Jason Lea

Ranger Alan Gephardt from James A. Garfield National Historic Site discusses the nation’s 17th president.

As a Southern Democrat, Andrew Johnson stayed loyal to the US during the Civil War and served as vice president during President Abraham Lincoln’s second term. However, he often butted heads with his mostly Republican legislature after becoming president and was nearly impeached. In short, he is a complicated figure.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in the Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety, including:

• Antietam: The Deadliest Day in US History
• The Atlanta Campaign
• Gettysburg
• The Fourteenth Amendment
• The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
• Life & Legacy of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

Lake County Master Gardeners will recommend plants that thrive in the shade but still attract pollinators during a free program at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, at our Main Branch. Registration is required. Sign up online or by calling us at 440-255-8811 ext. 1.

You can visit our YouTube channel for more gardening and horticulture programs.

Two more tips for any gardeners out there:

1. Did you know that you can get free veggie, flower, and herb seeds from our Seed Library? Check out our collection  the next time you visit our Main Branch. Borrow up to 15 packets of seeds per season.
2. You should also check out the special collection from Holden Forests & Gardens’ Corning Library available at our Main Branch. In addition to a gorgeous arboretum in Kirtland, Holden also has a spectacular collection of gardening, horticulture, environmental and botany books at Corning Library within its arboretum. Dozens of Corning Library’s books are now available to borrow at our Main Branch. Thanks to a partnership between libraries, you can use your cards to check out books from this special collection. Our typical lending rules apply.

Kids (ages four to seven) can celebrate the power of imagination and the classic children’s book Harold and the Purple Crayon during a party at noon on Friday, Aug. 2, at our Main Branch.

The children will hear the story, play games inspired by it, and see where their imaginations take them. Partygoers are encouraged to wear purple!

Our program is free to attend. Due to limited space, RSVP is required. Sign up online or call us at 440-255-8811 ext. 3.

Celebrate the conclusion of a stupendous summer during our Summer Reading Finale Party.

The party starts at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1, outside of our Main Library. Play carnival games, enjoy a 360-degree photo booth, and find out if you won one of our summer reading prizes!

The party is free and open to all. No registration is required.

Our Summer Reading program concludes on Saturday, July 27. All reading logs must be submitted by then. The more someone reads, the better chance you have of winning one of our prize raffles.

We’re hosting a nature journaling adventure for all ages at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, at Mentor Lagoons!

We will provide all supplies, though you’re welcome to bring your own. The program is free to attend and open to all. Registration is required. You can sign up online or call our Headlands Branch at 440-257-2000.

Each month, we’ll lead a trip to a different Mentor park where you can marvel at nature and explore a variety of journaling techniques.