Artists from the Chester County Library & District Center’s Maker and Teen Artist in Residence programs will be featured in an art show and reception at the Library on Thursday, September 21st from 6-7:30 p.m. The show features work created during both artists’ residencies at the library from April through August of this year. Meet the artists and learn more about the program and their work. For more information about the event please visit https://bit.ly/3R0zUxS.
Megan Raab Greenholt is the Library’s inaugural Maker-in-Resident. During her residency, Megan engaged visitors in hands-on learning about natural dyes, embroidery, textile collages, and the history and current practice of indigo dying techniques, focusing on the contributions of enslaved peoples in indigo production from South Carolina plantations during the Colonial Era to the modern day reclamation of the practice by African American artist. The final large textile work created from pieces made by participants in residency workshops entitled FREEDOM will be unveiled at the show.
Alayna Rodner just completed her residency with the Library as our first Teen Artist in Residence. During her residency, Alayna led a teen figure drawing workshop and worked on pieces for her portfolio as she prepares for her Senior year of high school and the art school application process. Alayna typically works in oil and watercolor paints and charcoal, and her work can be seen out in the community at Ludwig’s Corner Hardware Store in Chester Springs.
Both the Teen Artist in Residence and the Maker-in-Residence programs are made possible thanks to the generous support of the Friends of the Chester County Library and District Center.
Join us in person at the Henrietta Hankin Branch Library on Tuesday, September 19 at 6 p.m. for a special Author Event with John F. Dobbyn as he discusses the buildup of events related to the setting of Deadly Depths, his newest book.
Deadly Depths is a historical novel ranging from three centuries, the Aztecs, Jamaican Maroons, and the Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean. In addition, Dobbyn is the author of six mystery/thriller novels.
A graduate of Harvard College, Boston College Law School, and Harvard Law School, Dobbyn is a former professor of law at Villanova Law School where he taught criminal, constitutional, and corporate law.
Registration is encouraged. This event is free. Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to purchase a signed copy of Deadly Depths.
To register for this special event, please visit https://bit.ly/44C8EJg. For additional information, please contact Barbara Vitelli, Reference Librarian at bvitelli@ccls.org.
September is Library Card Sign-up Month – a time when Chester County Library System joins the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries nationwide to remind everyone about the valuable resources available with a library card.
“The Chester County Library & District Center is really excited to partner with Senator Comitta for our first-ever Library Card Sign-Up Fest this September! There is so much to discover at the library,” said Chester County Library Director, Mary Gazdik. “I hope families will join us on September 17th from 1-4 pm at Chester County Library in Exton for a fun day where you can get a taste of some delicious ice cream from Maggie Moos and check out all the fun activities we have planned for the day including crafts, face painting, story times with special guest readers including Miss Pennsylvania, Miranda Moore, and Miss Pennsylvania’s Teen, Lizzie Shacklett, the YMCA of Greater Brandywine’s Zoo & Stem On Wheels Van with animals, special character visits, games and of course, you can sign-up for your library card. Fire up your imagination and dive into all the library has to offer and make sure you start the school year with the most important school supply—a library card!”
Senator Comitta also stated, “Public libraries serve as a centerpiece to our communities and a library card is your key to access all of the opportunities for growth, education, enrichment, and entertainment they have to offer,” Comitta, who serves on the Senate Education Committee, said. “I want to thank the Chester County Library & District Center for hosting our Library Card Sign-Up Fest, as well as all of the staff, volunteers, and supporters who keep our libraries running strong.”
From borrowing books, audiobooks, ebooks, or playing a new tabletop game to getting homework help, learning new skills, or attending story time – a library card helps you do more of what you enjoy. Get a library card and dive into a new hobby. Use your library card to tinker in a maker space and spark your creativity. “A library card is your most important school supply—it’s elemental, really—and everyone should have one!” said Gazdik.
Chester County Library and its Henrietta Hankin Branch offer early literacy resources to help younger children learn to read and encourage school readiness. For teens and older students, they provide access to technology and digital tools (such as 3D printers, button makers, scanners, and audio-visual recording and editing equipment) as well as GED resources for adult learners.
Did you know you can borrow family museum passes from these libraries for free? Visit an area zoo, museum, or garden – you just need a Chester County Library System card!
Are you taking a vacation, or doing virtual work on the road? The Chester County Library and Henrietta Hankin Branch also rent mobile hotspots which allow library cardholders to access unlimited, high-speed Internet service anywhere a T-Mobile signal can be received. Connect up to ten devices at a time, including desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.
