PREBLE COUNTY — The Preble County District Library has announced the following programming for the month of August:
New: Weekly 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.
New: An Introduction to Sign Language – Eaton Branch on Saturdays in August at 2 p.m.
Join us Saturday afternoons at 2 p.m. throughout August as we host beginners’ sign language sessions for all ages. Bring your family and start learning a new language! Date: Aug. 20, and 27.
New: Guitar Around the World – Eaton Branch on Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 6 p.m.
Experience the guitar as you never have. This program is for those obsessed with or just interested in the guitar, for music enthusiasts and historians alike. This presentation unfolds the ancestry, evolution and development of the guitar across continents and over centuries. From its surprising roots to its eventual migration to Southern Spain, The Americas, and the world today, the guitar has fascinated music lovers for centuries.
Keith Lykins will exhibit the role the guitar, and some of its ancestors played throughout the ages. We will also explore the guitar’s cultural and artistic influences and how the instrument has changed over time due to the culture surrounding it.
Enjoy an evening of music from centuries-old Eastern Europe, Flamenco Guitar, Classical Guitar, Fingerstyle Guitar and even a little Rock and Roll.
New: Lord of the Rings Appreciation Program – Eaton Branch on Thursday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m.
Speak friend and enter! Join us for an evening of all things LOTR as we appreciate the books & movies for the masterpieces they are and prepare for the upcoming Ring of Power series. Bring your fellowship to the library, where we’ll have themed snacks, trivia, activities, and more! Feel free to come in costume*, or maybe just your favorite LOTR shirt.
This program is geared toward adults.
*Actual weapons and other items considered dangerous by PCDL are prohibited. All costumes should follow the library’s code of conduct: no nudity or offensive language.
New: 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, Aug. 27 at noon
New: LEGO Contest – Eaton Branch on Monday, Aug.29 at 4:30 p.m.
Calling all Master Builders! LEGO Club is back in session, and to get started, we will be holding a LEGO Building Contest! Join us on Aug. 29 from 4:30-5:30 p.m., when kids will have an hour to build a creation they would like to submit to the contest. The LEGO creations will be displayed in the glass display case from Aug. 29 until Sept. 12, and the community can vote for their favorites! LEGO-tastic prizes will be awarded! Children can bring in their own LEGOs to build with or use the library-provided materials.
New: August Teen Book Club – In the Shadow of the Sun by EM Castellan – Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m.
Welcome Teen Book Club! Grades 6-plus can request a free copy from their branch here: http://bit.ly/pcdltbc. Read the book and join us on Aug. 30 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!
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:
• 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
New: Explore & More Adventure Pass Program
Explore & More NOW with your PCDL Library Card! We are excited to introduce our newest service, the Explore & 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, Carillon Historical Park, and Quiet Harmony Ranch – Elk Ranch.
Visit preblelibrary.org/exploreandmore to learn more about the program!
*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
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.-3 p.m., or by email at pcroomatpreblelibrary.org.
Preble Co. 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.
PCDL 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.
Aug. 22
Sept. 26
Oct. 24 – Director and financial officer evaluation
Nov. 28 – Budget, meeting schedule, and new board officers
