Children enjoyed the live snake that representatives of the Edge of Appalachia brought to the library last month. The Edge of Appalachia will have more programs at our libraries on July 22 and 25 that you won’t want to miss.

Children enjoyed the live snake that representatives of the Edge of Appalachia brought to the library last month. The Edge of Appalachia will have more programs at our libraries on July 22 and 25 that you won’t want to miss.

By Allison Burton

Love nature? Check out our Migration Sensation and Riverbank Residents programs. In partnership with the Edge of Appalachia, these fun and educational programs will delve into the importance of Adams County’s natural history and ecosystems. At our Migration Sensation family program, you’ll learn fun facts about bird migration in Adams County. This program will be on Monday, July 22 at 11 a.m. at the Manchester Library and 2 p.m. at the West Union Library. We also have our Riverbank Residents program, in which you’ll explore Ohio Brush Creek’s biodiversity and freshwater mussels. This will be on Thursday, July 25 at 11 a.m. at the North Adams Library and 2 p.m. at the Peebles Library. These programs could kick off your next summer adventure!

For adults, we are also partnering with the OSU Extension office for the next program in their Homestead Series. At the North Adams Library on Wednesday, July 24 at 5:30 p.m., Jenny Stoneking will teach fermentation basics and offer practical tips for fermenting fruits, vegetables, and milk products to create deliciously tangy and flavorful foods. Even if you haven’t attended the previous programs in the series, you’re welcome to join.

Yet another fun community collaboration we have coming up is Storytime with Shawnee State University. On Tuesday, July 23, educators from Shawnee State University will be at the Manchester Library at 10 a.m. and the West Union Library at 12:15 p.m. These are the last Shawnee State University Storytimes this summer, so if you haven’t attended one yet, this is your last chance. The theme for these Storytimes is “Growing Your Mind,” and will focus on developing preschool children’s early literacy skills. Each Storytime includes children’s books, rhymes, crafts, and fun activities that you won’t want to miss.

If you can’t attend the Shawnee State University Storytimes, remember that we have weekly Storytimes at each of our branches. All our Storytimes start at 11 a.m. and their days are as follows: North Adams Library – Tuesdays, Manchester Library and Peebles Library — Wednesdays, and West Union Library —Thursdays. Each of these programs uses children’s books, songs, rhymes, games, crafts, and other engaging activities to help preschool children learn early literacy skills.

On Tuesday, July 23, Bingo, a licensed therapy dog, will join us for an extra special Storytime at the North Adams Library. At West Union Library’s Kinder Camp Storytime on Thursday, July 25, Head Start, United Way, and Help Me Grow will be there with kindergarten readiness resources. Participants at all of our Storytimes receive Enrichment Kits, which include five days’ worth of activities focusing on phonics, counting, motor skills, life skills, and art.

We also have a variety of upcoming adult programs. On Monday, July 22 at 5:30 p.m., the Peebles Library’s Book Club will meet to discuss “Leave Out the Tragic Parts” by Dave Kindred. The North Adams Library’s Novels and Nibbles Book Club will meet on Thursday, July 25 at 5:30 p.m. to enjoy refreshments and discuss “A Haven for Her Heart” by Susan Anne Mason. For globetrotters, the final program in the North Adams Library’s travel series will be on Saturday, July 27 at 1 p.m. Learn what Italy has to offer and check out a private collection of photos and travel items!

Remember that our “Adventure Begins at Your Library” Summer Reading Program ends Wednesday, July 31. Be sure to return your reading logs to the library or log all your reading online via Beanstack by then to earn prizes.