Did you or your child enter our 14th Annual Poetry Contest this spring? The Youth Poetry Cafe will be held Thursday, May 23 at 6:30 pm. Poets in 2nd through 12th grade are invited to attend and read their original poem at the Cafe. Winners in each age group will also be announced. The Adult Poetry Open Mic Night will be held the following Thursday, May 30th at 6:30 pm. Poets who submitted original works or poetry fans who love the work of others are invited to share at this event.

Get ready for the 2013 Summer Reading Challenge. Kids from infants to high school seniors can pledge to read (or be read to) anywhere from one to 1,000 books this summer beginning June 3 and lasting until July 27. Log books online to qualify for prizes. Visit StarkLibrary.org beginning June 3 to participate. Meet your goal and you'll be entered to win a Summer Reading Grand Prize. Small incentive prizes will be offered each week as well. Your library makes reading fun and helps kids start back to school ready to learn.

Have you had a chance to try Atomic Training yet? This fast, free, online video training service has short lessons for Microsoft Office, Photoshop and other Adobe programs, Apple products, Google and more. Also, if you just have a quick technology question try looking for answers on our Technology Training Blog. The Genealogy Division is also blogging, answering your questions about your family history and Stark County's too. You can follow the blogs or keep up with regular postings on our Facebook page. 

  

We have several gardening programs planned to help you get your summer flowers and vegetables growing. There will be a plant swap at Sandy Valley, at Jackson we'll talk about organic gardening and at Main a master gardener will give you tips to help you improve your soil for the best results. Also, check out our suggested reading in this newsletter for more tips on growing a great summer garden.

  

Have you had a chance to try out the library's new Events Calendar? We upgraded our software to combine library events with the catalog so that you can now find programs the same way that you find books and movies. And, if your library account is up to date with a current email address, you'll receive handy reminder emails for programs for which you have registered. Find and register for Summer Reading events and more using this great new system.

  

The library will be open this Sunday, May 19, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. After this Sunday, we will remain closed on Sundays until the Sunday after Labor Day in the Fall. Also, the Plain Community Branch on the campus of GlenOak High School, will begin opening at 9:00 am for the summer beginning Monday, June 3 . All library locations will be closed Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day.