The Public Library Awarded LSTA Grant Funding for An Enemy of the People: A Theater Project from America’s Hometown

February 20, 2024 – The Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County has been approved for an LSTA Competitive Grant through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) in the amount of $13,527. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) provided the funding, which was administered by the State Library of Ohio.Read full story

Public Library Celebrates Art Spiegelman’s Maus During Banned Books Week 2023

 

September 27, 2023— Banned Books Week is observed each year by libraries across the nation, and the 2023 theme is “Let Freedom Read!” Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County Banned Books Week Co-Chair Alyssa Gomez-Lawrence reminds Library patrons that, “Taking away our freedom to read is the equivalent of taking away our fundamental human right to freely think.Read full story

Public Library Summer Reading Programs Celebrate Community “All Together Now!”

MOUNT VERNON, OHIO— On Friday, June 2 the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County welcomed program sponsor Park National Bank to celebrate the annual Summer Reading Program kickoff.  Ashley Meyer of Park National and Library Director John K. Chidester enjoyed a tour of the Library’s SRP displays and programs while patrons of all ages streamed in and out of the Library to register for activities.Read full story

Library Celebrating Ohioana Book Awards and Authors Grant Sponsors Erin McGraw Visit and Book Giveaway

 

MOUNT VERNON, OHIO—Author Erin McGraw’s novel The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard begins, “I couldn’t cook but I could sew. It would have been better the other way around.” The book follows the life of Nell Plat, who, at age seventeen, finds herself unhappily married and the mother of two baby girls.Read full story

Poet Daniel Mark Epstein Featured at Library “National Poetry Month” Celebration

 

MOUNT VERNON, OHIO— The Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County will present two special events featuring acclaimed author Daniel Mark Epstein to kick off “National Poetry Month.” A best-selling poet, dramatist, and biographer, Mr. Epstein’s honors include awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation, as well as the prestigious Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.Read full story

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine Celebrate Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio Milestones

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine announced today two major milestones with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, the free book program available to Ohio families with children under the age of 5.

More than 50% of eligible children – birth to age 5 – are now enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, which means 362,295 Ohio children will receive a free book in the mail this month.Read full story