October News
2025
Get ready to make the Parkland Community Library your go-to spot this fall with a wide range of programs and events for all ages. Whether you’re looking to learn something new in a workshop, take a class, or connect with others in the community, our library has it all.
Make sure to stop by and browse our collection of haunting tales and creepy stories this season. Whether you’re looking for a bone-chilling read or a ghostly adventure, we have something to satisfy every reader’s craving for the macabre. Don’t miss out on all the excitement happening at the Parkland Community Library this fall – we can’t wait to see you!
New Materials Update:
Baker & Taylor Prepares Plan to Shut Down
Baker and Taylor, the leading book supplier for most libraries, has announced its plan to cease operations by January 2026. Parkland Community Library, along with many other institutions, has been actively working to secure a new vendor. We strive to carefully implement new book processing methods and procedures to ensure that our patrons receive timely access to new materials.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to make this transition as smooth as possible.
If you would like to read more about Baker and Taylor, please visit here.
Discover Dairy Cow Adoption: UPDATE
Host Farm is Kurtland Farms.
Keep an eye out for the exciting calf announcement on October 21! PCL is thrilled to have adopted a dairy cow for a whole year! We warmly invite you to follow along as she grows and to learn more about the life of a dairy cow and her farm. Plus, we’ll be hosting a fun, family-friendly event every month.
We can’t wait to share this special journey with you!
Fall-Themed Program Spotlight, Free at Your Library!
Please mark your calendar for an exciting event on October 22, as we welcome special guest Eric Mintel Investigates, The Paranormal Projection Room. And don’t forget to join us for a fall-themed sensory hour on October 25! Plus, get into the Halloween spirit with our annual trick-or-treat event at the library – it’s sure to be a spooktacular time for all.
October 17, 5 PM: Visit our table at the South Whitehall Township Halloween Spooktacular at Covered Bridge Park, Upper Macungie Township Trunk or Treat at Grange Park, and the North Whitehall Township Trunk or Treat at Kolapechka Park in Coplay.
PCL Garden Club
Nature’s Bounty: Creating Foraged Pumpkin Centerpieces
Celebrate the beauty of the season by creating your own foraged pumpkin centerpiece in this cozy, nature-centered workshop. Using a small-sized carved pumpkin and a curated selection of fresh and dried plant materials gathered from the Library’s own gardens, you’ll design a one-of-a-kind arrangement perfect for your autumn décor.
Guided by Jen from Ott Gardens (Orefield), you’ll learn how to work with texture, color, and natural elements to bring the outdoors in—connecting to the rhythm of the season and your own creative expression. All materials will be provided, including the pumpkin and a variety of greens, branches, seed pods, dried hydrangea, and more. BYO pumpkin scooper if you have one!
Fall Minecraft Adventure
Scarecrow Building Contest
No school. Time for a Minecraft Adventure! The excitement begins in the Hay Maze, where players must find their way while battling mobs searching for resources. The fun continues at the Fall Festival, featuring a variety of minigames like parkour, archery, and a pumpkin scavenger hunt. Spend your earnings on materials to use in the Scarecrow Building challenge. With time ticking, players will unleash their creativity to construct the most impressive scarecrow.
For ages six and up who can use a laptop computer to navigate the Minecraft environment.
Please only count the participating child in your registration.
Eric Mintel Investigates
Paranormal Projection Room!
Talk and Screening of video clips from local historic venues, with Eric Mintel Paranormal Projection Room! Enjoy a thrilling dive deep into the world of Ghosts, Bigfoot, UFOs, Dogmen, and more, highlighting mind-blowing evidence that will leave you questioning everything. Packed with captivating adventures, Eric gives his firsthand investigations and astonishing discoveries. PCL is the place for any paranormal enthusiasts and truth seekers alike. Brace yourself for an unforgettable exploration of some of the most mysterious phenomena ever captured!
About
Eric Mintel, a jazz maestro with a mesmerizing touch on the piano, leads a double life as a daring paranormal investigator, fearlessly venturing into haunted realms to uncover the mysteries that lie beyond.
Fall Sensory Fun!
Join us for a fall-themed sensory hour! This program, designed for children up to 5 years old, encourages fine motor skills and early childhood development. We will have various stations set up to facilitate discovery and play. Please plan to attend and be engaged with your child for this program.
Teen Advisory Board
October Meeting: Spooky Halloween Fun!
Come join us for a fun fall celebration where we put a fun, spooky spin on classic paintings! We really look forward to sharing this creative and festive event with you.
About T.A.B.
- Get Volunteer Hours
- Pizza!
- Fun
- Make new friends
The Teen Advisory Board is a group for teen volunteers who help plan and prepare for library programs.
Some of the things you might help with are creating a new teen event, preparing crafts for programs, face-painting during library parties, or coming up with witty clues for a scavenger hunt. It all depends on what skills and talents you have.
It’s an excellent opportunity to meet new friends, have fun, get volunteer hours, and make your voice heard at the library.
Pizza will be provided if you let us know that you are coming.
Trick or Treat at the Library
Trick-or-treat yo’self at the library on Halloween while supplies last.
If you’re in the neighborhood, crawl by to our desks in costume and pick up a simply eerie-sistible treat!
All ages welcome! Don’t forget to grab a frighteningly good book to Read In Peace!
Spice of the Month
Our adventurous reference staff member, Kelly, used the September “Spice of the Month” in a cookie recipe. Having made the cookies, Kelly has a few tips to share with other bakers as well. Anyone trying the smoked paprika cookies recipe should be careful to: use unsalted butter and avoid “resting” the dough for too long. Leaving them for more than a day will result in dehydrated cookies.
