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September 2014
Message from the Director
  
Dear Library Customer: 

 

Libraries all over Ohio are disappointed and distressed that their levels of state funding continue to decline. Currently, the Public Library Fund (PLF) provides the same amount of state funding provided in 1996. State funding for public libraries has been cut by more than $105 million since 2008 - a 24 percent loss in funding. We have certainly felt that pinch here in Lucas County as we have had to cut hours, programs and services in recent years. As you may be aware, nearly half of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library's budget comes from state funding (the other half from local property taxes). The Ohio Library Council and Ohio Public Libraries are working with legislators to restore the PLF to an appropriate level - 2.2 percent of the total General Revenue Fund. I can assure you that I will be working closely with our legislators as the next state budget is determined. Please take a moment to read more on how Ohio public libraries are making a difference. Our libraries improve the quality of life and give everyone a chance to succeed. Thank you for your continued support of our Library system.

 

Sincerely,
Clyde Scoles
Library Director/Fiscal Officer     

 

 

 

 

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TPS/Library partner
to help students 

Officials of the Library and Toledo Public Schools (TPS) are proud of their partnership designed to enhance the educational experience of students. Summer Reading Club 2014 was one of those examples. This year, with the help of districts like TPS, some 10,929 youth, PreK - 5th-grade, read 99,028 hours - that equals more than 11 years worth of reading! We recently caught up with TPS Superintendent Dr. Romulus Durant during a visit to the school library at Leverette Elementary school, where he shared why this unique partnership, along with the collective community, will help all children become successful in school and in life. Link to video>

Celebrate!
Hispanic Heritage Month

The Library is proud to host Viva La Vida! (Live Life) in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 13 at Main Library. This day-long family event focuses on the health and wellness of the community. Meet Miss Ohio Latina 2015 Vanessa Avalos! Plus, a host of local and regional partners will be present, including Sofia Quintero Art and Cultural Center, Adelante, Ready to Read, ProMedica, the University of Toledo College of Medicine, El Tipico Restaurant and more! A mariachi band will play, a photo booth will be available, and attendees can exercise to Zumba on the North Lawn. This event is FREE and open to the public. Supported by the Library Legacy Foundation. more>>

Sponsored by the
Library Legacy Foundation

Latino author part 

of Open Book series  

A well-respected Latino author will be speaking at Main Library as part of the popular Open Book series. The Library presents Juana Bordas on Friday, September 26 at 10 a.m. in the McMaster Center of Main Library, 325 Michigan St. Bordas, author and winner of the 2014 International Latino Book Award for Leadership, will speak on Leadership for a Multicultural Agemore>>

 

 

 

savvytelevision
Main Library rooftop perfect setting for fundraiser 
Although the event's change of date presented a few unique challenges, it was an almost-perfect evening for the 1960s theme "Rooftop Bash presented by PNC" on August 9. Nearly 300 guests enjoyed the spectacular view and full moon from the Civic Plaza gardens at Main Library. Honorary Chairs Bill and Heather McDonnell and Community Ambassadors Melissa and Ryan Andrews greeted guests, along with Library Director Clyde Scoles. The evening included very cool 60s music by Hepcat Revival, magnificent grazing delicacies by Mancy Brothers' Catering, and a chance to win a stunning diamond necklace from David Fairclough Fine Jewelers. The event, hosted by the Library Legacy Foundation and Friends of the Library, raised more than $15,000 for Library youth programs and the purchase of more books. more>> 
Authors! Fall lineup set

Authors! Authors! Fall lineup is in full swing. The Blade and the Library present graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi, and New York Times mega best-selling author Elizabeth Gilbert. Ms. Satrapi will speak at the McMaster Center of the Main Library at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22, and Ms. Gilbert will speak at the Stranahan Theater at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 19.  Tickets for these two authors are currently available at all Library locations ($10/$8 students).  Marjane Satrapi tickets available while they last.  Info: 419.259.5266. more>>

Two Who Dared film
scheduled for Main Library

They helped children and adults escape from France to the United States. They were posthumously named "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial museum. The Library presents a special screening at 6 p.m. on Monday, September 22 of the award-winning documentary Two Who Dared: The Sharps' War, a film by Artemis Joukowsky, the grandson of the Rev. Waitstill Sharp and wife Martha Sharp. The screening is generously funded by the Library Legacy Foundation. more>>

Get in shape - financially!  

