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July Library News
2025
Get ready for an exciting July at the library! We’re thrilled to invite you to join Libby’s Library Big Read, featuring the captivating book “The Storyteller’s Death.” The best part? You can borrow it instantly without any wait time or holds. The Summer Reading Club is in full swing, so be sure to log your reading time to be eligible for some fantastic prizes. Our July blog is live! Summer Reading is going well, with 362 readers as of June 23. If you’ve been delaying, you still have time to join the Club. Need some inspiration for your next read? Check out our reading lists to discover new books and authors right in this blog!
Stay connected with us by visiting the library and participating in our events and activities. You can also sign up for our weekly eNews at the bottom of any web page. And don’t forget to keep an eye on our blog for the latest updates and news throughout the month. We can’t wait to see you at the library and share in the joy of reading together. Let’s make July a month to remember with books, stories, and community. Remember, the library is your gateway to endless possibilities and adventures through the world of literature. Happy reading!
Closed Thursday, July 4
Happy Independence Day! Let’s cherish and celebrate the wonderful spirit of American liberty. How about we delve into something truly patriotic and make this day special? Explore our online catalog and the apps Libby, hoopla, and Kanopy. Celebrate by embracing the wonderful spirit of American freedom!
Try These Free Databases!
Your library card opens the door to a world of opportunities! You can dive into online courses, tackle practice tests, explore fascinating research, read captivating ebooks, enjoy soothing audiobooks, watch engaging videos and tutorials, and so much more! Check out the free eResources page.
Now Available for Home Use!
BookBrowse is your guide to exceptional books. It is a curated resource of contemporary fiction and non-fiction that engages, entertains, and deepens our understanding of ourselves and the world. BookBrowse offers in-depth reviews, “beyond the book” articles, read-alike recommendations, genre browsing, and previews of upcoming notable books, along with extensive resources for book clubs.
Creativebug
Creativebug offers thousands of award-winning art and craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists. By signing up for Creativebug, you gain unlimited access to countless online art and craft classes. Watch our classes anytime, anywhere. Since our classes never expire, you can start and stop projects at your own pace. No pressure, just possibilities!
Exclusively available to PCL Home Library Patrons (Parkland School District and Northwestern residents).
Special Events
We’d love for you to join us for a free event! We’re excited to offer quality programs designed for all ages and interests. If you’re interested in attending, you can easily print our monthly event calendars to explore these exciting featured events!
All programming is sponsored by The Friends of the Parkland Community Library. Learn more about The Friends on their webpage.
Kids Highlights Club
We had a wonderful time during our crafting session with the July Highlights Club! The children were so excited as they eagerly searched for hidden pictures—they took their task seriously!
Once everyone had found all the images, we dove into this month’s craft from the July issue of Highlights: jellyfish! Using cupcake liners, curling ribbon, and strips of colorful cellophane recycled from packaging, we brought our sea creatures to life. Even though Ben mentioned that jellyfish don’t have eyes or mouths like humans do, many of us, including the kids, decided to add human features to give our jellyfish some personality! Saylor shared that she saw jellyfish at the aquarium this week and told us that some of them swim upside down. As always, the grown-ups had just as much fun as the kids did. A big thank you to everyone who stayed behind to help with the cleanup! RSVP for August 14.
Ice Cream Social & Trivia
July is National Ice Cream Month! Join us for a delightful summer gathering filled with laughter, friendly competition, and, of course, plenty of ice cream! Cool off with delicious scoops while testing your knowledge in an exciting round of trivia.
Event Highlights:
– Create your perfect sundae with a variety of flavors and toppings.
– Interactive trivia across multiple categories.
– Prizes!
– Great company, conversation, community spirit.
New York City Storytime with Author, Lori Floyd
Enjoy a read-aloud by Lori Floyd, author of “The Adventures of the Explorers’ Club in New York City.” Join the adventures of Skye and Sydney, two young friends who love taking photos and exploring new places on their trip to New York City! Discover family-friendly locations to visit. Listeners will learn fun facts about the city’s features and attractions, as well as some great photo-taking opportunities throughout the area.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase from Lori.
Teen Creative Writing Club
Attention all teen writers!
PCL offers a fun, non-judgmental environment for teens to expand their knowledge, learn skills, and try new writing techniques. Join us for a collaborative monthly meeting where you can work on prompts, share your work, and receive advice.
*Please note: Sharing your progress is not required, but is encouraged to grow as a writer.
Shop Local Where’s Waldo
Join us at Parkland Community Library, where, in partnership with The End Bookstore, we’ll be hiding a fun six-inch Where’s Waldo? Standee for everyone to find! When you spot Waldo, drop by the Youth Services desk to get your card stamped. Hint: Waldo is hiding in the kids’ section!
Want more Waldo? Try to find him at 25 different participating businesses throughout the community. The stamp card is available at The End Bookstore, or we can print one for you.
Throughout the month, The End Bookstore will be celebrating with exciting prizes for all participants. Plus, don’t miss the BIG Waldo party on Friday, August 1, at The End Bookstore from 4 to 6pm, where the fun will be in full swing!
Since 2012, hundreds of stores, including The End Bookstore, a Let’s Play Books Co., have hosted Find Waldo Local, a month-long scavenger hunt across 25 local businesses to boost awareness and foot traffic. After ten years in Emmaus, The End Bookstore is eager to partner with new regional independents.
