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2022 brought lots of changes to NPL! We got to say  "Hello!" and "Yes, please!" to many patrons, community partners, and opportunities. Some of our highlights, including the new & improved website you're reading RIGHT NOW:

We surveyed our patrons and staff to see what books stood out as their best reads in 2022 and why. Then we put them on display! Looking for your next read? Start here with some listed below or peruse the display in person near our main floor service desk.

Welcome to 2023! It's National Hobby Month as well as International Creativity Month, and we at NPL have plenty to spark your creativity this year. Ready to pick up a new-to-you hobby? Stop by our Create Joy display in the adult nonfiction section for some inspo.

Time for one of my favorite book-casions: Jolabokaflod. What's that, you say? It's the Christmas Book Flood and originated in Iceland. It's the tradition in this book-loving country to purchase books for one another which are given on Christmas Eve along with chocolate.

Prefer text notifications to emails or phone calls? We can do that via ShoutBomb!

If you'd like to get a text from NPL notifying you when your hold becomes available, or to renew your items, you can do so. To get started:

Planning a trip to Italy to celebrate your anniversary? Collaborating with your Chinese counterparts in your company’s Beijing branch? Just want to brush up that language you studied for four years in school, but somehow can’t seem to remember at all? We’ve got you covered.

Got a tedious task? Need to exercise but find it dull? Long trip on the horizon? We’ve got the solution: a Playaway. Playaways are ultra-portable books on audio you can check out with your library card. There’s one audio ‘book’ per device, so load up on several!

Have you felt the crunch of leaves under your feet yet? If not, you will soon. It's time to make your fall bucket list! NPL has the resources to help you achieve those awesome autumn experiences. Check out the 10 examples below for a perfect fall!

Thursday, August 11th at 6:00 pm, Normal Public Library will host award-winning folk singer Chris Vallillo for a musical history program appropriate for all ages, "Oh Freedom! Songs of the Civil Rights Movement."

Book readers and theatregoers often overlap–they are all people who love a story. NPL staff are no exception, and we love bringing theatrical experiences into the library when we can. In the month of July, you have the chance to catch three free performances at your local library.

Ahhh... no feeling like summer reading in the shade. We at Camp NPL are EMBRACING THIS, friends. But what if you can't find something to read? You know the struggle, especially if you're a mood reader. Everything that looked shiny and perfect on the NPL shelves won't quite do when you get home.

Summer Reading 2022 has begun! Our theme this year is Camp NPL: Read Beyond the Beaten Path. We are exploring nature, the outdoors and summer camp-style fun activities.

Our doors and materials are open to everyone. Although most of our materials are in English, we also buy items in other languages, especially at the request of our community. Interested in reading or listening in Spanish? We have materials for all ages en español.

For our May podcast, we discussed books about nature and the environment. This happens to be our theme for May for the Adult Year-Round Reading Challenge, but we also found it to be fitting given the beautiful weather we’ve been enjoying!