Chester County Library also offers various resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners helping to create economic vitality in communities by providing internet and technology access, literacy skills, and support for job seekers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs.
Since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year. During the month, the ALA and libraries unite in a national effort to ensure every child signs up for a library card. This program supports PA Forward Basic Literacy.Follow the Pennsylvania Library Association, PA Forward, ALA and I Love Libraries on social media and use the hashtags: #PALibraries #NationalLibraryCardSignUpMonth #LibrariesTransform #ILOVELIBRARIES #ILOVEMYLIBRARY #PAFORWARD #BasicLiteracy.
For more information about how to sign up for a library card, please visit Chester County Library or Henrietta Hankin Branch Library in person or online at chescolibraries.org. The mission of the Chester County and Henrietta Hankin Branch Libraries is to provide informational, educational, and cultural services to the residents of Chester County so that they may be lifelong learners. Chester County Library & District Center is located at 450 Exton Square Parkway, Exton, PA. For hours or more information, visit our website at www.ccls.org.
The Chester County Library & District Center will host their third Housing Fair on Saturday, September 9 from 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Multiple service organizations throughout Chester County will be on-site to share information about their housing programs. Services cover a variety of needs, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, vouchers, and rental assistance.
Organizations that will be in attendance include ACT in Faith of Greater West Chester, Bridge of Hope Chester County, Domestic Violence Center of Chester County, Good Samaritan Services, Home of the Sparrow, Housing Authority of Chester County, Housing Partnership of Chester County, Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, North Star of Chester County, and W.C. Atkinson Memorial Community Service Center, Inc. A representative from West Chester University’s Community Mental Health Services clinic will also be available to provide information about their mental health services for the public.
At 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., the Housing Partnership of Chester County (HPCC) will lead Credit Counseling Workshops in the Burke Room. Without good credit, it is nearly impossible to secure proper/stable housing, whether renting or purchasing. During the workshop, HPCC will cover the basic principles that everyone should understand including how credit is reported, the credit bureaus, FICO scores, and how to improve your credit situation.
This event is intended for individuals who are unsheltered, housing unstable, or at risk of losing housing. Registration is not required.
The year is 1960. Father Ambrose has been found murdered in the basement crypt of an old Abbey. Can you unravel the secrets of this isolated Abbey and the strange goings-on surrounding a carefully guarded secret? A secret that may include the lost works of Da Vinci, and a conspiracy that reaches as far back as the Vatican. Even the possibility of supernatural forces may be at work. Over the course of the night, you must unravel the mystery of “The Abbey” and solve this intriguing whodunnit!
Join us for a Da Vinci Murder Mystery at Revival Pizza Pub, 240 Windgate Drive Suite A7, Chester Springs, PA 19425. Registration is required at https://bit.ly/3DS0XnD. This event is for adults ages 18 years and up. This program supports PA Forward’s Civic and Social Literacy.
Chester County Library is pleased to announce a call for teen artists for our inaugural Teen Artist-in-Residence Summer Program. The residency program provides an opportunity for teen artists to create inspiring work, advocate for the arts, and share their amazing talents with the community. The selected teen artist will hold regular studio hours at the library allowing the artist to create on-site sharing their creative process with library patrons as well as lead a workshop for youth in the community. The residency will culminate with a show of the teen artist’s work.
The Teen Artist-in-Residence program is open to Chester County teens currently in grades 9-12. Our ideal candidate is passionate about creating and wants to connect and share their passion with others. The teen artist does not need to have any formal art training or coursework.
This program is supported by the generosity of the Friends of the Chester County Library. For more information about the CCL Friends please visit https://chescolibraries.org/about/ and click on “Friends of the Chester County Library.”
All interested potential Teen Artist-in-Residence should apply online at https://bit.ly/TeenArtist23 by Thursday, June 1st. For additional information, please contact the Teen Artist-in-Residence team at cclmakerinresidence@ccls.org.
(EXTON, PA) — Non-profits from a variety of service sectors will be at the Chester County Library in Exton to promote their open volunteer positions. Stop by on Saturday, May 6 between 9:30 am-1:00 pm to learn about 17 different organizations’ missions and opportunities to give back. Adoptable dogs from Main Line Animal Rescue will also be on site.
The fair will take place in the Reference Department and the Struble Room of the Chester County Library. Represented service sectors include animals, arts, civics, environmental, ESL, health, human services, youth, and more. Positions for teens are also available. No matter your schedule or skillset, there’s an organization that could use your help!
