EATON — “All Together Now “ for our annual Summer Reading Challenge, running June 1-July 29. Read and complete challenges to earn prizes. Summer reading programs are open to kids, teens, and adults. Visit preblelibrary.org.beanstack.org for your one-stop place to register, log time, earn badges and turn in tickets for prizes. There will be free grab and go kits, prize drawings, family programming, weekly storytimes and more!
New: Weekly Summer Storytimes and Crafts for Kids
Many of our branches offer weekly in-person storytimes for kids of all ages. Our storytimes are formulated around Every Child Ready to Read initiative, focusing on the five early literacy practices of reading, singing, playing, talking, and writing. Some crafts may get a little messy.
All Together Now Storytime (New Paris): Mondays at 5 p.m. (starting June 12)
Summer Reading Fun (Camden): Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. (starting June 13)
Summer Reading Club (Eaton): Wednesdays at 10 a.m. (starting June 8)
All Together Now Storytime (West Alexandria): Wednesdays at 1 p.m. (starting
June 14)
Wahoo Wednesdays (New Paris): Wednesdays during open hours
New: Kids Grab and Go Crafts – all branches
Kids grab and go kits are available at all branches unless noted otherwise. Contact your local branch to reserve a kit while supplies last.
June 19: Learn About Braille
New: Tween/Teen Grab and Go Crafts – all branches
Tween/Teen grab and go kits are available at all branches unless noted otherwise. Contact your local branch to reserve a kit while supplies last.
June 19: Learn about Braille
New: Weekly Grab and Go Crafts – West Alexandria
Weekly grab and go kits are available at the West Alexandria Branch while supplies last.
June 12: Caterpillar Puppet (Kids)
June 19: Pipe Cleaner Friendship Bracelet (Kids), Wish Bracelet (Teens), and Cement
Hand Planter (Adults)
June 26: Bee Wind Chime (Kids)
New: Weekly Teen Programs at the Eaton Branch
On Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. , teens in grades 6-12 can come to the Eaton Branch to enjoy activities such as coloring and simple crafting, board games, video games, and more!
• June 6: Tie Dye and Pizza Pie
• June 13: Paper Making
• June 20: Wax Seals and Letter Writing
• June 27: Movie Night
New: Let’s Get Crafty!
The Preble County District Library offers various adult craft and social programs in June at several of our locations throughout Preble County.
Tuesday, June 6 at West Alexandria at 5:30 p.m. : Tin Can Wind Chime
Tuesday, June 6 at Eaton at 6 p.m. : Beach in a Glass Ornament
Thursday, June 8 at Camden at 6 p.m. : Adult Craft Club
Monday, June 19 at Eaton at 6 p.m. : Social Stitch
Tuesday, June 20 at PC Room at 6 p.m. : Miniature Map Craft
Tuesday, June 20 at New Paris at 6 p.m. : Bleach Bottle Planter
New: Family Crafts and Activities
The Preble County District Library offers various family craft and social programs in June at several of our locations throughout Preble County.
Wednesday, June 7 at West Manchester: All Together Now : Group Mosaic
Thursday, June 8 at Eldorado: All Together Now : Group Mosaic
Friday, June 9 at West Alexandria: Donald Duck Coloring Contest
Tuesday, June 13 at West Alexandria at 5:30 p.m. : Best Friends Forever Family Night
Wednesday, June 14 at Camden at 5:30 p.m. : Cookie Party with The Sugar Shack*
Wednesday, June 14 at West Manchester: All Together Now : Paper Chains
Thursday, June 15 at Eldorado: All Together Now : Paper Chains
Saturday, June 17 at West Alexandria at 1 a.m.: Teen Tech Day (Teens)
June 19, 21, and 22 at West Elkton: Discover America
Wednesday, June 21 at West Manchester at 3 p.m. : Movie Night
Wednesday, June 21 at Camden at 5:30 p.m. : Tie Dye with Style (Teens)*
Thursday, June 22 at Eldorado at 3 p.m. : Movie Night
Saturday, June 24 at West Alexandria at noon: LEGO Club
Tuesday, June 27 at West Alexandria: National Bingo Day
Wednesday, June 28 at West Manchester at 4:30 p.m. : Button Caterpillar Craft
Thursday, June 29 at Eldorado at 4:30 p.m. : Button Caterpillar Craft
*Registration required.*
New: All Together Now : Weekly Programs for Kids, Teens, and Adults of all Ages
Join us at the Eaton Branch every Thursday at 6 p.m. for a series of all -age programs. Kids, teens, adults, and families are invited to play and have fun at the library.
