Three years ago, the Hinsdale Public Library was thrilled to be selected as local author Cristina Henriquez’s favorite place. The New Yorker Radio Hour visited the library on a late October afternoon with Cristina to record a segment for their podcast, which aired in December 2017.
As she toured her favorite library haunts, Cristina took a turn down the fiction aisle including authors whose last names start with “H” to find her book, “The Book of Unknown Americans,” on HPL’s shelves. We were delighted to be acknowledged by a local author and we want to share the delight of being acknowledged with local authors.
One of our newest collections is Hinsdale Voices. Hinsdale Voices features books by authors we know live or have lived in the community and gives them a special home. If you are wondering if a local author has something that interests you, the answer is most likely yes. Our shelf of titles includes poetry, mysteries, fiction, picture books, short stories and nonfiction, all from the pens and keyboards of your neighbors. (Items can currently be picked up by contactless curbside pickup. Just let us know if you want something from our Hinsdale Voices shelf!)
Spend some time with another local author next week as the library’s director, Karen Keefe, interviews Hinsdale’s own Susan O’Byrne. If that name sounds familiar, you might have heard about her “Coffee Spoons and Other Stories,” published in 2018, which received some deserved Hinsdale buzz. (She’s also a contributing columnist for The Hinsdalean!) Her debut novel, “Kansas, She Said,” came out in August of this year. The conversation will take place virtually on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. Register for the event on the library’s website at https://wwwhinsdalelibrary.info/events or give us a call at (630) 986-1976 to join the conversation.
Since March, our virtual program offerings have continued to grow. A benefit of virtual programming is the ease of recording them. Now you can watch some of our original and recorded programming at your own pace. Find NovelTea, Tech Talks, and other programs on our YouTube channel. Great New Reads, a series of quick videos recommending some of our favorite young adult books, will be coming soon. These playlists are available at https://www.youtube.com/hinsdalelibrary.
For more information, check out the library’s winter newsletter featuring virtual programs on at-home fitness, online cooking resources, at-home craft activities and more, which will arrive after Thanksgiving.
We are still your community library. Our programs are planned with you in mind as some even feature local talent. Stay connected to us during our temporary closure by requesting items for curbside pickup, registering for a virtual program, checking out an eBook from our collection, or simply stay in touch by phone or online chat. We are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Other questions can be answered at https://www.hinsdalelibrary.info/faq. Stay well.
— by Cynthia Dieden, adult services manager, and Molly Castor, marketing and outreach manager, of the Hinsdale Public Library.
