Looking for a break from the summer heat? Cool down at the Library!
At the end of the month, we’ll be wrapping up Summer Reading with our FOAM PARTY, Thursday, July 30, at 2:00 p.m.! Wear a swimsuit or active-wear clothing that can get wet, and please bring a towel. Goggles are also encouraged to keep foam out of little eyes.
Interested in supporting our Library community? Consider joining either the Library Board of Trustees, the Friends of the Library, or the Solon Public Library Foundation! As a member of the Library Board of Trustees, you’ll be working with our Director on such tasks as reviewing and updating library policies, making decisions about library operations, and developing library plans. As a member of the Friends of the Library, you’ll help fundraise for the Library and support Library activities and events. As a member of the Solon Public Library Foundation, you’ll work to fundraise for major library programs and long-term building projects. Being a member of these teams means playing an important role in keeping the Library running!
Want to volunteer? Visit our website at https://www.solon.lib.ia.us/about/volunteer-opportunities to fill out our online application! Call or visit the Library for more information.
Library programs
Storytimes at the Library are going strong with two available times every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Join us for singing, dancing, reading, and playing games. We encourage families to pick the most comfortable time to attend. These events will be identical. Don’t worry about missing either one.
Join us for Make Your Own Slime Monday, July 13, at 6 p.m. Available for all ages. Enjoy a messy evening at the Library as we combine colors and textures to make slimes of your choice!
Looking for a relaxing art session? Join us with special guest Austina Scott as she leads a flower painting tutorial Tuesday, July 14, at 6:30 p.m. Attendees will paint a picture of yellow flowers against the sky, while receiving instruction from Austina Scott. We’ll provide the canvases, paints, and paintbrushes. Intended for adults, registration is required.
Missing the ocean vibes this summer? Join us with Ocean Odyssey: Stingray Touch Tanks Friday, July 24, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.! The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium’s traveling touch tank is bringing live ocean animals to the Library! Attendees will learn how these critters survive, their importance to the ecosystem, and how you can help with conservation efforts! Attendees will also have the opportunity to get their hands wet! For all ages, registration is required!
Library access
Regular Library hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Sundays. Please always refer to our website calendar or call to check hours as weather may impact our ability to be safely open.
Special hours in July
Friday, July 17, the Library will be open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Library will be closed on Saturday, July 18 for Solon Beef Days.
Friday, July 24 the Library will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Everyone is welcome at the Library and our programs. Please contact us with access needs.
Online resources in the Library collection
Going on vacation and need media for mobile devices for a long drive?
Use your Library card to sign up with Libby to check out audiobooks!
Thanks to Bridges, finding audiobooks with Libby couldn’t be easier! With thousands of titles available to Library patrons, you’re sure to find audiobooks of some of your favorite authors from every genre! You can access Libby through any browser, or any compatible mobile device. With a Bluetooth connection, you can play your audiobooks through vehicle media players and mobile speakers.
Want to watch movies without signing up for a new streaming service bill?
Try out Kanopy, available on your mobile devices and smart TVs! Kanopy is a rental streaming service made for public libraries! Make an account with your library card to access a plethora of action-packed movies, insightful documentaries, and even educational courses. Each month, patrons using Kanopy receive 15 movie tickets to spend on whatever they’d like, no billing, no monthly fees. Download the app on your mobile devices to get started, or install it on your smart TV.
Call or visit the Library for more information about using or getting started with online resources through the Library.
New books in the collection
Here are some new books in the Library collection!
This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum
Benny Abbott and Joy Moore host one of the most beloved podcasts in the world. The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander’s one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple’s disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy’s memoir. Benny is desperate to find them, even when the police soon zero in on him as their prime suspect.
Angel Down by Daniel Kraus
Private Cyril Bagger has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of the Great War through his wits and deception. But his survival instincts are put to the ultimate test when he and four other grunts are given a deadly mission: venture into the perilous No Man’s Land to euthanize a wounded comrade. What they find amid the ruined battlefield, however, is not a man in need of mercy but a fallen angel, seemingly struck down by artillery fire.
No Matter What by Cara Bastone
Roz and Vin can’t look each other in the eyes anymore, let alone share a bed. It’s been a year since they survived a life-altering accident, and their marriage hasn’t been the same. But Roz has held out hope that they can fix things, until she discovers Vin has signed a new lease. So she does what any soon-to-be-divorced Manhattanite would do: sign up for a figure-drawing class. As Roz works to capture the wholeness of the person she fell in love with, will they both be able to draw upon the feelings they buried deep inside to finally heal together?
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
Lenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Ever since cancer stole away her best friend, she has been completely lost. She’s avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with her best friend, and the ever laminated “live again” list of things she’s promised to do to survive her grief. But maybe if she acts like she has it all together, no one will notice she’s falling apart. Turns out, sometimes your life has to end to find your new beginning.
History of the Solon Public Library – Part 15
The new Library building was constructed to be 8,150 sq. feet on the main level with another 8,150 sq. feet for HVAC equipment and storage in the basement. The new basement currently houses Dinosaur Jack’s incredible dinosaur collection, along with many donation materials for the Friends of the Library. In perspective, the Library’s 750 sq. ft meeting room was the same size as the old library.