wlma

Category: Uncategorized

  • Good Times at the Beavercreek Library

    We have had quite the winter already and I am eager to write about programs and events happening in the next couple of months.  As I’m writing this, we are expecting anywhere from six to ten inches of snow!  Here’s hoping that they have miscalculated their estimations!  February and March are coming up next and our librarians have been hard at work to bring you some wonderful times to be a part of.  

    We will have our annual Food for Fines week, February 9-15.  During this week, you can bring in any non-perishable food item and we will remove $1.00, per item, from your overdue fines.  This is a great time to look in the pantry and bring in any food that you don’t plan to use and is not expired.  We will be donating the food received from this drive to Beavercreek Fish.  We also have so much for our adults and families in February. We have a dance demonstration by Vu-Do Swing, a concert with Jim McCutcheon, a Coretta Scott King story time, and even a Storybook Ball!  Ms. Lynne has a new story time on Wednesdays and Ms. Ruth has a French class that will begin this month.  We also have three different movie nights coming up – two for adults and one for teens. 

    March will also be rocking here at the Carol Graff Beavercreek Library.  We will have our Quarterly Friends of the Library Booksale from March 23 – April 3. We will have Tony Peters as our first Saturday artist.  We also are so lucky to have a selection of gardening programs offered to get us all ready for spring.  

    We are eager to have you at the Carol Graff Beavercreek Library – this is YOUR library.

    For all of our programs at the Carol Graff Beavercreek Library, click here.

  • Library Joys

    Welcome to 2026!  

    If you’re like me, the start of 2026 may have felt a bit heavy. Whenever I feel like this, I always focus on ways I can add some positivity to my surroundings. That got me thinking about one of the greatest joys of my life – working at your Cedarville Community Library. So, for this first blog of 2026, I want to share some of our library joys of 2025.

    • 62,758 items circulated in 2025 at Cedarville. We currently have 4,266 people with library cards that say Cedarville is their home library, so that’s almost 15 items checked out by each person. Throughout all of GCPL, 2,876,681 items circulated!

    • We provided 427 programs, with 16,338 in attendance. 142 programs for kids, 135 adult programs, and 150 programs for multiple ages. Throughout all of GCPL, 4,167 programs were provided!

     

     

    • 20,930 snacks were provided to our patrons.
    • 111 teacher collections were created with 3,166 total items. Most were hand delivered to Cedar Cliff Schools and the Learning Center.
    • There were 39,150 visits to the Cedarville Community Library.  
    • We welcomed three new fabulous staff members – Abby Adelhardt (Circulation Clerk), Nicole Anderson (Youth Services Librarian), and Tylee Southwell (Circulation Clerk).
    • One of our librarians welcomed a beautiful baby girl to her family.
    • Over 800 people came to the library’s Little Town of Lights celebration and 485 attended our Summer Reading Kickoff Party.

    • Finally, the Cedarville Community thoroughly spoiled the library staff at Christmas, bringing us hot cocoa, cookies, chocolates, cinnamon rolls, and all kinds of delicious treats – including delightful music from Cedar Cliff School’s second graders. Look at all their beautiful faces!

    It is a true privilege to serve the Cedarville Community at your Library. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and hope to share more joyful moments with you all in 2026!

    Nancy Madden

    Head Librarian, Cedarville Community Library

  • Movie Nights for the Whole Family

    I don’t know about you but movie nights in the cinema were a special event for me growing up.  There is something special about being around other folks, all watching the same film while munching on buttery popcorn or your favorite candy. Its seems today that the fun of the whole room clapping at the end of the film or hearing folks shout “NO Don’t go in there!” is still there, but the cost of the movie and all of the accoutrements makes it hard for a large family to attend.

    We here at Winters understand!  We have an incredible lineup of films for February and March that are for every age group.  We even have a brand new popcorn machine to make it fun!  Most of these showings are after our regular open hours so there is no worry about the lighting or sounds of the open library.  Who could ask for anything more?  Make sure to sign up (noted as *registration required* as some of these have a limited seating, as well as a potential cancelation of we don’t think there are enough people interested.  Sign up today!

