Join us Wednesday September 8th at 7:00 pm in the Main Library Auditorium to hear local author Linda Legeza’s tale of life, love, grief and chasing dreams on the waters of Lake Erie. Legeza has used the setting of Lake Erie and Northeastern Ohio as her muse in the novels Cooler Full of Fish and The Rainy Day House and is eager to share her love of the area with her audience.

All events are free and open to the public.

Saturday, August 28
FIVE STAR FILMS
Burnt by the Sun (Russia-1994)
Directed By Nikita Mikhalkov                               Rated R
The brilliantly crafted plot of this film unfolds during the era of Stalin. A popular Red Army colonel and hero of the Revolution spend an idyllic day with wife and daughter at the summer home of his batty in-laws. As suddenly as he vanished years before, his wife’s former fiancée reappears in their midst. What is his agenda? Russian with English subtitles.
6:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

The Friends of Lakewood Public Library are pleased to present the premiere visit to our Sunday programs of the three-man jazz ensemble, Intransit, on Sunday, September 12, at 2 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium. This trio combines a unique blend of improvisational jazz and Latin polyphonic rhythms to entertain with original compositions, and play ‘spiced up’ jazz standards that audiences know and love. Intransit is known for getting their audience moving with an uptempo Latin groove or relaxing them with a laidback bossa nova or samba, so those who are so inclined may soon find themselves dancing in their seats (or swaying, at least!).

I will invite anyone with curly hair, or bring someone who has a curly hair problem. If your hair is straight and you are thinking of a chemical curl or you want your natural curl relaxed come to this program. I am a beauty Salon owner, Carabel Beauty Salon & Store and also an editorial advisor for Beauty Store Business Magazine. I will show various types of curl talk about products and show some tools to style hair. I want to hear from you, I will be at the Lakewood Library Monday Sept 13 at 7:00pm to 8:30 pm. I will have some samples to give away too. Young children who need some information who are ready to care for their own hair can benefit from this program, see you at the Main Library Monday.

J. Scott Franklin is performing at Lakewood Public Library and we’re all a little miffed. Libraries are supposed to be organized. We like our Dewey Decimal System and we like things to fall into neat little categories. But J. Scott Franklin refuses to be categorized. Is he a poet that sings or a singer who writes poetry? Is he a trumpet playing guitarist or a guitar playing trumpeter? A music making storyteller? We aren’t sure, but we aren’t really miffed, either.  In fact, we are delighted to welcome J. Scott Franklin to sing us a few poems and tell us a few songs on Sunday August 22nd, at 2 p.m. in the Lakewood Public Library Auditorium as part of the Sunday With The Friends Concert Series. As always, this Sunday With The Friends performance is Free and open to the public.

Whether you are looking to enhance your knowledge of a subject you love, or dive into studying a topic for the first time, Lakewood Public Library has physical and virtual learning aides for you.

All events are free and open to the public.

Friday, July 30
LakewoodAlive presents: FRONT PORCH CONCERTS
Celebrate Lakewood’s rich diversity and youthful talent with live, family-friendly entertainment in front of the Library—Lakewood’s Front Porch! Bring a chair and a happy heart and don’t forget your dancing shoes!
Vance Music Studios: Student Rock Bands
7:00 p.m. in front of the Main Library

Wallace Coleman, legendary blues harmonica player, will share his musical gift with us on Sunday, August 8th, at 2 p.m., in the Lakewood Public Library Auditorium. Coleman embodies a musical gift that has all but disappeared from the African-American musical landscape. He has traveled the world playing harp for the late, great Robert Lockwood Jr., but Wallace Coleman is back home in Cleveland and still playing songs that reflect his storied life and preserve the spirit of the pioneering blues label of the 50s and 60s, Chess Records.

During these trying economic times college prep resources are at a premium for Lakewood's aspiring baccalaureates. With college tuition costs on the rise, families are looking for affordable ways to prepare teens on the cusp of adulthood for the college admissions process. The Lakewood Public Library Foundation is doing its part to support this student population by funding an annual ACT preparation course, administered by the Princeton Review.

"Our goal is to to help students raise their test scores who otherwise might not be able to afford a course like this on their own," says Lynn Foran, community activist and President of the Lakewood Public Library Foundation. "We know that a higher ACT test score increases a student's acceptance into a college and can also directly affect college scholarship opportunities."

