The Bradford Area Library is blooming with activities this summer and Adult Programming & Marketing Coordinator Janelle Nolan gave The Era an idea of what to expect.
First off, the library is bringing back the Adult Reading Summer Challenge after all the interest it received during the first ever adult challenge in 2020. This is a nine-week program, which started on June 1st and will run to July 31st.
Local adults aged 19 years and above can register at bradfordlibrary.beanstack.org. Participants will be entered into a raffle for a $25 Amazon Gift Card by completing six books of their choosing and writing a short review of each book.
“We made this year’s reading challenge a bit easier, as we haven’t selected the genre of books for the registrants to read (i.e. romance, biographies, etc.). Participants can read what they enjoy most,” explained Nolan.
Those who complete all 10 reading challenges will even earn a second entry into the raffle.
Eric Migdal, owner of It’s All Relative, LLC will be returning for another free genealogy program via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. on June 8th. Migdal brings over 25 years of experience and hands-on knowledge with him.
“This time around, Migdal will focus on valuable records that can assist people in developing an accurate family tree,” noted Nolan. “Participants will gain valuable insight regarding the use of Census records, as well as birth, death, and marriage certificates to aid genealogical research.”
Additionally, Migdal will introduce participants to Heritage Quest, Family Search, Fold 3 and Newspapers.com.
“The Test Kitchen ‘’ will also be returning, which is a prerecorded, biweekly program that the library has offered since the summer of 2020, featuring family recipes, and recipes found in magazines, cookbooks and the newspaper. This program occasionally features dishes created by Chef Rob Scott.
“Chef Rob Scott hails from Hampton Bays, N.Y. and he is a fun and engaging professional chef. We have him returning to The Test Kitchen for a series of Summer Food Fests that will stream live from our Facebook page, beginning on June 16 at 7 p.m.,” said Nolan.
Scott will be making four different dishes in June, including Greek Orzo & Grilled Shrimp, Jerk Chicken Kabobs, Red-White and Blueberry Shortcake and Watermelon Fire & Ice Salsa. Recipes can be downloaded from the library’s website and people can prepare the dishes right alongside Chef Rob.
Participants can get in touch with their creative side during the Copy Cat program, starting at 6 p.m. on June 21st. “I was inspired to create Copy Cat after watching some amazing videos on the internet,” said Nolan. “There are thousands of clever artists on YouTube, Facebook and Pinterest creating wonderful works of art and they all make it look so easy. The premise of Copy Cat is that we will attempt to recreate an art project following the artist’s steps while also adding our own personal touch. The main objective is to have fun, enjoy people’s company and try something new.”
Registration is required for Copy Cat, as it is an in-person program that will be limited to 12 participants. The first free session on June 21st will entail a watercolor painting using wax and a stencil design. This will become a monthly offering if the library can generate enough participation.
After a yearlong hiatus, Creative Share will be welcoming participants once again, in-person at 6 p.m. on the last Monday of every month at 6 p.m. The first meeting of the summer will be on June 28. Members of the community are invited to bring creative work (i.e. story, poem, music, etc.) they would enjoy sharing with others to the library on these days.
Professor Orin James from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will once again offer mini-courses as a fundraiser for the Bradford library. For each participant who registers, the registration fee of one course will be donated to the library. James has developed nine different three-week courses for the community to explore. Participants can engage in something great for themselves, while also helping the library. All mini courses will be held through Zoom.
“James may be a science professor, but he has extensive knowledge in other disciplines; as is evident in the courses he’s offering,” said Nolan. “He is truly a life-long learner himself.”
Nolan also mentioned the library will be starting a new Adult Book Club after several individuals expressed an interest in forming one on a short survey regarding library programming.
“Our first book club meeting will be in July and it looks as though it will be offered in the morning hours, however, we want to give the community time to weigh in, as we want to offer it at a time that is convenient for the greatest number of participants,” explained Nolan.
Interested individuals are encouraged to keep up to date regarding this new program via the Bradford Area Public Library Facebook page.
Nolan said additional programming “waiting in the wings” are:
-Coffee with the Curator will be taking a road trip as they travel to the Kinzua Bridge State Park and meet with Environmental Education Specialist Holly Dzemyan.
-The library is currently working with a local artist who is willing to offer a few summer classes for area adults. They are currently deciding what projects may garner the most interest at this time. Constructive feedback and ideas from the community are always welcome.
-Local gardener, Pat Drummond Colley, will be featured in an upcoming program. She recently announced she earned her Master Gardener certification this past March and she will share this experience with the community as well as giving some gardening pointers.
-Libraries Rock will feature some more local talent this summer in the form of free, virtual concerts. The library is currently working on dates.
-Details for a new adult health and fitness program are currently in the works, which will be unveiled later this summer.
To keep up-to-date with library programming, follow the Bradford Area Public Library Facebook page or visit www.bradfordlibrary.org.