    Black History Month Movie Night: Harriet (Adults and Teens *registration required*)

    Friday, February 13 2026, 6:00pm–8:30pm

    Galentine’s Movie Night: Barbie (12+ Registration Required)

    Saturday, February 14, 5:00pm–7:30pm

    Afternoon Movie: Toy Story (kids)

    Thursday, February 26, 2026, 11:30am–1:00pm


    Family Movie Night: Zootopia 2     (All ages *Registration Required*)

    Saturday, March 7, 2026, 5:00pm–7:00pm


    Family Interactive Movie: How to Train Your Dragon     (All Ages -*Registration Required* )

    Friday, March 20, 2026, 6:00pm–8:00pm


    Spring Break Movie: Moana     (Kids)

    Monday, March 23, 2026, 1:00pm–3:00pm

    Spring Break Movie: Muppets Treasure Island (Kids)

    Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 1:00pm–3:00pm

    Spring Break Movie: The Princess Diaries  (Kids and Teens)

    Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 1:00pm–3:00pm

    Spring Break Movie: Into the Spider-Verse (Kids and Teens)

    Thursday, March 26, 2026, 1:00pm–3:00pm

    Women’s History Month Movie Night: Little Women (12+ *Registration Required*)

    Friday, March 27, 2026, 6:00pm–8:30pm

  • Meet Our Supervisors at Your Xenia Community Library!

    The Greene County Public Library is excited to introduce several supervisors who have recently joined the Xenia Community Library team.  These dedicated professionals bring a wide range of experience, passion for public service, and a shared commitment to supporting our community. Each of them also brings unique strengths to their roles and we’re thrilled for all of you to get to know the people helping lead and shape services at your Library.

    Sarah Hedrick – Head of Youth Services                                 

    Sarah Hedrick joined our Xenia team shortly after the 2026 New Year began as the Head of Youth Services. Sarah brings more than a decade of public library experience, having worked in libraries since 2012, including positions with the Washington-Centerville Public Library and The Lane Libraries.

    Sarah holds a degree in Political Science with a minor in Environmental Science from Heidelberg University, as well as a Master of Library and Information Science from Kent State University. Outside of work, she enjoys playing open-world video games and reading teen fiction, fantasy, and the occasional romance novel.

    What Sarah loves most about library work is that no two days are ever the same. She values the opportunity to help our patrons with a wide variety of needs and finds particular joy in supporting young people as they grow. One of her most meaningful experiences was helping a young teen discover a passion for coding through a library program and years later assisting that same patron with college applications as he pursued a degree in Computer Science. For Sarah, seeing the lasting impact libraries have on patrons’ lives is what makes her interactions truly special.

    Amanda Cahill – Head of Circulation

    Amanda Cahill may be a familiar face to some in our community. After eight years of service at the Fairborn Community Library earlier in her career, Amanda was thrilled to return to the Greene County Public Libraries as our new Head of Circulation in January 2026.

    Amanda has dedicated her professional life to public service with experience spanning Greene County Public Libraries, Jobs and Family Services, and the education field since 2005. As lifelong learner and creative spirit, she enjoys fantasy and science fiction novels, music, theater productions, arts and crafts, and cheering on her favorite hockey teams.

    Since rejoining our GCPL family, Amanda has found the Xenia community to be welcoming, vibrant, and a true joy to serve. She is excited to continue learning in her new role and looks forward to discovering new ways to best support and serve the community she cares so deeply about.

    James Meadows –Stack Manager 

    James Meadows brings 18 years of library experience to the Greene County Public Library system in his new position as Stack Manager. Originally from northeastern Kentucky, James is a proud Appalachian and carries a deep appreciation for storytelling and community, which are values that align closely with library service.

    A lifelong reader, James’s favorite author is Jonathan Maberry and he is an avid fan of the horror genre. Outside the library, he enjoys spending time immersed in Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. James was recently married to his wife, Jillian, and together they share their home with four dogs (Valkyrie, Heimdall, Delanie, and Damien) who keep life entertaining and full.

    Lauren Smallwood – Head of Adult Services

    Lauren Smallwood is our Head of Adult Services and joined the Greene County Public Library in November 2024. She brings experience from both academic and public libraries, having worked in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Preble County.