The Lakewood Public Library Foundation was established in 1994 to support Lakewood's learners, young and old, by increasing access to knowledge and information through traditional and emerging mediums. According to its website, "The Foundation is especially challenged by the information revolution and the inevitable transformation of the Lakewood Public Library."

In college, students will prepare to meet the challenging demands of career and citizenship in a digitizing world. By helping students to achieve higher scores on their ACT exams, the Foundation is addressing this key strategic goal, head on. The classes took place in the Main Library Learning Lab, where library staff also administer computer and information literacy classes designed to empower adults to cross the digital divide. Both the Foundation and library adult instruction team are working to address these critical, 21 century needs.

If you remember the famed “Rat Pack” and the music of Dean, Frank, and Sammy, then this program is a must-see for you. Join us on Sunday, July 25, at 2 p.m. as the one-man Rat Pack, Scott Brotherton, presents an hour of songs from the Vegas strip. Scott’s impeccable renditions will take you through the decades as he presents vocal selections ranging from Dean Martin’s glory days, through the 50’s with the voices of Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, and Bobby Darin, and on into the 60’s 70’s and 80’s in the styles of Johnny Mathis, Engelbert, James Taylor, and others. Scott will also display his versatility with a dash of Country as he sings songs from Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers, and Johnny Cash. Of course, the concert would not be complete without including the legendary Neil Diamond.

If you’re a computer beginner, you are not alone. There are many people who don’t have an e-mail account or know how to navigate the web. If you’re a Lakewood Library patron, however, you’re in luck. Any patron who wishes to enter the digital age can take advantage of free computer classes offered at the main branch of the Lakewood Public Library.

You and your child can be among the first to experience the joy of gardening at the Madison Branch Learning Garden. On Saturday, July 10th at 10:30 a.m., the Lakewood Public Library and LEAF Community will celebrate the grand opening.

After a brief dedication, Children's Librarian Julie Strunk will take your child on the journey from seed to sprout with Sunflower House by Eve Bunting. Several other gardening stories for children will follow.

As storytelling draws to a close and the sun nears its zenith, children and parents will do their part to brighten the Learning Garden by planting sunflower seeds to be taken home, cultivated and returned to the garden for planting.

Over the coming years, the Madison Branch Learning Garden will serve as a vehicle for teaching  Lakewood's youngsters about natural life cycles, ecology, sustainability, healthy eating, and hunger awareness. With the support of LEAF Community, Help2Others and other community volunteers, the Learning Garden will provide Lakewood residents of all ages a place to think about sustaining our community, our earth, and ourselves.

Mark your calender for future programs at the Learning Garden! All programs take place on Saturdays, at 10:30 a.m. in the Learning Garden, behind the Madison Branch library.

With summer vacation in full swing, most teens are giving about as much thought to school as they are to snow boots. The bad news is there’s one summer requirement no Lakewood middle school student can ignore for long. The good news is…it’s summer reading! What better way to spend a long, lazy summer afternoon than stretched out on a porch swing or a beach towel with a good book? And what better place to find that book than the Lakewood Public Library?

Camp Half-Blood:  A Library Role-Playing Adventure

Cleaning/Janitorial Lakewood Public Library Lakewood Public Library is seeking an energetic, organized individual to perform maintenance routines including dusting; floor care; collecting trash; cleaning restrooms; shoveling snow; basic electrical and plumbing; must be able to lift 75 lbs. Valid Ohio driver‚s license required. Evening and weekend work. 40 hours per week. Salary is $12.00 per hour. Qualified and interested applicants may call Jody Wilkerson at (216)226-8275 ext. 104 to arrange for an application.

All events are free and open to the public.

They are students on the cusp of adulthood: Teens, ages 13-18, are garnering more attention and consideration at the Lakewood Public Library. Over the course of the last year a Teen focus has been expanding both physically in the scope of a section devoted to Teen material including fiction and non-fiction, as well as expanding in the form of programming including literary, creative and social ventures. The Children and Youth Service’s Department (CYS) is primarily in charge of all things Teen, but Adult and Electronic Services (AES) provides support as students prepare for work, education and experience post-high school.

Hear ye, hear ye! ‘Tis time, once again, for Lakewood Public Library’s ye olde Summer Reading Club, a chance for noble lads and fair maidens to win fun prizes just for reading books throughout the summer. The Children’s and Youth Services Department has been recently transformed into a royal castle complete with a gloomy dungeon and a group of noble knights to keep watch.This year’s Summer Reading Club theme for children from birth through fifth grade is “Knights of the Reading Table, while tweens and teens in grades six through twelve can participate in the “Dark Days of Knights.”

