New Makerspace at Henrietta Hankin Library

Attention all those with the itch to create! The Henrietta Hankin Branch Library has a brand new Makerspace. What is a makerspace, you may ask? A relatively novel and evolving concept, according to Merriam-Webster, makerspace is defined as “a communal public workshop in which makers can work on small personal projects.” The tools available in our Maker Space are complementary to the ones available in the Chester County Library’s Digital Media Lab, but don’t replicate them. Our new Makerspace houses the following:

  • a book binding machine,
  • a CNC Mill printing machine
  • a Cricut printing machine
  • a Sewing machine & Serger
  • and a Virtual Reality game and learning center

Our book binding machine, the CoilBind S-20A, can punch up to 20 sheets of paper at once (46 holes). It uses 4:1 pitch plastic binding coils, which can be inserted by either using the rapidly spinning electric coil roller on top of the machine or by twisting them manually into the document. It can bind documents up to 2-inches thick. So bring in your children’s books, your professional presentations, or personal projects!

The CNC mill printer is a Nomad 3. CNC (computer numerical control) mills are used for anything that requires precision carving from a solid block of material. A variety of cutting tips allow users to easily cut into materials including soft metals, wood, and plastics. The Nomad 3 incudes integrated software to help make the user experience as easy as possible. Among the many uses one can make of this machine are creating molds for jewelry or other art, engraving, making lithopanes from real photographs, or creating prototypes for business plan pitches.

Our Cricut Maker is top of the line! It’s a smart cutting machine that can handle fabrics, leather, paper, and balsa wood. This machine is a great complement to our high-end sewing machine in its ability to cut fabric patterns. It is also great for scrap-bookers, card makers and crafters of all kinds. Our library staff have been enjoying using the machine to create materials for our popular series of craft programs and take-and-make projects.

The high-end sewing machine is a Bernina 475 QE. It is powerful enough to handle the thick layers of even your biggest quilts while providing consistent thread tensions to make every stitch perfect. It also includes little extras like the thread cutter that keeps projects moving towards completion. The serger, a Bernina L460, is great for overlocking of seams at the fabric edge. It can handle any type of fabrics and is excellent for fine hems in delicate silk or satin fabrics, cutting and sewing heavy linen, fleece and denim fabric, and can create flat and even seams and hems with its differential feeds. The differential feed also will help in producing ruffles, or any type of gathering.

Our Valve Index Virtual Reality kit allows visitors to the Henrietta Hankin Library to explore the world of virtual reality, either for entertainment or education. In addition to playing games, users can take part in virtual learning experiences, such as completely building and dismantling a car engine from scratch, in full 3 dimensions!

So come on in and bring your imaginations to life! Staff and volunteers are on hand to meet with you to get you started.

To reserve a machine or make an appointment for a tutorial go to https://ccls.libcal.com/appointments/hhms, or call our Reference Desk at (610) 344-4196.

Chester County Library’s 10th Annual Holiday Craft Fair This Weekend

Make it a homemade holiday!

The holiday season is a busy time of year. Family gatherings and finding the perfect gift for loved ones can be frustrating and stressful. With time being a precious commodity, remember that the library can be your best destination to find all of your family entertainment, holiday de-stressors, and party planning ideas, as well as unique, one-of-a-kind holiday gifts for everyone on your list! The Chester County Library will be hosting its 10th annual Craft Show this Saturday, December 11th, from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Vendors will be set up throughout the library to display and sell their crafts just in time for the holidays. We have a great selection of vendors this year that you can view here! Save some holiday shopping and enjoy browsing our vendors who will include makers of personalized ornaments, jewelry, pottery, woodworking, knit and fabric crafts, bath and body products, home décor, baked goods, and more!

The Craft Show is free to attend. We look forward to helping you out with your gift search during this holiday season!

5 days of cookies! December 6-10, 2021

Are you looking for new recipes for your holiday baking?  Or longing for some family fun in the kitchen?  Join the Chester County Library Youth Services staff every evening, December 6 – 10, at 6:30 pm and allow us to be your virtual cookie-baker guides each night!  We will bake together over Zoom, so please visit our library events calendar to register for any or all 5 nights of cookie baking!  You supply the ingredients and kitchen, and we will supply the instruction over zoom.  Recipes and all needed materials and ingredients can be found within each program’s description.  For teens, ‘tweens, and children with an adult helper.  
 www.chescolibraries.org>Events>Children’s Programs>5 Days of Cookies 

Giving Tuesday is November 30th

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world on November 30, 2021.