    Lauren holds a degree in Art History with a concentration in German Studies from the University of Cincinnati, as well as a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh. While she enjoys literary fiction, classics, and nonfiction, Lauren has a special appreciation for the magic found in middle-grade and teen fiction.  She is especially fond of the works of Jason Reynolds.

    Lauren loves working at the library because of the opportunity to serve and connect with our community every day. One of her favorite patron interactions involves a student who stops by after school to chat at the front desk to share stories from her day while grabbing a snack bag and occasionally returning sticky notes filled with words of affirmation. Moments like these remind Lauren just how meaningful small connections can be and it totally brightens her day!

    We invite all of you to stop by and say “hello” to our supervisors the next time you are in! Whether you’re checking out materials, attending a program, or just visiting for the day, our team is always happy to connect and help make your library experience the best it can be. We’re proud to have such a passionate and dedicated group serving our Xenia community and look forward to all the great things ahead.
    See Ya at Xenia!

  • The Nickel Boys, Week 1

    Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. 

    The Online Book Club, if you’ve never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we’re talking about.

    The Nickel Boys tells the story of two boys who are “students” at a juvenile reformatory school called Nickel Academy. The school is basically a jail with students being beaten and mistreated on a daily basis. Elwood, the main character, is determined to escape the school to start his life over again, but as the book progresses, we see that leaving Nickel Academy isn’t as easy as it might seem. 

    If you want to follow along with us, but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the movie adaptation on Amazon Prime. Don’t have a subscription to Amazon Prime? No problem! You can request one of the Roku Express 4K+ Streaming Devices at the library. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the how the story plays out on screen. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the series and not reading the book. 

    We’ll read the first six chapters for next week, so make sure to check those out before reading the next blog post. I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments!

  • Brighten Winter with Heart and Art

    February is time for matters of the heART: Art, Valentine’s Day fun, and celebrating Black History Month! We are coming up on our annual Food for Friends donation drive, where our patrons stock community food pantries and we forgive library fees. And don’t forget the last weeks of Winter Reading Challenge and the Masterpiece Mystery Contest!

    Tax season is here – but don’t worry – our tax assistance volunteers are scheduling appointments to get you sorted! We are so grateful to the Volunteer Income Tax Association (VITA) for looking after our community each year! 

    In March, we encourage you to Get Crafty for National Crafting Month! We are here to help you with programs, books, ebooks, and more! Whatever your hobby or hustle is, we are here to help you make the most out of it. We can’t wait to see what you make!

    Come to Your Library and join in the fun. I’ll see you here!

    Karl Colón, Executive Director

  • The Bourne Identity, Week 4

    Welcome to the final discussion of The Bourne Identity. 

    Did you enjoy reading this week? Did the book end the way you wanted it to? Would you recommend the book to a friend? 

    One thing I struggled with throughout the whole book was keeping track of all of the tertiary characters. There were so many different names throughout the book! Did you have a hard time trying to stay on top of all of the people Bourne talked to? I think it was made worse that so many people had code names or aliases. That definitely didn’t help me remember who anyone was. 

    I was so glad when we finally got to know who Bourne really was. I couldn’t believe we had to wait until the very last pages to really get to understand Bourne’s story. It’s revealed that he is really a man named David Webb who turned to Medusa after his wife and children were killed. And, he killed the original Jason Bourne and assumed his name after the real Bourne was found to be a traitor and would have harmed David’s brother. Were you surprised by any of that reveal? The end seems to suggest that David will be able to heal in his mind and might be able to become David again, but I’m not so sure. He sustained a lot of trauma over the years! I don’t know how he will be able to sort through all of the alter-egos and deception to become himself again. Do you think Marie will stay with him through that process? I think the end of the book hints that she will. 

    Even after they  hunted him down and almost killed him, the Americans want him to continue to help them hunt Carlos since he is the only person who knows what Carlos looks like. Is that fair that they ask that of him? I couldn’t believe that they still want Bourne to work for them. I hope they give him more time to heal before they send him out to hunt for Carlos.  

