blog

The library can be a great resource for planning your next vacation to anywhere in the world. Our staff can help you find travel books to your destination and can direct you to some online vacation resources. You can also checkout items from the library that you might want/need on your vacation. You can check out a Canon DSLR camera to capture your vacation memories and we also have a metal detector that I wish I would have placed on hold because that would have been something fun to do while on the beach. The wifi hot spots we have available for checkout can be great for a long car ride with kids. We also have different lawn games available for check out which would be great additions to a camping trip or a stay at the beach. You can visit our Library of Things for a complete list. Here are some photos from my family’s vacation to South Haven, Michigan. I highly recommend this vacation spot to anyone who enjoys the sand but dislikes salt water.  It’s the best of both worlds.  You can dig your feet in the sand and avoid the salt water. The kids had a blast running along the beach and kicking sand in the air. Lake Michigan is cold at the beginning of June but that didn’t stop the big kids from jumping in!                  David (left) & Collin (right); cousins/best buds.   Beach Frisbee anyone? A lawn game from the library would also have been a great addition to our vacation. Pier at North Beach   Downtown South Haven is a shopper’s paradise. Also, if you are a connoisseur of food [...]

Between school, work, a social life, and other responsibilities, sometimes reading can get tossed to the side or postponed indefinitely. Here are some tips and tricks to help you continue reading while living your busy life to the fullest. Don't force yourself to read. For some people, goals such as "number of books per year" or "number of chapters per night" are helpful to organize their reading and make it a priority, but you know yourself best. If those goals will only stress you out or distract you from other responsibilities, then don't worry about them. Reading is supposed to be fun (unless it's an assignment, then it's fun AND mandatory) so don't turn it into a chore. Similarly, if you start a book and you decide you don't find it interesting, don't read it! I generally go through 1/3 or ½ a book before I give up on it. If it hasn't piqued my interest (or shown me why I should read it anyways) by then, it probably never will.     Try audiobooks or podcasts. These you can listen to while driving, doing chores, working, etc. I even listen to them as I fall asleep at night. Audiobooks are available on your phone/computer through companies like Audible or iTunes, or for free here at the library. Podcasts can be found online or on your phone as well and are typically free.         eBooks. They aren't for everyone, but eBooks are certainly useful. They're easier to carry, and you probably always have your phone on you, so if you happen to have some downtime but didn't prepare by bringing a book? Your handy dandy phone is there with the latest thriller! You don't have to have a specific device for this, smartphones are enough with Apple's Books, Android's [...]

Alice and Maggie Hair have a new hobby thanks to Maker Camp at the Erlanger Branch of the Kenton County Public Library. The twins attended the Maker Camp - Rug Weaving program in June. They learned how to make their own looms and weave.                                       They loved it so much that they had their mom Sarah help them make looms at home.                                     Maker Camp is offered every Thursday in July, August 2 and August 9 for  children ages 7 and older from 6-7:30 pm in the STREAM Center at the Erlanger Branch. Each week has a different theme: July 5th - Print Making July 12th - Build a Tiny House July 19th - Playdough Test July 26th - Circuits, Circuits and More Circuits! August 2nd - Balloon Hovercraft August 9th - Paper Roller Coaster Maker Camp is a great way to beat the heat or the rain. The children will learn a new skill while having fun and the rest of the family can pick up a few books and movies. Visit kentonlibrary.org for more information.          

Munch was only a few pounds when he came to the Library. He is now 50. The Kenton County Public Library staff welcomed Munch the tortoise to the Durr Branch in 2014. The then three pound turtle had plenty of room to grow and move around. But as time went on, Munch grew and grew. The staff built a new home for him but he eventually outgrew that as well. Munch has grown so much, 50 pounds, that he is too big to live at the library. After many discussions and tears, it was decided Munch needed a new home where he could continue to grow and have space to move around. Luckily the Ark Encounter agreed to take him. Munch is scheduled to move today, July 9, 2018. Once he gets settled in, people can visit him at the Ark. Many of our patrons are sad Munch is leaving. Please know this was not an easy decision and was done in the best interest of Munch. Staff has had so much fun with him over the years. I personally had the opportunity to work with Munch on several occasions. Munch loves basketball so he made his own bracket the last few years. I had the opportunity to work with him on Munch Madness. You can watch the video here. Other staff members worked with Munch to depict what a day in the life of Munch is like. You can watch that video here. Munch truly has a personality of his own, which is why we started Tortoise Tuesdays on social media. We had to show off his cuteness.                             [...]