It was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

One of the best ways to get involved is in your own community. The Chester County Library and Henrietta Hankin Branch Library are proud to serve as your community center and provide resources for computer skills, job searches, genealogy, writing workshops, and so much more.

Please help us to uphold this tradition by donating here. http://tinyurl.com/ccltrust

Diwali: the Festival of Lights

Diwali is a celebration of major significance to many in our community who are of Indian heritage.  Would you like to learn more about the significance of the celebration here and around the world and also take part in a fun traditional craft? 

Henrietta Hankin Branch Library will be hosting a virtual educational program on this topic presented by the Dr. Preetha Kesari on Friday, November 5th, from 7:00 – 8:00 pm.   Dr. Kesari’s presentation will explain what Diwali is, how it is celebrated all over the world, and what it symbolizes to the Indian population.  This will include descriptions of origin stories from Hindu mythology pertaining to Diwali and progress to explain Diwali’s current economic and political significance.  

Born and raised in India, Dr. Kesari came to the United States in 1988 to pursue a degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.  She has been practicing dentistry in Chester County since graduating in 1992. Having celebrated Diwali her entire life, Dr. Kesari is very passionate about educating those in her community about this very special celebration.  She has presented in the past for various community organizations including the YMCA and Camphill Village Kimberton Hills. 

In addition to her dental career and raising a family, Dr. Kesari enjoys doing pottery and creating porcelain sculptures for her nonprofit organization, Supreeti Creations.  Following her presentation and a question and answer period, Dr. Kesari will share her pottery and crafting skills to lead participants through a demonstration of traditional techniques for decorating diyas, the oil lamps made from clay often used as part of the celebration of Diwali.  Registered participants can stop by the Reference Desk at Henrietta Hankin Branch Library to pick up a craft kit consisting of a clay diya made by Dr. Kesari and painting supplies.  These craft kits will be available in the week preceding the program, from Friday, October 29th through November 5th, while supplies last. 

Register for this special event here

This event supports PA Forward Civic and Social Literacy.

New Releases

MoviesBlack Widow
Language Arts
London Unplugged
Silo
Slaxx
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Black Widow
The Boss Baby: Family Business
Out of Death
Exhumed: A History of Zombies
Running Wild: The Cats of Cornwall
Cruella
Ancient Greece 101: Greek History, Myth and Civilization F9: The Fast SagaCruella Boys From County Hell The Christmas Dance Domino: Battle of the Bones Lady of the Manor Last Call Love & Basketball The Middle Ages 101: Medieval History and Life Roman History 101: From Republic to Empire On These Grounds Blithe Spirit The Damned Fully Realized Humans
The Crusades 101: Holy Knights, Epic Battles and Sacred Land The Mysteries of Mental IllnessBlithe Spirit TV Series Chicago P.D. season 8 Frankie Drake Mysteries season 4 Monster Horror Documentary Series season 1 Seal Team season 4 Young Sheldon season 4 Lucy Worsley’s Royal Myths and Secrets Volume 2 Magnum P.I. season 3 Mare of Easttown: Complete Limited Series Batwoman season 2 The Blacklist season 8Metheny The Equalizer season 1 Nancy Drew season 2Mare_of_Easttown Resident Alien season 1 When Calls the Heart season 8 A House Divided season 3 Whitstable Pearl Music Cinderella Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Mercury: Act 1 by Imagine Dragons Senjutsu by Iron Maiden Sitting Pretty on Top of the World by Lauren Alaina Sometimes I Might be Introvert by Little Simz USEE4YOURSELF by IDK
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: The Album
Mr. Luck: A Tribute to Jimmy Reed – Live at the Royal Albert Hall by The Ronnie Wood Band God is Partying by Andrew W.K.Dedicated 2 Cellos Live in Denver by TobyMac My Bluegrass Heart by Bela Fleck SYNW by Belly Paranoia Party by Frances Forever 29: Written In Stone by Carly Pearce Bet You’re From A Small Town by Jameson Rodgers Catch the Wind by Herb Alpert Dearly Beloved by Daughtry
Bootleg Series 16: Springtime In New York 1980-1985 by Bob Dylan
Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV) by Pat Metheny by Elvis Costello & The Attractions Moments in between Ruth BDedicated by 2Cellos Lindsey Buckingham by Lindsey Buckingham One Way Out by Melissa Etheridge Same Truck by Scotty McCreery Without Remorse Original Motion Picture Score Wolves by Candlebox The Beautiful Liar by X Ambassadors Culture III by Migos Lifeforms by Angels & Airwaves
Relief: A Benefit for the Jazz Foundation of America’s Musicians’ Emergency Fund
I’ll be Your Mirror: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground & Nico Mettal/Jazz EPS by Rodrigo Y GabrielaThe Heron's Cry Moments in Between by Ruth B. This is How the World Ends by Badflower Firebird by Natalie Imbruglia Flux by Poppy Remember Her Name by Mickey Guyton Renewal by Billy Strings Audiobooks Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb The Heron’s Cry by Ann Cleeves MatrixBloodless by Lauren Groff The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell The Shadow by James Patterson & Brian Sitts Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead Vince Flynn Enemy at the Gates by Vince Flynn Daughter of the Morning Star by Craig Johnson Blind Tiger by Sandra Brown Bloodless by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr No One Goes Alone by Erik Larson

