Cat’s Picks! A Charlie Brown Christmas
If you're a kid of the 1970s, like my parents, you might've caught some of the best stop motion Christmas specials as they broadcasted for the first time, or on…
1914: Europe Goes to War
The January meeting of the World at War Forum discusses Europe on the brink of war during the summer of 1914. January's meeting will occur on Wednesday, January 3 at…
Medium Monday: Papercraft
What Is Papercraft? Papercraft, broadly speaking, is a work of art that is created out of paper. The interesting thing about papercraft is its variety of forms. There is the…
Porter Library Celebrates 139 Years
The first library building, it served as the library's home until the 1950s. This year, December 15, 2023, marks the 139th anniversary of the Porter Public Library. Since 1884 the…
Gen. George C. Marshall: His Life & Military Career
In December the World at War Forum welcomed Daniel Zeiser, who discussed the life and military career of General George C. Marshall. The library has several books about General Marshall's…
Cat’s Picks! Cozy Holiday Books for Families!
Whether your household celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or the Winter Solstice, Westlake Porter Public Library has an abundance of picture books for all of the winter holidays. Click on the…
Bah! Humbug! Dickens’s Classic Marks 180 Years
This year marks the 180th anniversary of the publication of Charles Dickens's timeless classic A Christmas Carol. First published on December 19th in 1843, it quickly sold out it's first…
Reading Challenge 2024
One of my favorite things about the end of the year is the sudden surge of reading challenges. Every year, I cram my schedule full of them. In fact, in…
The Classic of the Month: A Christmas Carol
Welcome to this month's Classic of the Month! Today, we're looking at an absolute classic of the Christmas season. The story in this book has been told and retold, again…
Exploring Illustration at the Mazza Museum Weekend Conference
The University of Findlay's Mazza Museum is home to a stunning collection of original art from picture books. As a UF alumnus from their illustration program, I spent a lot…
Nostalgic Showcase Presents: Rankin/Bass Animation
To prepare for the holiday season ahead, I find myself reaching for my family's personal collection of Rankin/Bass movies on VHS and DVD. Watching stop motion films like A Year…
Veterans Day Reads
In the United States, November 11 is Veterans Day. On this day we take time to honor and remember the sacrifice and service of the members of America's armed forces.…
Addressing the Stigma of Mental Illness
Westlake Porter Public Library's 2023 Health Fair takes place on Saturday, November 4, and one of the featured events is Understanding Mental Illness at 2:30pm. It aims to "reduce the…
Mental Health Help Now in Cuyahoga County!
This post is intended to provide information and resources to assist you when you are in need of mental health resources. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any…
The Healing Power of Nature
I don't know about you, but I spend an awful lot of time indoors (and I can bet that you do, too!). My job as a librarian has me sitting…
Classic of the Month: Moby-Dick, or The Whale
Welcome to another Classic of the Month! This month, we're looking at a classic that many have heard of, but few have read (much less finished). And today, I'm going…
Resources for ADHD Support
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a very treatable condition that affects 366 million adults (according to the Journal of Global Health). It is a treatable and manageable condition with the…
Monstrous Musicals: Ghoulish Tunes for Halloween
I'm a huge fan of musicals, ever since as a high school freshman, I was forced assigned to present on the musical The Phantom of the Opera (complete with performing…
Great Graphic Novels You’ll Want to Read Right Now!
I'm a sucker for books with pictures--always have been, always will be. And that's one of the reasons that I love graphic novels. Because not only do they have pictures,…
Age Is Just a Number … But What Do Those Categories Mean?
I have always been known for reading outside of my age group. When I was little, I loved to pick up books that challenged me, reading titles that were meant…
Fun with Artificial Intelligence!
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly invading our lives. That may seem scary, but it's also exciting! The potential of AI to improve our everyday tasks is boundless. You may already be…
The Beast and the Bethany: A Deliciously Devious Series
The beast has the finest house in the land.It's so tall and long and terribly grand.Even the Queen, with her palace so wide,Couldn't compete with the beast if she tried.The…
Zombies on Your Bookshelf? It May Be More Likely Than You Think
How Can a Book Be Undead? I'll be honest: I've never liked zombies. They're scary. They're gross. They bear the faces of humans—people who once laughed, and dreamed, and fell…
How to Make Good With AI
How can we be sure that AI works in our best interests? Across the globe, scientists, developers and programmers in the field of Artificial Intelligence are working together to analyze…