Adult Activities

LIBRARY VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION RECEPTION – Thursday, April 25

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Harrison County Public Library will recognize and thank valuable library volunteers during a recognition reception on April 25 from 1 – 2:30 PM. The reception occurs during National Volunteer Week, which is celebrated annually during the third week of April. It is a time to spotlight volunteers, provide an opportunity to say thank you and help inspire others to volunteer their time and talents.

HCPL has dependable and energetic volunteers who offer a variety of experience and expertise. Harrison County Public Library values each of the 20 volunteers who provide service to the library and help HCPL better serve the community.

The library board of trustees are volunteers appointed by local elected officials: the county council, the county commissioners and the school boards. HCPL’s seven board members serve four-year terms and oversee the finance, policy and planning activities at the library.

Thank you board members for your dedication of time, talent and expertise:
Kathy Crimans – President
Sharon Mathes – Vice-President
Barbara Smith – Secretary
Derrick Grigsby – Treasurer
Members at Large – Jon Howerton, Roger Windell & Pam Bennett Martin

Behind every successful library is an active Friends of the Library group. The Friends of Harrison County Library, Inc. raises funds through book sales for programs, activities and supplies. Along with monetary funding, the Friends will lend a hand at special events. They sponsor the prize books given to the youth during the summer reading challenge. The Friends meet every other month beginning in January and host a book sale on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month at the Book Box. The Book Box is the building in the library’s back parking lot. The Friends also raise money through membership. An individual membership is $5.00.

Thank you Friends of the Library for your time and support:
Cyndi Voyles – President
Cindy Daily – Vice-President
Christine Pendleton – Treasurer
Susan Isbell – Secretary
Active Volunteers – Lynne Schipp & Karen Eves

Though many adult programs are provided by librarians, others are led by volunteers who bring quality programming through their expertise in specific areas such as book discussion, photography, painting, manga & anime, and English as a Second Language.

Thank you volunteer programmers for your dedication and expertise:
Gary Pope – Memories and Memoirs Book Club
Gabriele Williams – Through the Lens – photography
Aaron Blackman – Manga and Anime Club
Jamie Babcock – Painting with Jamie
Elizabeth Redding – English as a Second Language tutoring

The general public may not realize that a small group of volunteers repairs and cleans library materials. Think of it as a book hospital where trained volunteers care for damaged materials. Library users should not attempt to make book repairs at home. If there is a tear or rip in a book’s page or a binding becomes loose, the library volunteers can repair it with glue or a binding machine. Inside each CD case is a paper to note issues or disc problems.

Thank you cleaning and repair volunteers:
Christine Pendleton – Book repair
Lynne Schipp – Book repair
Walter Ryan – DVD cleaning and repair
Jessica Fulk – Clean and shelve juvenile books

Happy National Volunteer Week!

SHAKESPEARE ON THE SQUARE – 6:30 pm Friday, May 10, 2024 – THE TEMPEST – FREE EVENT – Corydon

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The Harrison County Public Library will bring the Arts Alliance of Southern Indiana 2024 SoIN TO SHAKESPEARE TOUR to Corydon at 6:30 pm, Friday, May 10, 2024, at the Corydon Capitol State Historic Site gazebo. Martin French and James Thompson will direct the free outdoor performance of The Tempest on Corydon’s beautiful town square. Bring lawn chairs or blankets for this family-friendly evening. In case of inclement weather, the play will move to Hayswood Theatre.

The Tempest involves a powerful sorcerer, Prospero (the former Duke of Milan) and his daughter, who live on a deserted island after being banished by the King of Naples, Alonso, and Prospero’s brother Antonio, the Duke of Milan. Prospero wields a storm to shipwreck his enemies, including the king’s son. The survivors are scattered across the island and the plotting begins. This Shakespeare comedy includes revenge, scheming, romance, forgiveness and redemption.

The Arts Alliance 2024 SoIN TO SHAKESPEARE TOUR will also feature presentations at Jeffersonville, New Albany and Charlestown.

Two Corydon-based actors, Jason Jones and Hayley Ginger, are a part of The Tempest troupe. Heather Rapp, who has family ties to Elizabeth, Indiana, designed the promotional artwork. Co-director Martin French, who is originally from Ireland and now lives in Southern Indiana, has worked internationally and locally for years. French co-directed last year’s SoIN To Shakespeare production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and recently directed Hayswood Theatre’s The Crucible. During Banned Books Week last October, French gave a book talk at HCPL on The Crucible and censorship.  On April 23, he will host a celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday at HCPL with an overview of Shakespeare and The Tempest. French will also offer a behind-the-scenes look at The Tempest at Harrison County Arts on April 25.

Celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday at Harrison County Public Library – 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 23 – Corydon branch, 105 N. Capitol Avenue. Co-director Martin French will give a broad overview of who William Shakespeare was and how he became the unofficial first playwright of the United States. French will then talk about The Tempest. Birthday cake will be offered during this 90-minute program.

Insight to the Process: Shakespeare – 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25 – Harrison County Arts, 113 E. Beaver Street, Corydon. Shakespeare enthusiasts and those interested in a behind-the-scenes look get an up-close experience with the cast presenting the SoIN To Shakespeare Tour. A public rehearsal (preview) of parts of The Tempest will feature actors from the play along with an opportunity to see the development of a scene between the actors and co-director Martin French. In addition, the actors expect to rehearse a complete scene followed by a Q&A session. This 90-minute program presents an opportunity to see the backside of play development. Contact Harrison County Arts for specific details about this program at 812-738-2123.

For information, contact the library at 812-738-4110 or visit the website for a calendar of events @ www.hcpl.lib.in.us

Thank you to our community partners for this event:
Arts Alliance of Southern Indiana – sponsor of the SoIn To Shakespeare Tour
Corydon Capitol State Historic Site – venue
Hayswood Theatre – rain location
Harrison County Visitor Center – restrooms
Harrison County Arts – host of rehearsal program
Main Street Corydon – fliers in wine walk bags
Downtown merchants – displaying posters and fliers

“Saturday Spotlight” at the Frederick Porter Griffin Center: MARCH MANIA!

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We’ve made it! Even as February tossed an extra day at us, March has finally, well… marched right on in. It sure is packed with exciting moments to commemorate. It’s a special month for many people. It’s celebrated by band kids (who march forth on the 4th ). Soon will be time to “Spring Forward” with Daylight Saving Time (10th ). Basketball fans love their brackets; Irish Americans look for luck. Be sure to grab a slice on 3.14 for Pi Day, and so on…

After a brief winter hiatus, the Frederick Porter Griffin Center is ready to reenter the madness with Saturday Spotlight programming all month long. The public is invited to drop in and join the Head of Genealogy, Kathy Fisher, to celebrate multiple aspects of notable March-related holidays and presentations. Kathy stated, “March is fun! There’s something that just about anyone can get excited and learn more about. Researchers of all levels are welcome! You can get creative with it, too. Stop in and see us; maybe you’ll even spot a leprechaun.”

Each Saturday during the month will offer something different. Featured topics include:
March 9 – President William Henry Harrison’s Inauguration
March 16 – St. Patrick’s Day,
March 23 – Women’s History Month
March 30 – National Vietnam War Veterans Day

Saturdays don’t work for you? The FPGC staff is always on hand to answer questions during regular hours throughout the year. Any and all of the resources at the Genealogy Library, including free use of microfilm, books, family files, the Community News collection, and library editions of databases such as Ancestry, Fold3, and Newspapers.com are available.

The Frederick Porter Griffin Center for Local History and Genealogy is located in the county’s original Carnegie Library building directly behind the Corydon branch of HCPL at 117 West Beaver Street, Corydon. For more information, call 812-738-5412.

Article by Kathy Fisher

Total Solar Eclipse Programming at HCPL

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Are you ready for the Total Solar Eclipse?  Come to one of HCPL’s eclipse events to learn everything you need to know for April 8, 2024.  Attendees at each event will receive 1 free pair of solar glasses, as supplies last.
 
Programs for Kids:
Nature Club (ages 4+) – 4 pm Wed., Feb. 28 at Corydon – Learn about the science of eclipses and make a solar viewer to take home.  Please bring 1 cereal box per child (the library has some extra if you do not have one available.)
Eclipse Crafts (all ages) – 2-4 pm Mon., Mar. 25 at Corydon and 1-7 pm Thurs., Mar. 28 at Elizabeth – Make a variety of eclipse-themed crafts and viewing tools.  Please bring 1 cereal box per child if you would like to make a solar viewer.
Pinwheel Festival (all ages) – 11 am-2 pm Sat., Apr. 6 at Bicentennial Park – Stop by the library’s booth to get your face painted and pick up information about the eclipse.
 
