Beyond the Shelf with Orrville Public Library

We're heading south to explore libraries in South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi. These libraries had many firsts and continue to do so much! Thanks to Amherst, Virginia for adding to our collection as well. South Carolina - Anderson Library ; Florida - Zephyrhills Public Library ; Georgia - Brooks County Public Library ; Alabama - Daphne Public Library ; Tenne...

We continue our celebration of America with four more states and a territory. Tune in to hear about unique foods, festivals, and facilities along the southeast coast and in the North Pacific. We'd like to thank the Queen Anne's County Library (Maryland), Bristol Public Library (Virginia), Ohio County Public Library (West Virginia), Spangler Branch of the Cleveland County Library (North Car...

We were happy to have a conversation with Allison and Rafael Rozo, authors of Diego Fuego the Firefighting Dragon and Unique Like You . Allison is an Orrville native. She and Rafael found a passion writing picture books together sharing Latin American culture and the joy of celebrating who you are and where you're from. Find their books and more at RozoBooksArt.com .

Our 5th Local Author Festival was on March 21, 2026. Twelve authors were new to the event and sat down to chat about their books and writing. The interviews in this episode include Don Ake , Jim Duffey , Irv Korman , Jack Kristofco , Brad Rice , S.E. Rood , S.A. Schneider , G.E. Stroud , Jane Ann Turzillo , and Lori Wilkerson .

The next stops on our U.S. exploration take us down the east coast a little more. Libraries in Connecticut, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania shared some fun facts that we're passing on to you. Thanks to the Canton Public Library, CT, Northport-East Northport Public Library, NY, Millsboro Public Library, DE, Cape May County Public Library, NJ, and Punxsutawney Library, PA!

As we continue our celebration of America's 250th anniversary, Jenny & Dawn share letters and stories from Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island as well as American Samoa. Thanks to Bethany at Calef Memorial Library , Berit at Ellsworth Public Library , Elizabeth at Seabrook Library , Matt at Pawtucket Public Library , and Amanda at Winchester Public Library for he...

As we begin exploring America, Dawn and Jenny start in the Midwest. In this episode we'll learn about libraries and locales from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. Tune in for fun facts and learn something new! Find more information about all these places and more in our library's catalog .

This year is the 250th anniversary of the founding of the USA. We want to share interesting information about each state and territory that makes up this nation including (but not limited to) traditions, authors, books, and famous people. We're connecting with libraries across the country to learn unique things about places like Orrville. Each episode we will share what we've learned about...

We're wrapping up our 100th anniversary in this episode with some special guests: past employees of the Orrville Public Library. Take a walk down memory lane and maybe learn something new in this month's episode. Books shared by our guests: The Reservation by Rebecca Kaufman Killing Time by MC Beaton Sugar and Spite by MC Beaton Old School by Gordon Korman

Jenny and Dawn zero in on the Pulitzer Prize novel The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead in this episode. Published in 2019 with a movie adaptation released in 2024, this impactful story almost required a book to movie comparison. The content of this book is very heavy and upsetting at times, but tells an important story based on real events. Reader discretion is strongly suggested. Find The Nickel...

The sequel to last month's episode brings a conversation with Cindy Lombardo, director from 1998-2004. This time period included a large library building project and book collaboration with Orrville schools students. Books Cindy is reading: 2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed by Eric Klinenberg My Friends by Fredrick Backman The Power Broker by Robert Caro Find these...

In this two-part series, Dawn and Jenny sat down with past directors to talk about how Orrville Public Library has changed over the decades. Our guest for part one is Lynn Stainbrook, director from 1987-1998. Lynn recommends two mystery series: the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman and the Inspector Gamanche series .

We've said before that the library is more than just books. In this episode, let's explore what that means. Our Library of Things contains 176 items that you can play with, learn with, bake with, and much more! Click here to see the growing list of items in the Library of Things. Visit the library to see what's available to checkout today!

Will Hillenbrand, picture book illustrator and author, visited the Orrville Public Library to celebrate our 100th anniversary in May. We were glad to sit down for a chat about storytelling and growing up. Find Will's books on our shelves and in our catalog .

Part of our 100th anniversary celebration theme is 'celebrating the past'. We decided a good way to do that would be to have a local history panel. On March 17, 2025, three local experts answered questions about the city and shared their memories. Take a walk down memory lane with this episode of Beyond the Shelf.

In this episode, we talked with OHuddle Executive Director Sara Reith about this unique in-school mentorship organization. Take a listen to learn about the mission and methods of OHuddle throughout Wayne County. To find out more about OHuddle, including how you can be a part of the movement, go to www. OHuddle.org .

Fourteen new authors share about their books, writing, and reading in this month's episode of Beyond the Shelf: R.W. Futrell, Max Willi Fischer, Connie Nussbaum, Julie Hatcher, Lorie Troyer, Eva Johnson Allen and C. Ermal Allen, Cary Harter, Christy Donmoyer, Dottie Sines, Kayla Maximovich Ogg, Amanda M. Lyons, Joanne Lehman, Cyndi Brec, and Gloria A. Adams. Find their books in our online cata...

Grab the popcorn and enjoy a movie from the library! Find out about how you can check out movies from the library and the Hoopla app in this episode of Beyond the Shelf. Also in this episode is a special chat with Marsha about the 100th Anniversary event, 100 Years of Orrville . Find your favorite movies and more in our online catalog .

In honor of President's Day, we took a look at the history of U.S. presidents to find some fun and interesting facts about them. Who enjoyed a variety of animals? Who was left handed? Find out in this episode. For OPL's 100th anniversary, we spoke with 'the brains of the operation' Pearl, who has seen many changes in the library over the years. Check out the amazing things happenin...

It's our 100th anniversary! Dawn and Jenny took the opportunity to talk to Daphne, the library director, about activities and events to celebrate the past and imagine the future happening in 2025. Mark your calendar for April 7, 2025 - Centennial Celebration Kickoff. Stop by the library to learn more about the 100 Challenges. Visit our website to see more events on our online calendar.

Dawn and Jenny go global for this episode. They explore interesting and odd holiday traditions from around the world. Have you heard of Mari Lwyd or the Kallikantzaroi? Enjoy this special holiday episode and learn about some fun traditions. Learn more about library events and services on our website . Merry Christmas from Orrville Public Library!

The Orrville YMCA is "more than a gym and swim." Listen to this episode to learn about the Y from their wonderful director, Lindsay Baumgartner. Check out The Kessler Effect series by Vannetta Chapman which Lindsay recommends in our library catalog .

Tune in for conversation about book monsters and mythical creatures in this Halloween-themed episode. We also chat with Ohio author Greg Scheetz about his new cryptid creature A to Z book, Bigfoot Walks Barefoot . Find Greg's books on his website and in the library's catalog .

Graphic novels are getting noticed so it's time to get into some great titles. Jenny and Dawn discuss several graphic novels for all ages in this month's episode. Titles from this episode include: Maus by Art Spiegelman Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe Author/Illustrator Molly Knox Ostertag Bloodlust & Bonnets by Emily McGovern The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Macksey T...

The Cookbook Club is a longstanding group at OPL. Dawn and Jenny sat down with the club's coordinator, Corrie, to talk about the highs and lows of cooking and the comradery that food brings. Find 'The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner's Ready' by Ree Drummond in our catalog, along with thousands of other cookbooks.