Eighth Annual Paranormal Fest: "Waning Moon" on Oct. 18
The Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library is set to host its eighth annual Paranormal Fest on Saturday, October 18, transforming the building into a hub of supernatural exploration and eerie fun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This year’s event, themed “Waning Moon,” promises a full day of activities for all ages, including panels, hands-on crafts, a spooky escape room and a family-friendly film marathon.
“It’s a full day of spine-tingling fun for all ages,” said Kim Ventrella...
Literary Voices® and the impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Proceeds from the Literary Voices® series benefit the Library Endowment Trust and the Friends of the Library's initiative to establish funds for the expansion and sustainability of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (DPIL) in Oklahoma County. This transformative program offers free monthly books to children aged 0-5, promoting diversity, nurturing self-esteem, and igniting a lifelong passion for reading. Your contribution will have a profound and lasting impact on the lives of young readers in our community.
From Punk to Preservation: The Oklahoma Underground Music Archive By Meg Nance Coker, Special Collections Librarian It’s likely that the images that pop into your mind when you think of the words “punk” and “archive” don’t exactly mesh well together. But even raucous concepts like punk, metal, goth, experimental, indie, hip hop, or various other flavors of alternative music belong in a library and archive as part of our local history and culture. Everyone’s sto...
By Zoe Elrod, Internal Communications Coordinator In Oklahoma County, more than 18,000 children receive free books each month through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library thanks to The Friends of the Library, the Library Endowment Trust, and the support of our community. This beloved program sends high-quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five, helping build early literacy skills, nurture self-esteem and ignite a lifelong love of reading.
Here are the instructions for creating and participating in the Flat Spoticus fun: 1. Color and Decorate 2. Laminate (optional) 3. Cut Out Spoticus Our mission is "connecting our diverse communities with resources and experiences to educate and enrich lives." These past two years have shown us just how important a role the library plays in the lives of our guests and our communities. You shouldn’t have to worry about life getting in the way and preventing you from using the library. To better live out our mission, we made a big decision: We will be fine free forever on all Metro-owned materials except technology (hotspots, Chromebooks, laptops, iPads), Experience Passes, and titles borrowed via interlibrary loa...
Essay by Aunnesty Inside a small, simple library in the center of town, I entered the children’s area and collapsed next to a fluffy therapy dog. The other children, who were cuddling close to their dogs on colorful rugs, quietly read in peaceful voices. At five years old, I enjoyed the world of books even though I could not yet read, so I listened earnestly to my mother’s soft voice as she read to me and my dog. My love of the library had begun. Since then, the library has remained one of my favorite places to visit, and it holds a significant place in my...
Emily Williams, Teen Services Manager and Kristin Williamson, Children’s Services Manager, Outreach and Engagement Services The Summer Slide isn’t a new feature at the local park or splash pad. No, the Summer Slide is what happens between school years when young people do not read or otherwise work to retain what they learned in school. On average, children who do not read during the summer lose approximately two months of their reading achievement. They typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer than they did on the...
Sarah Brown, Librarian, Downtown Library Every year, research continues to highlight how reading is a fundamental building block to learning. Literacy can impact graduation rates, earning potential, justice-involvement, and even health outcomes. The simple act of reading to your children is one of the easiest ways you can set them up for success. There are many documented benefits, but they can all fall within three categories: language, connection, and socio-emotional. Children acquire the bu...
by Emily Williams, Teen Services Manager, Outreach and Engagement Services Reading is good for you. But why? Let’s dive into all the reasons why reading is important and contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Most of us recognize that reading helps us learn and grow, but have you thought about other potential benefits like improved physical health and stress relief? As a library employee, one of my favorite “reading is good for you” facts to share is that reading fiction improves empathy. If you’re want to broaden your horizons, understand your ...
Resources provided by Kassy, Librarian at Northwest Library and Sheldon, Librarian in Special Collections May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we are sharing mental health resources in our monthly podcast: by Buddy Johnson, Manager of Special Collections and Research It is Get Caught Reading Month promoting the fun of reading for readers of all ages. We compiled our top 12 ways to get caught reading. We hope that this May you get caught too. Reading while exercising is a no-brainer! Health professionals recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise a day so you're killing two birds with one stone (or choose your own less-violent proverb). Mind and body. Perfect harmony. It's simple with downloadables from yo...
If you borrowed from the Metropolitan Library System’s collection in 2021, you may have joined the ranks of those who’ve contributed to our top checkouts of the year. We compiled the top five checkouts in categories ranging from graphic novels to DVDs and adult nonfiction to see what our customers couldn’t get enough of in 2021. Peruse the infographic below to see what made the cut. Did did any of your favorites make the list? You know that a library card lets you check out books. You might even know about all the other great materials the library has to offer — DVDs, music CDs, magazines, graphic novels and more. But did you know about the databases? The online test prep guides? Live tutors for homework help? The streaming movies and music? All free with your library card? Read on! It’s a boring word that hides some of our most exciting resources. Yes, databases are excellent for writing research papers and finding peer-reviewed articles. But we also have databases that can help you s...
by Marlene and Ellory, Central Information Services There are countless books available for checkout in our library collection. With your library card, you can check out books for all ages, reading levels and interests! Visit one of our libraries to browse our shelves or check out our online catalog. Don’t find what you need on the shelf? We can send material from any of our 19 locations to your local library! Ask a staff member or use the "hold" button on our catalog to reserve an item, and we'll notify you when it's ...
From Punk to Preservation: The Oklahoma Underground Music Archive
Dolly Delivers Magic: One Book at a Time
Explore with Flat Spoticus!
Take your favorite library mascot, Spoticus, with you wherever you go!
Use crayons, markers, or colored pencils to add some personality to Spoticus. Consider dressing him in unique outfits or adding accessories!
If you want to make Spoticus more durable for travel, you can laminate him using self-adhesive laminating sheets or clear packing tape.
Carefully cut around the outline of Spoticus, follow...
Goodbye Overdue Fines
My Library
The Summer Slide
Why should you read aloud to your children?
Benefits of Reading
Mental Health Resources for Mental Health Awareness Month
12 Ways to Get Caught Reading
Top Checkouts of 2021
Students, Get the Most Out of Your Library Card!
Top 10 Things to Do with Your Metro Library Card
