Youth Activities – Harrison County Public Library

Poetry Society of Indiana’s Young Voices Annual Poetry Contest

Notices, Teen Activities, Youth Activities / By Jessica Stroud / May 27, 2023

Indiana Poetry Contest For Grades 3 – 12

The Poetry Society of Indiana announces the 2023 Young Voices Annual Poetry Contest. First-place winners will receive public acknowledgment on the PSI website and social media platforms. The poems may be published in the annual anthology Ink to Paper.

Contest Guidelines

Open state-wide to public, private, and homeschool students in grades 3-12
Recommendation by a teacher required
Original unpublished work only
One poem submission per student
30-line limit (including blank lines)
No submission fees

Contest Categories

Category 1: Grades 3 & 4
Category 2: Grades 5 & 6
Category 3: Grades 7 & 8
Category 4: Grades 9 & 10
Category 5: Grades 11 & 12

Deadline for submissions is September 20, 2023.

There is no fee. Additional details are available on the PSI Young Voices Annual Poetry Contest page.

About Poetry Society of Indiana: Poetry Society of Indiana (PSI), founded in 1941, is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public and encouraging poets in Indiana. PSI seeks to unite poets in friendship and understanding while recognizing cultural heritage and linguistic contexts. Prior to 2016, Poetry Society of Indiana was known as Indiana State Federation of Poetry Clubs (ISFPC).

All questions should be directed to poetrysocietyofindiana@gmail.com, with “Young Voices contest” in the subject line.

Shakespeare in the Park Moves Indoors to a Full House

Reading Program, Youth Activities / By Diana Lasky / April 26, 2023

The weather was cool and the ground was soggy, but more than 105 people attended A Midsummer Night’s Dream as it moved indoors to the Harrison County Parks Department office/sanctuary. The public enjoyed the play and the venue (previously Wright Interpretive Center, old Presbyterian Church) just off the Corydon town square. Hilarity ensued as the multiple stories were told and the fairies created mischief.

Attendees of all ages came to the production performed by TheatreWorks of Southern Indiana and directed by Martin French and James Thompson. Library director Alisa Burch welcomed the audience and thanked the Harrison County Parks Department for providing the indoor venue. Other community partners were Corydon Capitol State Historic Site (the original outdoor location) and the Harrison County Visitor’s Bureau which remained open until 8 p.m. with restroom services. Hannegan Roseberry of TheatreWorks of Southern Indiana introduced the play and mentioned that “theater is alive and well in Corydon” noting there were two other local live productions that night in Corydon.

Harrison County Public Library sponsored the Corydon performance of the Arts Alliance of SoIN Spring Tour of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As the audience exited the building, many complimented the performance and the venue and thanked the actors. For more information about the production, actors and upcoming plays, visit the playbill link.

Art Unplugged – Harrison County Winner Announced

Design, Notices, Teen Activities, Youth Activities / By Diana Lasky / April 19, 2023

Samantha Lawyer is the winner of the Harrison County portion of the Regional High School Art Juried Competition – Art Unplugged – Repurposed Shape with her entry Garden of Vellichor. Samantha, a junior at Lanesville High School, will be awarded a $500 scholarship sponsored by Harrison County Public Library for the Best in Show. This competition is the area’s first-ever regional high school art show with winners from Clark, Floyd and Harrison Counties advancing to a finalist show at the Arts Alliance of Southern Indiana in New Albany, Indiana.

All 17 Harrison County student entries are showcased on the library website through April 30. Six Lanesville High School students were awarded Honorable Mentions:
Ella Funk – Garden Snail
Kassie ZurSchmiede – (untitled entry)
Brayden Isgrigg – Johnny Bravo
Hannah Rowley – Stand Proud
Ella Funk – upcycled city
Elizabeth Saier – Heart Strings

Samantha Lawyer’s Garden of Vellichor advances to the finalist show May 8 – 20 at the Arts Alliance of Southern Indiana. Finalists will compete for the following scholarships: 1^st place – $2,500; 2^nd place – $1,500; and 3^rd place – $1,000. Scholarship winners will be announced at the finalist ceremony and reception on May 20, 2023, at the Arts Alliance of Southern Indiana.

