Good morning, Lancaster County.
Mostly sunny and 84 today, which is about as agreeable as September gets.
Today's story is a library taking itself apart while staying open, and posting the pictures every week.
In today's Lancaster Local:
Lititz Public Library is being rebuilt around its own patrons
Pennsylvania's largest native fruit, and a steep hike to go see it
An astronomy night where they ask you not to be late, for a good reason
Bingo where the prizes are book vouchers
COMMUNITY NEWS
They moved the checkout desk into a room that isn't a room yet.
Lititz Public Library is in the middle of a renovation, and instead of going quiet about it, they've been posting a dispatch nearly every week.
The one from last Friday is my favorite so far.
Here's what happened inside the building that week, in their words: the construction crew "began to work behind the scenes inside the children's area, tearing down the old storytime room and putting up the studs for the new storytime room."
So far, so ordinary.
Then this.
"Our director's future office hosted all of our patrons check-ins as we moved to a new computer system."
Read that again.
The director has an office coming.
It does not exist yet.
And last week it was the front desk, because the library was switching computer systems and still needed somewhere to safely take books back.
The week before, volunteers, staff and the construction crew had hauled every book and shelf out of the children's area to clear the way — and the new children's room was open to the public that same week, holding the books, DVDs and CDs in the meantime.
None of this is dramatic.
Nobody is cutting a ribbon.
It's just a small-town library that decided the way to run a construction project is to keep the doors open, move the desk into whatever room is standing, and tell people what's going on.
EVENTS
📕 Read or Die: In-Person Book Club — Ephrata Public Library, 550 South Reading Road, Ephrata.
Tonight, Tuesday, September 8, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Ages 18 and up.
This month it's the nonfiction title Replaceable You by Mary Roach.
Registration closes at 5:45.
📚 Friend's Book Sale — Adamstown Area Library, 110 W. Main Street, Adamstown.
Today, Tuesday, September 8, 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The Friends of the Adamstown Area Library sell lightly used books in the community room all day, every Tuesday.
No registration, and it runs nine and a half hours, so there's no wrong time to stop.
🎲 Board Games for Adults — Ephrata Public Library, 550 South Reading Road, Ephrata.
Wednesday, September 9, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Ages 18 and up.
Their pitch, which I am not going to improve on: "Tired of the same old Wednesday evening routine?
Here's your chance to go from bored to BOARD!"
Register by 5:45, and turn up on time — they're clear that arriving late may cost you your spot.
🧶 Unraveling Yarns — Manheim Community Library, 547 N Penryn Road, Manheim.
Thursday, September 10, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Ages 18 and up.
Once a month for knitters and crocheters, experts and beginners together.
Bring your own yarn; they can cover the other supplies.
Registration closes at 12:45.
🌧️ Habitat Advocate: Native Garden Design for Stormwater Management — Tec Centro, 102 Chester Street, Lancaster.
Saturday, September 12, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
A Lancaster Conservancy class on the water that ends up on your property whether you asked for it or not.
You'll learn to calculate the runoff volume coming off your roof and driveway, and then practice the math on site.
Taught by Elyse Jurgen of Waxwing EcoWorks.
It's a paid class and the fee isn't posted, so check the ticket page — and worth knowing, they say plainly that if the cost is prohibitive you should email Keith Williams at [email protected].
🎱 Friends of MSL Adult Bingo — Milanof-Schock Library, 1184 Anderson Ferry Road, Mount Joy.
Wednesday, September 16, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Bingo run by the Friends of the library, where the prizes are vouchers for books off the lobby racks.
Registration closes at 1:45.
🌳 All About Pawpaws: Guided Nature Hike — Turkey Hill Nature Preserve, Conestoga.
Thursday, September 17, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The pawpaw is Pennsylvania's largest native fruit, and you will never see one in a grocery store — the Conservancy notes it goes from unripe to overripe in a week or less.
Fossilized seeds put it in the North American diet since 300 BC.
Be honest with yourself about this one first: it's a 2.2-mile hike they call strenuous, up a rocky hillside above the Enola Low-grade Rail Trail, and it pauses at an overlook on the Susquehanna.
And no, you don't get to pick any — they say outright there's no foraging on this hike.
🔭 Exploring Beginner Astronomy — Clark Nature Preserve, Pequea.
Friday, September 18. Arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m.; the program runs 9:00 to 11:30.
Constellations, the moon, whatever planets are up, and an introduction to photographing any of it.
Note the arrival window — they ask you to be settled before nine specifically so headlights and noise don't wreck it for everyone already looking up.
Bring a reclining chair or a blanket, bug spray, and binoculars if you have them.
There will be a few telescopes to share.
📖 Silent Book Club — Columbia Public Library, 24 South 6th Street, Columbia.
Friday, September 18, 6:00 to 7:15 p.m.
An after-hours event, and the concept is perfect: you, your book, and one solid hour of nobody talking to you.
They open it up for a few minutes at the end so everyone can say what they were reading.
Registration closes at 5:45.
🌿 Well Rooted: Genealogy Drop In — Manheim Township Public Library, 595 Granite Run Drive, Lancaster.
Thursday, September 17, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Third Thursday of the month, volunteers on hand to help you get past whatever brick wall your family tree has run into.
They'll work through databases and census records with you.
If you've got a specific question, send it ahead — they ask for that so they can prepare.
Registration closes at 2:45.
Mostly sunny and a high near 84 today, with a low around 62 tonight.
Wednesday warms up to 88.
Have a good Tuesday.
— The Lancaster Local