I didn't know it until reading Jean Bonchak's story, but Wednesday is National Bookmobile Day, and the Geauga County Public Library System's Bookmobile is the busiest of its kind in the state. The article states that the Bookmobile circulates more than 225,000 items at its 86 stops. How neat to have such a valuable resource in our own backyard.

Click here to read Jean's entire story on the Geauga Bookmobile.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

One of my favorite aspects of National Library Week is the release of the annual list of top 10 challenged books.

This year, Suzanne Collins makes her first appearance on the American Library Association's list of books with "The Hunger Games." Click here to see what else made the list and learn about the questionable content of the books.

Have you read "The Hunger Games" or other books that made the list?


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Amber Chapman, one of our Community Media Lab bloggers, wrote a post last night about taking your family to the library for National Library Week.

It looks like she has had quite a few positive experiences with public libraries, and National Library Week is a great time to express that.

I know I have had similar positive experiences to Amber. My parents would regularly take my sisters and me to the library, where we would fill up our bags with as many books as we would carry. We always won the summer reading contests at school, and my great experiences with libraries is part of what motivated me to get my master's in library and information science.

Check out Amber's blog post, and feel free to comment here or there on what libraries have meant to you and your family.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl


(P.S.: Have your own blog you want on our Community Media Lab? Email communitymedialab@news-herald.com. Find out more about becoming a Media Lab blogger by clicking here.)

Staff Writer Larece Galer headed over to Mentor Public Library to catch some officials celebrating National Library Week.

Celebrity reader Police Chief Joe Doran of Mentor-on-the-Lake chose "The Police Cloud" by Christoph Niemann to children at Mentor Public Library in honor of National Library Week. The readings were followed with cookies and lemonade for everyone.

Mentor Fire Chief Richard Harvey and Smokey the Bear read "Firefighter Ted" by Andrea Beaty and Pascal Lemaitre.

How are you celebrating National Library Week?

--Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

State Rep. Lorraine Fende, D-Willowick, visited Mentor Public Library on Monday to read to youngsters. Watch the video (by Staff Writer Jean Bonchak) to read along.

Looking for something to do during National Library Week? The Geauga County Public Library System has scheduled several events.

Individuals are invited to travel around the county to explore a Geauga County Library. A Geauga County Public library card is valid at the Bainbridge Library, Chardon Library, Geauga West Library (Chester Township), Middlefield Library, Newbury Public Library Station, Thompson Public Library Station and the Bookmobile.

Visit any Geauga County Public Library during the week to participate in a wide variety of events or to experience the several resources that libraries provide.

Here's a listing of events:

Middlefield Library, 7 to 8 p.m. April 13 — Clara Barton portrayal, sponsored by the East Geauga Friends of the Library; call 440-632-1961 to register.

All Libraries, April 13 — celebrate National Library Workers Day by stopping in to say hello to library staffers in any Geauga County Public Library.

Bookmobile, April 14 — Celebrate the first National Bookmobile Day. The Geauga County Public Library bookmobile visits day care centers, senior centers, assisted living facilities, Amish farms and more circulating a record number of items every year as Ohio's busiest library on wheels.

Chardon Library, 7 p.m. April 15 — pajama party storytime for preschool children; call 440-285-7601 to register.

Bainbridge Library, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 17 — Passport Fair and travel ideas coordinated by the Friends of the Bainbridge Library; call 440-543-5611 for more information.

Geauga West Library, 2 p.m. April 18 — Picturing America Series family art program: "Dabbles, Doodles, and Drawing"; call 440-729-4250 to register.

Further upcoming events include:

Bainbridge Library, 7 p.m. April 22 — Patrick Henry portrayal, presented by the Friends of the Bainbridge Library; call 440-543-5611 for more information.

Geauga West Library, 7 p.m. April 28 — Picturing America speaker Jesse Bryant Wilder, co-author of "Art History for Dummies"; call 440-729-4250 for details.

Chardon Library, April 27 through May 15 — Harry Potter's world events; call 440-285-7601 for more information.


-- Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

I got a chance to sit down with Wickliffe Public Library Director Nancy Fisher today and get her thoughts on why libraries are so wonderful and what challenges face them

-- Tricia Ambrose
TAmbrose@News-Herald.com

I'm not sure if this title would be classified as good or bad according to Darragh McManus. I'll mark it down as intriguing - and isn't that at least one function of a title?

"One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd" delivered on that promise.

The premise of Jim Fergus' novel is that a deal has been struck between President Ulysses Grant and Cheyenne Chief Little Wolf. One thousand white women for one thousand horses. The goal of the program: to help the Cheyenne become part of the white man's world via the children who would result from the exchange.

May Dodd volunteers to be one of those women.

You think your life is bad?? Imagine what your life would have to be like that you would rather be traded into a culture that was foreign to you than stay where you are?

The situation she finds herself in isn't quite as romantic as perhaps she'd hoped.

Fergus has created largely believable, if a bit too one-dimensional female characters and his story construct is a good one.

National Library Week is next week.

Please take some time to check out what's going on at your local library. We are fortunate in Northeast Ohio to be surrounded by a bevy of wonderful libraries.

Here's just a few of the things on tap next week at some of them:

Sights and Sound of Euclid Beach Park at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 13 at Wickliffe.
Join Jim Seaman for an evening of history and reminiscing about Euclid Beach Park featuring a slide show and props. Registration at 440-944-6010 is required.

"Little Bee" by Chris Cleave will be the topic of discussion at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 14 at Euclid.

At Mentor, celebrity readers will entertain children with stories every day next week. Get the full schedule here.

Painesville's Morley will be the site of a 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 13 discussion of "Loving Frank" by Nancy Horan. ( A book I enjoyed.)

Happy reading!

- Tricia Ambrose