    What did you think of Villiers throughout this last section? I couldn’t believe that he ended up killing his wife before they got any information out of her. It was a surprise that she was Carlos’s mistress, and I can understand how that was such a betrayal to Villiers. I guess her death ended up working in their favor because they were able to use the death to lure out Carlos. But, it was still hard to read about her death, and it was hard to read about how they described her and her dead body. Bourne was lucky that Villiers decided to help him. Villiers keeps saying that he trusted Bourne based on what he saw in Bourne’s eyes. That must have been the same thing that Marie saw. I just couldn’t believe that Bourne was able to find people who trusted and believed in him after he was so violent and aggressive. 

    At one point, Conklin and some other intelligence agents think that Bourne might have schizophrenia. Why would that be more easy to believe than the truth that he had amnesia? Why would Bourne lie about having amnesia? 

    What else stood out to you in this section? Did you enjoy the pacing of the book? Do you find yourself wanting to read more about Bourne? Do you think you might read the next book in the series? If you enjoyed this book and would like to read and watch similar things, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!

    Before you go, check out this video from the author who took over the Jason Bourne series after Robert Ludlum passed away. What do you think of series that continue after an author passes away? 

    Thank you so much for joining us this month! I hope you enjoyed the book–make sure to leave a comment to let me know what you thought! Next, we’re reading The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. I hope you’ll read along with us again next month!

  • The Bourne Identity, Week 3

    Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Bourne Identity.

    Did you enjoy reading these chapters? Did you feel like any of your questions from the first section were answered? 

    One of the most interesting scenes for me was the one where all of the American intelligence directors were meeting together to discuss Cain. It was interesting that they had received so much intelligence about Cain but did not verify if the information was correct. That makes me believe that all of the hits that are attributed to Cain are not really his. I think someone, probably Carlos, is trying to set Cain up to be taken out by the American government. 

    I still wonder about Marie and why she has such confidence in Bourne. I feel like he has shown her again and again that he is a trained fighter and does not have a problem killing people who get in his way. Why does she keep saying that she believes in him and doesn’t think he is a bad man? Why doesn’t she think he is a killer? Even after he tells her that he believes he is Cain and tells her about the things he remembers, she tells him that his memories might be false. I just don’t understand why she believes that he is so innocent. It seems to me that he keeps telling her who he is, so she should probably listen to him. Do you think Marie is justified to think that Bourne is a good man? Do you think he is? 

    I was glad that we got more information about Bourne and Cain and how Cain came to be. It was really interesting that Bourne was recruited to become Cain, a man who is a counterpoint to Carlos and is meant to bring about Carlos’s downfall. Did that make sense to you? Can you imagine being underground for over three years? It’s no wonder that Bourne doesn’t really know who he is. He was someone else for so long before he lost his memories. We also learn that Bourne’s family was killed, so that’s why the American intelligence community believes that he has gone rogue. Does it surprise you that they want him dead now? How will Bourne survive if he has so many people after him? 

    What did you think of chapter 20? That was the chapter where there was a shadowy figure called “The European” who ended up killing a bunch of people and then planted a fingerprint of Bourne’s on the scene. Why did he do that? Who is that man? Later, when the American intelligence agents are talking about Bourne and the fingerprint from the scene, they reveal that he was never their first choice for Cain. He was too unstable, so that’s why they believe he has gone off the deep end. What do you think is going to happen? Do you think Bourne is justified in his actions throughout the book? Do you think he is ultimately going to do something good by the end of the book? So far, he hasn’t done anything that makes me think he is a character to cheer for. I just don’t know what to think. And, I don’t know how Bourne is going to survive with so many different groups looking for him. 

    What do you think is going to happen in the last section? Do you think Marie and Bourne are going to end up staying together? Do you think they will both survive and make it to the end of the book? Will we finally understand who Bourne is and what he is working to do? 

    Before you go, check out this video in which Matt Damon talks about being Jason Bourne. Have you watched any of the Bourne movies? Do you think Matt Damon matches the Bourne character you see on the pages? 

    Thanks for following along again this week! I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments. Have fun finishing the book for next week!

  • Welcome to Your Greene County Room!

    Welcome to the Greene County Room, your source for local history and genealogy at Greene County Public Library. We have local history librarians to assist with building a family tree or in answering your questions from the past.

