According to Scottish lore the Stone of Fal, or Lia Fail (pronounced Lee-uh Fall), was an enchanted, earthy measurer of kings. High kings were chosen by the stone. A handful of earth from the four corners of Ireland would be placed on the stone, and the successor to the throne would set his foot atop the soil. If he were the chosen one, the ground would shake. And the stone would keen and proclaim him king of all Ireland.

“Photography is truth. The cinema is truth twenty-four times per second”---Jean Luc Godard.

Children ages 7- 12 are encouraged to join us for this exciting new program. Help your child to bone up on their reading skills by reading to a dog. Drop in for a one-on-one session with one of our dogs and owners that have been certified through Therapy Dogs International.

“It was a dark and stormy night….” You scratch your head. Now where do you go from there? If you are in the midst of writing a short story, a book, or would simply like guidance on how to perfect your writing skills then this is the workshop for you. Geared toward students in sixth through twelfth grade, "Write Time" librarians will help focus participants on detailing a scene, delve deeper into the creation of their characters, and partake in writing exercises that will help with the free-flow of thoughts and ideas.

All events are free and open to the public.

Spring is just around the corner and so is prom season. Prom is an exciting time for teen girls; they can dress like a princess and be pampered. Unfortunately prom can also be a stressful time due to financial concerns. This year the Lakewood Public Library would like to help Northeast Ohio’s teen girls with their prom wardrobe. From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 20, 2010, the Children’s and Youth Services Department will hold their first ever prom program: “Everything But Your Prince.” Teens will be able to browse a selection of gently used dresses, shoes, and accessories for their prom and leave the library with a free prom wardrobe.  Library staff will be available to help teens with the selection process and the first 100 teens will receive a complimentary gift bag donated by Carabel Beauty Salon in Lakewood. 

If you are interested in donating dresses, shoes, or accessories please contact the Children’s and Youth Services Department at (216) 226-8275 x 140.

All events are free and open to the public.

If you are in 5th through 8th grade and you think, you even SUSPECT that you might have some of the powers of a hero, then it is imperative that you call Lakewood Public Library Children’s and Youth Services. We will have a seven week program to recruit and train demi-gods for our Camp Half Blood Program. Percy and Annabeth cannot complete every quest by themselves. Next time it might be you travelling across the country in search of monsters, titans and those who have betrayed the gods and the mortal world. (If none of this makes sense to you, perhaps you should check out the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, which begins with The Lightning Thief). If you indeed are chosen for a quest, you will need to know extensive amounts of history of mythology as well as general knowledge. You will need to have sharp skills, the ability to combat dangerous threats and to communicate with your troops. You certainly won’t develop these abilities in your mortal day school! The program will begin on Wednesday March 17 at which time we will try to determine from which god or goddess you have descended and which latent super-human powers you may possess as a result of your lineage. From there, trainees will be put to the test through games, challenges and activities. It won’t be easy, to be sure, but hopefully you’ll have some fun training with your fellow heroes!

If you interested in registering, stop by the Children’s and Youth Services  Department  or call 227-8275 ext. 140. The program runs from March 17 to May 5 from 7-8:30.  There will be no session on April 7.

All events are free and open to the public.

Tuesday, February 9
Does the Resume Match the Person?
Betty Rozakis employs the diagnostic science commonly known as handwriting analysis to provide people with an objective look at themselves and their circumstances. Whether you’re applying for the right job or trying to find the right person to fill that vacancy, Graphology takes the guesswork out of the equation.
7:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

Saturday, February 13
LAKEWOOD PUBLIC CINEMA: Top Hat    (1935)   Directed by Mark Sandrich                                Suitable for all  ages
“All is fair in Love and War and this is Revolution!” Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance and sing and fall in love. There is a plot of sorts, but does it really matter? With a legendary score by Irving Berlin and comic turns by Edward Everett Horton and Eric Blore, you’ll be laughing and dancing your way out of the Library.
6:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

Sunday, February 14
SUNDAY WITH THE FRIENDS: The Romance of Woodrow and Edith Wilson
In the midst of World War I, the president had been widowed for less than a year when he became involved with Edith Bolling Galt—an unspeakable scandal for the time. Stephanie Vetrone portrays the woman who married a sitting president and single-handedly held his administration together when he was felled by a stroke.
2:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

 

All events are free and open to the public.

Lakewood Public Library’s “Sunday with the Friends” series is serving up some more great programs during the winter season. Come join us at 2:00 p.m. p.m. for an hour of warmth, camaraderie and free entertainment in the Main Library Auditorium.

All events are free and open to the public.

Tis the season for running yourself ragged with shopping, endless errands and exuberant celebration. Isn’t it time for a little break? On Sunday, December 20 at 2:00 p.m., the Friends of the Lakewood Public Library are proud to provide you with a relaxing Sunday afternoon program called Christmas Carols and Jazz Standards. Sugarplum jazz vocalist ' will celebrate the season with holiday help from guitar master Matt Soble. All weary souls are encouraged to gather ‘round for fresh takes on frozen end-of-the-year favorites. After all, some of the best songs ever written only get played in December…

It is once again time for Lakewood to pick its favorite movie with the Lakewood Public Library “Lakewood Picks 2009.”

