Suddenly Stories and MORE!

Today is THE day to be downtown!

9am - 1pm - Visit the library at Barr Street Market to make a pasta necklace
10am -4pm - Used book sale in the Program Room of Children's Services
11am - The Fort Wayne Dance Collective will perform Books Alive! in the library theater
2pm - Suddenly Stories: School Days in Children's Services

Fort Wayne Dance Collective

The Fort Wayne Dance Collective Touring Company will present a free performance of Books Alive! in the theater at the Main Library.

This delightful literacy-based performance invites students into the world of children’s books including Dr. Seuss’ The Foot Book, Babette Cole’s Princess Smartypants, Alma Flor Ada’s The Gold Coin and The Z was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg.

This 45 minute program engages the audience through dance, theater and a variety of interesting props while delivering an unusual and humorous performance that will ignite your child’s imagination. Performers include Brittney Coughlin, Kelly Horne, Gloria Minnich and Liz Monnier.

Seating is limited, free tickets will be distributed beginning at 9am on the day of performance.

Smart Start Storytime Fun Fun Fun

Check out the fun that was had at our Smart Start Storytime last Wednesday ~ we sing, we dance, we read, we laugh, we rhyme and we have fun!
Please join us tomorrow or any Wednesday for our Smart Start Storytime!

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Wii READ today!

Actually, we hope that you read everyday! But today is Wii READ in the Children's Services department of the Main Library.
This is game day at the library~the format is easy...read for 20 minutes and receive a ticket to play Wii for 20 minutes. Not enough? Read for another 20 minutes and receive another ticket to play Wii for another 20 minutes!
Board games will also be available. It is a fun-filled, game-filled day at the library!

Come see us today!
Wii Read!
10:00 am - 12:00 noon 2:00- 4:00 pm

Duckapalooza was just ducky!

Here are pictures from one of our Summer Reading Programs, Duckapalooza!

We had a blast and wanted to share the fun! Enjoy!

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A Soup Opera

Jim Gill was at the ACPL last weekend to present 4 concerts to children & their families. It was SO MUCH FUN!

At the concerts, Jim shared his new book A Soup Opera. In this photo, Jim is showing us how to sing the line "I can't eat the soup!" with feeling.

There are many more photos of the concerts, you can see them here.

Jim Gill in the Theater

It is just TOO HOT outside, so all of the Jim Gill concerts will now be held in the wonderfully air conditioned Main Library theater.

Tickets for Friday's 7pm performance will be distributed at 6pm at the Plaza (or east) entrance of the building.

Tickets will be available for Saturday's shows at 10am for the 11am performance and Noon for the 1pm performance in Children's Services.

Barr Street Market

Every Saturday through September 25th, join us at Barr Street Market (at the corner of Wayne & Barr Streets) for a special craft activity between 9am and 1pm.

This week you can make a shady sun visor. There will be a new craft each week, so be sure to visit often.

Other events at the library this weekend:
Jim Gill in concert - Friday @ 2pm & 7pm, Saturday @ 11am & 1pm
Used Book Sale - Friday & Saturday 10am to 4pm
Kids' chess tournament registration is still open; click here for more information

Check this out! Jim Gill HERE Tomorrow!

Jim Gill will be at the main library, performing on the plaza for four shows:
Friday July 23 2:00pm AND 7:00pm
Saturday July 24 11:00am AND 1:00 pm

And again: Jim Gill Will Perform on the Plaza!

We cannot believe we get to host the wonderful, fun, amazing and captivating musician Jim Gill at the library! We keep pinching ourselves!! Honestly, this is a musician we dance to regularly in our story times ~ Silly Dance Contest anyone?
Click on the link above to watch Jim in action!

Jim Gill will be at the main library, performing on the plaza for four shows:

Friday July 23 2:00pm AND 7:00pm
Saturday July 24 11:00am AND 1:00 pm

We Repeat: Jim Gill Will Perform Live on the Plaza

If you haven't marked your calendar yet, do it NOW!

