Please note that registration is required for some programs.

The program will include a trivia quiz, scavenger hunt, door prizes, and t-shirt decorating (participants must provide the shirt, we will provide craft supplies) . Admission is free. Registration requested. For more information, call the YHPL at 797-4816, or BCPL at 778-6456.

The programs are free. For more information, contact the library at (607) 797-4816.

For children, we will host two evenings of games and crafts based on adaptations of Twain’s book. On Monday, March 1st, we will be reading The Birthday Boy, in which Tom and his brother Sid learn about honesty, forgiveness, and birthday cake.  After reading and briefly discussing the book, we will play simple birthday games and, of course, have cake!  Children in grades kindergarten and 1st are invited to join us at 6 p.m.; children in second grade may attend our program at 7 p.m.  Registration is required to insure we have enough supplies for everyone.

On Monday, March 15th, we will read The Spelling Bee, in which both Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher compete to win a free ticket to the circus.  We will make circus train magnets and even do some spelling.  (Don’t worry — if you can spell your name, you’ll have no trouble with this activity!)  Again, the 6 p.m. program is for kindergarten and 1st grade, while the 7 p.m. program is for 2nd graders.  Registration again required.

Middle School students are invited to a book discussion of the Classic Starts version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, adapted by Martin Woodside.  Read the book before the meeting on Monday, March 29th, then join us at 7 p.m. for the discussion.   Contact the library to see about copies of the book — we may have some to give away.   No registration is required for this program.

Adults will have the opportunity to discuss the classic version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer on Thursday, March 18th at 6:30 p.m.   No registration required.

Tickets for “An Evening with Mark Twain”, a one-man show at the Fireside Theatre on Willow Street, are now available at the library.  Shows will be held on Thursday, February 25th at 7 p.m., and Friday, February 26th at 4 and 7 p.m.  Ask at either the Main Desk or the Children’s Room Desk.

The program is free and we will provide all materials.  However, space is limited and registration is required.  Call the library at 797-4816 for more information or to register.

On Monday, July 20th, two volunteers on the Ross Park Zoomobile brought several animals to visit with friends at the library.  Animals included a parrot, two rats, a lizard, a snake, and an armadillo.  Thirty-five people spent an hour hearing about each animal.  The volunteers took most of the animals around to interact with the audience.

Two rats perch and pose for visitors’ admiration.

Seeing a snake up-close and personal.

The armadillo is brought around to let people touch his protective covering.

Magician Ron Cain brought his Magical Art Museum to the JC library last Tuesday.  Audience members saw card tricks, talking pictures, colors that flew, and, of course, a mysteriously-appearing rabbit.  Ron selected audience members to help him with many of his tricks, so children played with cards and paint brushes and even the famous Mona Lisa!

 More pictures are available by clicking on the link below.

The Magical Art Museum kicked off the library’s summer programming.  This year’s theme: Be Creative @ Your Library.

Helping an assistant “suit up” to paint a picture.

The reversing crayon trick.

Magical scarves for all! 

Attendees could line up at the end of the show to meet Bingo the Magic Bunny, and receive a brochure of simple magic tricks to learn at home.

Join us for summer-long reading, hands-on activities and family-friendly fun as we Get Creative at the Library!

Drop in for our kick-off event on Tuesday, June 30th at 2 p.m. when we host Ron Cain’s Magical Art Museum. Encourage children and teens to read throughout the summer with our Summer Reading Clubs. Stop by as we say farewell to summer programming with Bruce Weaver and his amazing Puppets on Monday, August 17th at 2 p.m.

Check out our schedule of events below. All programs are free! Call the library at 797-4816 for more information or to register.

Sign-ups for Summer Reading Program.  The SRP runs from July 1st through August 21 and is open to anyone ages 3 – 16.  Our Summer Reading Club is open to children 3 to 10; keep track of the time you spend reading each day, and win prizes for every two hours you read from July 1st to August 21st. 

Our Teen Reading Program is open to teens ages 11 to 16; keep track of the time you spend reading, and earn chances to win an Oakdale Mall Gift Certificate, movie passes, or a Barnes and Noble Gift Certficate.  Drawings for the teen readers will be held on August 1st, and a second round on August 24th.

Sign-ups for both reading programs will begin Monday, June 22nd.  Please note: last day to turn in all Reading Logs will be Friday, August 21st.

Preschool Programs:

Thursdays, July 9 -  August 13 at Highland Park.  10 a.m.  Staff from JC and Endicott libraries will co-host these 45-minute programs, which will include books, songs, crafts, and more.  No registration is required for these sessions.  Attend as many or as few as you like.

Floral Park, Johnson City.  Thursday July 2nd and Thursday, August 20th.  3:30 to 4 p.m.  Books, crafts and activities for preschool and early elementary children.  No registration required.

 School-Age Programs:

 Making Music: Tuesday, July 28 at 1 p.m.  Ages 5 and older.  Make musical instruments, play musical games, and listen to two books with a musical theme.  Registration required to ensure we have enough materials.  Call the library at 797-4816 to register or for more information.

Readers’ Theater: Monday, August 10th at 1 p.m.  If you can read, you can put on a play with no memorization, and only 1 rehearsal!  We will provide all props, scripts, and instructions.  Older family members are welcome to help out, or serve as the audience.  No registration needed.

Teen Programs:

Night of Poetry: Tuesday, July 14, 7 – 8 p.m.  Bring samples of your own poetry, or one of your favorite poems to recite during the evening, and a picture of your choice.  We will warm up with two writing exercises (“What’s My Line” and a group poem using the pictures you bring), then will have an open mic for anyone who wants to read or recite.  (Please keep poems and pictures in good taste.)  No registration needed. 

Tie-dye Night.  Tuesday, August 4, 6:30 p.m.   Bring a plain white t-shirt and turn it into a tie-dye masterpiece.  Space is limited and registration is required.  (Teens only, please.) 

Family Programs:

Ron Cain’s Magical Museum: Tuesday, June 30th, 2 p.m.  Spend an afternoon in a magical museum, where creativity and reading cast their spells.  No registration required.  Open to all ages.

Ross Park Zoomobile: Monday, July 20th, 1 p.m.  Meet some new furry, scaly and feathered friends during a visit from the Ross Park Zoomobile .  No registration required.  Open to all ages.

Movie Afternoons: We will once again be hosting three family movie afternoons.  In keeping with our summer theme of “Be Creative”, the movies will be: Wednesday, July 8th: Mary Poppins; Wednesday, July 22nd: Happy Feet; Wednesday, August 12th: The Muppet Movie. Each program begins at 1 p.m.  No registration.  You may bring lunch if you wish; we’ll provide snacks.

Bruce Weaver and Friends Puppets: Monday, August 17th at 2 p.m.  Help us end our summer on a high note with an afternoon of puppetry, song, and laughter.  No registration needed.  Open to all ages.

In January, we chose Winter of the Ice Wizard, by Mary Pope Osborn, played a simplified form of dominoes, found a pink mitten hidden in the Children’s Room, and made snow people out of pint-sized canning jars. Here, our second graders show off their treat jars, which can be used to hold candy, coins, or other small items.

February’s Magic Tree House program is planned for Tuesday the 24th, and will feature the book Mummies in the Morning, in which two children visit ancient Egypt. The programs are open to all second grade students at the JC Elementary School. Teachers hand out flyers for the event in advance, and collect the names and numbers of children and adult family members who want to attend.