Hundreds of patrons found the Woodridge Public Library transformed into a winter wonderland when they took part in Frosty Fest Weekend on December 9 and 10. The big hit of the weekend was the scavenger hunt which had kids searching for snowmen hidden throughout the Children's Department and, of course, eating cookies around the giant library "book tree" towering in the lobby.

Here's a look at Frosty Fest Weekend by the numbers:
.6 inches of snow - just enough for a "frosty effect"
500 festive attendees - all ages: toddlers to great-grandparents
250 Snowman Scavenger Hunt participants - who won 250 Snowman Soup mixes
52 hidden snowmen - 6 careful counters found them all and won a DuPage Children's Museum ticket
105 Frosty Puppet Show viewers
95 cookie decorators
125 entries for the "win Frosty" drawing - 1 lucky winner took Frosty home!
310 candy canes munched
over 2,280 cookies enjoyed

These snowman-themed activities, shows and treats marked the end of the library's yearlong celebration of its 50th anniversary. The Woodridge Public Library will continue the tradition of free family-friendly programs in the New Year. Patrons are invited to mark their calendar for "Dinosaur Day," coming January 2o.

Thursday, February 8 at 4 p.m. Register today!

Woodridge Police Chief Cunningham and Officer McIntyre will read stories and talk with children about animals and characters that are good friends, and kind community members.

Recommended for ages 3 to 8, all ages are welcome: under 5 year's old with adult.

Image is from the book Officer Buckle & Gloria by Peggy Rathmann.

Use the Events Calendar to sign your child up for a storytime program. The spring session begins March 12. Please choose from the following:

Baby Lapsit I: Ages 3 - 11 Months: Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m.

Baby Lapsit II: Ages 12 - 23 Months: Mondays, 10:30 a.m., Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m., Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.

Toddler Time: Age 2: Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m., Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.

Storytime: Ages 3 - 5: Mondays, 9:30 a.m., Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m.,  Wednesdays, 7 p.m., Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.

Cuentos Y Canciones en Español: Spanish Stories & Songs: Preschool to Age 9: Tuesdays, 6 p.m.

Drop-In Family Storytimes: Ages 2 - 5: Saturdays, 11 a.m.

Lunch will be served to children on Mondays and Thursdays, from noon to 1 p.m., in the 2nd floor meeting room of the Woodridge Public Library. The program begins on Thursday, June 8 and ends on Monday, August 14. This is a free program sponsored by the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Attendees may drop in to any lunch service: there is no registration. 

In addition to the noon lunch, library activities (reading a story or working on puzzles) will be offered from 11:30 a.m. to noon, and a Learning Time with volunteer teachers will take place from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Items that are eligible for automatic renewal and that do not have holds on them will be automatically renewed two days before they are due. You will receive an email about the items that were renewed with the new due date as well as about items that were not renewed if you have an email address in your account. If you do not have an email address on your account, you can check due dates by logging into “My Account” on the library catalog or contacting the library. Please contact us if you’d like to add your email address to your account.  

Thank you to all of our wonderful Children’s Department Summer Reading Program donors! Their donations provided lots of extra incentives to keep our community’s children and families reading over the summer. This generous support of our donors help to make our Summer Reading Program a huge success!

Aurelio’s Pizza
Bridgeview Bank
Brookfield Zoo
Chicago Fire 
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre 
Chicago White Sox
Chili’s Grill & Bar
Colonial Café & Ice Cream 
Cypress Cove
Dr. Robert Girgis
DuPage Children’s Museum
DuPage County Fair
Enchanted Castle 
Frugal Muse
Joliet Slammers
Kane County Cougars 
Legoland Discovery Center
Lombard Roller Skating Rink
Meijers
Menchie’s
Papa’s Pizza Place
Pump it Up!
Shedd Aquarium
Tivoli Classic Cinemas
Windy City Thunderbolts
Zigfield Troy Lost Mountain

We are hosting a special 50th Anniversary Ice Cream Party on Saturday, July 29 at noon. 

Patrons of all ages are invited to have a free scoop of ice cream at our Summer Reading celebration. The Darien Culver's will be sending their mascot, Scoopy, out to the library to take photos and join in the fun. 

No sign-up, just ice cream and smiles for everyone - while the scoops last!

You still have time to join a Summer Reading program. We have a reading club, book suggestions and prize chances for every age, through July 29.