Friday July 23 2:00pm AND 7:00pm
Saturday July 24 11:00am AND 1:00 pm

Suddenly Stories on Saturday

This Saturday, join our volunteers for songs, stories and crafts.

East Asian Folktales @ 11 a.m.
Fun with Food! @ 2 p.m.

Three Rivers Festival Today

The Three Rivers Festival is in full swing ~ don't miss this great Fort Wayne tradition!
If the heat gets too much, feel free to stop in the Children's Services department!
We have three beautiful aquariums, a computer room just for children, a reading tower, and of course, books and magazines! You can also visit our famous (with the six and under set!) Early Learning Center which has puzzles, puppets, a writing center, and dress up clothes.

Visit us at Barr Street Market Today

If you visit the Barr Street Market today, please make sure to stop by the Allen County Public Library's booth. We are there every week and always have a new and exciting craft for the kids to do ~ and like everything at the library, it is always free!!
The Barr Street Market is a lovely downtown event that happens every summer! There are food and non-food vendors and wonderful acoustic entertainment.
We hope to see you there!

Eggdrop Eggstravaganza!

Don't miss the 12th Annual Eggdrop Eggstravaganza Contest on Saturday, July 11th @ 1pm at Science Central.

The challenge: build a container which will protect an egg that is dropped off of the roof of Science Central.

The fun: watch containers being dropped off of the roof of Science Central while hoping that the eggs don't break.

Prizes will be awarded as follows:

• Grand Prize: to the egg that doesn't break
• Most Creative
• Most Scientific
• Most Devastating Crash
  

Whether you are a participant or a spectator, you are sure to enjoy this Three Rivers Festival event. For more information visit this site.

ThE BUtTeRflY PRoJEcT

For the past several weeks, the Children's Services department has invited our young patrons to participate in the Holocaust Museum Houston's Butterfly Project. We provided butterfly templates and markers and the children did the rest!
In an effort to remember the 1,500,000 children who perished in the Holocaust, the Holocaust Museum Houston is collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies.
The butterflies will eventually comprise a breath-taking exhibition, currently scheduled for Spring 2013, for all to remember. The Museum has already collected an estimated 400,000 butterflies and we will be adding 374 more!
We are readying ours for shipment to the museum in Houston to be a part of this awesome exhibit.

Better start now!!

Your child should read at least 1,000 books

before entering kindergarten.

Start today!

Check out a book and start reading!

Lifetime Sports Academy

The Lifetime Sports Academy is open to boys and girls ages 8-18 and offers free group lessons in the lifetime sports of golf, tennis and swimming. The program begins June 14 in McMillen Park and operates Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Group lessons in golf, tennis and swimming will focus on skill development, training, and participation and will be taught by certified coaches and highly trained professionals and volunteers. The Lifetime Sports Academy is funded by the Fort Wayne Sports Corporation and the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department and is offered to area youth FREE of charge.

Pre-register on-line through May 31, on Opening Day, or at the McMillen Park Pavilion at any time during the program. A Lifetime Sports Academy brochure with schedules, registration form and detailed information is available on-line or by calling 427-6000. Beginning June 14, you may call the Academy at 427-6760 or stop by the pavilion in McMillen Park.

Thank you Sierra Club

Today is the anniversary of the Sierra Club which was founded by the famous naturalist, John Muir in 1892. The Sierra Club promotes conservation of the natural environment by influencing public policy. It has been especially important in the founding and protection of our national parks.

The caterpillars are here!

We are so excited to present our annual butterfly program. This is a program that begins today with the arrival of our furry friends, the caterpillars and ends with the release of butterflies on June 28th. There are changes that happen everyday in the "butterfly bungalow" located in the Children's Services department and you won't want to miss a thing. The caterpillars are busy eating and preparing for their metamorphoses! We invite everyone to stop by and spend some time watching nature at it's best.