On Monday, August 25, the Stark County District Library is bringing the OverDrive Digital Bookmobile to Canton!  An electronic device lover's dream, the Digital Bookmobile will offer a hands-on gadget gallery--featuring Kindle® HD, iPad® Mini, Android™ Galaxy Tablet, NOOK™ HD+, Sony® Reader™, Kindle® Paperwhite, Windows® Phone 8, and more! On board, staff will help visitors discover portable devices that are compatible with the Library's download service for e-books and music.  Join us downtown on 4th Street, NW between Market and Court Avenues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.! 

   Did you know that 1/3 of all children entering Kindergarten are already behind the other children in their class? The Stark County District Library has partnered with Supporting Partnership to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) to provide four on-staff parent partners for the program, which is an initiative started to ensure children and parents are ready for Kindergarten. The program is a collaboration between schools, families, and the community in nine Ohio counties and almost 40 schools! We are excited about the opportunity to help bridge the gap between home, school, and the library for more than 150 families in the school districts serving Canton City and Sandy Valley.

   The SPARK program is grant-funded and operated through the Early Childhood Resource Center in Stark County. It is free and open to any family of a 3 or 4 year-old (depending on the nature of the program) living within the boundaries of the school where it is based. A parent partner visits the home of each family at least once a month to work on learning goals that range from knowing specific letters of the alphabet to using scissors correctly. It could also include social, emotional, and behavioral skills, based on several assessments the parent and parent partner complete during the initial visits.

   SPARK's goal is to help improve parents' abilities to educate their children and help them become more engaged in the process as a family. It is exciting for the Stark County District Library to be a part of this program! Parents of a child in preschool (or preschool-aged) can visit SPARK's website for more information and to see if there is a program near you. 

We've been busy, very busy for quite some time now here at the Library! The fruits of our labor are just about ready to be unveiled!  We have some exciting things to share with you in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned!