Library The Family Reading Challenge is for families with infants through 14-year-olds. Adults or children may read aloud or the family may listen to an audio book …

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On Loan from the Library

High School Juniors Can Get a Start on College Applications Through the Library

April 10-16 is National Library Week. Make sure to visit the library and support this vital community hub.

April 10-16 marks National Library Week throughout our state and country. Join us at the Montgomery campus from 6:30-7:15 p.m. Friday, April 15,  as storyteller Linda Gorham performs some amazing stories for families with children ages 5-14.  Registration begins on April 5. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.  The Earth Day Book Swap for infants to 14-year-olds will be held the week of April 18 to 24 at both the Oswego and Montgomery campuses. Swap books you no longer read for different ones! Bring your books (up to 5) to Youth Services. Then choose the same number of books from the book swap shelf. Books should be for children and in good condition.  Sharyl Iwanski is the April Artist of the Month. Her work will be on…

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On Loan from the Library

Looking for a New Book? Library Staff Has a Few Suggestions

Boulder Hill's Charles Durran is exhibiting his art at the Montgomery campus of the Oswego Public Library District through March.

Have you ever wondered what library staff do when they’re not working? Well, we do the same things you do. (I know this because I have not always worked in a library.)  We spend time with our families and friends, volunteer for our favorite charities, join community groups, attend school and yes, perform the more mundane chores of daily life. You will bump into us at the service station pumping gas, at the supermarket shopping for groceries and in the dentist’s or doctor’s waiting room. But the one thing we always make time for is reading, whether it’s late at night or early in the morning. We read for the job but more importantly we read for ourselves. It’s a joy to discover that the book we began “reading” on the drive to work a few days…

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Updated: With Snow Storm Upon Us Village Battening Down the Hatches

Here's the latest update on local closings and cancellations.

Updated at 4:10 p.m. The first wave of the impending blizzard is just hours away. Forecasters are predicting the storm will hit the area between 3 and 4 p.m. today. A slight let up may occur a couple of hours later, but snow and wind will start up again in full force between 7 and 8 p.m. Oswego Public Works Director Jerry Weaver has been monitoring the situation all day. He sent his crew of drivers home after clearing last night's snow to get some rest for what could be nonstop work between now and Wednesday afternoon. "We'll get everyone back in here when it starts snowing again," Weaver said late Tuesday morning. He said he expects crews to be working around the clock starting at about 4 p.m. today. Weaver said each driver has a specific…

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Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed.

9:04 am on Thursday, February 3, 2011

Scott & Steven, I live on a cul-de-sac in the village also and was concerned we might not be able to get out of our street for days. I too was pleasantly surprised -- the plows came through on Tuesday night and again early on Wednesday morning. One truck was even stranded in our cul-de-sac for a while around 5:30 Wednesday morning. We are grateful to the Oswego Public Works department for …   more ›

On Loan from the Library

Downloadable Audiobooks Have Arrived at Oswego Public Library District

We've got step-by-step instructions on how to get books on your portable listening device.

The Oswego Public Library District is happy to announce that downloadable audiobooks for adults, teens and children are now available through the library’s website. Select Downloadable Audiobooks on the left side of the web page and after entering your library bar code number and clicking on the submit button, you will be redirected to Net Library, where you may create a free account and download your selections. Join the 44 users who have mastered this new technology. Don’t be daunted if you are a first time user. Need more information about downloadable audiobooks? Library staff will host a program on from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the Montgomery Campus. Bring your portable listening device and your questions. Due to technical …

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