Everybody seemed nervous before the show—even the audience. When the Joe DeJarnette Jazz Ensemble kicked off the fall 2009 concert season at what was then the still-pretty-new Lakewood Public Library Auditorium, they also served double-duty as the opening act for a reception where many Lakewoodites would catch their first glimpse of new Library Director, James Crawford. The Director waited anxiously to meet the community… The staff sweated bullets hoping that their new boss would like the show… And Joe DeJarnette, a notorious perfectionist, clutched his stomach and stared into parking lot, waiting for the show to start…

As it turned out, no one needed to worry. The house that day was packed with a standing-room-only, clap-happy crowd of smiling jazz lovers. And the musicians, fed on by the energy of the room, were able to pour all of their nervousness and uncertainty into powerful life-affirming music that no one could stop humming for weeks. The Director ended up receiving a warm and engaging welcome. And several hardworking staff members came deliriously close to passing out, pleased that the whole thing had come off without a hitch.

All events are free and open to the public.

Little kids to one side of you, teenagers to the other, and there you are, stuck in the middle (of school, that is). At Lakewood Public Library, we welcome our middle-schoolers, offering them great programming, resources and librarians who are committed to meeting their educational, social and intellectual needs.

Finding a book isn’t as simple as pulling one off the shelf and seeing if it’s the “right” length or for the right age. By middle school, even the most avid readers have refined their tastes in books they choose to read for pleasure. The Children’s and Youth Services staff take great pride in staying current with our collection and are familiar with resources to match readers with great books that are appropriate for their age and their taste. It’s not uncommon for the staff to form an impromptu book-finding committee whenever a student seeks our assistance since we each have our own special areas of interest and love getting in on a good book search!

Lots of young film buffs cut their teeth on the films of Alfred Hitchcock, but with sixty odd films to the master’s credit, it’s easy to overlook some true gems. Is “Psycho” his best movie, or is it just the most notorious? Or is “Notorious” his best film? Frankly, too many of the titles sound alike. And big Hollywood studios tend to emphasize big Hollywood productions over smaller triumphs. That’s why we’ve asked real-life film professor Terry Meehan to help us sort through the early Hitch with the film and lecture program, Vintage Hitchcock.

The series focuses on Hitchcock’s British films, from his first flashes of silent genius to layered, sensory assaults from the eve of the Second World War. Not content to merely talk his way through the subject, Terry introduces each movie with interesting film clips, rare interviews, and his own original documentaries. Audience participation is encouraged before and after the show (not during) with open-ended discussions, conducted with a sense of humor and a genuine love of film.

Looking for an escape from the deadly summer heat? Come to the Library this summer and join our deadly mystery book discussion group, Booked for Murder. An unlikely cast of detectives grace the pages of the mysteries on this summer’s list, so join us the second Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the Main Library Meeting Room. 

On June 10, we will be discussing Jedidiah Berry’s The Manual of Detection. In this decidedly unconventional mystery, a lowly clerk is unexpectedly promoted to detective when his famous boss Travis T. Sivart goes missing. The only thing that Unwin knows about detection, he learned from Sivart; and the more he learns about the cases of Sivart, he sees that they were mis-solved. To make matters worse, Unwin discovers he is being framed for his boss’s murder. Unwin must enter the dreams of a murdered man to solve the mysteries.

All events are free and open to the public.

Saturday, June 5
BACK TO THE MOVIES: Vintage Hitchcock
 The 39 Steps (1935)    Directed by Alfred Hitchcock   Not Rated
When gunshots ring out in a London music hall, everyone heads for the exits. Lucie Mannheim latches onto Robert Donat and accompanies him back to his flat, only to find they’ve been followed. Before the night is out, Donat will be drawn into a web of international intrigue and accused of murder. Escaping to Scotland, he must elude both police and foreign agents while handcuffed to a woman who is convinced of his guilt.
6:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

Monday, June 7
POWER LIVING: Power Getting
Do you have problems getting what you want or need from others? Do you wish you had more love in your life? Are you looking to bring more joy to the world around you? Are tender emotional wounds getting in the way of the life you want to live? Dr. River Smith, a local psychologist and the author of A Conspiracy to Love: Living a Life of Joy, Generosity & Power, introduces powerful techniques designed to put you back in control.
7:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

