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Local schools have had a lot of delays and snow/cold days recently. Kids are usually bored by mid-morning but the Kenton County Public Library has you covered whether you can get to the library safely or stuck at home. We have 10 ways for your to spend your snow day: Programs! Programs! Programs! Check the Library program calendar to see what types of events are happening that day. The Library offers storytimes, kindergarten readiness, art and movie programs regularly. Can you get to the Library safely but don't want to get out of the car? Go to our website to put books, movies and video games on hold and pick them up at the drive-thru window. Or come on in and browse the shelves. Once you have your items, read as a family. DIY crafts all day long! You can check craft books out from the Library (reserve them online) or check out ideas from local bloggers like 365 Days of Crafts, A Little Moore, Carla Schauer Studio or A Bird and a Bean. There are several other great local crafting blogs around as well.  Entertain the family with Hoopla. It allows you to INSTANTLY borrow digital music, e-books, TV shows and movies. Have a dance party using Hoopla or Freegal. Hoopla allows you to instantly borrow digital music and Freegal allows you to download and KEEP five songs per week. You just need your library card number and Internet access. . Visit the STREAM Center at the Erlanger Branch or the Maker Space at the Covington Branch. Kids will love the 3Doodler, 3D printer, snap circuits, Legos, craft supplies, button maker, Ozobots, Goldieblox and so much more at the STREAM Center. Just be sure [...]

I'm a huge Queen fan and I love the movie Bohemian Rhapsody so no surprise that I was thrilled when Rami Malek won best actor. Never seeing Mr. Robot, I was not familiar with Malek's work. I almost didn't see the movie, worried it wouldn't be a proper tribute to Freddie Mercury, who I believe no one can replace. But my husband and three of our children wanted to see it so we headed to the theater. I literally forgot at times that I wasn't really watching Freddie. They couldn't have picked a better actor than Malek to portray Freddie Mercury. I  loved Malek's acceptance speech. He seemed truly sincere and appreciative. I have to say I was also excited to see that he and Lucy Boynton are dating in real life. Even though the movie is still in theaters, you can already check it out from the library. Of course there is a wait but hopefully it won't be too long since we have 39 copies. The original soundtrack on CD is also available for checkout. You can also stream the soundtrack through Hoopla with your library card number. Bohemian Rhapsody and Black Panther seemed to be the big winners of the night. Black Panther won for music (original score), costume design and production design. In addition to best leading actor, Bohemian also won for film editing, sound editing and sound mixing. I was surprised that A Star is Born didn't win more than original song (Shallow). I'll be honest, I haven't seen a lot of the other movies that were nominated so I can't speak to the actors in them or the films. I was really hoping Bohemian Rhapsody would win best picture [...]

This year's Summer Reading Celebration is filled with exciting programs, fun prizes, social media giveaways and so much more! We are so excited about the theme: Universe of Stories and the super cool glow-in-the-dark T-shirts children can win just for reading! The program will run June 1-August 31.   Children can pick up a booklog at any of the three branches - Covington, Independence or Erlanger or enter online. Read or listen to five books or 2.5 hours and win a book prize! After 10 books or 5 hours of reading, return the log to receive a glow-in-the-dark Universe of Stories T-shirt or a drawstring bag (while supplies last) and a raffle ticket for a chance to win one of three grand prizes: a technology basket, science basket or art basket. Keep reading for more chances to win the grand prizes! Teens who read or listen to any book or magazine or attend any program can enter online or at any of the three branches. One winner per branch will be drawn for weekly prizes. Adults who read or listen to any book or magazine or attend a book related program can enter to win prizes online or at any of the three branches. Prizes are awarded bi-weekly. The Summer Reading Celebration will kickoff on Saturday, June 1 with free Snappy Tomato Pizza at all three branches. The Covington Branch will feature Kona Ice, a video game truck, Hands-on Space Explorers and a Planetarium show! The Erlanger Branch will host a bounce house, face painting, Tech Toy Time, an iSpace presentation, Rocketry Workshop and more. The Independence Branch will offer a petting zoo, pony rides, the Cowboy in Space, Mark Wood and his out of [...]

Cosplay can have a more impactful meaning to different people, but in its most basic form it is wearing costumes in play (hence the mashing of words into one). I’ve seen cosplayers wear elaborate handmade outfits that have taken months to create, and store-bought costumes that they have saved up for. I’ve seen cosplay that has taken hours to apply and others that have been successfully taken from their own closest of street-wear. Easy or complicated- cosplay is what you make of it. 4 Ways the STREAM Center Can Help with Your Cosplay Needs! 1.)    Detail your leather goods using our Glowforge laser engraver! https://glowforge.com/discover/t/38548/leather-grimoire                     2.)    Print an accessory for your furry companion with our 3-D printer! https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2839481    3.)    Use our sewing machines for your costume! https://www.leatherfashionvalley.com/blog/sewing-cosplay-costume-made-easy                   4.)    Use our soldering iron to light it up! https://www.instructables.com/id/Tron-Costume/                     Don’t forget that these items in our STREAM Center require a 30-minute training before you’re allowed to book the equipment to use them. Reserve a time to be trained here. Need an event to wear your cosplay attire? We will be hosting a Teen Cosplay Night at the Erlanger branch on Saturday, October 19th after hours from 6-8 PM!   By LeAnn Long, Teen Librarian          

