The Lane Libraries offers summer programs for all ages

In addition to the programming available at each of the branches, the Lane Libraries Bookmobile will make a number of stops throughout the summer. CONTRIBUTED

In addition to the programming available at each of the branches, the Lane Libraries Bookmobile will make a number of stops throughout the summer. CONTRIBUTED

The Lane Libraries has summer programs for community members of all ages – from toddlers to senior adults. Plus, residents can take advantage of other resources, such as book clubs, the Computer Tutor Service and more.

“It’s so easy to have access to things that people may not be aware of that are right there, and they are free for them to use. That’s what we’re there for, we are here to be utilized by all of our citizens, and I would love for everybody to understand just how many great things we have available,” said Carrie Mancuso, public relations manager at The Lane Libraries. “We are the window to the world.”

She said the majority of adult programming is appropriate for all ages, and many of the programs offer an introduction to something, or to give people a taste of different types of things.

“We see it as our mission to use programming to introduce people to things they’ve never tried before, or concepts that they’ve never thought about before,” Mancuso said. “So, much of what we do is a taste of something new, and we really want to get the message across that the majority of our programming is for all ages.”

Gardening programming and the Seed Library are popular this time of year. The Lane Seed Library was founded with a mission to allow anyone to be able to grow a garden. The Seed Library is available at the Hamilton, Fairfield and Oxford Lane Libraries, and it continues to grow and connect communities of gardeners.

“We have seeds available for borrowing. You just come in, look through the catalog and see what’s there, and take what you want for your own garden. So, that’s a wonderful resource for all ages. We also do a wide range of gardening programming to go along with that,” Mancuso said.

For the current seed availability and to borrow seeds, visit any Lane Seed Library location. All Lane Seed Library locations also accept seed donations.

Game nights, yoga, and a Sensory Friendly Cinema are also a part of the programming line-up this summer. The Lane Community Tech Center in Hamilton is also available to library patrons.

“It’s free programming, and with this economy, everybody is always looking for value. So, as taxpayers, everybody in our county pays a small amount of money toward supporting the library, and you get far more value out of the library if you use it than you put into it,” Mancuso said.

For more information about the programs and services available at The Lane Libraries, and a complete program schedule, go to lanepl.org.

Patrons should have a library card to check out materials – books, audiobooks, and DVDs, and library staff members can help residents get a library card, if needed. Library cards can be obtained at all branch locations, on the Bookmobile, or you can fill out an application online, and bring it into the library to complete the application process.

With the Computer Tutor Service that is available at The Lane Libraries, guests can make an appointment with a member of the Reference Team to learn about email accounts, computer basics, Internet basics, eReaders, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint as well as Ancestry.com. The tutor help is available year-round and is offered at each branch. The service is free.

“If you’re trying to figure out how to use your phone, or how to get audiobooks for the first time, or want to know how to use your eReader, or anything like that, we can help you with that. We can help you create an email account, learn to use a computer, an iPad or the Internet,” Mancuso said.

The Bookmobile will also be making stops in neighborhood locations, including parks, community centers, splash pads, and schools, throughout the summer months. Check out lanepl.org/hours-locations/bookmobile for more details on the Lane Libraries Bookmobile calendar as well as a list of public events and locations.

“It is a mobile library, books on wheels, and the beautiful thing about that is we cater what is on the Bookmobile to where we are going. So, if it stops at a community stop, you are going to get a little bit of everything, because we have people of all ages coming on,” said Mancuso.

About the Author