Tuesday, June 8
FAMILY MATTERS: PROTECTING CHILDREN: Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force
Jesse W. Canonico from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office provides parents, teachers and community members with the information they need to keep children safe from online sexual predators. Learn a little bit about the evolution of online crime prevention and find out what’s coming next in this ongoing battle.
7:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

Saturday, June 12
THE LAKEWOOD PUBLIC CINEMA : Labyrinth (1986)     Directed by Jim Henson                                     Rated PG
Wouldn’t it be great if the creators of Star Wars and the Muppets teamed up on a fantasy film starring David Bowie as the Goblin King? They did! When goblins kidnap her baby brother, Jennifer Connelly must find her way through a magical maze filled with impossible riddles and strange creatures in order to save him.
6:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

 All events are free and open to the public.

Wednesday, May 19
MEET THE AUTHOR:
The Harding Affair: Love and Espionage During the Great War by James David Robenalt
 Just because she was a paid German spy doesn’t mean it wasn’t love. A treasure trove of letters sent by Warren G. Harding to his longtime mistress may reveal an exciting new chapter of history. Did their love change the course of world affairs? After reviewing materials suppressed for eighty years, the author makes a compelling case. From Harding’s reporter days in small town Ohio to The War to End All Wars, The Harding Affair casts fresh light on everyone from Kaiser Wilhelm to Eugene V. Debs along with Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and every other major figure of the early twentieth century. Books will be available for sale and signing.
7:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

From emergent readers eagerly selecting their first books to older children choosing report topics and the latest popular titles such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid or The Lightning Thief, the library is a hub of activity for elementary school children looking for books.  But spend an hour at Lakewood Public Library and you will see school-age children using the library for a whole lot more. For some, it is a quiet after-school haven for studying and reading. For others, it is a place for entertainment providing fun and educational library-sponsored programming.

Do you have problems getting what you need or want from others? Do you wish you had more love in your life? Are you looking to bring more joy to the world around you? Are tender emotional wounds getting in the way of the life you want to live? If any or all of these questions pertain to you, come to the Lakewood Public Library and participate in Dr. River Smith’s workshops on Monday evenings in June, at 7 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium.  Dr. Smith, a psychologist for 20 years, has been presenting personal growth seminars since the 1980s and will be explaining techniques from his new book, A Conspiracy to Love: Living a Life of Joy, Generosity, and Power.  

The Lakewood Public Library is asking its patrons to hold onto their library cards tightly.

Throughout history, scandal has been no stranger to the White House. The Warren Harding administration is no exception. Local author James Robenalt will be discussing The Harding Affair: Love and Espionage during the Great War, his newest book about our country’s 29th president and his affair with an alleged German spy during World War I at 7 pm on Wednesday May 24th in the Main Library Auditorium.

What started as a symposium on Ohio presidents at the 2004 vice-presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University, turned into Robenalt writing a biography on Warren Harding. The book is based largely on the adoring and sometimes steamy love letters between Harding and his mistress Carrie Phillips, which were previously under seal at the Harding family’s request at the Library of Congress. 

On Sunday, May 16 at 2:00p.m., Lakewood Public Library’s “Sunday with the Friends” series will get your feet tapping and your creative juices flowing with a visit from the NorthEast Ohio Songwriters Circle in the Main Library Auditorium.

 The Tail Waggin' Tutors are a group of therapy dogs and their owners that encourage children to read.  School age children are invited to the library to meet the gentle therapy dogs.  The Children's and Youth Department staff have a selection of terrific books about dogs plus favorite children's stories on hand so that the kids may pick out a book to read to one of the therapy dogs. 

All events are free and open to the public.

Wednesday, May 5
MEET THE AUTHOR:
1000 Comic Books You Must Read by Tony Isabella
You can call them graphic novels if you want to, but it’s time to face the facts. Comic books are at the cutting edge of art and culture and you’re way behind. Don’t fret. Tony Isabella wants to help. With twenty years as a commentator, nearly forty years as a creator and over fifty years of reading comics under his belt, he’s the mild-mannered man for the job. In his latest book, illustrated with some of the best comic art of the last seventy years, Tony goes beyond superheroes into adventure, romance, humor, horror and more. From Uncle Scrooge to Betty and Veronica, with Batman, Spider-man and Fin Fang Foom along for the ride, you won’t want to miss the four-color slideshow presentation that goes with this talk! Books will be available for sale and signing.
7:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