• June 8: Game Night
• June 22: Rocks
• June 29: BioBlitz at Seven Mile Park
New: Wild About Wildlife: Wild Hearts Mobile Teaching Zoo
We are excited to have Wild Hearts Mobile Teaching Zoo visiting our library branches this summer! Join us for a fun and engaging event where you will get to see and learn about live wild animals at your library! You’ll have the chance to see 5-6 species varying from birds, mammals, reptiles, and arthropods.
• Monday, June 5 at 3 p.m. : West Manchester
• Monday, June 5 at 6 p.m. : New Paris
• Tuesday, June 6 at 3 p.m. : West Alexandria
• Tuesday, June 6 at 6 p.m. : Camden
• Wednesday, June 7 at 1 p.m. : Eaton
• Wednesday, June 7 at 4 p.m. : West Elkton
New: Talk of the Town – West Elkton on Monday, June 5 at 1:30 p.m.
Field Trip! For our June Talk of the Town meeting, we will do an off-site tour. Spots are limited, and registration is required. Please contact the West Elkton Branch at 937-787-4873 for details and to sign up.
New: Preble County History Hunters – Preble County Room on Tuesday, June 6 at 6 p.m.
On the first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. , the Preble County Room will host our new History Hunters Group. This informal gathering is to discuss Preble County’s history, share memories, and discover new information about our county. If you are interested in history, have items pertaining to local history you’d be willing to share or have things about the county that you’re curious to know, please join us! Refreshments provided.
New: Genetic Genealogy – Preble County Room on Saturday, June 10 at 10 a.m.-noon
Are you interested in DNA testing on yourself or family members but need help figuring out where to start or what to do with the information once you have it? Join us at the Preble County Room for a genealogy and DNA testing walkthrough with Dr. Michael L. Robinson, Ph.D., on Saturday, June 10, from 10 a.m.-noon. There will be a brief introduction to basic human genetics and how DNA testing can support the genealogical investigation. Participants in the class will explore some of the features of DNA kits and learn how to use DNA testing to gain insights into their ancestry.
New: Strategic Farm Planning – Eaton Branch on Saturday, June 10 at 1 p.m.
Andrea and John Hancock of Happy Wife Acres will present “Strategic Farm Planning.” They will discuss creating a business plan for your farm, including deciding your farm’s mission, goals, and pricing. They will also discuss tips for advertising and marketing and lessons learned from their own farm to help you operate a more successful and profitable homestead.
Happy Wife Acres is an educational homestead focused on helping people become more self-sufficient and sustainable through videos, articles, and in-person training. Andrea and John started Happy Wife Acres in 2017 and maintain a flock of 300-500 chickens throughout the year, as well as ducks, guineas, rabbits, quail, and bees.
New: Technology Sandbox – Eaton Branch on Tuesday, June 13 at 6 p.m.
Thinking about buying a new computer, e-reader, or tablet? Want to “test drive” something before you make a decision? Visit us at the library for a “technology sandbox,” where you will have the chance to handle and learn about various electronic devices. We will have the following devices available to try out iPad, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Fire tablet, Laptop running Windows 10. No appointments are necessary; this will be a drop-in event.
New: Beginners’ Publisher – Eaton Branch on Tuesday, June 20 at 6 p.m.
Join us to learn the basics of desktop publishing with Microsoft Publisher. We will cover formatting, text boxes, customization and inserting pictures from the computer and the Internet. Some previous computer experience is strongly preferred. The class can hold a maximum of five people.
New: Feelings Friday – West Alexandria Branch on Friday, June 23 at 6 p.m.
So many feelings! What are they and how do we handle them? Join our staff and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Nicole McCoy to learn about feelings and ways to cope.
New: Genealogy Fair Set for June 24 at the Preble County Room
The Genealogy Fair returns to the Preble County Room on Saturday, June 25, with a host of area resources for genealogy and local history research. We are inviting local history organizations throughout the area to give researchers a single event to get acquainted with research opportunities and to all ow networking between the organizations. To add another layer to the Genealogy Fair, we are also inviting local vendors who specialize in historical crafts and restoration of materials.
New: Gardening in Communities – West Alexandria Branch on Wednesday, June 28 at 6 p.m.
Stop by the West Alexandria Branch for a unique program welcoming Betty Hovel from the Five Rivers MetroParks as she discusses gardening communities and how plants and people interact.
New: BioBlitz – Seven Mile Park on Thursday, June 29 at 6 p.m.
Meet us at Seven Mile Park for a Bioblitz as part of the #Plantwildflowers initiative. This is a fun way for participants of all ages to explore and identify the wildlife in our own backyard!
