• Sign In
  • CITY
  • SCHOOLS
  • ART & LIFE
  • PUBLIC SQUARE
  • SPORTS
  • BUSINESS
  • FOOD
  • CALENDAR
  • PHOTOS
  • NEWSLETTER
  • DONATE
  • About us
  • Jobs
  • Advertise
  • Mobile app
  • Submit a letter
  • Environment
  • Reparations
  • Evanston History
  • Weddings
  • Obituaries
  • FAQ
  • Join the RoundTable team
  • Contact us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • RSS
Skip to content
  • About us
  • Jobs
  • Advertise
  • Mobile app
  • Submit a letter
  • Environment
  • Reparations
  • Evanston History
  • Weddings
  • Obituaries
  • FAQ
  • Join the RoundTable team
  • Contact us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • RSS
Evanston RoundTable

Evanston RoundTable

Evanston's community newspaper since 1998

  • Sign In
Sign In
  • CITY
  • SCHOOLS
  • ART & LIFE
  • PUBLIC SQUARE
  • SPORTS
  • BUSINESS
  • FOOD
  • CALENDAR
  • PHOTOS
  • NEWSLETTER
  • DONATE
Posted inBooks

Summer reading and more at Evanston Public Library

Fun, educational programs for all ages are coming to libraries, parks and beaches near you
Avatar photo by Mark Miller June 6th, 2022June 7th, 2022

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Sign up for our free newsletter to have Evanston news delivered directly to your inbox every weekday!


The Evanston Public Library is offering summer programs to community members of all ages at various locations around the city. Take a look at some of the offerings:

Hear a story in the park

Children’s librarians will be reading aloud in parks around town this summer:

  • Family Storytime: The books are perfect for ages 3 to 7, but the storytime is fun for everyone. Head to Fountain Square on the first and third Tuesdays at 10 a.m. 
  • The Young & The Restless: A 30-minute storytime for the littlest listeners, at 10 a.m. every Thursday in Brummel Park, located at Brummel Street And Elmwood Avenue. 

Play READO and win prizes with Summer Reading

“Read Beyond the Beaten Path,” this year’s children’s summer reading challenge for toddlers through fifth graders, began on June 1. Children are encouraged to drop by the Main Library, the Robert Crown Branch or at an Evanston Public Library table at community events happening throughout town to sign up. Anyone who registers will get a free book to keep and a scratch-off READO card. Scratch off five in a row for a prize activity kit and get entered to win the grand prize at the end of the summer.

“We’re handing out books first, so everyone gets a book to start their summer,” Librarian Laura Antolin said. “Our biggest goal is to put a book in everyone’s hands. Starting out by giving out books means that we will be able to distribute new books to more families and more kids right away with the idea that that is the book that starts your summer. You pick the book that you love.”

Go to camp at the library

The Library has partnered with organizations throughout the community to develop two camps designed to provide opportunities to BIPOC and underrepresented youth in STEAM fields and entrepreneurship. A STEAM Camp in partnership with Oakton Community College launches July 18, and an entrepreneurial camp with local business owners starts June 13.

  • STEAM Camp:In partnership with Oakton Community College, EPL’s Robert Crown Branch will host a two-week STEAM Camp for students ages 8-12. The two-week camp starts July 18. Full and half-day options are available. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
  • Innovate Entrepreneurship Camp: Turn your ideas into income! Beginning June 13 at the Main Library, join us for eight sessions to learn from local entrepreneurs how to start, brand and market your business, on Mondays and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m., for students in grades 5 through 8.

For more information, contact Carmen Francellno at cfrecellno@cityofevanston.org.

Hang out at the Teen Loft

Expanded hours at the Loft, EPL’s space for teens on the third floor of the Main Library, begin Thursday, June 9, and last throughout summer vacation. Librarians will have activities to keep teens engaged and exploring new interests and ideas. Teens are invited to stop by from noon to close of library to take part in Pride Month celebrations, learn hydroponic gardening, DIY your own crafts of all kinds and learn filmmaking with the FilmIt! Challenge.

Can’t make it to the Main Library? EPL staff will also be bringing a Taste of the Loft to the community. Watch out for the Bookmobile that will be setting up at Evanston Township High School on Tuesdays, Fleetwood-Jourdain on Wednesdays, and Chute Middle School on Thursdays this summer.