Visit our reference desk each month to try a new culinary spice, while supplies last! October: Pumpkin Spice.
October Awareness, Observances, & Celebrations
Banned Books Week 2025
Established in 1982, Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community in shared support of the freedom to read.
Books are tools for understanding complex issues. Limiting young people’s access to books does not protect them from life’s complex and challenging problems. Young people deserve to see themselves reflected in a library’s books.
Removing and banning books from public libraries is a slippery slope to government censorship and the erosion of our country’s commitment to freedom of expression. Please reject any efforts to ban books and allow individuals and parents to decide on what they can read and believe.
Visit UniteAgainstBookBans.org to learn more and to join our efforts.
The 120 titles most frequently targeted for censorship during 2024 are all identified on partisan book rating sites, which provide tools for activists to demand the censorship of library books.
These were the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024:
1. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
2. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
3. (TIE) The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
3. (TIE) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
5. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
6. (TIE) Looking for Alaska by John Green
6. (TIE) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
8. (TIE) Crank by Ellen Hopkins
8. (TIE) Sold by Patricia McCormick
10 Flamer by Mike Curato
We can trust individuals to make their own decisions about what they read and believe.
Parents have the right to guide their children’s reading, but parents should not be making decisions for other parents’ children. Specifically, a small group of parents should not dictate what books other people’s children are allowed to read.
The American Library Association condemns censorship and works to defend each person’s right to read under the First Amendment and to ensure free access to information. Every year, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles a list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. The lists are based on information from confidential reports filed by library professionals and community members, as well as news stories published throughout the United States.
Because many book challenges are not reported to the ALA or covered by the press, the data compiled by ALA represent only a snapshot of censorship attempts in libraries.
The 2024 data reported to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) shows that the majority of book censorship attempts are now originating from organized movements. Pressure groups and government entities that include elected officials, board members, and administrators initiated 72% of demands to censor books in schools and public libraries. Parents only accounted for 16% of demands to censor books, while individual library users brought 5% of challenges. The 120 titles most frequently targeted for censorship during 2024 are all identified on partisan book rating sites, which provide tools for activists to demand the censorship of library books.
The most common justifications for censorship provided by complainants were false claims of illegal obscenity for minors; inclusion of LGBTQIA+ characters or themes; and covering topics of race, racism, equity, and social justice.
Since 2021, ALA has tracked a sharp spike in censorship attempts in libraries. In 2024, ALA recorded the third-highest number of book challenges since tracking began in 1990: ALA documented 821 attempts to censor library books and other materials in 2024 across all library types, a decrease from 2023, when a record high 1,247 attempts were reported. ALA recorded attempts to remove 2,452 unique titles in 2024, which significantly exceeds the average of 273 unique titles that were challenged annually during 2001–2020.
More ways to listen, read, and watch
Banned Together is streaming FREE on Kanopy with your library card! 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.
Celebrate Banned Books Week with our diverse collection of audiobooks, comics, and eBooks featuring frequently banned and challenged titles. Uncover stories that push boundaries, provoke thought, and celebrate freedom of expression. Join us in honoring these controversial yet compelling works during Banned Books Week. hoopla offers access to a vast collection of books, videos, and music, all free with your library card. Borrow, stream, and download content on iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, and more.
Halloween Booklist
Get ready to embrace the spooky season with our delightful Halloween-inspired booklist! From chilling thrillers to haunting horror stories, we’ve carefully selected a variety of reads to help you get into the Halloween spirit. Whether you love spooky tales of ghosts and ghouls or gripping modern psychological stories, there’s something special for everyone.
Immerse yourself in the supernatural with books that will keep you eagerly turning pages. Explore haunted houses, mysterious disappearances, and otherworldly creatures as you delve into these captivating stories. With exciting twists and surprises at every turn, these books will keep you guessing all the way to the end.
So, cozy up with a soft blanket, light your favorite candle, and prepare for a read that might have you checking under the bed before you drift off to sleep. Join us in celebrating Halloween with these exciting stories that will leave you wanting more. Visit our catalog to see the complete list and get ready to be spooked!
Friends of the Library Week
Oct. 19-25
At Parkland Community Library, we sincerely appreciate the dedication of our Friends of the Library volunteer group. The Friends organize fundraising activities, promote the library, and contribute through various volunteer efforts. We want to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for their sponsorship of library events. Consider becoming a member or demonstrate your support by visiting the Friends Book Shop on-site. The hours of operation are posted on our homepage.
June Library News
Summer Reading 2026, “Unearth a Story” June 13-August 8 In the spirit of paleontology and archaeology, we invite Parkland’s readers to discover the magic of books! Summer Reading 2026 draws inspiration from these sciences, encouraging readers to explore books, histories, and the past. Summer Reading features special-themed programs, prize drawings, and more. This program is…
Event Calendars
For the most up-to-date events calendar, please view the web page here. Get more out of your library. Those looking to attend programs and events can print our monthly event calendars! Libraries have evolved over the years, and PCL is no exception. With our 2021 renovation, we have expanded our indoor spaces and added outdoor…
Helping Our Community with Plant A Row
2026 Schedule Get involved in your community by participating in Plant A Row with PCL! Whether you have a green thumb or are new to gardening, Plant A Row is an excellent opportunity to make a positive impact. Donating just one row of your garden or some produce can help provide nutritious food to those…