HOLIDAY PUBLIC BOOK SALE
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5
$3 Bag of Bargain Books and 1/2 Price Sale!

With over thirteen hundred recordings to his credit, Frank Sinatra did it his way and defined an era in American Popular music. Musicologist Frank Casey will present the very best of Ol’ Blue Eyes on December 6 during the Sunday with the Friends series at 2 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium. Experience Sinatra’s musical legacy from his biggest hits to some rare recordings, on the Library’s state of the art sound system.

Straight out of Hoboken, Sinatra began his career singing with local bands before he joined Harry James’ band in the late 1930s. In the early 40s he toured with trombonist Tommy Dorsey before breaking free for a solo career in 1943, where his popularity exploded among teenaged bobby-soxers. He went on to star in more than 50 films and was one of the industry’s elite as a member of the Rat Pack. Known as “the Voice,” Sinatra became one of the greatest singer in American popular history, recognized by critics for transforming pop music into an art form.

All events are free and open to the public.

Edward Kern, author of The Collinwood School Fire of 1908, will narrate a slide presentation at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2 in the Main Library Auditorium at Lakewood Public Library. Mr. Kern will have copies of his book available for sale and signing at the event.

All the Bossa Nova fans at Lakewood Public Library are buzzing about the upcoming appearance of international star Luca Mundaca on Sunday, November 22 at 2p.m. Described by the L.A. Times as “blessed with a sweetly engaging sound and impressive musicality,” the Independent Music Award-winning songstress will perform her Brazilian-jazz magic, including her critically acclaimed song “Ha Dias.”

She served as a spy during the Civil War, feigning illiteracy to glean key information to help the North. She has been honored by the United States Government. She was an ex-slave.

All events are free and open to the public.

Tuesday, November 3

TRUE CRIME CLEVELAND: Disorganized Crime
Mark Wade Stone presents selections from Doris O’Donnell’s Cleveland, the Emmy award winning TV series on Cleveland history produced by Storytellers Media Group.
In the mobbed-up seventies, Cleveland became the bombing capital of the United States as unrepentant killers, thieves and thugs ran the city under. But all it took was one Cleveland don breaking the code of Omerta to set in motion the decline of the Cosa Nostra in the United States.
7:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

The idea for a business book club at the Lakewood Public Library was sparked in 2006 by a casual conversation. “I was standing at the Technology counter talking with Manager John Guscott,” says Tim Zaun. “I mentioned my interest in reading business books and learned that the library was seeking ways to enhance their book club offerings. It seemed like a win/win.”

The Lakewood Public Library Foundation and First Federal of Lakewood are pleased to announce “An Evening with Michael Symon,” on Thursday, November 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lakewood Public Library, 15425 Detroit Ave.

Have you ever seen a square bubble? Or a bubble so big two people fit inside? Get ready, because the Bubble Lady is coming to Lakewood Public Library with a show that’ll blow you away!

All events are free and open to the public.

FRIENDS OF LAKEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY
FALL BOOK SALE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
(Members-only preview sale on Thursday, October 22 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

Wednesday, October 21
MEET THE AUTHOR: A Body at Rest by Susan Petrone
Martha and Nina are just two more of Cleveland’s over-educated, under-employed slackers, stuck in dead-end jobs. What makes them different is a series of strange events that change them (literally?) into the fictional characters with whom they most identify: Emma Woodhouse and Don Quixote. Author Susan Petrone will not only read from her book, but will also discuss the process by which she turned her initial idea into a finished, published book. Books will be available for sale and signing at the event.
7:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

The author of Cleveland Ghosts and Paranormal Great Lakes: An Illustrated Encyclopedia will present a haunting book talk at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 29 in the Main Library Auditorium at Lakewood Public Library. Charles Cassady, Jr. will discuss his books about local ghosts and supernatural traditions, with both books available for sale and signing at the event.

In this season of change, before the soft earth freezes over and winds blow away the last warm breath of summer, unlikely forces mix and stir and for a brief moment it becomes possible for the unseen to be seen. Where some see only fog and vapors, others see ghosts. For Mary Lintern, manager of the James A. Garfield National Historic Site, it’s a time to reflect on the legends of a doomed president and his interest in the dark arts. In her illustrated lecture, “Ghosts of the White House,” she uses Garfield’s fascination with the supernatural to shed light on the Age of Spiritualism that gripped the nation as it mourned 620,000 Civil War dead. Join her for this special presentation of Sunday with the Friends on Sunday, October 25 at 2:00 p.m. in the Lakewood Public Library Main Auditorium.

Presidentially, Ohio is known as the birthplace of men who leave this world with unfinished business. Of the eight executives who have died in office, four came from Ohio.  Despite the fact that Garfield was an ordained minister (the only member of the clergy to serve in the Oval Office) the twentieth president was driven to non-Christian spiritualism by an overwhelming desire to speak with his father—a man who died when Garfield was only a very small boy. Forbidden knowledge, of course, comes with a price. It was during a séance that Garfield had the first premonition of his own assassination.