Let’s Go To Exton Park

Enjoy the beautiful fall weather, take a stroll around Exton Park, (located at Swedesford Rd. and Church Farm Ln.) and explore our StoryWalk® where we have just installed a new book “Those Shoes” by Maribeth Boelts. Jeremy’s story shows diversity in family structures, economic funds, need vs. want, giving, and friendship and is beautifully illustrated by Noah Z. Jones.

Chester County Library offering virtual STEM story times

Starting October 7 for ages 4-7!

Register your child for STEM programs!  Starting October 7th, Thursday afternoons at 3:30, library staff will present stories, songs and activities related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math!  6 sessions will be offered on Thursdays from 3:30 – 4:00pm starting on October 7th.  Don’t wait! Reserve your child’s spot now. 
Please use this link to find out more or to register your child.
Parents MUST attend and participate with their children, as they will need help with the virtual activities.  Once registered, a list of materials needed for the activities will be emailed to all participants.  When registering, please include your name, your child’s name, and a phone number and email address.  A link will be emailed to you on the day of the program. 

STEM. Science, technology, engineering, mathematics. Stack of books with science education doodles and hand written word “STEM”

Finding Justice:The Untold Story of Women’s Fight for the Vote

Please join Henrietta Hankin Branch Library on Monday, October 4th, at 7:00 pm for a virtual screening of the documentary, “Finding Justice: The Untold Story of Women’s Fight for the Vote”, followed by a discussion with the writer and director of the film, Amanda Owen, Executive Director of the Justice Bell Foundation.

Part present-day detective story and part a historical account of the movement for voting rights, “Finding Justice: The Untold Story of Women’s Fight for the Vote” tells the story of a band of intrepid women and their one-ton bronze bell that became a celebrated icon of the women’s suffrage movement. The Justice Bell—modeled after the Liberty Bell—attracted nationwide attention, which helped rally support in the last crucial years leading up to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment.

 As current struggles for gender equality and voting rights continue to make front-page news, this account of the suffragists’ courage and dogged persistence will inspire new generations in the fight for justice and equality.

“Finding Justice” premiered at the National Women’s History Museum on August 26, 2020 with a screening and panel discussion with Amanda Owen and Rosie Rios, President Obama’s Treasurer. Since then, “Finding Justice” has aired on PBS (WQLN and WHYY) and for a number of institutions, organizations and film festivals.

Ms. Owen is an author and an independent scholar of women’s history, specializing in the American women’s suffrage Join the movement. She is a co-founder and the Executive Director of the Justice Bell Foundation.  With a background in social work and a twenty-five-year practice as a consultant, writer and speaker, Amanda has been presenting lectures and workshops since the mid-nineties.  She is currently writing a book about the Justice Bell’s role in the American women’s suffrage movement.

To register for this special event, please visit www.ccls.org and click on “Find an Event”.

Calling all Makers & Crafters!

The Chester County Library is accepting vendor applications for our 10th Annual Holiday Craft Show being held on Saturday, December 11, 2021 from 9:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

The show provides artists and craftspeople with the unique opportunity of exposing their work to hundreds of people while taking part in an exciting, community-driven atmosphere. Our shows highlights the creative spirit of the fine artist and craftsperson, with an exceptional selection of maker-designed goods. Every participant comes away with a new base of loyal customers. Eager patrons are waiting to embrace your work.

The Chester County Library Annual Holiday Craft Show is a great opportunity to showcase and sell your work. Apply now to be considered for this festive shopping experience at: https://chestercountylibrary.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/2021-application.pdf