Uncover Your Family History!
Census forms, marriage records, as well as naturalization papers and military records help researchers and the curious alike to open up their family's past and provide new and surprising details about their ancestors.
Our Founding Fathers and Mothers
Learning about the men and women who helped found this country In 1776 Britain's thirteen North American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. This was the culmination of years…
April Is Fair Housing Month
What is Fair Housing Month? In the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. riots gripped many of America's largest cities. During that time President Lyndon B. Johnson…
Healthy Sleep Habits
November 8 is WPPL's annual Health Fair. The library features a wide selection of materials touching upon health and wellness topics, this includes books, ebooks, and audiobooks -- all of…
Sink Your Teeth Into These Short Horror Stories
“Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.” - Charles Addams Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. Even now the amount…
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Author Spotlight: Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones (bestselling author and CU professor) and his new book "The Buffalo Hunter Hunter." (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer) Stephen Graham Jones is one of the most popular and prolific…
Inventors and Inventions That Changed the World
Without inventors, the modern conveniences we take for granted would not be possible. Cars, airplanes, and the computers we read this blog on simply would not exist. Not just these…
Explore History Through Graphic Novels
History doesn't have to be boring. It's full of ordinary people doing extraordinary things during extraordinary times in history. Uncovering these stories can be daunting when facing an enormous book…
[John Lewis speaking at a meeting of American Society of Newspaper Editors, Statler Hilton Hotel, Washington, D.C.]
Read Biographies for Black History Month
February is Black History Month. This month honors the contributions of African Americans to American history - from our Colonial history up to the present. Here at Westlake Porter Public…
U.S. Marines and Entry Into World War I
The May 7th World at War Forum at Porter Public Library welcomes Dr. Michael Dory to talk about the role of America's Marines in World War I. In 1917 the…
Librarians in Books: Solvers of Mysteries, Savers of History, and Defenders of Information
Librarians aren't just found in libraries...they can be found as characters in many books! Begun in 1958 by the American Library Association (ALA), National Library Week is celebrated this year…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
Florence Skyline at Sunset
Explore the World With Travel Guides
Porter Public Library celebrates Welcome Week! One of the goals of Welcome Week is to help build a sense of community – a sense of “we.” Traveling and seeing the…
Find Your Next Read: Cozy Horror
What is cozy horror? Like its cousin cozy mysteries, blood, gore, and jump scares are kept at arm's length or are only alluded to.
Dig Into a Story!
"There's More to the Story!" is the theme for 2023's National Library Week. What better way to find out more about a story than to dig into the story with…
Black Biographies
Biographies bring its subject to life for the reader. Far from a day-to-day retelling of somebody's life a biography is a story told in such way to read much like…
Porter Public Library Remembers September 11, 2001
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. These attacks claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people in New York City, Washington,…
Trinity College Library Dublin
A Little Irish History for St. Patrick’s Day
March 17, St. Patrick's Day, is right around the corner. It's a day where everybody can pretend to be Irish, for at least one day. We are treated to large…
Presidential Biographies
Currier & Ives (American, active New York, 1857–1907) The Inauguration of Washington as First President of the United States, April 30th 1789 – At the Old City Hall, New York…
Long History of Slavery, Resistance, & Abolition Book Recommendations
Last week the library welcomed Professor Marcus Rediker, distinguished professor of Atlantic History at the University of Pittsburgh, for a virtual presentation. His talk, The Long History of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition touched…