The Ridley Park Library invites the community to join them, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, July 2, to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the building’s opening and for the re-dedication of the children‘s library. After the inauguration, the library will offer food, crafts and entertainment for children.

According to the library’s press release, “Edith McFall, longtime chair of the library’s board of trustees, sadly passed away last year. Although she is gone, her presence continues to be felt at the library every day. As part of the library’s 110th anniversary celebration, a new sign above the Children’s Library entrance on Cresswell St. will be unveiled, acknowledging McFall’s years of service by renaming the Children’s Library Edith McFall Memorial Children’s Library.

The Ridley Park Library will also hold a ‘Tiny Art Show’ as part of its 110th anniversary celebration. Anyone can pick up a small paint kit from the loan office and use the materials from the kit or any other material to create a masterpiece.

All entries must have something to do with the library and cannot exceed 4″ x 4″. Entries must be received no later than Saturday, June 25. All artwork will be displayed in the library and posted online for voting. The categories are 6 and under, 7 to 12, 13 to 17 and 18 and over. Prizes will be awarded for first place in each category and presented at the 110th anniversary celebration on Saturday July 2. Artwork will be returned after the contest ends.

For more information, contact the Ridley Park Library at 610-583-7207 or [email protected]

Swarthmore Public Library is hosting a dog show

The Swarthmore Public Library will be hosting a dog show on Wednesday, June 22 at 6 p.m. in Little Crum Creek Park.

The dog show was previously hosted by the Swarthmore Community Center in early August. It was envisioned by community center board member Lyn Jones as a way to celebrate Swarthmore as a community of dog owners and dog lovers.

Judges for this year’s Swarthmore Public Library Dog Show will be Swarthmore Mayor Marty Spiegel and Library Manager Abby Cengel. The Master of Ceremonies will be Adult Services Coordinator Jenifer Phillips. The Grand Marshal will be Jake Heffernan-Spiegel, the latest recipient of the Lyn Jones Best in Show Award.

There will be 14 categories judged, recognizing dogs of all varieties and their handlers. Ribbons will be awarded in all categories. If it rains, the event will be canceled, as few like the smell of wet dogs. For more information, call the library at 610-543-0436.

Marple Library kicks off a summer of reading and activities at Veterans Memorial Park

Marple Library is planning a fun-filled summer and will be launching an all-new children’s summer reading program, an exciting launch party, the return of outdoor storytime, and a variety of programs, including those that include live animals and music.

The Marple Library Summer Reading Launch Party will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 18 at Veterans Memorial Park on Lawrence Rd. A Mo Willems story hour at 10 a.m. is followed by a DJ at 11 a.m. Everyone is invited to enjoy a bouncy house and slide, snacks, and a guest appearance from two beloved book characters.

Outdoor storytime returns on Tuesday, June 21 at Veterans Memorial Park on Lawrence Road. Most weeks will have three sessions throughout the summer:

Story time and crafts with Miss Mel, Mondays at 10 a.m., recommended for ages 2 to 4; Storytime and crafts with Miss Mel, Tuesdays at 10 a.m., recommended for ages 4 to 6 due to crafts; and Story Time with Miss Elena, Fridays at 10 a.m. All ages are welcome.

Many other educational and fun programs are planned throughout the summer. Some may require registration, all free of charge. Details and registration are available at http://marplelibrary.org.

The Upper Chichester Library invites families to Wednesday evening shows at Kingsman Road Park

The community is invited to come and visit the Upper Chichester Library’s Wednesday night shows until 6.30pm on July 29 at Kingsman Road Park, site of the new Upper Chichester Library building.

Wednesday family home evenings are:
June 22, “The Buzz About Bees” with Delaware and Chester County beekeeper Warren Graham.
June 29, The Butterfly Project Part 1 – Miss Teresa talks about butterflies and their life cycle. A craft is included. The library will be raising butterflies for this 4 week project.
On July 6, Arson Dog Elou from the Upper Chichester Police Department and his partner, Officer Brian Gilmore, will bring an evening of educational entertainment and insight into the uniqueness of this dog.
On July 13, “Around the Campfire” with Mr. Andrew and Miss Thérèse will be an evening of music, games and activities.
On July 20, the Lenni Lenape Tribe will present the Native American Heritage program at a family home evening. Participants can learn all about the history of Lenni Lenape in America.
On July 29, Butterflies will be released at the end of the library’s butterfly project. Also help celebrate National Ice Cream Month and enjoy a fresh treat while enjoying Mr. Andrew’s entertainment.

Additionally, families can listen to Mr Andrew’s music at Kingsman Road Park, the site of the new Upper Chichester Library and Community Resource Centre. Mr. Andrew will perform Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m., courtesy of a grant from the Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith Foundation.
Kids can join the Summer Reading Club and read books all summer and get prizes. Sign up and receive a reading log to keep track of books or minutes read all summer long. To participate, children must stop by the library to register.

The STEM camp will take place from June 27 to July 29. Each day for one hour, children will explore science, technology, engineering and math experiments and more. The 2022 STEM Camp and Summer Reading Club is generously funded by the Delaware County Foundation.

Everyone must register for this event at the library. Call the library for more information at 610-485-0200.

Springfield Library Hosts Virtual Bingo, Nature Walk and Poetry Workshop

The Springfield Township Library, 70 Powell Road, Springfield, will host bingo, via Zoom, at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 1. Individuals, teams and/or families of all ages are invited. Registration is required to obtain the Zoom link and instructions for obtaining bingo cards. The event is sponsored by Hungry A, Putt Putt, Sleepy Hollow Delly and Shine Salon. Registration ends the Tuesday before the scheduled bingo. Register on https://delcolibraries.libcal.com/event.

“Nature Walk with Delaware Nature Society” will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, July 15. Joe Sebastiani of the Delaware Nature Society will lead the walk to inventory the nature found in the park surrounding the library. He will share his knowledge of trees, birds, woods and grasses in an informative and entertaining way. Registration is recommended at http://www.springfieldtwplib.org/events/.
“Black Out Poetry” is scheduled for Tuesday, July 26 at 6:30 p.m. Those struggling to find the right words to start writing are encouraged to start with someone else’s. Black Out Poetry is a unique literary phenomenon that allows writers to find and create any type of poetry that sets a mood by extracting words and phrases from existing written words. This program has the potential to evolve into a more regular creative writing workshop and is aimed at older teens through to adults. To register, visit http://www.springfieldtwplib.org/events before Monday, July 25.

Readers can send library news and photos to Peg DeGrassa at [email protected]