WestChesterBuzz.com

A new option for patrons hit the shelves of the West Chester Library this week as it recently introduced Playaways, the first self-playing digital audio book.

Half the size of a deck of cards, Playaways provide a simple and easy way to listen to a book on the go. Each Playaway can hold up to 80 hours of HD audio content on each unit.

Using clearly marked buttons, Playaways give listeners the ability to move back and forth within or between chapters and alter the speed of a narrator’s voice. It even has an automatic bookmark feature that remembers where the listener left off. The device runs on a single AAA battery and users can utilize the universal headphone jack that works with almost any type of headphone or mobility accessory.

“Playaway’s are a wonderful addition to our collection because they are easy to use and offer our patrons a unique audio book experience,” said Anita Carroll, library director of the Middletown Public Library System.

More than 2,400 individual Playaways will be available throughout the Middletown Public Library System. The selections include books for children, bestselling adult fiction and classics. Patrons can use their own headphones or speakers, or earbuds are available for purchase from the Library for $1. As with all audio book formats at the Middletown Public Library System, Playaways will circulate for 21 days.

The West Chester Library is located at 9363 Centre Pointe Drive.

For upcoming library events, visit the West Chester Library events page on WestChesterBuzz.com or visit the library’s online community calendar.

Posted in: Events, Library events, News |

Tags: Tags: playaways, playaways West Chester LIbrary, West Chester Library

The West Chester Library will host various club meetings and events this January.

Below is a list of the some of the highlights this month.

Tax series – Jan. 7 at 2 p.m.
The library will host “Tax Tips for Police and Firefighters,” which will discuss regarding deductible and non-deductible expenses that apply specifically to these service groups. Registration is not required.

Adult book club – Jan. 9 at 7 p.m.
This month, the adult book club will discuss “”Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” by Jamie Ford. Participants should read the book before the meeting. Registration is not required.

Anime club – Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.
The Anime Club is for teens in grades 7-12 who enjoy watching anime and discussing their favorite manga. Registration is not required.

ESL: Conversations – Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.
New to 2012, ESL: Conversations is for those learning English as a second language and to provide an opportunity to practice conversational skills. The program will be held on the first and third Mondays of each month. Registration is not required.

Now That I Can Read Storytime – Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.
New to 2012, the Now That I Can Read Storytime will be held Wednesdays starting Jan. 18 and running through April 25. The program is geared for children in kindergarten through the second grade. Registration is not required.

Tax series – Jan. 21 at 2 p.m.
The library will host another tax class for those who want to know tax implications of owning your home. Registration is not required.

For more information on each meeting or event, call 513-777-3131.

The West Chester Library is located at 9363 Centre Pointe Drive.

For more library events, visit the West Chester Library events page on WestChesterBuzz.com or visit the library’s online community calendar.

Posted in: Events, Library events |

Tags: Tags: West Chester Library, West Chester Library adult book club, West Chester Library Anime club, West Chester library events, West Chester Library storytimes, West Chester Library tax series

The West Chester Library will host various events in the next two weeks.

See below for a list of what is taking place at the library.

Writers’ group – Dec. 14 at 7 p.m.
The writers’ group is open to all writers, at all skill levels, and of all genres. The group meets for peer support and critique. Occasionally outside speakers will be brought in to discuss issues/concerns pertinent to the group.

Teen book club – Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.
This month, the teen book club will feature favorite fantasy books. This club is for students in grades 7-12. Registration is not required.

“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” – Dec. 17 at 10:30 a.m.
The library will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the film, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” by showing the movie and by providing candy crafts for kids.

Holiday music – Dec. 19-20 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The West Chester Library will host two performances from guitarist Scarlet Minnie. The musician will perform holiday music in the Café area.

Anime club – Dec. 20 at 7 p.m.
The Anime Club is for teens in grades 7-12. Registration is not required.

For more information on each meeting or event, call 513-777-3131.

The West Chester Library is located at 9363 Centre Pointe Drive.

For more library events, visit the West Chester Library events page on WestChesterBuzz.com or visit the library’s online community calendar.

Posted in: Events, Library events |

Tags: Tags: Liberty Township Christmas, West Chester Christmas, West Chester Library, West Chester library events, West Chester Library Teen book club, West Chester Library writers' group

The West Chester Library will host various club meetings and events this December.

Below is a list of the some of the highlights this month.

