The best documentaries and videos for commemorating Veterans Day

Mentor Veterans Memorial

First and foremost, thank you to our veterans from all branches of the military.

We cannot not do what we do unless we are first safe, and you are the ones who have kept us safe.

Secondly, all of Mentor Library’s branches will be closed this Veteran’s Day. But, with our digital services, you still have access to all sorts of movies, ebooks, audiobooks and music even when the library’s buildings are closed.

Also, Hoopla has several films and documentaries that are appropriate reminders of what Veteran’s Day is all about. You can stream the videos to your computer, tablet or phone for free if you have a Mentor Library card.

1) Where Soldiers Come From (91 min) Not Rated

This documentary follows three young men from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as they receive their basic training and are sent to Afghanistan, patrolling roadways looking for improvised explosive devices. The film charts their evolving attitudes about the war and American foreign policy as they see how it works up close, as well as their sometimes tense relationships with their families, who aren’t certain the young men will ever come home.

2) You're the Enemy—Welcome Back! (46 min) Not Rated

Forty years after the end of the war, a few brave American veterans have returned to the place their country devastated. The amazing forgiveness and optimism of the Vietnamese people as they welcome these former enemies with open arms is the most potent form of therapy for the Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and the guilt which made the lives of many veterans so difficult when they returned home.

3) Comedy Warriors (84 min) Not Rated

Four professional comedians (Zach Galifianakis, Bob Saget, B.J. Novak and Lewis Black), work with five wounded veterans (Stephen Rice, Darisse Smith, Rob Jones, Bobby Henline and Joe Kashnow) to hone their stand-up acts. This documentary shows healing power of humor.

4) The Ghost Army (60 min) Not Rated

From PBS: War, deception and art come together in this astonishing true story of American G.I.s who tricked the enemy with rubber tanks, sound effects and carefully crafted illusions during World War II. This remarkable tale of a top-secret mission that was at once absurd, deadly and amazingly effective is told through the stories of the veterans, many of whom—like Bill Blass and Ellsworth Kelly—would go on to have illustrious careers in art, design and fashion.

5) D-Day: The Price of Freedom (54 min) Not Rated

Five D-Day veterans return to Normandy and revisit the locations they landed on June 6, 1944, sharing their own very personal stories of war. This documentary won Emmy Awards for writing and photography.

6) The Battle for the Midway (50 min) TVPG

One thousand miles from anywhere lay a lonely outpost of coral and sea called Midway. It was here in 1942 where the U.S. and Japan fought one of the greatest naval battles of World War II that changed the course of history. And it is here again where Titanic discoverer Dr. Robert Ballard now leads a team of experts and four World War II veterans on the voyage of their lives. They're on a race against time to do the impossible: find at least one of the five downed aircraft carriers. Join them as they pay their final respects to their fallen comrades.

7) World War II: Saving the Reality (55 min) Not Rated

This documentary tells the story of an individual who owns the largest private collection of World War II artifacts in the world. More than 50 interviews with veterans and survivors of the war help tell the story of the meaning of the over 7,000 individual items in the collection of Kenneth W. Rendell.

8) A Perfect Soldier (56 min) Not Rated


An extraordinary and inspiring documentary about one man’s journey from child soldier to international hero. A Perfect Soldier tells the story of Aki Ra, who as a young boy was taken by the Khmer Rouge and forced to plant hundreds of landmines in the Cambodian countryside. As an adult, he has devoted his life to removing them, one landmine at a time. In 2010, he was named one of CNN’s Top 10 Heroes of the Year.

9) Ken Burns: The War (seven episodes, each 120 min) TV14

Ken Burns’ seven-part documentary series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, explores the history and horror of the Second World War from an American perspective by following the fortunes of so-called ordinary men and women who become caught up in one of the greatest cataclysms in human history. Six years in the making, this epic 14-hour film focuses on the stories of citizens from four geographically distributed American towns—Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama; Sacramento, California; and the tiny farming town of Luverne, Minnesota.

10) The Winning of World War II: The Road to Victory (16 episodes, each 60 min) Not Rated

Join General John Eisenhower as he retraces World War II. From the rise of Hitler to the historic battles and the eventual involvement of U.S. forces, witness the Allies’ road to victory. Then, discover the top commanders who made this victory possible.

11) Crusade in the Pacific (26 episodes, each 30 min) TVPG

Experience the epic television documentary event that chronicles all the bloody land, sea and air battles for the Pacific, produced by the legendary March Of Time newsreel unit and featuring never-before-seen footage from the archives of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, as well as film captured from the Japanese government.

12) Vietnam: 50 Years Remembered (seven episodes, each 50 min) TVPG

This 7-part documentary series tells the history of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Featuring personal stories from veterans and detailing the battles, strategy, and politics of a war that consumed multiple U.S. Presidents. Vietnam: 50 Years Remembered is a chronicle of the tragedy that tested the strength of our country and forever changed the social and political landscape of the world.

Here’s a link to all of Mentor Library’s digital services, all of which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also, if you're not sure how to use Hoopla, we've created an explanatory video.

Get wrapped up in Mentor Library's 'Tangled' party

Do your kids love Tangled? Do they know every word to "I've Got a Dream" and "I See the Light?" Do they ask you to buy them a chameleon so they can name it Pascal?

If so, they're going to love our Tangled party on Thursday, Nov. 19, at our Main Branch. If not, they're probably still going to love our party.

We're going to have games, crafts and a singalong, all celebrating the Disney story. Kids can make their own lanterns like Rapunzel and Flynn, as well as their own crowns. They can try to pin Flynn's nose on his wanted poster. ("They just can't get my nose right.")