The Covington branch has a makerspace? Why, yes they do! The Covington branch of the Kenton County Public Library makerspace currently consists of the following equipment that is available for the public to use. A 2.25” Button Maker A light box for taking quality photographs of your small but valuable possessions (either for insurance purposes or perhaps to list and sell them on an auction site such as eBay) A laminator that will handle business card sized paper up to standard 8.5x11 paper A large format printer. The printer can handle print jobs from 17 inches wide up to 24 inches wide. Its rolls of paper can be used for long, banner-like jobs as well (indoor only, sorry!) A high-quality photo printer for family photos, individual photos or even larger individual photos (up to 8x10) A 58-inch cutter (for trimming those poster prints you make with our large format printer) An assortment of office related items from 3-hole punches to paper cutters to a heavy-duty stapler A Cameo Silhouette paper and vinyl cutter for making fancy designs and imprints A heat press to make yourself or you family a fun design on a t-shirt, bag or even a baby onesie! A sewing machine for minor repairs or major projects. All these items are available to use by patrons, though some may require training by staff for best outcome. We have helped many patrons with advice on how to craft some interesting items and some patrons have become regular users of the above equipment. The Cameo Silhouette has been used to make paper crafts for parties, vinyl stickies to personalize water bottles as well as heat transfer images for clothing and bags. The heat press has [...]

Nothing makes me happier than a patron coming up to the desk, excited over a new book they discovered. Except, of course, when they come back and tell me how much they loved it! A love of books is a must for working at a library, and it then feeds into a new obsession: readers’ advisory. Readers’ advisory is basically getting the right fiction or nonfiction book into a reader’s hands (or onto their e-reader). This can happen over time, with your librarian seeing what you check out and making recommendations occasionally based on that, or it could be a request from you at that time for them to find items based on your current wants and needs. As a reader myself, I use readers’ advisory every day, whether I’m at work or not. Loving a book, then scouring to find out what others recommend reading next until the author writes another. Or (le gasp!) maybe the author no longer writes due to ending a series or retiring for various reasons. Even the most voracious reader, however, doesn’t always have time or energy to go to the library, or maybe wants to be able to find books with ease. In that case, what’s needed is a simple lesson in readers’ advisory! You start with a simple series of questions, trying to figure out what would satisfy that book tooth. (There’s such a thing as a sweet tooth, shouldn’t there be one for people who yearn for books?) 1) Mood This is the most important question. Do you want something by a tried and true author, or are you wanting to dip your toes into a new genre? Do you want something scary, romantic, hopeful, sad? [...]

The holidays are a great time to discuss family history! Photograph courtesy of Faces and Places! Family gatherings over the holidays are a great time to talk about family history. We've crafted a list of fun genealogy based ice-breakers to get the discussion started at your next family gathering. What was the fastest mode of transportation when you were born? What was your mom, dad, grandparents favorite dessert? Do you have the recipe? Why do you think they liked it? What school subject was your favorite and why? How did you spend your summer vacations when you were growing up? Who in the family do you think you look like and why? Where and when did you first go to see a movie? Do you remember what was playing? Who went with you? What sports were important to your family? What sports were your siblings better or worse at? Why did you marry your spouse? What do you remember about your great grandparents? How did you come to choose the names of your children? Do you “remember when Joe got his head stuck in the railing and..."? Ask about a funny family story or memory! What was the biggest news story during your life? We'd love to hear how your relatives answered these questions! You can comment on our blog, or post to any of our social media accounts!

Did you know that there are many ways to give to the Kenton County Public Library Foundation? You can support the Library Foundation through Kroger Community Rewards, Amazon Smile, shop for a cause at boonsupply.com and via the general donation page. You can also sponsor a book, brick or wall tile in honor of someone (makes a great gift option for those who love the Library!).   General giving: If you would like to make a donation to the Library Foundation, please click here to use a credit card. If you would like to send a check, please make it payable to the Kenton County Public Library Foundation and either drop off at any Library location (Covington, Erlanger or Durr in Independence) or mail to 3095 Hulbert Dr., Erlanger, KY 41018. Please fill out the this document when donating with either cash or check (link to order form online).   Say Cheese…Amazon Smile  When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates to your favorite charitable organization. If you shop at amazon, you can select the Kenton County Public Library Foundation as a recipient to a percentage of your purchase price. Learn more at, smile.amazon.com.   Honoring One Through a Book Know a reader? Honor their life, legacy or love of books by putting a book plate in a book of their liking. For a $25 donation, Library staff will work with you to identify the perfect book which will be marked with a special nameplate on the inside cover. Click here to complete online with credit card. If you prefer to pay with cash or check, please download this form and either mail to the library or bring it with you on your next visit.   Support [...]