Presentations for Adults and Families: Learn how to safely and successfully view April’s total solar eclipse.
Corydon Presbyterian Church – 6 pm Thurs., Feb. 29
Palmyra United Methodist Church – 6 pm Thurs., Mar. 14
Harrison County Community Foundation – 6 pm Tues., Mar. 19
 
Can’t make it to one of HCPL’s events?  Here are some resources to help teachers and families prepare on their own:
 
Totality, Minute by Minute – HCPL has prepared this handout to remind you which phenomena to look for at each stage of the eclipse.
 
Cereal Box Viewer instructions – This viewing method is safer for children than solar glasses, as they will be observing the eclipse with their backs to the Sun, so there is less chance for injury.  Highly recommended project for school groups.
 
NASA Punch Pinhole Projector – This site has in-depth explanations of how pinhole projection works and how to apply it to the eclipse.
 
Safe Solar Viewer (SSV) instructions – An SSV is an excellent way for a group to safely view and photograph the eclipse at the same time, and even see sunspots.  This project can be built for as little as $5 and would work well for school viewing parties.
 
Path of Totality Map – The Sun’s corona, 360° sunset, and other exciting phenomena will only be visible on the path of totality.  Most of Harrison County is only at 99% – and even 1% of the Sun’s disc is enough to drown out the corona.  You MUST be at 100% to view the corona.  This map shows the timestamps and percent eclipsed for any location.
 
NASA Exploratorium – If you cannot make it to the path of totality, NASA will be livestreaming the event here.
 
Useful Apps:
 
Solar Eclipse Timer by Foxwood Astronomy (free for practice mode, $2 to unlock each eclipse) – This app will time the eclipse for you and give audio prompts to remind you what phenomena to look for at each moment.  It will even calculate the best times to take photographs.
 
Totality by Big Kid Science (free) – Click anywhere on the map to see how long totality will last for that location, and what time each phase will occur.
 
Stellarium Mobile (free, with optional in-app purchases) – This astronomy app helps you identify stars and other celestial objects. You can set it to the day and time of the eclipse to simulate what you will see. On eclipse day, it can help you identify the stars and planets that appear during totality.

An HCPL space to bring out the maker in you!

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Foreground L-R: Sharon Mathes, HCPL Board Vice-president; Kathy Crimans, HCPL Board President; Pamela Bennett Martin, HCPL Board member at large; Kelly Powell, Business Manager; Barbara Smith, HCPL Board Secretary; Alisa Burch, Library Director; Jessica Stroud, Head of Information Technology; Trevor Smith, Systems Administrator; Heather Wyss, Makerspace Specialist

Make | Learn | Explore | Share

The Harrison County Public Library Makerspace Ribbon Cutting took place at the Lanesville branch on Friday, December 1, 2023, and an Open House was held on Saturday, December 2. According to Alisa Burch, HCPL Director: “Our vision as a public library is that all residents will have access to a library with free resources to increase their knowledge and with space for recreational and educational programming. A makerspace is a place where people in our community can come together to create with technology.”

The makerspace will be open during the same hours as the Lanesville branch, but appointments are required for training and operating the equipment. Please click here to request an appointment and to reserve equipment, and please note that staff must confirm the appointment/reservation. Click here to download the HCPL makerspace policy and liability waiver. We ask that users please note the age restrictions and that a copy of the printed waiver must be signed and handed to a makerspace staff member before operating equipment.

Use of all equipment is free–the only costs associated with makerspace projects are the supplies used. A fee schedule is available in the HCPL makerspace policy.

Makerspace Specialist Heather Wyss said that she is excited to help users with their creative projects and to share new techniques.

HCPL’s Makerspace hosts a variety of equipment [click here for full descriptions]:

  • Epilog Laser Engraver/Cutter
  • Brother 680W 6-Needle Embroidery Machine
  • Brother CS5055 Sewing Machine
  • Brother 1034D Serger
  • Roland SG3-300 Large Format Printer
  • Elegoo Saturn 8K SLA Printer
  • BambuLabs X1 Carbon FDM 3D Printer
  • Cricut Explore Air 2
  • Elgato VHS Digitizer
  • ION Tape Express Tape-to-MP3 Converter
  • Eyesen 8mm / Super8 Film Digitizer

 

OCTOBER IS FAMILY HISTORY MONTH

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Within the walls of the Frederick Porter Griffin Center for Local History and Genealogy family history is celebrated all year long, but during October, it gets highlighted. Visit the FPGC each Saturday of the month for special programming focused on Family History topics. Researchers of all levels are welcome!  Any and all of the resources at the Genealogy Library, including microfilm, books, family files, Community News collection, as well as the library editions of Ancestry, Fold3, and Newspapers.com. (and much more!) will be available.

