Teen Advisory Meeting!

Calling all Teens! The Library needs your help in deciding programs and activities that the library should plan for high school and middle school students.  Though we love programs that connect to books, we are looking for all ideas! Crafts? Gaming? Stranger Things Escape room? Movie night? We have a lot of ideas but we want to select the best for your age group!

Join us Tuesday, July 19 at 6 PM. We will provide the pizza and pop, you bring the ideas!

Aurora Public Library District Presents: StoryWalk®!

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Please join the Aurora Public Library District in our StoryWalk® event between July 10 and July 24, 2022!  Take a walk at your leisure along Second Street in Aurora or around the Dillsboro Community Park in Dillsboro.  As you walk, you will encounter the pages of a picture book to read and questions to discuss.  Complete the story and scan a QR code with your smartphone or tablet to register for entries in the prize drawings for our Reading Moves You summer reading program.  Registration for summer reading is NOT required to earn prize entries!  Prizes will be drawn during the Summer Reading Sled Dog Finale on July 28, 2022.

The Aurora StoryWalk® will start outside the Aurora Public Library lower-level entrance and feature the book The Little Engine that Could, written by Watty Piper and reimagined by Dan Santat.  The Dillsboro StoryWalk® will begin by the soccer pavilion playground at Dillsboro Community Park and feature the book The Littlest Airplane, written by Brooke Hartman and illustrated by John Joseph.

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, reimagined by Dan Santat      The Littlest Airplane by Brooke Hartman, illustrated by John Joseph

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.  StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

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Reading Moves You FINALE PARTY!

We want to celebrate YOU and all your reading this summer with a humongous summer party with SLED DOGS! Cool down with a snow cone from the Kona Ice truck and meet Karen Land and one of her sled dogs! Karen and her dogs have raced in sled races across the country, including racing in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska! Ask Karen your questions, snuggle a very cute doggo, and slurp up a snow cone or two! You deserve it for being a reader extraordinaire this summer!  Summer Reading Program Prizes will be announced and some other door prizes will be given away!

Karen and her sled dog will visit on July 28th, coming to the Dillsboro Public Library at 11 am and stopping by the Aurora Public Library at 6 pm. Make sure to bring all your friends and family! See you there!

Snap a Pic and WIN!

This summer at the Aurora Public Library District, there are so many different ways to win, including taking a selfie at our Selfie Station! Snap a pic upstairs in the Teen section at the Aurora Public Library or by the DVDs at the Dillsboro Public Library next time you come in to visit. If you post your photo on social media with the hashtag #APLDSummer, you will be entered to win a prize, just like that! Bring in friends and family to take pictures too! Each person can be entered in a chance to win with a social media post.

One entry counted per person per library. Prize awarded July 28th, 2022. Picture must include the Selfie Station background.

APLD’s New Director

Leslie Sutherlin in front of the Aurora location of the APLD. Congratulations to Leslie Sutherlin, the Aurora Public Library District’s new director! For 30 years, Sutherlin has been part of the South Dearborn Community Schools’ family, working as the District School Librarian, but now she will be directing the APLD branches at Aurora, Dillsboro, and the Aurora Depot Local History Library.

Raised in Dillsboro and an alum of South Dearborn High School, Sutherlin brings familiarity with Dearborn County to the job.  Her parents, Paul and Karen Filter, retired from Filter Funeral Homes about 17 years ago, but have continued to be active members of the Dillsboro community. Sutherlin grew up in a home just down the street from Dillsboro Public Library.

Though Dillsboro marks her “hometown,” Sutherlin also spent time living in Aurora at the Filter Funeral Home location on Fourth Street. During her summers home from Butler University and for many years after she started working in education, she enjoyed her time in downtown Aurora, just blocks from Hillforest.

As newlyweds, Sutherlin and her husband started their married life and family in Aurora, but they now live in Milan with their three children: Elizabeth, Sam, and Parker.  She is active in St. Paul Lutheran Church in Milan, Milan Dollars for Scholars, and Aurora Tri Kappa.

Professionally, Sutherlin has been a Teacher Librarian, but her participation in the Indiana Library Federation (ILF) has allowed her to become familiar with public library concerns and operations. She has served as President of the ILF and has served on many committees, most recently the Youth Services committee. Aside from ILF, she has served on the Council of State School Library Supervisors, and she helped create the Mackin Hoosier-Buckeye Shared Digital Collection, which brings thousands of ebooks to students of even the smallest schools across Indiana and Ohio for a reasonable price.

