2021 was a big year for us! While we continued to increase access to our services through virtual options, we also resumed all of the in-person services and events you love. Here are some of the accomplishments that made our 2021 great!
11,706 people participated in 984 Library-sponsored in-person and virtual events. Summer reading continued virtually, with its participants nearly doubling the initial goal of reading one-million minutes!
We are excited to welcome the newest member of the Board of Trustees, Nichelle Whitney Wash to the MCPL community! Appointed by the County Council, Nichelle will serve on the Board for a four-year term. We sat down for a Q&A with Nichelle and here’s what we discovered.
The Queen, Katherine Applegate, has done it again.
Endling: The Last is the first book in a fantasy-adventure trilogy. Applegate does a brilliant job of introducing us intimately to a lovable cast of characters, including the series' heroine Byx, believed to be the last dairne (a race of sentient anthropomorphic dog) in the land of Nedarra. Byx is joined by a motley crew of companions in her quest to find the legendary ancient home of the dairnes and survive the pursuit of the land's power-mad ruler.
2021 is in the books! We’re taking a look back at the media that kept you entertained and educated last year. We tallied the numbers and here are our top circulating items of 2021!
Planning your 2022 reading list? There are some great options here, including Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. The internationally acclaimed and award-winning author will speak at our February 5 Power of Words event!
Kitty, her sister Imogen, and her father all have different ways of coping with the loss of their mother and wife. When her father takes a new job opportunity, the family moves to New York. Though you may think that moving to a different city would stop Kitty from constantly being reminded of her mom, the opposite seems to hold true, and Kitty is reminded of her mom everywhere she goes.
After a year colored mainly by color-coded COVID maps, “Very Peri,” Pantone 17-3938, was just announced as the 2022 Pantone color of the year! Very Peri is described as a first time ever brand new Pantone color of their creation “whose courageous presence encourages personal inventiveness and creativity.”
Lily’s grandmother, Halmoni, would tell Lily and her sister Sam fantastic stories filled with stars, tigers, and magic whenever they’d visit. But when Halmoni gets sick and Lily and her family move in, the stories have a way of becoming real! Lily soon starts to see a mysterious tiger around their town which prompts her to make a desperate plan to trap the tiger to save Halmoni!
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller is a beautiful story that left me daydreaming about the origin of stories, the meaning of family, and the importance of heritage.
From November 1–15, book lovers can read Five Total Strangers by New York Times-bestselling author Natalie D. Richards, as part of The Big Library Read, the world's largest digital book club!
November is National Family Literacy Month––an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the important role that families play in the education of their children. This month we encourage you to explore our literacy resources and visit the Library with your family!
One of our favorite sets of children’s book characters is the timeless Frog and Toad. Arnold Lobel wrote and illustrated countless children’s books and received several awards for his work, including a Caldecott Medal, two Caldecott Honors, and a Newbery Honor.
Saturday, October 16 is Free RPG Day! During this nationwide event, gamers and publishers come together to celebrate adventure role-playing games by giving away free stuff. Here’s what we have to celebrate!
Visit the Tween Space at the Downtown Library on October 16 to pick up a free copy of Trial of the Wolf Girls, a choose-your-own-adventure-style fantasy gamebook written by a local author. These will be available until supplies are gone!