The Tokyo 2020 Summer Games are officially here, starting tonight with the Opening Ceremonies and Parade of Nations – taking place just one day shy of the originally scheduled date in 2020. A few sports such as soccer, rowing, archery, and softball have already started competing, and we wish Team USA all of the best!
Children’s books about the Olympics are really helpful when teaching your kids what the games are all about and how important they are when promoting unity and sportsmanship. Here are a few suggestions: G is for Gold Medal: An Olympics Alphabet by Brad Herzog How to Train with a T.Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals by Michael Phelps What Are The Summer Olympics? by Gail Herman Flying High: The Story Of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles by Michelle Meadows A Picture Book of Jesse Owens by David A. Adler Long-Armed Ludy and the First Women’s Olympics by Jean L. S. Patrick
Have you ever been on vacation and run out of reading material? Sitting on the beach not wanting to go to the bookstore? Cozy in a cabin in the woods?
Well, if you have access to WIFI and the Libby app, you are in luck. There are thousands of eBooks and Audiobooks to choose from on Libby. The best part is they are free with your library card and the titles are automatically returned after two weeks. No fines! New titles are added regularly and recent additions include early readers, juvenile bridge books, young adult and CCIU Reading Olympic titles. For more information about the Libby app, visit the downloads tab on the Chescolibraries website.
Since 1985, people in the United States have celebrated Park and Recreation Month in July to promote building strong, vibrant, and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation, and to recognize the more than 160,000 full-time park and recreation professionals — along with hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers — that maintain our country’s local, state and community parks.
Join us in the great outdoors to celebrate Park and Recreation Month at our StoryWalk® in Exton Park, a ½ mile paved walkway surrounding two playgrounds and a picnic area. The StoryWalk® project consists of 20 reading stations, each featuring a page in a children’s storybook, which promotes health and literacy in young children by encouraging exercise and reading. Their are even some fun interactive activities along the way that you can access with your cellphone along the way. The book currently featured is Ruby’s Birds by Mya Thompson and the StoryWalk® is changed twice a year in the spring and fall.
This summer Henrietta Hankin Branch Library is happy to host local historian, lecturer and teacher emeritus, Roger W. Arthur for Presidential Murders, a 2-part lecture series that begins with “Part 1: Abraham Lincoln” on Monday, July 26th; and finishes up with “Part 2: John F. Kennedy” on Monday, August 2nd. Both programs will be presented virtually on Zoom from 6:00 – 7:30 pm.
“These two presidential murders have been thought to have much in common,” explains Mr. Arthur. “Both victims were shot in the head. Both were attacked from behind and on a Friday. Both were killed in the presence of their wives. One was the first Republican ever elected, while the other was the first Roman Catholic ever elected. Both were elected in a ‘zero’ numbered year. The national shock of these murders stunned the country. Other comparisons between them have been offered but most of those are either false or contrived.”
“With the advance of technology the news of the killings soon spread quickly across the land. One by telegraph, the other by television. Americans craved more news in both cases. The unknown killer of Kennedy was captured within hours. While the nationally famous killer of Lincoln escaped into the night and stayed at large from nearly two weeks. Both murderers were killed before they came to indictment, trial and conviction. Lincoln’s killer was shot by a soldier on duty. Kennedy’s killer murdered him in cold blood in the presence of the police who were there to protect him.”
Mr. Arthur has been fascinated by American history all of his life. He studied it in college, taught it in school and has traveled the country learning about it first hand. He currently teaches Modern American History at Bishop Shanahan High School in Downingtown, PA. In the evenings in the Spring and Fall, he offers a variety of adult enrichment courses at the Chester County Night School, and from time to time is an instructor at Manor College and the Mainline School Night. He is also a special presenter for libraries, clubs and civic groups. Mr. was nominated to be “American History Teacher of the Year” by the Gilder-Lehrman Institute in 2012. His passion for history—and his desire to share it with others—continues to be a central motif of his life.
Register now for one or both of these thought-provoking, interactive programs that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home! To register for Part 1: Abraham Lincoln, click here. To register for Part 2: John F. Kennedy, click here.
The Chester County Library Business and Career Center helps small business owners and job applicants succeed with top-notch, authoritative information. Our LinkedIn page places free tools, news, and assistance at your fingertips. Follow us for:
upcoming library programs (Resume Writing, LinkedIn, Entrepreneurship Panels, and more)
new and highlighted library resources (personalized research and resume consultations, Business Plans Handbook, consumer and industry data, current books and magazines, and more)
events and offers from local organizations (SCORE, PA CareerLink/United Way Financial Stability Center, chambers, Small Business Development Centers, and more)
timely news and articles from big names in business and careers (Harvard Business Review, Philadelphia Business Journal, The Muse, Inc, and more)
Happy Pride Month!🏳🌈 Here are some book suggestions to celebrate.