Attendees will include:
• All 4 Paws Rescue
• American Red Cross, Delaware Valley Chapter
• Boy Scouts of America
• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Delaware and Chester Counties
• Chester County Compeer
• Community Volunteers in Medicine
• Crime Victims’ Center
• French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust
• Good Samaritan Services
• Habitat for Humanity
• League of Women Voters
• LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County
• Main Line Animal Rescue
• Meals on Wheels
• Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) Adult Tutoring Program
• PA MEDI/Chester County Department of Aging
• RSVP Volunteers
• Wharton Esherick Museum
For additional information regarding the event, please call Community Engagement Librarian, Kelly Quigg, at 610-344-5957
(EXTON, PA) – Join us at the Chester County Library & District Center on April 29th from 10 AM to 4 PM, for a celebration of 80s, 90s, and early-aughts nostalgia, sponsored by the library’s XYZ Connect Committee!
The XYZ Connect Committee was formed to develop programming for library patrons from generations X, Y, and Z. With programs such as Nerd Con, Crime Spree, Paint Night, and Murder Mysteries, we provide young adults a space to connect with peers and experience the library’s many resources in a way that is entertaining, accessible, and affordable.
NostalgiaRama is a fun, free way to connect with peers and reminisce about all the things—shows, games, food, and fashion—that made the decades we grew up in great. Whether you’re a kid from the eighties, nineties, or early aughts, there’s bound to be something you’ll love. Attendees can play vintage video games on a number of different consoles, from the N64 to the Wii. Guests can also compete for cool prizes in our trivia contest, or try to catch ‘em all in our Pokémon card game tournament—bring your own deck, or use one of ours!
If you aren’t feeling competitive, kick back with some of your favorite childhood snacks and watch old cartoons like Ed, Edd, and Eddy and Courage the Cowardly Dog, which will be showing all day. All guests are encouraged to dress up in their best retro clothes and take a picture in our photo booth to be entered for a raffle prize. You can even take a little of the fun home with you, as nostalgic goodie bags will be available to attendees while supplies last.
Registration is not required for this event, and admission is totally free. For more information, please visit www.chescolibraries.org and click on “Events.”
FRIENDS OF CHESTER COUNTY LIBRARY SPRING BOOK SALE is scheduled for April 14-16, 2023. Various books, music, and movie CDs and DVDs will be sold at bargain prices. A huge selection of children’s books will be available in a separate room.
Friday, April 14, 6 to 8:30 p.m. — The sale starts for members of the Friends of the Chester County Library only. Memberships can be purchased on Friday night starting at 5 p.m. at the membership table or in advance by mailing in the membership form available at the Library or on our website.
Saturday, April 15, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. — The sale will be open to the public.
Sunday, April 16, 1 to 4 p.m. — During ‘Bag Sale Day’ we will supply the bag; you fill it and pay $10 (only $7 per bag with your FRIENDS membership). The books will be sold at half-price for less than a whole bag.
We accept cash, checks, or PayPal. All proceeds from the Book Sale benefit the Chester County Library.
Megan Raab Greenholt selected for the inaugural program at the Chester County Library Center
The Chester County Library Center is pleased to announce Megan Raab Greenholt for the inaugural Maker-in-Residence program this spring. Selected through an open call conducted earlier this year, Ms. Raab Greenholt is a multi-disciplinary artist that explores printmaking, textiles, collage, painting, and sculpture. As a practicing artist and educator, discovery is integral to her practice as she uses a process-oriented approach to facilitate an intuitive response to materials as a means to encourage community engagement and wonder. Megan currently maintains an active studio practice in Elverson, PA.
We invite you to learn about natural dyes and observe Megan’s current work in progress using naturally dyed materials during open studio hours at the Exton and Henrietta Hankin Library branches that include 2 hours of hands-on maker experience (ages 6+) to create your own embroidered textile collage. Open studio hours will be held weekly beginning March 28th and run through June 28th.
In addition to her open studio hours, Megan will be conducting four (4) workshops for people ages 16+ at the Chester County Library Center and two (2) workshops designed for a parent/guardian and child (age 8+) experience. The workshops will celebrate Chester County’s Juneteenth theme, “Journeying Towards Freedom” by learning about the history of indigo in our country and its use in the creative practices of contemporary African American artists.
This program is supported by the generosity of the Friends of the Chester County Library. For more information about the CCL Friends please visit https://chescolibraries.org/about/ and click on “Friends of the Chester County Library:
To find out more or to register for the workshops, please visit www.chescolibraries.org and click on “Events”. For additional information, please contact Mary Gazdik, Library Director at mgazdik@ccls.org.
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