Here comes...Olivia!!

Yes, Olivia has been gracing Allen County Public Library locations with her wonderful presence. She will be  in Children's Services, at the Main Library, on Thursday, July 28 at 10:30 a.m. and again on Saturday, July 30 at 2:00 p.m.  Be sure to bring your cameras for pictures!

To see other locations, dates and times where you can meet this world-famous pig in person, click here.

Those Stuffed Animals Kept Us Up Late...

...but we all had so much fun!  Thanks to everyone who came -- we thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet and play with you and your stuffed friends.  Below are some photos we took of our adventures in the library.

It's Time for Another Stuffed Animal Sleepover at the Library!

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,

Turn around!

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,

Touch the ground!

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,

Turn out the light.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,

Say "Goodnight".

Kids are invited to bring their stuffed animals to the Main Library in downtown Fort Wayne on Friday evening, July 22.  Wear your pajamas!  We'll have a bedtime storytime, and then we'll tuck your stuffed friends into bed for the night.  Stuffed friends may be picked up anytime on Saturday during library hours, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., along with a memory book of their overnight adventures.

Crafts Around the World

What's a didgeridoo?  Ever heard of Kente cloth?  What about matryoshka dolls?  Visit Children's Services on Thursday, July 21 to learn about AND make these crafts -- and more.  We'll have all the supplies you need, just come and craft away!  We'll have programs from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Crafts Around the World is part of One World, Many Stories -- this year's Summer Reading Program for children.  There's still time to participate!  Pick up a time sheet at any library location, or print out your own.

Letter Play Day with Letters Q and U

Visit the downtown library this Wednesday with your preschooler!  We'll have storytime in the morning -- 9:30am for daycares and other groups; 10:30am for families -- and we'll have extra-special activities set up in the Early Learning Center, all about Letter Q and Letter U.

Learning about letters is an important pre-reading activity.  Click on the links for more Letter Q and Letter U fun!

James Coffey LIVE in Concert!

James Coffey -- Live in Concert
We're Travelin' the World!

July 14, 2011

10:30 a.m.

2:00 p.m.

7:00p.m.

Bring your family, a blanket, and sunscreen, and enjoy this great concert
outside on the Library Plaza
at the Main Library.

The James Coffey Concert is part of this year's

 Summer Reading Program: One World, Many Stories
and
is affiliated with the Three Rivers Festival.

 

Listened to a good book lately?

Check out Young Fredle by Newbery-Award-Winning-Author Cynthia Voigt. It's a sweet story about a house mouse who finds himself outside. Listen to his adventures as he tries to find his way home to safety -- and discovers that he's braver than he thought he was.

The library has a large selection of Books on CD and Playaways for your listening enjoyment. You may like to practice your reading by following along in the book.

Have you read to your child today?

Adults -- be sure to pick up a Reading Partners Bookmark and complete at least 6 of the reading activities with your children.  Then, fill out the bookmark and bring it back to the library by July 29, 2011 to be entered into the Reading Partners drawing!  Three $100.00 gift cards will be given away in a drawing, but really, everyone who participates will be a winner, because they will have spent time reading with their children!

Read, read, read with your kids!  Share your childhood favorites with them.   Ask them about their favorite books.  Make up stories with them.  And when they start to learn to read on their own, keep on reading to them!   Need ideas for great books to read aloud?  Ask us! 

Don't Miss the Fun!

The Summer Reading Program is in full swing at all of our 14 library buildings and it continues through July 29th. There's lots of time to get started or to stop by your local branch to pick up a gift for reading you've completed.

Like most branches, Main Library has a full schedule of fun activities for kids this week:

Tuesday, July 5: A World of Games 2-3 p.m. and 7-8 p.m.

Wednesday, July 6: Storytime for Daycares/Preschools (call 421-1220 to register), 9:30 a.m.;
Storytime for Families 10:30 a.m.;
Lego Club 2-4 p.m.

Thursday, July 7: Music is Awesome! (Fort Wayne Philharmonic visits) 11 a.m.

Friday, July 8: Baby Storytime 10 a.m.; Toddler Storytime 10:30 & 11 a.m.;
Modern Pop Art Experience/New York Artist Michael Albert 1:30-3 p.m.
Learn about an artist's life and make a pop-art collage with his guidance!

Saturday, July 9: Get Creative at Barr Street Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Library Staff will have everything at Barr Street Market so that you can
create a food print.

We hope to see you soon!

Happy 4th of July!

All Allen County Public Library locations are closed today in honor of Independence Day.

 

 

But we'll all be open tomorrow, so come and visit one of our 14 locations -- maybe over the holiday, you can get some extra reading time in, and be ready to pick up your next gift at one of the Summer Reading Program sites shown here!

Music is Awesome!

Music lovers won't want to miss this special opportunity to see and hear an ensemble from the Fort Wayne Philharmonic this Thursday. Percussion instruments and harp will be featured and children will have the opportunity to learn about the instruments, as well as hear the incredibly talented musicians from the Philharmonic play. To tie in with our summer reading program, One World, Many Stories, they will be playing songs from around the world. We hope to see you there!

What: Music is Awesome! with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic
When: Thursday, July 7, 11:00 AM
Where: Globe Room, Children's Services, ACPL