If you’re looking for a mature protagonist in your next read – someone in their golden years who may (or may not!) be ready to retire – then you may want to check out the following books. Romance, friendship, murder, mayhem, and creativity are on offer in these stories featuring older adults.

Unicorns are legendary creatures, described since antiquity as beasts with a single, large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. They appear in fairy tales from around the world, but interestingly are not found in Greek mythology – because the ancient Greek writers of natural history were convinced of unicorns’ reality, believing that they lived in India, a “distant and fabulous realm.” And don’t forget their mythical beast cousins, dragons. These legends also cross cultures and time periods. Described as a combination of bird, cat and snake, the eastern myths attribute dragons with high intelligence but no wings. The west’s versions typically include wings and fire breathing. Sample some of our favorite fairy tales and myths in Picture Book, Beginning Reader, and Chapter Book format to determine which you prefer!

June is a month of celebrations. From Pride to graduations to the start of summer, we have lots to celebrate this month. There are two very special days in June that have previously been overlooked, but have been gaining attention in recent years: Loving Day and Juneteenth.

We are excited to share our newest educational platform for kids, Just for Kids Access Video. Just for Kids offers a kid-safe and advertisement-free streaming platform where young patrons can learn, explore, and enjoy.

Pets, Pets, Pets!!! In celebration of our Summer Reading Program, “Tails and Tales,” we have some wonderful books about amazing pets for you to check out. In these fun tales you can learn how Arthur adopts an adorable pet puppy, Norman the goldfish becomes the perfect pet and an adventurous pup meets a high-energy toddler!

Starting this week, our in-person and virtual storytimes have a brand-new schedule, and can be found on their own dedicated calendar. Read on for more information about upcoming storytimes!

Research shows that spending time outdoors has many benefits for people of all ages, including better overall health, and lower stress levels. One good way to realize those benefits and connect with nature is to go on a hike. Whether it’s planning a stroll through a local park or exploring a new hiking trail further afield, we have resources for every age that can help you make great choices and get excited about spending time outside.

We have so many new programs coming up in the month of July, both in-person and online! Join us for some awesome movies, stories, crafts, and lots of learning all month long.

Summer is nearly here and we are thrilled to share some in-person and virtual events at the library coming up in June. From Summer Reading kickoff parties perfect for families, to book and film discussions, to virtual teen crafting, there’s a lot happening at HCPL next month. Read on to learn about fun educational programming coming up at your library.