A judging committee member commented, “I would like to thank all students who submitted artwork for the competition. It was such a joy to view all of the entries and see the broad range of amazing artistic talent from Harrison County students.”

Best in Show

Honorable Mentions

New Animal Friends at the Library

2 Comments / Youth Activities / By Savannah Wallace / March 29, 2023

by Savannah Wallace

The Children’s Library at the Corydon branch has some new furry residents. Four large stuffed animals were purchased for children’s activity room at the beginning of the year. Many patrons will remember the giant stuffed bears that lived in the activity room. While they were very much loved, the time had come for them to be retired. The children’s library staff decided to replace them with four different types of animals including a wolf, lion, tiger and turtle. The staff decided it would be fun to give the animals literary names since they will live in a library. The names they chose are Virginia Woolfe the wolf, Leo Tolstoy the lion, Mary Shelley the turtle, and Nathaniel Pawthorne the tiger. Next time you visit stop by and introduce yourself to our new friends.

Pete the Cat Visits Heth-Washington Elementary School

Reading Program, Youth Activities / By Eden Ransdell / February 27, 2023

Library mascot Pete the Cat visited Heth-Washington Elementary School today as a reward for HWES being the top school in January 2023’s Read to Feed Harrison County Winter Challenge. In each classroom from Pre-K to 3rd grade, Eden Ransdell, Youth Services Manager, read and sang Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes. Pete acted out the story and led the kids in dancing along. Each classroom received a special Certificate of Excellence signed by Pete the Cat with their total number of books read. Way to go, Heth-Washington!

Gingerbread Man Puppet Show & Fun – Dec. 3, 2022

Notices, Youth Activities / By Diana Lasky / December 8, 2022

by Diana Lasky

Harrison County Public Library Palmyra Branch employee Nikki Essary and her family presented The Gingerbread Man Puppet Show at the Harrison County Boys & Girls Club. Many puppet characters chased the runaway “naughty” cookie hoping to be the one to get a bite. After the puppet show, children visited fun stations where they could make a puppet, decorate a cookie and decorate a gingerbread playhouse.

HCPL Corydon Youth Services Assistant Ann Allen helped children decorate and make a gingerbread man marionette puppet. It was amazing to see all the gingerbread puppets dancing and running away!

R.S.V.P. volunteer Charlotte Adams helped children decorate and cut out paper candies to decorate the gingerbread house. The children enjoyed playing in the house as much as decorating it! Visit the Corydon Branch to add more decorations to the house or to play and read in the house.

Teen volunteer Zada Taul and Diana Lasky of HCPL monitored the cookie decorating stations where children were very creative with their frosting and candies. The cookies were delicious however, not many cookies made it out the door. It was a fun-filled day to kick off the holiday season.

A Monstrously Fun Storytime!

Youth Activities / By Eden Ransdell / October 17, 2022

Our library friends had a monstrously fun time singing and dancing at Move & Groove Storytime last week. Check out the amazing shape monsters we designed! If you’d like to make a shape monster of your own, the program will repeat on Thursday, October 20 at 6 p.m. You can sign up online or by calling the library at 812-738-4110.

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

Adult Activities, Book club, fiction, Reading Program, Teen Activities, Youth Activities / By Jessica Stroud / October 14, 2022

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.

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

Adult Activities, Notices, Online resources, Teen Activities, Youth Activities / By Jessica Stroud / September 18, 2022

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 name generator — Click to download

Looking Back at Summer Storytime Fun – August 2022

Youth Activities / By Jessica Stroud / August 6, 2022

Elizabeth branch storytime While the library offered many big programs this summer, our branch storytimes were very well attended. The library staff and families were happy to get back to inside programming where stories, music, puppets and crafts provided fun and laughter for all. Lanesville, Elizabeth and Palmyra all offered a weekly storytime. Watch for youth storytimes and programs to start up again at all four branch locations in September. Calendars will be available towards the end of August.

Submitted by Diana Lasky, Youth Services Manager