Chicago Fire rep and former player Chris Solomons led Woodridge kids through drills and mini games at the Woodridge Library on July 20, with more clinics scheduled on July 22. The kid patrons of the Woodridge Library enjoyed the tips and training given by the pro. Solomons is currently in the running for MLS Community MVP Contest for his work in community outreach.

The free soccer clinics at the library were open to kids age 7 to 14. Check out our album of pictures from the event. Children who participate in the library's summer reading program may earn a free ticket to a Chicago Fire game! 

We are not giving out solar eclipse glasses. On Monday we will have pairs to use at the Library to view the eclipse and we'll be live streaming the eclipse from Carbondale, IL. 

Most places are out of solar eclipse glasses now. There are some events around Chicagoland that will be giving out limited amounts of glasses. Some of those events have admission costs.

If you want to view the eclipse, you can create a pinhole projector or find a place that will have glasses to use the day of. Please stay safe while viewing the eclipse. Again, we will have solar eclipse glasses to use at the Library during the event.

The Woodridge Public Library invites Woodridge artists to register for the 17th Annual Woodridge Art Show being held in October. This popular show gives Woodridge residents 18 years and over a chance to display up to three original pieces of art. Beginners as well as experienced artists are welcome. An application form and information for participants is available online or at the circulation desk. Registration is open through September 22.

The value of today’s libraries goes beyond books. Librarians are leaders in their communities – helping people of any age to find what they need to help improve their quality of life. This September, we're joining with the American Library Association and libraries nationwide for Library Card Sign-up Month, an initiative to make sure that every student has the most important school supply of all – a free library card. 

Libraries build a foundation for children’s future success starting from the earliest stages of development. Librarians play a key role in helping children develop the basic tools for school readiness by teaching families the components of early literacy. As of 2010, children’s programs accounted for nearly two thirds of library programming in the United States, with more than 2.3 million children’s programs nationwide. Older students can also find tools for success at their local libraries, where they can access high-speed Internet and digital tools, as well as working with trained professionals on how best to use these resources. 

As new technologies evolve, libraries continue to lead the way in providing equity of access to digital tools and media, which has become increasingly important in high-poverty areas where students are less likely to have a computer or internet service at home. Close to 90 percent of libraries offer digital literacy training to help students of all ages navigate today’s changing world. 

Resources at the Woodridge Public Library are available to anyone with a library card. Students can turn to the library for materials, programs and knowledgeable library staff that support academic achievement.  
 
To celebrate Library Card Sign Up Month and our Golden Anniversary, we have special gold library cards for new and current library members. Encourage a friend or neighbor to get their library card, or come upgrade yours. 

And the winner is...stretchy, glittery and oh so slimy!
 
After a complete and thorough judging of the Teen & Tween Slime contest by the Library GOATs (Group of Advising Teens), a Most Awesome Slime award goes to slime expert Victoria T. The "Golden Glitter" slime concoction won over the judges with its soft touch, easy stretch, good smell and strength during the pulling and tossing. Our thanks to all of the slime participants for their successfully slimy creations. All slime contestants should visit the Circulation Desk for a prize or thank you gift, and to retrieve their slime.
 

Winning Slime Recipe

1. Add 2 1/2 bottles of Elmer's clear glue to a bowl
2. Grab a separate bowl and mix 1 tablespoon of Borax and 1 tablespoon of warm water
3. Slowly add borax solution to the glue, mixing after each tablespoon is added
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until slime doesn't stick to your work surface

Congratulations to the winners of the Mini Pumpkin and Squash Decorating contest. We had a tie for 1st place between the Young household-who created a fantastic Frankenstein squash (get it, Young Frankenstein?) and the Gomez household - who created an elegant tuxedo vampire pumpkin. Each 1st place winner received a $25 Target gift card. 
There were over 60 entries and the quality and creativity was so high we judged them in multiple categories so we could have more winners! All of the winners of these categories should stop by the Circulation Desk for a prize.

 
Categories and the winning households include:
Cutest: Salvi
Funniest: Rauba
Spookiest: Palus
Most Artistic: Angeles
Glitter Award: Mendoza
Storybook: McLaughlin
Most Dramatic: Sterijevski
Library’s Golden Anniversary: Gross
 
We also created a category just for kids, and we are giving them the Kid-tastic award. Tied as winners in the Kid-tastic category are the Chernesky and Vasilyev households.
 
We love the creative and frightful pumpkins that were entered in the contest. If you entered a pumpkin or squash, please see the Circulation Desk for a small thank you for participating.
 
Great job everyone!