“Story Hour” by Sharon Kovach and Diane Wantz
You may have noticed the gorgeous new quilt hanging in our Main Branch.
Story Hour was a gift to Mentor Public Library for our 200th anniversary. Sharon Kovach designed it and did the artwork. Diane Wantz (our Trustee Board President) quilted and finished it.
We’re fortunate to have such talented and generous friends!
Our resident historian Dr. John Foster continues his year-long series on the American Revolution by discussing the making of the US Constitution.
Learn:
This program is the third in a 4-part series about the American Revolution. You can watch the first two parts online, as well.
Foster concludes his series with a talk about Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist papers on Thursday, Sept. 26.
In addition to being a reference librarian, Foster has a doctorate degree in history. He has taught history at both high school and college levels. Previously, he has led series on the Battles of World War II and US Presidents of the 20th Century.
About a third of the soldiers who fought in Gettysburg became casualties during three pivotal days of the US Civil War.
Todd Arrington, site manager of James A. Garfield National Historic Site and a Gettysburg native, talks about the history, strategies, and people involved in the battle.
He also explains why Gettysburg became the scene of the Civil War’s bloodiest battle. (It has nothing to do with shoes.)
Our Civil War series continues at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at our Main Branch. We’ll discuss the Siege of Atlanta. As always, the talk is free and open to all.
By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in our Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety, including:
Rock the Bears this summer in Mentor!
You may have noticed this star-spangled sculpture standing outside of our Main Branch.
Her name is Ursa Major and she’s part of a citywide public-art display called Mentor Rocks the Bears!
You can find Ursa Major and nine other bears (designed and painted by local artists) this summer throughout the city of Mentor.
The bears include:
Mentor Rock the Bears is sponsored by the Mentor’s Community Arts Commission.
By the way, a gala will be held on September 14 and all bears will be auctioned with proceeds benefiting future public art displays in Mentor.
Thomas Matowitz, the author and local historian who literally wrote the book one Mentor, Ohio, returned to the library to share some of his best stories.
Matowitz is the perfect person to discuss prominent Mentor families like the Garfields, landmarks like the Wildwood Estate, and more. But he also has a mindful of spectacular Mentor stories that nearly nobody else knows, including:
For more from Matowitz:
Speaking of history, you can also join us for our 200th anniversary party at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 12, on our Main Branch lawn. Help make a community mosaic of Mentor with Gail Christofferson of Animal House Glass.
Also, Tom Todd, the Amazing One Man Band, will perform from 6 to 7 pm. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets, sit back and enjoy a little bit of Jimmy Buffett. We will also have cake and contests. All are welcome and no registration is required for our party.