Tax series – Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.
The library will host “Taxes and Health Care Reform Implications for Businesses,” which will focus upon how health care reform will affect small businesses, as well as tax credits available to businesses with less than 25 people.

Adult book club – Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.
This month, the adult book club will discuss “Nature Girl” by Carl Hiassen. Participants should read the book before the meeting. Registration is not required.

Writers’ group – Dec. 14 at 7 p.m.
The writers’ group is open to all writers, at all skill levels, and of all genres. The group meets for peer support and critique. Occasionally outside speakers will be brought in to discuss issues/concerns pertinent to the group.

Teen book club – Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.
This month, the teen book club will feature favorite fantasy books. This club is for students in grades 7-12. Registration is not required.

“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” – Dec. 17 at 10:30 a.m.
The library will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the film, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” by showing the movie and by providing candy crafts for kids.

Anime club – Dec. 20 at 7 p.m.
The Anime Club is for teens in grades 7-12. Registration is not required.

For more information on each meeting or event, call 513-777-3131.

The West Chester Library is located at 9363 Centre Pointe Drive.

For more library events, visit the West Chester Library events page on WestChesterBuzz.com or visit the library’s online community calendar.

Posted in: Events, Library events |

Tags: Tags: West Chester Library, West Chester Library adult book club, West Chester library events, West Chester Library Teen book club, West Chester Library writers' group

Children have a choice this Saturday, they could either work on their Christmas lists at the West Chester Library or tell Santa what they want over pancakes at Eli’s Sports Bar and Grill.

Children can write their Christmas wish list and decorate an envelope to send to Santa from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the library. The “drop-in” event does not require registration.

Prior to the library’s event, Eli’s Sports Bar, 4895 Princeton Road in Liberty Township, will host Santa for breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

“It’s a bring your own camera event,’’ said Melanie Brokaw, Liberty Township’s assistant administrator and liaison to the Events Committee. “Santa will be arriving on our original 1953 fire truck escorted by our fire chief.”

The menu includes all you can eat pancakes, bacon donated by Eli’s, hot chocolate, juice and coffee.

Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children, which includes a $2 donation for every adult ticket and $1 from every child’s ticket, to the Liberty Township campus of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Tickets can be purchased at the township administration building, 6400 Princeton Road. Make checks payable to the Liberty Township Charitable Fund.

For more information about the breakfast, call 513-759-7500. To find out more about the library event, call 513-777-3131.

Posted in: Events, Library events, Recreational events |

Tags: Tags: Breakfast with Santa, Breakfast with Santa Breakfast, Eli's Sports Bar, Eli's Sports Bar Liberty Township, Liberty Township Christmas, Santa Liberty Township, Santa West Chester, West Chester Christmas, West Chester Library, West Chester library events

This holiday season, the West Chester Library Teen Young Adult Board will be sponsoring a giving tree to benefit the Animal Friends Humane Society of Butler County.

Library patrons will be encouraged to participate in the charity drive, which begins Friday and ends Dec. 22.

For more information, contact the Children’s Desk of the West Chester Library or by calling 513-777-3131.

The Teen Young Adult Board members volunteer with multiple children’s programming events at the library and meet monthly to plan teen events. The group is open to students in seventh grade through high school.

Furthermore, the Middletown Public Library System will be sponsoring a “Food For Fines” program starting Monday and running through Dec. 31. For each non-perishable item a patron donates, one dollar of outstanding fines will be forgiven.

“This program is a wonderful way for our users to eliminate their fines, while contributing to a worthy cause,” Library Director Anita Carroll said.

The Middletown Public Library System will be distributing the contributions throughout their service area to multiple food pantries and charitable organizations. Among these is Reach Out Lakota, an organization that has seen a 20 percent increase in the number of families requiring assistance as the holiday season approaches.

“The Food For Fines program will provide much needed canned meats, canned fruits and cereal among other items to be distributed and consumed during the coming months. We are very grateful to library patrons and staff for their generosity,” said Lourdes A. Ward, executive director of Reach Out Lakota.

Canned goods, boxed mixes, toiletries and paper goods are all welcome donations. Donated items can be used for up to five dollars worth of fines. Fees for lost or damaged materials cannot be forgiven through this program.

The West Chester Library is located at 9363 Centre Pointe Drive.

For more library events, visit the West Chester Library events page on WestChesterBuzz.com or visit the library’s online community calendar.

