The Novel Woman Book Club is sponsoring a First Annual Local Author's Luncheon to benefit the Forest City Library. It will be held on Wednesday, September 24th, at the Stone Bridge Inn (Elk Mountain). The guest is Karen Blomain, author of A Trick of Light (available at your local library, although there may be a waiting list).

Tickets are $20 and can be reserved at the Forest City Library by September 17th. The event starts with hospitality at 11:30am, lunch at 12:15pm, and the speaker at 1:15pm. For more information, please call the Forest City Library at 570-785-5590 or JoAnn Hall at 570-222-3591.

image courtesy H Dwight Beers

Thanks to a Pennsylvania Humanities Council grant, this year's Suquehanna County Reads one book/one county program is getting underway. The book, chosen by a poll of participants, is Harper Lee's classic of small-town courage, To Kill a Mockingbird.

You can register and pick up your book at any library (Forest City, Hallstead-Great Bend, Montrose, the independent Pratt Library in New Milford, or Susquehanna). Four major events are planned in the program. The kick-off is a Family Fun Day: 10am-2pm on Saturday, September 13th, during the Apple Festival on the Green in Montrose. Next is a screening of the 1962 movie starring Gregory Peck. There will be two showings on the big screen at the Montrose Theater, Wednesday, September 17th, at 2:30pm and 7pm. Other screenings will take place at the branch libraries. A panel book discussion will be held in New Milford at St. Mark's Hall on Thursday, October 9th, at 7pm. The culmination of the program will be a mock trial/moot court in the Susquehanna County Courthouse on October 17th at 7pm. District Attorney Jason Legg, who says that To Kill a Mockingbird inspired him to enter the legal profession, is involved with the planning. Refreshments will include Lane Cake, mentioned in the book. (We're looking for people to bake! Recipes are linked in our Resources area.

You can now register your child for the Story Hour program at the Main Library in Montrose! Story Hour runs each year from September through May. For an hour each week, 3 1/2 to 5 year olds listen to a story, watch a movie, play games, and make a craft to take home. There are two sessions, which are held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Special programs during the year celebrate holidays and occasions like National Library Week. "Story Hour is often a child's first introduction to group activities," says Amy Johnson, Story Hour Director. "It's wonderful to see how much they change and grow over the year. We all have a lot of fun."

To attend, children must be at least three and a half years old, and a parent must be a member of the Susquehanna County Historical Society & Free Library Association. Membership costs $20 and includes a subscription to the quarterly newsletter. If you have any questions about the program, please call 570-278-1881; however, registration will only be accepted in person.

As part of the kiosk computers made possible by an LSTA grant, residents of Apolacon, Ararat, Auburn, Choconut, Friendsville, Gibson, Harford, Hop Bottom, Lathrop, Lenox, Little Meadows, Middletown, Rush, Silver Lake, and Springville are entitled to receive a free USB flash drive while supplies last. These 512MB USB storage drives are incredibly convenient for saving digital files of any kind, including documents and photos. They are imprinted with the library logo and pre-loaded with information about library programs and services. You must have a library card and be a resident of one of the boroughs or townships listed above to receive a voucher; bring the voucher to one of the kiosk computer locations to get your flash drive. If you don't have a card, you can apply online here; if you do have a card, you can stop by a library and ask for a voucher, or you can request one here.