PREBLE COUNTY — The Preble County District Library recently released its calendar of programming for May.
Kids Grab & 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.
May: Scratch Art
Using the few simple supplies provided, kids create a colorful piece of art!
Tween/Teen Grab & 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.
May: Pencil Bag
Weekly Spring Storytimes
The New Paris Branch offers 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.
New Paris Storytime (all ages): Mondays at 5 p.m.
Spring into a new craft!
The Preble County District Library offers various adult craft and social programs in April at several of our locations throughout Preble County.
All month at New Paris (Adult Grab & Go): Coffee Filter Hydrangeas
Tuesday, May 24, at Eaton at 6 p.m.: Mini Zen Gardens
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! These programs are designed to be self-led. Registration is encouraged. To register, visit the Eaton Branch or call 937-456-4331.
• May 24: Stranger Things
• May 31: Teen Book Club – The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke
The Eaton Branch will also offer Game On Social Hour every Friday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the teen section. Games and systems will vary each week.
LEGO Time – Camden Branch on Wednesday, May 18, at 5:30 p.m.
Calling all LEGO Builders of all ages! Join us at the Camden Branch for a LEGO Building Contest! Children should bring in their own LEGOs, and they will be given 30-minutes to build a creation of their choice. Prizes will be awarded!
Homeschool Hour: Art Show – Wednesday, May 18, at 3 p.m.
Join us for the annual Homeschool Art Show at the Eaton Library! This gallery-style art show will feature a variety of artwork from local home educating families for public viewing in the program room. Light refreshments will be provided from 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. ! Students are encouraged to invite friends and family to enjoy the exhibit during this time.
*Submissions of artwork will be accepted from May 9 to May 14. Art from home school students of all ages will be accepted. Art Show categories include painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and other. All artwork will be screened for appropriateness before being displayed. Students may each submit up to two pieces for the show. Artwork may be picked up between May 19 and May 28. For more information, don’t hesitate to get in touch with youthservicesat preblelibrary.org.*
May Teen Book Club – The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke – Tuesday, May 31, at 3:30 p.m.
Welcome Teen Book Club! Grades 6+ can request a free copy from their branch here: http://bit.ly/pcdltbc. Read the book and join us on May 31, at 3:30 p.m. outside of the Eaton Branch for a discussion!
• Some snacks are provided, but you are also welcomed to bring your own.
• Our discussions are casual. You’re not being graded. There is no right or wrong answer. There is no pressure to have everything understood & figured out before you arrive at Book Club. It’s okay if you didn’t like the book or didn’t ‘get’ the book. Different perspectives make discussion more fun!
If you are unable to make it to the meeting, please let us know in advance. You can still post a review on GoodReads (http://bit.ly/tbcresponses ) to discuss it with other teens!
Build Something New with LEGO Club
Let your imagination run wild as Preble County District Library hosts LEGO Club. LEGO Club is for school-age children to show off their Master Builder skills. The library will have LEGOs for children to build if they do not bring their own. If you bring LEGOs from home, please label them in a container with your child’s name.
West Alexandria LEGO Club: Saturday, May 28, at noon
Summer Reading Hits the Trails on June 1
Read beyond the beaten path and join us for summer reading, June 1-July 26. 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!
The Return of the Preble County Comic Con
Coming soon to The Star Theatre… The return of the Preble County Comic Con®! #PCCC2022
We are again kicking off our annual Summer Reading Challenge with this epic, free, fourth annual event! Join us for a day full of family fun and pop culture excitement!
There will be:
• Artists & Vendor Tables
• Tabletop Gaming with Darkhold Games
• Superhero Training with Dixon Dance Studio
• Cosplay Contest
• The 501st Legion
• Community Art Display
• Games & Prizes
• And more!
Vendors: Interested artists, cosplayers, and comic con-related vendors can fill out this form (https://bit.ly/2022pcccvendors) if they are interested in participating.
There will be more information to come, but we can tell you that, like always, it will be a FREE, family-friendly event!
Follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our email list to stay in the Comic Con® loop!
Cosplay Contest Information:
Cosplay Contest form: https://bit.ly/CosplayContestForm
One of the most popular activities associated with Comic Cons worldwide is cosplay: dressing up as your favorite character from a movie, book, or video game. During Preble County Comic Con®, we’ll decide on the best costumes for two different age groups: 0- 13 yr. and 14 yr. and older. There will be prizes for first place, runner-up, and honorable mention for each age group. You can pre-register at the Eaton library by filling out a Cosplay Contest Registration Form. Costumes from all genres are acceptable, and original characters are welcome, too. Only handmade or hand-assembled costumes will be accepted. You can use pre-styled/modified accessories such as wigs, shoes, and props, but we strongly encourage handmade accessories. This is your chance to show off your handiwork! Contestants are encouraged, though not required, to bring a reference photo or drawing of their character for the judges. Actual weapons and other items considered dangerous by the library are prohibited. All costumes must follow the library’s code of conduct (such as no nudity or offensive language) as this is an event for all ages.
Other Library Program Offerings
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 or download it here: https://bit.ly/pcdlmagnets
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:
• May – Flower
• June – Seashells
• July – USA Outline
• August – Apples
• September – Owls
• October – Ghost
• November – Dinosaur
• December – Stocking
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Available in Preble County
United Way of the Greater Dayton Area, Preble County District Library, and the Dayton Foundation have partnered with the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to Preble County. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth until age 5, no matter their family’s income. It is available in Preble County, and you can sign your child up for FREE here: https://ohioimaginationlibrary.org/enroll
Genealogy Room Highlights
Genealogy Fair set for June 25 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 allow 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.
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 937-456-4970 Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m.-3p.m. or by email at pcroomat preblelibrary.org.
Preble County records online – families, obituaries, marriages, historic landmarks, and more
Search the library’s in-house Genealogical & 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.
Preble County District Library Board meeting dates
The Preble County District Library Board of Directors will meet on the following dates at the PCDL Administration Office at 7 p.m. unless otherwise indicated.
May 23
June 27 – tax budget
July 25
Aug. 22
Sept. 26
Oct. 24 – director and financial officer evaluation
Nov. 28 – budget, meeting schedule, and new board officers