What is a Bioblitz?
A Bioblitz is an exciting and engaging outdoor activity that empowers our community to collect information about our local plant and wildlife. Using handheld devices like mobile phones and tablets, participants can transform a local park into a living laboratory!
How to participate?
Participants will need to create a free iNaturalist account and log in on their mobile device. For younger users, or those who do not want to create a free iNaturalist account, we suggest the companion app Seek, which offers similar observation and identification features but does not collect or upload images to the iNaturalist database. Please note however, that Seek observations will not count toward the Bioblitz.
New: Read Together Book Box – The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien– Wednesday, June 28 at 6 p.m.
Let’s read together! Combining Blue Box Exclusive and AYA Book Club– these special summer book boxes are available to both teens and adults. all community members in or above sixth grade are welcome to participate, whether you’re in middle school or you’re long retired! Request a Book Box from any branch while supplies last. Read the book and join us at the Eaton Branch (or virtuall y on Goodreads!) for a casual, multi-age discussion! Our June book will be The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien.
New: After Hours Movie Night – Eaton Branch on Friday, June 30 at 6 p.m.
Join us after hours at the Eaton Branch for a special movie night! This free movie screening coincides with our community Read Together book, The Fellowship of the Ring. Snacks will be provided! Registration is required; please sign up in person at the Eaton Branch or call 937) 456-4331.
Other Library Program Offerings
New: Coffee and Conversation with Preble County Mental Health and Recovery Board
Do you know someone struggling with their mental health, and do you need answers? Join Autumn with the Preble County Mental Health and Recovery Board for coffee and conversation. She will be available from 3-5 p.m. for an informal discussion on any questions regarding mental health and mental health services.
Monday, June 5 at 3 p.m. : West Alexandria Branch
Thursday, June 15 at 3 p.m. : Camden Branch
Wednesday, June 21 at 3 p.m. : New Paris Branch
New: Magnet of the Month Club (West Alexandria Branch only)
Visit the West Alexandria Library each month to pick up a magnet kit. Each kit will include the materials you need to complete that month’s magnet. Please let us know if you need a paintbrush. Colors may vary. If you are missing a previous month, contact the front desk for extras.
To participate:
1. Pick up your Magnet of the Month punch card at the West Alexandria Branch.
2. After you complete your magnet, bring it or a picture of it to show us to get your card stamped.
3. Collect all 12 punches to be entered into our grand prize drawing.
Magnet schedule:
• June – Mickie, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy
• July – Lollipop
• August – Flip Flop
• September – Pig
• October – Skull
• November – Pumpkin Pie
• December – Christmas Tree
New: Explore and More Adventure Pass Program
Explore and More now with your PCDL Library Card! We are excited to introduce our newest service, the Explore and More Adventure Pass Program, enabling PCDL patrons to borrow passes using their library card. This one-time pass, which must be checked out in person at the Eaton Branch, grants patrons limited free access to attractions that would otherwise charge admission fees.
Participating organizations include The Dayton Art Institute, Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park, Johnston Farm and Indian Agency, and Carillon Historical Park.
*Each organization sets its own rules for how many individuals are covered under its passes and which days the passes will be honored. Patrons are advised to call the organization ahead of their visit for hours and rules.
Genealogy Room Highlights
The new hours for the Preble County Room are as follows:
• Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Tuesday: 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Friday: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Saturday: By appointment only in three-hour increments. Appointments must be requested by Wednesday. Patrons interested in a Saturday appointment may call 937-456-4970.
Along with extended hours, the Preble County Room will offer more learning opportunities for the community, including a History Hunters Group, monthly crafts, and monthly general history or genealogy programs.
Don’t Throw Away Local History – Contact the Preble Co. Genealogy Room, Instead!
The Preble Co. Genealogy Room is interested in archiving any local and family historical items you might come across as you clean. This includes (but is not limited to): old paperwork/documents/records, family bibles with family information, pictures of Preble Co. residents, landmarks, and properties, old maps and land records and any items having to do with the history of Preble County, its families and the surrounding areas.
If you come across an item as you clean and wish to donate it to the PC Room, please contact us at 937-56-4970 Monday – Thursday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. , Friday 9 a.m.-3p.m. or by email at pcroomat preblelibrary.org.
Preble Co. Records Online – Families, Obituaries, Marriages, Historic Landmarks, and more
Search the library’s in-house Genealogical and Historical Records collections. Visit https://preblelibrary.org/genealogy to get started on your search! Family files can also be researched in person at the PC Room. To view a list of all PC Room resources, visit https://preblelibrary.org/genealogy/holdings.