The public is invited to drop in and join the head of genealogy Kathy Fisher to uncover some of the family legends hidden within our collection. Kathy stated, “Helping people discover their stories is our bread and butter. October is the perfect time to get more people interested in their own personal history. I hope we can aid in taking someone’s research beyond just names and dates. You can get creative with it, too.”

As an “extra special surprise” during Glasstoberfest, the FPGC will be featuring a video on the Zimmerman Family and Glassblowing History. Originally presented in 2013 as a Historical Society program, the Genealogy Library will be offering two showings on October 21 at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

If Saturdays don’t work for you, the FPGC staff is always on hand during regular hours throughout the year to answer questions and to give suggestions for getting past those brick walls.

The Frederick Porter Griffin Center for Local History and Genealogy is located in the county’s original Carnegie Library building directly behind the Corydon branch of HCPL at 117 West Beaver Street, Corydon. For more information, call 812-738-5412.

Article by Kathy Fisher, Head of Genealogy

“Saturday Spotlight” at the Frederick Porter Griffin Center: Black History Month

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by Kathy Fisher, Head of Genealogy

In July of 2006, a diverse group gathered at Corydon’s historic Leora Brown School to hear the remembrances of a special nonagenarian named Ethel Porter.  The location was appropriate, for Ethel was there to speak about her experiences growing up in Indiana’s segregated school systems.

The library staff was there to capture these stories and the recently uncovered video is now available to share.  You are invited to rediscover this program each Saturday during Black History Month.

Viewings will run on the hour between 10 am and 4 pm each remaining Saturday during February.  Stop in to learn more about Ethel, the Leora Brown School, Harrison County’s rich Black history, and more!

(Don’t worry if you can’t make it in person, the videos will be added to the library programming page on the website at the end of the month.)

SoIN Big Read Ella Enchanted

HCPL invites you to join us in the 2022 SoIN Big Read, “Ella Enchanted”!

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Harrison County Public Library is partnering with the Arts Alliance of Southern Indiana (AASI) and other regional partners in the SoIN Big Read, and you are invited to read along with us!

To kickoff the 2022 SoIN Big Read, Harrison County Public Library’s first event will take place this Saturday, October 15th, at the Corydon branch in the Children’s Activity Room at 105 N. Capitol Avenue with public showings of the movie Ella Enchanted (2004) at 10 am and 2 pm.

Free copies of the book will be available to pick up at any Harrison County Public Library branch starting Monday, October 17.

 

More Harrison County Public Library in-person and virtual book discussion events are coming soon.

“We are thrilled to kick off the SoIN Big Read with our partners, The Floyd County Library, Jeffersonville Township Public Library, Harrison County Public Library, Jeffersonville Public Art Commission, and Community Action of Southern Indiana,” said AASI Executive Director Brian Bell. “The SoIN Big Read will promote a regional community reading event of Ella Enchanted”

Over 1,000 copies of this beloved Newbery Honor-winning story that is sure to enchant readers new and old will be distributed at no cost at locations throughout Southern Indiana. Each SoIN Big Read partnering organization will host book-related programming, movie events, book discussions, workshops, and podcasts with the intention of fostering engagement and discussion of the book.

At her birth, Ella of Frell receives a foolish fairy’s gift—the “gift” of obedience. Ella must obey any order, whether it’s to hop on one foot for a day and a half, or to chop off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not accept her fate…

Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse forever.

A tween favorite for 25 years, adults who remember the pleasure of discovering this fun fairytale themselves are now sharing this book with younger readers.

For more information about the SoIN Big Read, please click here.

Talk Like a Pirate Day

Brush up your sea-farin’ vocab, Monday is Talk Like a Pirate Day!

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Ahoy, mateys! Grab yer eye patch, bandana, frilly shirt and favorite parrot or tiny monkey–and break out Treasure Island or Pirates of the Caribbean (movies and books for each title are available at HCPL)!

Practice your pirate conversational skills using Mango Languages, available for free to all HCPL cardholders. If you don’t have a library card, you can apply online or at your local HCPL branch, or request a Digital Access Card that allows access to all HCPL eResources.

PSA: Though this is a day to mimic pirates, you are strongly encouraged to not pillage, steal or brawl.
Instead, may we recommend that you don your pirate garb and do the fun activities below.

Copies are also available to pick up at any library branch.

pirate word search
Click to download

pirate name generator
Click to download

 

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