Saturday, May 8
THE LAKEWOOD PUBLIC CINEMA: From Russia with Love (1963)
Directed by Terence Young   Rated PG
The name is Bond, James Bond. Who else can protect the free world by romancing a stunning Russian beauty? Obviously, she will betray him and lure him into a deathtrap, but it’s all a part of 007’s plan. Look out for belly dancers and poison-tipped shoes and see for yourself why Sean Connery still owns this part.6:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

Tony Isabella, “America's most beloved comics writer and columnist,” will be the featured guest at Lakewood Public Library’s next “Meet the Author.” In the interest of full disclosure, however, it should be noted that the very first person to describe Tony as “the most beloved” was Tony himself. (He was only joking.) To his credit, the reputation has stuck. After five decades of reading, writing and reviewing comics, Tony the commentator is widely known for crisp, often humorous observations that combine a deft, critical eye with a childlike heart. Who else is willing to tackle tough questions like, “Why is Batman so mean?” You might laugh, but Tony is dead serious about standing up for grown-up graphic novels, even as he challenges the big publishers, flush with movie-making cash, to continue offering quality comic books to younger readers.

Tony will be sharing stories, telling jokes and using some of the most striking covers in the history of the medium to promote his new book, 1000 Comic Books You Must Read. This free event takes place on Wednesday, May 5 at 7:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium. Books will be available for sale and signing at the event.

The Lakewood Board of Education is accepting applications for appointment to the Lakewood Public Library Board of Trustees for the seven year term commencing September 12, 2010. Additional information concerning the duties and responsibilities of Library Trustees is available at the Library’s Web site:  www.lkwdpl.org/. Interested candidates should direct a letter of interest and qualifications to the Superintendent of Schools by May 14, 2010:

 

Sunday, April 25 at 2:00 p.m., Lakewood Public Library’s “Sunday with the Friends” series presents a truly unique musical experience with Uzizi, an alternative rock band featuring a twelve-member choir in the Main Library Auditorium.

Uzizi's newest CD, "Loss and Wonder” features twelve new songs. Since the 1980s, the band has performed in several incarnations in North America and abroad. The group’s current repertoire is heavily influenced by the melodies and harmonies of mid-nineteenth century Sacred Harp music.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that originally took root in the southern United States. The musical notation uses note heads in four distinct shapes to aid the performers in sight-reading. The name “Sacred Harp” refers to the name of the shape note book that most singers use today. The term “sacred harp” originally signified the human voice, the musical instrument you were given at birth.

Uzizi is directed by local musician Craig Matis. He says his affection for this unique musical style allows him to “bend the pioneer religious aesthetic to his own purposes.” Matis goes on to describe the music of Uzizi as, “at turns religious, anti-religious and non-religious. The threads of continuity are the joy of singing, the power of primitive harmonic forces and the beautiful poetry of my own vision.”

This free event is generously funded by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and the Friends of Lakewood Public Library.

Cleveland has a long and storied history of auto manufacturing. Even before its first auto show in 1903, Cleveland was at the forefront of auto innovation and testing. The word “automobile” was actually coined by a journalist who accompanied auto maker Alexander Winton on a car trip from Cleveland to New York in 1899. Automobile beat out motorig, quadricycle and automaton.

Lakewood Public Library is getting a little “greener.” Beginning April 22, Earth Day, Lakewood Public Library will stop passing out plastic bags and ask its patrons to switch to cloth and other renewable materials. The change is part of a wider “Go Green!” campaign now underway.

The Lakewood Public Library’s Children’s and Youth Services Department (C&YS) is much more than just a children’s book area: our department provides a wide range of programs, services, and materials for patrons ranging from birth to college-age. Over the next several editions of The Lakewood Observer, we’ll explore the many exciting services C&YS provide at the library, all of which are provided free of charge.

Each season, we host a variety of traditional registered story times for audiences ranging from babies to school-age children where even the youngest participants can enjoy books, songs, fingerplays, and movements. Whether it’s age-specific story times such as “Just Baby ‘N Me” and “Shake, Rattle and Roll” or whole family programs such as “Pajama Party,” all of our story times reinforce early literacy skills that are important to developing readers.

Dogs in the Main Library and not a single bark was heard at the last session of Tail Waggin' Tutors; only the pleasant sounds of children reading aloud to the therapy dogs was heard.  Tail Waggin Tutors is a program to encourage children to read. Children ages 7-12 can bone up on their reading skills by reading to a patient therapy dog.