1) Rainbow Warrior: My Life in Color by Gilbert Baker, memoir of the late activist who designed the original rainbow Pride flag. Baker chronicles his beginnings as a repressed child of the 1950s and closeted war veteran, and his foray into gay liberation activism, which led to the now iconic flag’s creation.
2) We Are Everywhere: Protest, Power and Pride in the History of Queer Liberation provides a rich visual history of LGBTQ pride, from the underground communities and post-Stonewall Pride protests, to AIDS activism and the present generation of activists continuing to fight for their rights and liberties.
3) Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States by Samantha Allen takes readers across numerous, tight-knit LGBTQ communities in the American South. Allen interviews many queer Southerners about their identities and experiences, providing intersections of race, class and religious spirituality often unseen in mainstream perceptions of the community.
4) Everything You Want to Know About Trans (But Were Afraid to Ask) by Brynne Tannehill serves as a primer for anyone curious about the increasingly visible, often misunderstood transgender community. A trans woman herself, Tannehill dispels misconceptions and myths surrounding trans, non-binary and gender-nonconforming people, while also answering questions often considered uncomfortable or difficult.
5) Queer Love in Color by Jamal Jordan is a photo book that provides a rich tapestry of American LGBTQ couples and families across cultures, races, ethnicities and age groups. Jordan includes interviews with each of his subjects, showing the many forms love in the LGBTQ community can take.
6) The Shared Heart: Portraits and Stories Celebrating Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Young People by Adam Mastoon is a candid photo collection illustrating the various experiences of homosexual and bisexual people in their late teens and early twenties. Each of the youth featured in Mastoon’s collection relay their own stories of coming out and self-acceptance of their sexual identities.
The Adult Summer Reading Program, Tails & Tales, is designed for adults age 18 & up to encourage life-long reading habits and runs from June 7, 2021 to August 15, 2021.
Read and/or complete as many activities as you are able using the Bingo card provided at the library Reference Desk. Enter the name of the book, magazine, music CD, or activity (program, museum, park, trail, etc.) on the corresponding numbered line. Please use book titles only once. Except for # 1 and # 22, every other “Reading” square can be completed with any format you prefer — read a print book, an eBook, or listen to an audiobook! Books should be at the adult or young adult reading level. For each square you mark off, your odds of winning a general prize will increase. Get BINGO (5 squares in a row, column, or diagonal) and you will be entered in the Grand Prize drawing. Each participant may earn only one Grand Prize entry.
Can’t come to the library right away to pick up the handouts? You can print out the Bingo card and the Book Review Form at home! You can also fill out the Book Review Form online here if you like.
Need ideas for books to read or listen to? Ask a librarian for a Personalized Reading Suggestion or check out NoveList Plus, our online Reader’s Advisory resource. Check out the Flipster e-magazine resource on your computer or mobile device to help complete your Bingo card activities.
Return your Bingo Card to the Chester County Library or Henrietta Hankin Branch between August 16th and August 28th. Library staff will stamp and count squares completed. Prize winners will be drawn on Monday, August 30th and will be notified by email or phone call.
The Adult Reading Programs are made possible by generous donations from the Friends of the Chester County Library and the Friends of the Henrietta Hankin Branch Library.
Kids, teens and adults, join us on Wednesday, June 16 at 6:00pm for a virtual Didgeridoo Down Under Show. This event is a high-energy, Australian-themed show that combines music, culture, comedy, storytelling and audience movement/participation. The didgeridoo has been played by Aboriginal Australians for at least 1,500 years and is known for its otherworldly sound. But this show is about much more than music. It’s interactive, educational, motivational and super fun! You’ll learn about Aussie culture, animals and more, all while moving & grooving to the pulsing rhythms of the didge!
Registration is required. To register for this special event, please click here. Registration will close two hours prior to the event’s scheduled start time. A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants two hours before the program starts. Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link. You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual program.
The Youth Services Department staff members at the Chester County Library and Henrietta Hankin Branch Library are happy to put together a bundle of books (6-12 titles) for your child. This will be a collection of books we think your child may like – a bundle of surprises! You will be notified when your book bundle is ready for pick up.
Join the Chester County Ag Council and Lundale Farm in a discussion on the future of farming. Lundale Farm, a nonprofit organization with 520 acres under preservation, seeks not only to preserve land, but also to empower for-profit farmers in regenerative farming practices that benefit the region’s environment, economy, agricultural heritage, health, education and nutrition. An extension of the Farm’s founding legacy, it serves as a model for local food production and forest stewardship on preserved property, enhancing learning as well as the ecology, health, and diversity of the community. Partnering with each of the nine farmers, the Farm strives to provide educational opportunities for youth, college students studying sustainable agriculture, and the community through our farm tours.
Now in its fourth year, the Forestry Committee of Lundale Farm is actively working to implement the Sustainable Forestry Management Plan. Learn about our sustainable forestry management plan, and the research and experiences that are guiding the farm’s forested areas into the future.
Registration is required. Registration will close 2 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the event. A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 2 hours before the program starts. Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link. You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual program.