 Anyone who has been or is the owner of an older Lakewood home knows both the joys and pitfalls that come with restoration, renovation and upkeep. Keeping your designs and ideas environmentally friendly is something many homeowners want to do, but may not know how to with an older home.

All events are free and open to the public.

FRIENDS OF LAKEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY
FALL BOOK SALE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
(Members-only preview sale on Thursday, October 22 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

Saturday, October 10
LAKEWOOD PUBLIC CINEMA: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Directed by George Lucas                  Rated PG-13
As the Clone Wars draw to a close, a brilliant young Jedi Knight begins his descent into darkness. Will his best friend and mentor have to strike him down? And will the errant youth only come back more powerful than anyone could imagine? The answers were fated a long time ago… The saga is complete.
6:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

On September 26th Family Music and More kicks of its fall season at the Lakewood Public Library with an exciting display of sleight of hand and transformation. For over 50 years audiences have been delighted by The Magic of Edd Zauber. As a child he was inspired to study magic by watching magicians perform. He has been a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Society of American Magicians for many years now. Edd has published his own journal for stage magicians called, The Illusionist. Throughout his career he has created tricks for other magicians and been a teacher of magic. Edd says he loves to perform for children because he really loves to see their faces as they witness each new trick.

How does one go from rocket scientist to Swinging Bavarian? Ask Tom Herbell, lifelong musician, former rocket scientist and music man about town. Better yet, come to the main branch of the Lakewood Public Library on Sunday, September 27 at 2 p.m. and sing along with the Swinging Bavarians, the thirteen-piece brass band led by Herbell that plays everything from waltzes to disco.

All events are free and open to the public.

Library items are free to borrow… until you forget your due date, that is! And even though Lakewood Public Library’s fines are reasonable, they can add up, fast. To help our patrons, Library Public Library makes it easy to renew items for two more weeks, even if you don’t have time to stop by the Main building or Madison Branch.

From rhythm and blues to that old time rock and roll, this eclectic “family” plays American music dating back to the turn of the twentieth century. If you are a music fan at all, make a plan to join us in the Main Library Auditorium on Sunday, October 11, at 2 p.m. as The Friends of the Lakewood Public Library present this refreshing group of talented musicians who will make you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time and space into a smoky 1950s roadhouse while comfortably seated in our auditorium. The Dixon Family demonstrates through its selections the ways in which some of today’s music has been influenced by earlier artists and genres, and they do it with energy to spare.

The immortal music of Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington gets the Joe DeJarnette treatment on Sunday, September 13 at 2:00 p.m. in the Lakewood Public Library Main Auditorium. Teacher, trumpeter and bandleader Joe DeJarnette, Jr. is well known around these parts as a friend to the Lakewood Public Library. After years of sharing stories, photos, videos and music from a five decade career in jazz, we’ve talked Joe into giving a special Sunday afternoon concert filled with his favorite ballads. Careful listeners will also be rewarded with snatches of sweet Latin melodies and New Orleans largesse as Joe and his ensemble sprinkle in some of their original compositions. (And those who stay after the show will be treated to light refreshments at the Director’s Reception. See related article.)

The Library has proven to be an excellent venue for musicians seeking an audience that will take the time to sit and really listen. That’s why Joe has taken the opportunity to turn this concert into a long-dreamed-of-showcase for his favorite kind of songs. Why ballads? "When you hear a ballad you can't escape it, you can't fly over it. It moves slowly," says Joe.  "A musician playing a ballad has to have a good command of what he is playing. It offers you an opportunity to make musical statements. Silence becomes music in some instances." For classic examples of Joe at work, visit the Library's www.lkwdpl.org/tv. 

All events are free and open to the public.

LAKEWOOD PUBLIC CINEMA:
Backbeat (1994) Directed by Iain Softley Rated R
Ah! To be young, in love and a Beatle! In the days before they were huge, John, Paul and George slogged through twelve hour days in seedy German night clubs, honing their sound on classic R&B covers. Watch the boys discover the world outside of Liverpool. Add an artsy dream girl, a doomed painter and an angry young Lennon caught in a life-altering love triangle and you have a heart-stopping, foot-stomping, rock’n’roll story.
Saturday, September 12 at 6:00 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium

Local author William Price will be here to discuss his new novel, Shadow Confessions, on Wednesday, September 16 at 7 p.m. in the Main Library Auditorium. Price is also the author of Shadow Travels. Both books feature CIA operative Wasilly Orloff. Shadow Confessions finds Orloff and his son Yuli in Hong Kong where they visit Wassilly’s godfather, Captain Pugachev, at his safe house. On a dare from Yuli, Wassilly withdraws a million pounds from an account he shared with his first wife, whom he believes to be dead. But she is alive and well and using the account to finance covert Red Chinese operations. A global chase ensues!

Whether you love reading graphic novels or want more say in the direction of your book discussion, students in grades six through eight will have the opportunity this fall to participate in two unique programs at the Lakewood Public Library: “Getting Graphic” and “Choose Your Reading Adventure.”

Pirate Palooza