    Our historic newspapers on microfilm date back to 1814 and city directories to 1870. Explore our digital collections including historic photographs and records, https://www.greenecountyroom.info/. Don’t miss Voices of Greene County, our oral history collection with interviews from survivors of the 1974 Tornado and everyday citizens with stories to tell.

    We offer monthly programing at the Xenia Community Library where the Greene County Room is open from noon to 5 PM Monday through Saturday. Stop by, give us a call, (937) 736-7140, or submit your question online, https://greenelibrary.info/contact-us/?Localhistory=genealogy.

    You can also experience the Greene County Room from the comfort of your own home. Our website, https://greenelibrary.info/local-history-genealogy/, provides access to databases for genealogy and local history research.

    NewspaperARCHIVE is great for exploring historic newspapers including the Xenia Daily Gazette and other titles published in Greene County. Search your address or the name of a family member. You never know what you might learn.

    Interested in researching your home’s history? Find it on the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps or attend one of our classes, Discover Your Home’s History, offered several times a year. The Greene County Recorder has deeds dating back to 1925 and the staff in the Greene County room can show you how to use them.

    Ancestry Library Edition requires you to be inside any of our libraries to access it for free. So stop by and use one of our computers or bring your own laptop. Our librarians also recommend FamilySearch.org. Either way, we are here to help.

    From books about the Shawnee Indians who once lived where Old Town is today to cemetery inscriptions from across the county our book collection numbers in the thousands with everything from unlimited topics of local interest to high school yearbooks.

    Just browsing the shelves you will find something new and interesting to learn about Greene County, Ohio. And, keep coming back, as we are always digitizing historic photographs and documents from our special collections to add to our digital collections.

    We will share some of these photos and fun facts of local interest on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/greenecountyroom/, along with information about our programs, services, and resources. So stay tuned!

  • The Bourne Identity, Week 2

    Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Bourne Identity. 

    What did you think about the beginning of the book? Are you enjoying the story so far? It’s a really intense story, right from the get-go!

    I don’t think I’ve ever read a book before in which the main character doesn’t know who he is. It’s hard to connect to a character that’s such a mystery. I think that’s why I had a hard time getting into the story. I struggled getting invested in Bourne because we didn’t know enough about him. Everything about Bourne is so shadowy, so I can’t decide if he’s a good man or a bad one. I feel like the book is setting him up to be some sort of James Bond type hero, but at this point, he doesn’t seem to be very good. He kidnapped an innocent woman to protect himself, and he doesn’t seem to have any problem killing people in his way. I cant figure out if I should be rooting for him or not. I can’t wait to find out more of his backstory and to find out who he is working for. That will help me know how I should feel about him.

    What do you think about Marie? I struggled a bit to believe that Marie could go from wanting to be away from Bourne because he kidnapped her to wanting to be with him romantically in such a short time. I understand that she changed her opinion of him after he saved her life. And, I’ve obviously never been kidnapped or almost murdered like Marie was, so I don’t understand her emotions, but it seemed a little odd that she switched so quickly to romance. Especially after she was attacked so brutally by the docks. She didn’t seem to have any trauma from that encounter. It was all just a bit unbelievable to me. What did you think of her change in feelings? 

    There were several different scenes in this section in which Bourne attempts to figure out a piece of information about his past and gets identified by a tertiary character. Why are there so many people on the lookout for Bourne? What do you think he has been involved in in the past? Do you have any guesses about why he’s so interesting to so many different people? What do you think will finally help unlock all of his memories so he can finally come to grips with who he is? 

    Carlos is another big character that is mentioned a lot in this section. He’s an assassin and is also incredibly powerful. How is he related to Bourne? He keeps saying that he needs to find a man called Cain. Is this Bourne? 

    At the end of this section, Marie’s former boyfriend, Peter, is killed. Is this because Carlos knows that Marie is connected with Bourne? All we know is that he got some phone calls and ended up heading towards the airport. I hope we hear more about this murder and that we can connect some dots to how all of these characters go together. 

    What were your favorite scenes from this section? What do you think is going to happen in the next chapters? 

    Before you go, check out this video in which author, Robert Ludlum talks about his writing process. What do you think of his writing style? 

    Thanks for following along this week. I hope you’re able to read through chapter 24 before checking back next week. Make sure to leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the first section!