With taxes due July 15th, the AARP Tax-Aide program is now providing online methods for the preparation of taxes—at no cost. You can request the help of a volunteer coach in preparing your tax returns.  Visit https://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/ and click on the “Get Help Online” button for additional information.

For the safety of both customers and volunteers, the AARP will not be resuming their Tax-Aide program at the Chester County Library or Henrietta Hankin Branch Library this year.

In light of the ongoing George Floyd protests, Warner Bros. has announced that for the month of June it will make the movie Just Mercy available to rent for free across digital platforms. “We believe in the power of story,” representatives from Warner Bros. said in a statement. “Our film Just Mercy, based on the life work of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, is one resource we can humbly offer to those who are interested in learning more about the systemic racism that plagues our society.” (Shaffer, Claire. “Warner Bros. Makes ‘Just Mercy’ Free to Stream to Educate Viewers on Systematic Racism.” Rolling Stone, 2 June 2020) To learn more, visit the Warner Bros. website at https://www.warnerbros.com/.

The movie Just Mercy is a 2019 civil rights legal drama derived from the book Just Mercy: a story of justice and redemption, written by Bryan Stevenson, which was published in 2014. This book is available to borrow in either ebook or e-audiobook in our Overdrive collection. There is a version of the book adapted for young people available in ebook format as well.

A related read is The Sun Does Shine, a memoir written by a client of Bryan Stevenson, Anthony Ray Hinton. This book details the harrowing account of Mr. Hinton’s 30 years on death row for a crime that he did not commit. Available to borrow in OverDrive in both ebook and e-audiobook format.

The Next Chapter Book Club is a program that welcomes adolescents and adults with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and other intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in reading and discussing books together in a fun and informal social setting. It is the largest community-based book club program of its kind in the world with hundreds of clubs meeting weekly in North America, Australia and Europe. The Chester County Library and Henrietta Hankin Branch became an affiliate in 2019 and Henrietta Hankin Library has been hosting a club that has been meeting since June 4th, 2019.

As we approach our Next Chapter Book Club’s one-year anniversary, we find ourselves adjusting to the times and have begun meeting virtually via Zoom from 5:00-6:00pm on Wednesdays. We are always open to accepting new members as well as volunteers to help co-facilitate. This June is a particularly opportune time to join in the fun, as we are in the process of selecting our next long book which we hope to begin reading in July. For more information or to sign up, please contact Henrietta Hankin Branch librarian, Claire Michelle Viola at cviola@ccls.org. For more information on the Next Chapter Book Club program, check out their website at https://www.nextchapterbookclub.org/.

Did you know that with your library card you have instant access to over 16,000 eBooks from the world’s leading publishers across all major subject areas? It’s true! Just go to our the Tools and Research tab on our website at chescolibraries and select “All CCLS databases.”

eBooks on EBSCOhost (POWER Library) includes both fiction and nonfiction books for children, young adults and adults. It’s a great way to find a book to read for a book club or reading group, since it is always available to any number of readers. Give it a look! Just click on this link and scroll down to eBooks on EBSCO. https://www.ccls.org/196/Databases-by-Name

Here are just a few of the many tantalizing reads available through this database:

If I Were a Park Ranger

The Center for Disease Control and Pennsylvania Department of Health have advised residents to wear masks when performing essential tasks in public to help slow the spread of COVID-19. In the interest of saving surgical masks and N95 respirators for health care workers and first responders, members of the public are encouraged to wear homemade cloth or fabric masks. In support of this health promoting effort, State Senator Andy Dinniman has launched a homemade mask challenge.

This online challenge invites all PA residents to submit photos of their homemade masks. At the end of the week, Senator Dinniman’s office will pick out the most creative masks, and the masks which best fit the theme of “My Mask Protects You, Your Mask Protects Me.” Then, they will open it up to a community vote. Winners from both categories will receive a senatorial citation!

Voting will begin today, so submit your photos between now and Friday to become part of the fun. For more information on the challenge and to submit photos, visit www.facebook.com/SenatorAndyDinniman.

For guidance on how you can make your masks at home, you can find instruction for both no-sew and sewn masks at the Center for Disease Control website at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html. Additional guidance and resources are available from the PA Department of Health website at https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Stop-the-Spread.aspx. You also might want to check out this New York Times article for a step-by-step tutorial: https://www.nytimes.com/article/how-to-make-face-mask-coronavirus.html.

Good luck with your mask-making, and remember, the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to stay at home. Be safe and well!