Find us at a pop-up in your neighborhood

Residents will find Library staff at First Fridays at Mason Park on the first Friday of every month, at the Pride Parade on June 5, and at Evanston’s Juneteenth Celebration on June 18. The Library also will host parties on the fourth Friday of each month all summer long, starting with a Dime Dance-Off from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, June 24, at Brummel Park.

EPL On the Fly! Pop-ups are returning! Find librarians around town for STEAM activities like bottle rockets, beach visits with capture the flag, double dutch and much more.

Information on all of the programs offered by the Evanston Public Library is available at www.epl.org/summer2022. Or drop by the Main Library or EPL’s Robert Crown Branch to grab a summer read and find even more fun.

Support the RoundTable!

As a financial supporter of the RoundTable, your contribution throughout the year powers our work covering all the vital news that matters in Evanston! Please consider making an additional gift!

$
$
$

Your contribution is tax-deductible. We appreciate your support!

Give now and double your impact!

From now until December 31, new monthly donations and one-time gifts will be matched by the NewsMatch collaborative fundraising campaign. Please consider a gift to support our work in 2024! Your donation may qualify you for a great gift - click here to learn more.

$
$
$

Your contribution is tax-deductible. We appreciate your support!

Latest News

  • How you can help sustain local, nonprofit newsrooms December 5th, 2023
  • Onetime ‘library kid’ is the new Evanston Public Library leader December 5th, 2023
  • ETHS chess team splits matches at Palatine tournament December 5th, 2023
  • County’s concerns about ranked-choice voting prompts City officials to hesitate on proposal that would open voting to non-citizens December 5th, 2023
  • YWCA hosts toy drive for children at Mary Lou’s Place December 5th, 2023

Trending

  • With work finished at Canal Shores, now it's time to watch the grass grow
    With work finished at Canal Shores, now it's time to watch the grass grow
  • Letter to the editor: Let's move on a positive path to new Ryan Field
    Letter to the editor: Let's move on a positive path to new Ryan Field
  • 'The coolest' award: ETHS honors alumni who give back
    'The coolest' award: ETHS honors alumni who give back
  • District 65 math scores rebound, but opportunity gap persists, report says
    District 65 math scores rebound, but opportunity gap persists, report says
  • City 'developing a process' for public input on Ryan Field historic preservation review
    City 'developing a process' for public input on Ryan Field historic preservation review
  • ETHS boys basketball team notches big win
    ETHS boys basketball team notches big win
  • The holidays pop at Evanston Made shop
    The holidays pop at Evanston Made shop
  • Evanston's Best: Specialty food stores
    Evanston's Best: Specialty food stores
  • The lazy shopper's guide to effortless holiday giving
    The lazy shopper's guide to effortless holiday giving
  • Virginia Brown LaRock, devoted ESCCA volunteer, dies at 94
    Virginia Brown LaRock, devoted ESCCA volunteer, dies at 94
Evanston RoundTable
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • Home
  • City News
  • Schools
  • Art & Life
  • Public Square
  • Food and Dining
  • Sports
  • Community Calendar
  • Reports & Analyses
  • Obituaries
  • Podcasts and video
  • Reparations
  • Evanston History
  • Our mission
  • About us
  • Advisory Committee
  • Board of Directors
  • Donate
  • Diversity, equity and inclusion
  • Get the newsletter
  • Read us on your mobile device
  • Submit a letter to the editor
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
  • Evanston RoundTable privacy notice

The Evanston RoundTable is the community’s leading source of news about local government, schools, civic and artistic activities, and other important issues facing our city. We seek to foster civic engagement and empower people to address complex issues facing our diverse community, promoting a better understanding and appreciation of people of all races, ethnicities, and income levels.

Evanston Roundtable
1514 Elmwood Avenue
Suite 2
Evanston, Illinois 60201
847.864.7741

© 2023 Evanston RoundTable Media NFP. Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic Evanston RoundTable privacy notice
I don't have an account I already have an account

Sign In

We've recently sent you an authentication link. Please, check your inbox!

Sign in with a password below, or sign in using your email.

Get a code sent to your email to sign in, or sign in using a password.

Enter the code you received via email to sign in, or sign in using a password.

Sign in with your email

Lost your password?

Try a different email

Send another code

Sign in with a password

OR

By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.

Close