The End Bookstore 3055 W. Tilghman St. Allentown, PA 610-871-3949
Now Showing: Rita Richetti
Artist Rita Richetti creates a diverse range of artworks, including florals, portraits, landscapes, studies of renowned artists, murals, and playful acrylic pours. With over two decades of experience as a visual artist, she hails from the farmlands of New Jersey and currently resides in Eastern Pennsylvania. While her style predominantly adheres to realism, she occasionally incorporates humor into her paintings to add a touch of levity.
The Parkland Art League will rotate artist displays every two months at PCL. Head to the right of the Zirkel Meeting rooms to our gallery space. The public is welcome to view the gallery at any time the library is open. Purchase inquiries can be made through the Parkland Art League.
About
The Parkland Art League is a group of local artists whose objectives are to foster friendship among individuals interested in art, cultivate and sustain their interest in art, and exhibit the art of our members. Additionally, they offer the public the opportunity to purchase original artwork. Members are provided opportunities to advance their skills through a lending library of instructional DVDs, exceptional artist demonstrators at monthly meetings, and workshops taught by artists who excel in their craft.
Plant A Row
Helping Our Community with Plant A Row. We accept all types of fresh produce. Donations should be placed in the cooler in the library’s foyer on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Color Your World
Get familiar with your local libraries. Visit Lehigh Carbon Libraries this summer to win prizes!
Summer Reading Club
Now-August 9 | Closing Party: August 9
Stay motivated all summer long with our booklist. Don’t miss our exciting SRC special events!
Add a painted rock to our garden
Find and clean a rock. Paint your design, starting with larger shapes and adding details. Use a dryer before applying more details to prevent smudging. Place your rock along the PCL’s native garden path. If you wish, you may pick up your rock on August 9 at the Summer Reading Club Closing Party.
The Storyteller’s Death, Worldwide Digital Book Club, July 17–31
Library cardholders can enjoy The Storyteller’s Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal as an ebook and audiobook for free through the Libby app. During this two-week program, readers worldwide can access the title without waitlists or holds and join the online conversation.
The Storyteller’s Death follows Isla Larsen Sanchez, a young woman who discovers she has inherited a unique gift passed down through generations of women in her family: the ability to see the past stories of her ancestors replay before her eyes. What begins as an enchanting connection to her lineage becomes more urgent and dangerous when Isla witnesses a decades-old murder and realizes the stories won’t stop until she solves it. Set against the vivid backdrop of Puerto Rico, this novel explores themes of family, heritage, grief, and the power of storytelling.
July Awareness, Booklist, & Celebrations
Kanopy and hoopla are free at-home streaming apps, courtesy of your library, available to Parkland School District and paying nonresidents only.
With hoopla, patrons can borrow, stream, and download content on iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, and more. hoopla offers access to a vast collection of books, videos, and music, all free with your library card.
Gettysburg Remembrance (July 1-3, 1863)
A selection of PCL’s publications and media highlighting the Battle of Gettysburg. This three-day clash in Gettysburg, PA, marked a turning point in the Civil War, where Union forces under General Meade fought Confederate troops led by General Lee. The Union victory significantly impacted the war’s course and prompted President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
World UFO Day
Ever pondered whether we’re truly alone in this enormous galaxy? Discover some captivating alien encounters! Feel free to explore DVDs from our collection to dive deeper into these intriguing extraterrestrial stories.
Frida Kahlo
Celebrating Frida Kahlo’s birthday on July 6, these titles honor the artist known for her vibrant self-portraits, which feature some of the world’s most famous eyebrows. Kahlo’s work explores themes of identity, the body, and death.
iREAD: Level Up At Your Library
Find new ways to play with the iREAD Summer Reading program, Level Up At Your Library! Suitable for kids and teens, discover a variety of content based around puzzles and games on Hoopla.
Minecraft
The Minecraft movie is out April 4th! Join a community of creative builders and explore the world of Minecraft with this collection of books, comics, music, and more on Hoopla.
Cinematic Journeys
Join in on adventures that transcend language, time, and space with the transportive power of your library card. The campaign will officially launch on July 1, 2025.
s I Know, delivers with a refreshingly true-to-life teen voice that perfectly captures the messiness of adolescence and the pressures of expectation.” (From Penguin Random House)
Indie Films
The 4th of July weekend is the perfect time for cookouts, quality time with family, and movie marathons.
The campaign will officially launch on July 1, 2025, and will continue through the long holiday weekend.
Borrow A Laptop
July 2025 A library card with the Parkland Community Library can aid you in getting back into the workforce. Job seekers can borrow a laptop for free with their library card and access online career tools. In addition, we offer several databases to help you write your resume, search for a job, and learn new…
Rebel Girls Club
Empowering young people to achieve great things Inspired by the book series Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, the club aims to empower youngsters aged 8-12 to grow up confident and inspired to achieve great things. This program welcomes all genders, not just girls. Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls takes readers on an empowering journey, showcasing the real-life…
Stories in the Schools
Your library would like to welcome everyone back to Stories in the Schools 2025. Discover a nearby school and join in on this enjoyable family event. Photo by USA Architects About The Parkland Community Library will host Stories in the Schools as part of the Parkland School District’s Summer Library program. PCL staff and volunteers…