While only starting at Aurora Public Library District just a short while ago, many big plans are on the horizon for APLD. Summer reading kicks off on June 4 with free Donut Day—the first 50 people to sign up for Summer Reading get a free donut. Please continue checking our website for more updates about Summer Reading programming. The Local History Library at the Depot is also undergoing a makeover; the space is expected to reopen in August, after getting a new paint job and some updated organization.

When asked about her new position, Sutherlin commented, “While I will definitely miss my wonderful students and colleagues at SD, this is a great opportunity to serve those communities in a broader, perhaps more impactful way.”

Summer Reading Scavenger Hunt!

Go on a safari and search for animals in the windows of local businesses for our Summer Reading Program Scavenger Hunt! Just pick up a recording sheet during our open hours to get started at the Dillsboro or Aurora Public Libraries. There will be a different scavenger hunt in Aurora and in Dillsboro, so make sure to pick up the correct recording sheet at the correct library! Prefer a night safari or an early morning hunt? You can start your scavenger hunt at any time of day on or after June 1st.

Images of animals will be posted in the windows of several local businesses for you to find along with a QR code that links you to books about the animal you found! Once finished, return the completed recording sheet back to the library to get the password into Beanstack to get your badge! Not using Beanstack? You can receive a sticker for your hard work once your recording sheet is turned in. Please hunt safely and responsibly!

Ready to get hunting? The scavenger hunt kicks off on June 1st and ends July 24th.

The Aurora Public Library District would like to thank participating local businesses for their support and cooperation for our scavenger hunt!

Tails and Tales is Now Open!

Our Summer Reading Program Tails & Tales is kicking off on June 1st and will run through July 24th. We invite you to stop by the Aurora Public Library or the Dillsboro Public Library and get started with our Summer Reading Challenge. Folks of all ages can participate by reading and completing activities throughout the next 2 months. You can earn badges and prizes all along the way. We have also rolled out a new way to participate through Beanstack. You can sign up your entire family and track your reading on a home computer or mobile device. We also have a  traditional paper log available if that’s how you want to participate.

We are beginning to offer some in-person programs at the library. These programs usually require advance registration and may have limited attendance to allow us to still provide social distancing. Call the library or talk to any librarian to see what is available for your age group.

One program everyone can participate in is our Animal Scavenger Hunt. Grab your tracking sheet at one of the library buildings and try to locate the animals posted in local businesses around town. There there are versions for both Aurora and Dillsboro, so choose your location, or do both!

Have a great Summer!

Teen Movie Night: The Hate U Give

Teens are invited to join us for the first of two movie nights this summer. We’ll be watching The Hate U Give, based on the novel by the same name by Angie Thomas, on Thursday, June 20 upstairs at the Aurora Public Library starting at 5:30 p.m.

From IMDB:

“Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds: the poor, mostly black, neighborhood where she lives and the rich, mostly white, prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressures from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.”

The movie is rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, including some violent content, drug material, and language.

Before you watch the movie, check out the book and join the discussion with Stuck Between the Pages, the young adult book discussion group. We’re reading the book for the June discussion, which will take place on Tuesday, June 11 at 6 p.m. at the Aurora Public Library.

The 2019 Summer Reading Program is Here!

Get ready to blast off into A Universe of Stories this summer! The Aurora Public Library District has so much stuff planned for you and your family, from a first person’s living history of life on the Ohio River,weekly Storytimes, StarLab Dome, a tour of the solar system, Daytime Sky Viewing, a Harry Potter Essential Oils class, teen movie nights, cupcake decorating, tween book discussions, and more! Be sure to check the blog, social media, and the newsletter for all of the information about programs.

Stop in anytime on or after May 23 to sign up. Everyone gets a book bag for free, and children eighteen and under will also get a book in their bags to keep. In your bag, you’ll find your summer Tic-Tac-Toe sheet. As you complete three-in-row, you’ll get a prize and also a chance to put your name in for a prize drawing of your choice. On top of that, every time you come into the library, you’ll also get to put your name in for prizes. There will also be door prizes featured at programs this summer, so be sure to come to as many of those as you can!

We can’t wait to see what this summer has in store for everyone! Remember, a some of our programs require advanced registration, so be sure to get your spot early before they’re all gone.

Happy Reading!

Libraries Rock! with Open Houses

What an awesome summer! Celebrate by attending the Libraries Rock! Open Houses at the Dillsboro Public Library on Friday, July 20 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and at the Aurora Public Library on Wednesday, July 25 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Walk around the buildings and view pictures from the Summer Reading Program, crafts, and enjoy some refreshments. The prize drawing will take place at 2 p.m. in both buildings as well as at the Local History Library @ the Depot on Wednesday, July 25 at 2 p.m. We can’t wait to see you there!