The Library has partnered with financial coaches from the United Way of Greater Toledo to present a FREE five-week Financial Fitness series to help whip your finances into shape. United Way coaches are available to work with customers one-on-one to achieve personal financial goals. Registration limited to 15 per session. Workshops scheduled at various Library locations. more>>

Museum to highlight
visual literacy

In an increasingly digital world, we're communicating more with images and less with words. Our overtaxed brains, which process visual information 60,000 times faster than text, crave this new visual vocabulary. If you are professionally or personally interested in this topic, you might want to attend The Art of Seeing: From Ordinary to Extraordinary this November at the Toledo Museum of Art. more>>
Also check out Main Library's exhibit Look Again: Exploring Visual Literacy on view from October 1 through November 23 on the first floor at Main Library. The display explores how we are all "artists" of our own lives, with unique content to compose and communicate.

Library building projects 
Library officials have been very busy with the expansion, renovation and renewal of several building projects. West Toledo Branch, 1320 W. Sylvania Ave., is scheduled to re-open this October after a one-year closure to expand and restore the building. A temporary Wynn Center location, along Bay Shore Road, opened last week to Oregon customers anxious to resume their library usage. more>>
Out of the Vault
Explore rare books
A rare find. Rare gems. I'll take my steak rare. The word rare can be used in many ways, but have you ever wondered what a book is before it is designated as rare? Certainly no innate change has taken place in the book; however, information may come to light that bolsters a book's bibliophilic importance, hence, its desirability and eventually its price. Find out how books are designated as rare at the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library. more>>
Get some homework help 
School is back in session, and Homework Helpers are again available at select branches.  Homework Help is FREE to grades 1-6, and our experienced helpers are here to assist you/your children with school assignments.  For times and locations of Homework Helpers, click here>> In addition, we offer numerous online Homework Help Resources for elementary, middle school and high school students, click here>> 
Gift shop at Main Library
features great Fall specials
 
Next time you are visiting Main Library, stop in at Classics Gift Shop, located on the garage level. The store, which is run by the Friends of the Library, features a wide array of gifts, cards and gently-used books. All proceeds benefit the Library. Fiction Fridays continue through September - customers are treated to Buy One, Get One Fiction Books (adult) every Friday. Back to School Sale:  All school teachers/librarians with valid School/Library ID receive 50 percent off all gently-used books throughout September (no further discounts apply). Gift shop hours are Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m and Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. more>>

Visit Library again

on Sundays 

Just like the famed board game Monopoly, Library officials are encouraging all customers to proceed directly to Main Library on Sundays. Beginning September 7, Main Library will open on Sundays from 1-5 p.m., along with Heatherdowns, Sanger and Sylvania branch locations. more>>

Tatum Birthday

celebration set 

The Library is proud to acknowledge one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time with its Enduring Art: Tatum 105th Birthday Celebration, presented by the Art Tatum African American Resource Center and the Library Legacy Foundation, scheduled from 7-10 p.m. on Saturday, October 11. Join us for a celebration of the Tatum Center's 25th anniversary and the 105th birthday of the late Art Tatum (1909-1956) at Kent Branch @ccess Center, 3101 Collingwood Blvd. Kent Branch, located in the historic Old West End neighborhood, is a rich gift to the community and the result of a $2.2 million broadband federal stimulus grant to renovate the branch and increase the number of computers from 30 to 129 for staff and public use. Kent has one of the system's largest holdings of African-American books and related items, and offers FREE computer classes daily and year-round, including beginning courses on computer and Internet basics, email, MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint. One-on-one tailored sessions are available by appointment. For more information on these events and other programs and classes, call 419.259.5340. For more information on the Kent Branch:  more>>
Virtual tour>>
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