Telescopes, binoculars, yard games…not what you typically associate with a library. However, that is not the case at the Kenton County Public Library. The Library is broadening its collection of items they provide to the public and are calling it the Library of Things.   You might be wondering “what are these things and how can I get them?” The easiest way to check out all that’s offered is to go to the catalog and type in Library of Things. There are nearly 600 items available however you can narrow down your search. To the left of the screen are some categories to search or you can just scroll through the offerings. While there is something for just about everyone in the Library of Things (DSLR camera, giant Jenga-like game, old school gaming systems) here are the top ten requested items:   Top 10 Most Requested Items on Hold Super Nintendo entertainment system : classic game console Sega genesis : classic game console Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Dobsonian Reflector telescope KCPL Wifi Hotspot Maker kit #03 [kit] : Virtual Reality kit Maker kit #02 [kit] : ozobots STREAM kit : ACE 300 metal detector Atari flashback 7 : classic game console deluxe STREAM kit : Canon DSLR camera and tripod Maker kit #05 [kit] : code & go robot mouse   Top 10 Most Checked Out Items Wifi Hotspot Portable DVD Player Brother Sewing Machine GoSports Giant Toppling Tower Toss Boss Larger Ring Toss Game CD Player Rollors Baden Champions Series Bocce Ball set Original Molkky ZINK Zero Ink hAppy Smart App Printer RPG Kit Ukulele Kit   To place these items on hold, or check out if they are available, all you need is a [...]

For the first time in more than a decade, the Kenton County Public Library is offering amnesty of fines during April. In celebration of National Library Week and Children’s Book Week, if you have fines on your library card account, visit the Kenton County Public Library and speak to a staff member in April and those fines will be removed. This does not include lost or damaged items. This offer is good April 1-April 30, 2019. National Library Week , April 7- 13, 2019, is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and library workers and to promote library use and support. From free access to books and online resources for families to library business centers that help support entrepreneurship and retraining, libraries offer opportunity to all. Additionally, the Library will observe Children’s Book Week from April 29 to May 5, one of the longest-running national celebrations of books for young people and the joy of reading.   “Libraries are evolving and changing daily,” said Dave Schroeder, Executive Director. “Many people are still of the mindset that it’s a quiet place full of books. While the library still has books, it also offers an array of programs and events for all ages, maker spaces, professional workshops for job seekers, and is an office to those who can work or study remotely.”   “We wanted to remove any barriers that were prohibiting people from using their library,” stated Schroeder. There are over 157,000 people with a Kenton County Public Library card. Of this, there are 34,864 borrowers with fines greater than $10, which is the limit that prevents them from being able to check items out.” “April is a great time for spring cleaning. We [...]

I am not originally from Northern Kentucky but my husband’s family is. And as with most Northern Kentucky families, their roots run deep. As our family runs errands he will often point out where his grandpa lived, his friends’ houses, where he played baseball, where he went to school and such. But on one trip to Covington he drove down Holman Avenue and said his (paternal) grandpa owned a bar there.   I didn’t pay too much attention until one day when one of my colleagues gave me an old photo. It was a picture of a city street, probably from the 1950’s. He said he noticed that the name on the bar said Klaene’s. I showed it to my husband and indeed, it was his grandpa’s bar. I’ve had the photo for years and always wanted to make a t-shirt of it as a surprise for my husband. However, I had no clue where to start. Fortunately, in the past few months the Kenton County Public Library has invested in items for their makerspaces. One of those items happened to be a heat press located at the Covington branch library. I made an appointment with a staff member to help me with this project. To make an appointment, call the Covington Reference Desk at (859) 962-4071 and fill out the form below.   The project itself was pretty easy. I purchased a few t-shirts from Michael’s Arts & Crafts. I was informed that 100% cotton works best and that polyester does not. I scanned the photo and put it on a flash drive so it was ready to go. Working with Gary and Kathy at the Covington branch library, we pulled up my photo. [...]

We definitely don't recommend spending more than a few minutes outside when temps are below freezing with high winds but if you bundle up, we have a few science experiments for you to try. Freeze Fry an egg – Put a frying pan outside for about 15 minutes and then crack an egg in it. I wouldn’t eat it but it will look like breakfast.                                                                                                                                                                          Turn boiling water into snow – Fill a super soaker with boiling water and then shoot it outside (only do this if the temps are below zero). The water will vaporize when it meets the below zero temps and turn into ice crystals (homemade snow). Make snow ice cream – Mix sugar, milk, salt and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Put the bowl in the freezer. Go outside and get about 8 cups of clean snow. Mix the snow with the other ingredients. Eat right away. Make a slurpee – Put a two-liter bottle of your favorite pop outside for about four hours. Open the cap outside and watch it form ice crystals, turning your pop into a slurpee. Frozen bubbles – Blow bubbles up in the air in below zero temps and watch them freeze. Tell us about [...]