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  • One Card, Endless Possibilities

    By: Maria Lagasca, Public Services Director

    As the world continues to evolve and embrace modernization, public libraries are transforming alongside it. Despite operating with limited funding and facing pressure to keep pace with rapidly advancing technologies and competition from for-profit entities, libraries have found innovative ways to thrive. Across the United States, many have not only embraced creativity but also expanded their services through strong community partnerships.

    For instance, Salt Lake County Library offers its members access to enriching cultural experiences at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the Clark Planetarium, and the Natural History Museum of Utah. Meanwhile, libraries in Maine and Minnesota have broadened their reach by providing passes to state parks, encouraging exploration and learning beyond the library walls and beyond books, magazines, and scholarly articles.

    Dauphin County Library System (DCLS) is following this trend, setting the pace among central Pennsylvania libraries—embracing innovation, leading with purpose, and proudly celebrating Library Card Sign-up Month with this year’s inspiring theme: ‘One Card, Endless Possibilities.’  Over the past year, DCLS has expanded its community impact through innovative partnerships:

    • Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra (HSO): First-time attendees can enjoy complimentary tickets, offering a welcoming introduction to the arts without financial barriers.
    • Theatre Harrisburg: Library cardholders receive discounted tickets to Murder on the Orient Express, making live theater more accessible.
    • Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM): Through a partnership launched in 2024, DCLS members enjoy free admission, encouraging exploration of meaning through visual art.

    These collaborations reflect DCLS’s commitment to building community and transforming lives by connecting people, ideas, and opportunities.

    While funding remains a central topic among library leaders, it will not stand in the way of DCLS setting the standard for community, communication, respect, integrity, support, and service. Our communities will not be left behind. Instead, we’re embracing creativity and reimagining the role of public libraries—seeing their power far beyond shelves of books. That small plastic library card opens doors not only to information, but to cultural experiences once considered exclusive to high achievers. It’s a key to opportunity, equity, and imagination.

    Our partnerships thrive because of the incredible support from our community partners and library members—thank you for your unwavering commitment. As we continue to innovate, we invite everyone to discover the richness of our community with your DCLS Library card in hand. 

  • Fall at the Library

    Fall is here, and so are new Library programs for every age! Here’s a quick peek at what we have to offer kids and families as the weather cools off:

    Storytimes & Early Learning

    For the littles, our Stepping Stones to Milestones story-time series continues as the perfect way to get your baby, toddler, or

    preschooler (or all three!) thinking, learning, and building the foundation of their literacy development. We’ve even started doing a few story-times at offsite locations. Don’t miss:

    • Stories at Sunset – East Shore Area Library (evening storytime)
    • Mathamagical Storytime – Northern Dauphin Library
    • Once Upon a Rainbow – 1st Saturdays at the LGBT Center of Central PA
    • Stories at Midtown – 2nd Saturdays at Midtown Scholar Bookstore

    After-School Adventures

    Do your school-age children need something to do after school? We’ve got something for that too. Check out these hands-on programs:

    • Owls are a Hoot! – Learn about owls & dissect pellets
    • Engineering Simple Bots – Build & test mini-robots
    • PA Geology Rocks! – Explore Pennsylvania’s rocks & minerals with DCNR

    Check the Fall Compass or DCLS.org/Events for dates and locations.

    Teens Take Over

    Are your teenagers totally bored with their wardrobe this new school year? Looking for other creative activities to keep your young people engaged? No worries!

    Fresh looks & creative outlets await:

    • Teen Fall Clothing Swap – Saturday, Sept. 20 (12–4 PM) at East Shore Area Library
    • Coloring for Teens – Chill afternoons with color & creativity
    • Zines for Teens – Create & share your own mini-magazines

    There’s More!

    This is just a sample of all the fun waiting for you at The Library this fall. Visit the DCLS Events page or stop by your local Library to explore the full calendar of programs and events.

  • Fighting the Summer Slide—One STEM Kit at a Time

    Fighting the Summer Slide—One STEM Kit at a Time

    By: Dwana Pinchock

    Jennifer Eley, Director of Education at Pennon Education, knows that summer vacation can be both a blessing and a challenge for school-aged children. While it’s a time for rest and family, it’s also when many students experience “summer slide”—the tendency to lose academic progress over the break.

    To combat this, Pennon Education created Slide Into Summer, a community-centered event hosted at their public media center. “Our goal is to give families meaningful, flexible ways to keep learning all summer long,” Eley explains. The event emphasizes equity by highlighting free or low-cost resources available in the community and distributing STEM-based learning kits to the first 50 families in attendance.

    Each learning kit contains several weeks of engaging science activities. “Families could use them on a rainy day or spread them out throughout the summer,” Eley says. Activity stations at the event included hands-on learning—like planting seeds in paper towel bags to observe growth, and building marble runs to explore motion and force. Kids received journals to record their observations and were encouraged to keep learning beyond the event.

    Perhaps most notably, every learning station was paired with a themed book, from fiction to nonfiction, designed to spark curiosity. A map guided families through the event, and on the back, they were encouraged to write down at least one or two book titles to borrow from their local library.

    “Our whole team is made up of former educators,” Eley adds. “We know how critical it is to keep kids reading and exploring during the summer months. That’s why we intentionally designed every activity with literacy in mind.”

    From cultivating seedlings to building roller coaster models, Slide Into Summer is more than just a fun day—it’s a strategy to keep young minds growing.