Bradford Area Public Library encourages all community members to visit the library during National Library Week, April 23-29, to explore all they have to offer.  Libraries are full of stories in a variety of formats from picture books to large print, audiobooks to ebooks, and more.  But there’s so much more to the story.

Library programming brings communities together for entertainment, education, and connection through book clubs, storytimes, movie nights, crafting classes, and lectures.  Library infrastructure advances communities, providing internet and technology access, literacy skills, and support for businesses, job seekers, and entrepreneurs.  National Library Week 2023 is a great time to experience BAPL’s multi-faceted story for yourself!  If you haven’t checked out the library lately, you’re missing the full story.  Stop by for a visit and check out a program or two!

• Monday, April 24:  Movie Monday – enjoy Music Man (1962—Shirley Jones) at 2 PM and the Desk Set (Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn) at 6 PM.  Movies and popcorn are free.  No registration necessary.
• Tuesday, April 25:  Tech Tutor — All are invited to develop their tech skills with us! Schedule a 30-minute appointment and receive some one-on-one instruction on basic computer tasks. Appointments begin at 10 AM and run every 30 minutes until 12 PM. Call 814-362-6527.
• Wednesday, April 26:  Master Storyteller, Perry Ground presents Life in a Longhouse Village — Perry Ground is a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. He has been a storyteller and educator for over 25 years and truly enjoys sharing the history and culture of Native Peoples.  His presentation, Life in a Longhouse Village, will be lively, engaging, and informative. This artifact-filled program will present a broad overview of the culture and traditions of the Haudenosaunee People and will focus on their lifestyles prior to 1492, when they lived in longhouses and survived using the natural resources of their environment.  This free, in-person program will be held in the library’s Community Room on Wednesday, April 26 at 6:30 PM.
• Thursday, April 27:  In Their Shoes (6 PM) and Friday, April 28 (12 PM) — The Children’s Advocacy Center of McKean County and BAPL are offering a FREE interactive training for any adult involved with teens. Pick from two dates: Thursday, April 27 from 6 PM – 8 PM or Friday, April 28 from 12 PM – 2 PM. Registered participants will become one of six characters based on the experiences of REAL teens. They make choices about their relationships and move through the scenario by reading about interactions with their dating partner, family, friends, counselors, police, and others.  Dating violence is more common than many people realize, especially among teens and young adults: 1 in 3 TEENS will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from someone they’re in a relationship with before they become adults.
• ALL WEEK:
  • Poet-Tree:  help grow our poet-tree this week!  April is National Poetry Month.  During a visit to our library, simply jot a few lines of a favorite poem or create a new one on paper leaves stationed by our Poet-Tree.  Once created, library staff will hang the works on the tree.
  • Library Love Stories:  community members are invited to share their thoughts/stories with the Bradford Library.  Tell us what you most enjoy or appreciate about your library.  These stories will be added to a special bulletin board in the library.
  • Bookmarks:  all who visit the library are encouraged to pick up a special bookmark commemorating National Library Week.  Bookmarks are pre-numbered and various numbers will be randomly selected for a prize.  Visiting the library could make you a winner!