With the arrival of May, school activities begin to wind down, but as the month comes to a close, the public library’s events start to amp up! Starting Tuesday, May 31, library visitors will be invited to explore “Oceans of Possibilities” at all library locations this June and July. Readers of all ages can ride the wave of fun, free programs while uncovering treasure troves of fabulous books and reading incentive prizes. Set sail with us on kick-off day by marking your calendars now! The kick-off “Pirate Party” takes place Thursday, June 9, from 10am to noon at the National Corvette Museum. Kids of all ages will enjoy digging for gold, meeting a pirate, high-fiving a shark or two, connecting with local heroes andvisiting activity booths hosted by an array of community partners. Parents of incoming kindergarteners can pick up free kindergarten readiness kits and take advantage of pre-screenings offered on site that day.
New this year are a number of mini-camps run in partnership with the city and county park systems (see warrenpl.org/events for registration information), sponsored, along with other summer events, by the Friends of the Library Warren County and the Kiwanis Club. The full schedule of activities including programs for babies, kids, teens, and adults, as well as a downloadable reading log and a digital completion form, can be found on the library’s website as well (https://warrenpl.org/summer).
This summer may also be a good time for you to look into a variety of unexplored treasures WCPL offers online. Whether you have plans to travel internationally some day or not, Mango Languages is your free ticket to multiple language learning courses. Providing access to more than 70 foreign languages, this database introduces you to conversation and culture as you learn. You’ll be able to track your progress each time you log in and use tools like recording your voice and comparing it to that of a native speaker to assist in learning. In addition, customized courses fornon-English speakers from 21 language backgrounds are part of the database’s offerings.
On another note, WCPL recently acquired access to an impressive number of unbiased, easy-to-use financial resources, all made possible by a grant from the Finra Investor Education Foundation. The Weiss Financial Ratings Series database (accessible at https://warrenpl.org/database-category/business-and-finance) will easily and reliably assist patrons with a full array of financial needs. From basic budgeting and insurance selection to investment research and retirement planning, topics meet a broad range of financial literacy needs. Guides can be downloaded in PDF format from the database and are also available for check-out from the library. In addition to downloads, online features include primers, planners and worksheets, as well as timely articles about current topics impacting consumers. When facingdifficult financial situations, this type of guidance is sorely needed, and it’s now available at no cost to all library patrons.
An additional online resource worth exploring if you want to take a look back at the news of the area is Newsbank, a database with access to the text of Bowling Green’s Park City Daily News. While the text of the paper can be searched all the way back to 1999 via Newsbank, access to full-image issues of the Daily News begins with January 14 of this year and will continue moving forward. To explore even further back, users can go to Newspapers.com’s Southeast Collection which includes access to full-image issues of Bowling Green’s newspapers from 1902 through1963. Both databases can be accessed online via https://warrenpl.org/database-category/research-and-homework-help.
Throughout the year, the public library strives to provide welcoming spaces, engaging programs, and helpful resources. Summer activitieshelp us showcase all that the library has to offer. Even beyond the walls of our permanent locations, from delivery services to neighborhood outreach efforts, the library aims to provide access to books and information that people want and need. Visit us at the Main Library (1225 State Street), the Bob Kirby Branch (175 Iron Skillet Court), the Capitol (416 East Main Street), or the Smiths Grove Branch Library (115 SecondStreet, Smiths Grove). Hours of operation for all four locations can be found at https://warrenpl.org/locations.
-by Ashley Fowlkes, Branch Manager, Bob Kirby Branch Library