Posted in: Events, Library events |

Tags: Tags: Animal Friends Humane Society, Animal Friends Humane Society of Butler County, Children’s Desk of the West Chester Library, Food For Fines, Food For Fines West Chester Library, holiday drive West Chester, Reach Out Lakota, West Chester Christmas, West Chester library events, West Chester Library Teen Young Adult Board

The West Chester Library will be hosting a pet first aid class, a special Thanksgiving event for children and a course to help with taxes this week.

The pet first aid class will give pet owners the tools to keep their animals healthy and safe, including how to diagnose common problems and how to find the best solutions. It will be facilitated by Darlene Ehlers of Tri-State Pet First Aid and will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

This Saturday, the library will host its Turkey Games and Craft Day. The event, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., includes turkey bingo, pin the hat on the turkey as well as a craft. All participants will receive a prize to take home. The event is geared for ages 5 and up, but all are invited to attend.

With the help of professionals at Liberty Tax Services of West Chester, the library will be offering a series of programs to help community members make sense of their taxes.

The session this Saturday will feature the topic “Tax Credits: Earned Income, Education and More.”

The next session, scheduled to take place Dec. 10, will focus on “Taxes and Health Care Reform Implications for Businesses.”

There will be additional sessions Jan. 7 and Jan. 21.

All of the tax classes begin at 2 p.m.

For more information, call 513-777-3131.

The West Chester Library is located at 9363 Centre Pointe Drive.

For more library events, visit the West Chester Library events page on WestChesterBuzz.com or visit the library’s online community calendar.

Posted in: Events, Library events |

Tags: Tags: holiday West Chester, Liberty Tax Services, Liberty Tax Services West Chester, library events, pet first aid, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving West Chester, Tri-State Pet First Aid, West Chester Library, West Chester Library Children's Desk

The West Chester Library will host a “Halloween Fun Day” for children 8 and under this Saturday.

From 10:30 a.m. to noon, children can play games, make a craft and trick or treat in the library. Afterwards, at 1:30 p.m., the library will feature a screening of the movie “Monsters Inc.” in the community room.

Registration is not required for either event.

Earlier this week, the library’s teen book club will meet. This meeting will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. and will be outside, where ghost stories will be read.

The teen book club is for students in grades 7-12.

Registration is not required for either event.

For more information, call 513-777-3131.

The West Chester Library is located at 9363 Centre Pointe Drive.

For more library events, visit the West Chester Library events page on WestChesterBuzz.com or visit the library’s online community calendar.

Posted in: Events, Library events |

Tags: Tags: Halloween, teen book club, West Chester Library, West Chester Library Children's Desk, West Chester Township Halloween

The West Chester Library will host two upcoming events that should help college hopefuls learn more about financial aid and how to write a college essay.

This Thursday at 7 p.m. the library will host “College Financial Night,” which will feature speaker Matthew Moore, senior assistant director of financial aid at Miami University.

During the financial aid informational event, topics will include applying for aid, types of aid available to students, facts on bridging the gap between what schools offer students in financial aid and what the actual bill to attend will be, resources and more.

In addition, the library will also host a free workshop titled “How to Write a Successful College Essay” Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. During that event, students will be offered tips and guidelines that will be beneficial in the college application process.

Registration is required for both events.

To register, call 777-3131 or visit the Children’s Department in the West Chester Library.

The West Chester Library is located at 9363 Centre Pointe Drive.

For more library events, visit the West Chester Library events page on WestChesterBuzz.com or visit the library’s online community calendar.

Posted in: Events, Library events |

Tags: Tags: college search, financial aid, Financial Aid Night, Matthew Moore, Matthew Moore Miami University, West Chester Library

The West Chester Library is launching a teen book club and a kids book club this fall. The teen book club will be having a “get acquainted” meeting this Thursday in the library’s community room at 7 p.m.

At Thursday’s meeting, discussion will include favorite summer reads, as well as plans for future meetings. Registration is not required to attend.

Meanwhile, the kids book club will begin Oct. 30 at 1:30 p.m. The focus of the book club will be the “My Weird School” series.

This book club will feature games and activities for children ages 7-9. Registration is required and began on Saturday.

For more information about either book club, contact the library’s children’s desk at 513-777-3131, x2.

The West Chester Library is located at 9363 Centre Pointe Drive.

For more library events, visit the West Chester Library events page on WestChesterBuzz.com or visit the library’s online community calendar.

Posted in: Events, Library events |

Tags: Tags: book club, kids book club, My Weird School, teen book club, West Chester Library, West Chester Library Children's Desk