by Public Service Associate Juliana
Happy Birthday, Toni Morrison! Mark your calendars! February 17th is Toni Morrison Day, and there’s no better time to immerse yourself in her work. Read, watch, listen, or attend, there are myriad ways to honor Morrison’s legacy.
by Public Service Associate Juliana
I was never a vampire reader, no Dracula, The Queen of the Damned, or Salem’s Lot. My preferred medium for vampire lore has always been film. With that said, I have always been drawn to movies based on books. Interview with the Vampire based on the Anne Rice novel and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust based on the novels written by Hideyuki Kikuchi, are two of my favorites. I recall staying home sick from school in the early 2000s watching Vampire Hunter D for the umpteenth time. I paused on a favorite scene and decided to draw the still, copying exactly what I saw on the screen. When I wrote about the experience in the journal I had to keep for art class, my teacher commented that I had “experienced the healing power of art.” I’ve returned to this thought many times throughout my life, the idea that art can heal. And now with that connective tissue, I forever equate vampire movies as a kind of magic medicine.
by Public Service Associate Juliana
The U.S. has commemorated Family History Month every October since 2001 when Congress passed a resolution for its annual observance. Did you know that here at the Bexley Public Library we have our very own Memory Lab for preserving photos, documents, and audiovisuals into a digital format? The lab features a photo scanner, VHS converter, slide/negative scanner, and more. Come cross something off your to-do list this October and preserve your family’s history for future generations.
by Local History Librarian David
Bexley Day, which falls on August 10, 2022, marks the 114th anniversary of the first council meeting of the Village of Bexley. This year Bexley Public Library, in partnership with the Bexley Historical Society, is celebrating Bexley Day with the program, Mapping Bexley From Wilderness to Village.
by Public Service Associate Owen
Other than the shock of spring, summer is far and away the most verdant time of year. It is the perfect time to get the overalls on, find your gardening gloves and trowel, and spend hazy days in the garden. If you’re the sort of person who finds fulfilment on your knees in the soil, or even if you simply appreciate a good house plant, then this blog is for you! I’d like to highlight our extensive plant and gardening section here at the library, as well as shout out a fantastic event we’re having here involving plants and gardening that you won’t want to miss!
by Adult Services Manager Whitney
I grew up in the 80s, and wasn’t aware of Title IX until I was an adult. But with the 50th anniversary of Title IX last Thursday, I’ve been hearing more stories that make me realize that lack of awareness proves the law’s success: things have changed so much I’ve been able to take it for granted. Unlike Linda Logan, CEO of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, when I was in school there were multiple sports available to girls, rather than zero. Unlike Stephanie Hightower, I was aware of girls who had received sports scholarships, rather than being the first one. And unlike Sue Ramsey, who graduated from Bexley High School in 1974, I didn’t have to make my own field hockey uniforms in Home Economics.
A Journey Through Middle Earth the Buckeye State
by Programming Librarian Zach
The final school bell for the year has rung, longer days and warmer weather have arrived, and the official beginning of summer is right around the corner. Now, what to do with all of this extra time? Not to worry, the Bexley Public Library has you covered!
by Youth Librarian Kelly
As the weather warms up, there’s nothing better than spending some time outside, and one place I recommend is Bexley’s own Fairy Garden at Schneider Park.
by Public Service Associate Owen
Despite the protections of free speech that are enshrined in our Constitution, there are still those present in our society that wish to impose censorship in the literary world. Books are being challenged for their content and are being banned from schools and libraries at an alarming rate. It is important now, more than ever, to stand up to the growing encroachment of censorship and book banning, as it can be a slippery slope that ultimately leads to a fearful, closed-minded, and mistrustful society. This is why Bexley Public Library is determined to help stand up to censorship, and we invite you to do the same as part of our two-part Standing Up To Censorship program. Parts I and II of this program can be attended both in-person in the BPL Auditorium, as well as online via Zoom.
by Local History Librarian David
Thousands lined the streets of Bexley for a 68-unit parade of marching bands, floats, bagpipes, and drill teams, reminiscent of the city’s annual Independence Day celebration. However, on this day, in mid October, royalty was celebrated. On the last float, cradling a bouquet of red roses in one arm and waving to the crowd with the other, sat Laurel “Laurie” Lea Schaefer, Bexley’s own Miss America 1972.