And, of course, there will be music.

The program is free and open to kids from the ages of four to nine. However, we do ask that you register for the program beforehand. Also, we only have so much space; so the sooner your kid signs up, the less likely they are to be left out of the fun.

You can register on Mentor Library's website or by calling us at 440-255-8811 ext. 221.

See you at the party!

Lego love at Mentor Library

The Dziemianzok family builds as a team during Kids @ Work at Mentor Library.

You’ve heard of our Kids @ Work program?

On the first Saturday of each month, families come to our Main Branch to play and build with our Lego blocks.

Yes, it’s that simple. Usually, there’s some sort of theme. For example, last Saturday we were building stuff that had to do with Thanksgiving.

Andrew concentrates on building his ship.

But there’s also no need to follow the theme. You can build whatever your imagination conjures.

You don’t have to register beforehand either. Just come and play. (However, we do ask that kids younger than 8 have an adult with them; and, as with any library program, we ask that you be kind to the other patrons.)

The program may be simple, but it’s also pretty popular. Our Garfield Room gets crowded on that first Saturday with young builders.

Sammy puts the finishing touches on his house.

And our Lego love extends beyond Kids @ Work. We have three Lego/Duplo programs a month—one for each of our branches.

You can rock with our blocks at the Main Branch on the first Saturday of the month, at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch on the second Saturday, and at our Headlands Branch on the third Saturday.

The rules are the same at each branch. You bring your imagination, we’ll bring the Lego blocks, and let’s see what we can build!

Kids can build based on a them or make whatever they imagine.

Katie Spotz, adventurer and author, talks new book at Mentor Library

Meet Katie Spotz and hear about her new book, "Just Keep Rowing," on Nov. 17 at Mentor Public Library.

Want to know what it's like to row across the Atlantic Ocean—to spend 70 days with nothing but your boat to keep you company—or to swim the Allegheny River or bicycle across the country with a broken pelvis?

There are two ways to find out.

You could read Katie Spotz's new book, Just Keep Rowing, which talks about her adventures and what she has learned from them. Or you could ask her yourself when she speaks at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at Mentor Public Library's Main Branch.

Spotz is a Mentor native and Mentor High School graduate. She uses her adventures as a way to raise money and awareness for clean-water projects all around the world.

Her book shares 70 life lessons that she learned while crossing the Atlantic, one for each day she spent at sea.

After her talk, Spotz will also be on hand for a book signing and meet & greet.

The talk is free and open to everyone. Moreover, the first 35 who arrive at her talk will receive a free copy of Just Keep Rowing.

However, we do ask that people register for the program beforehand. They can sign up on Mentor Library's website or by calling 440-255-8811 ext. 216.

American Girl Book Club meets Molly

Abby tears newspaper to stuff her sit-upon.

You know our American Girl Book Club? The one where kids make everything from kites to rag dolls to dreamcatchers and talk about classic American Girl books?

Well, it just got easier for your child (or children) to join. We’ve now stretched the age range so kids from six to 12 years old can get in on the fun.

Our American Girl Book Club meets on the first Wednesday of each month to discuss a different American Girl book and make a new craft.

Claire ties a bit of string onto the end of her bookmark.

This week, the girls met Molly and made a pair of crafts: a sit-upon (a kind of pillow) and a special bookmark.

They also learned how to dance the hula like Molly and her friend on Halloween.

If you have a child who likes the American Girl books or dolls, then he or she can join the fun. They can even bring their dolls with them, if they like. (Of course, the dolls aren’t required.)

Our next meeting is 4 p.m. on Dec. 2 in the children’s section of our Main Branch on Mentor Avenue. The girls will be meeting Julie.

You can register your child for the book club on our web site or by calling (440) 255-8811 ext. 221.

The girls practice their hula.

For more photos from our American Girl Book Club, visit Mentor Library's Facebook page.

Get the latest news from Mentor Public Library using Bluubeam

Mentor Public Library always has something going on—whether it be an interesting talk, fun program for kids, or a new digital service—but one downside to being so busy is that it’s easy to miss something

So Mentor Library is using Bluubeam beacons to keep patrons up to speed.

The beacons use Bluetooth technology to beam messages directly to their phones—but only if the patron wants to receive them.

If someone wants to receive these helpful messages, they only need to download the Bluubeam app onto their smartphone—free at the iTunes or Google Play stores—and turn on their Bluetooth while at any of the Mentor Public Library branches.

The beacons are location specific, which means the message a patron receives will be tailored to where they are in the library.

For example, if someone enters the children’s area at Mentor Library’s main branch, they may get an update about a special story time or program.

Mentor Library has installed Bluubeam beacons at all three of its branches and even on its Pop-Up Library, which distributes free books around the community.

For more information on Bluubeam, patrons can ask a librarian about it or check it out themselves at any of the library’s branches.

Meeting the K-9s of Big Creek Search Dog Team

Rocky from the Big Creek Search Dog Team introduces himself to the crowd.

Mentor Library had a furry, friendly and well-trained visitor on Monday.

Rocky and his owner, Jeremiah Trench, of Big Creek Search Dog Team, spoke about service dogs and search dogs, in particular. (Well, Trench spoke; Rocky only barked on command.)

Here are seven fun facts that we learned from the Big Creek Search Dog Team.

1. Dogs are built to be better smellers—and, hence, better trackers—than humans. The average human can identify about 1,000 different odors. Dogs can identify more than one million.
2. That's because dogs have 300 million olfactory receptors in their nose. By comparison, humans have only six million.
3. Dogs have other advantages besides smelling when it comes to tracking or searching. They have a superior sense of hearing, can cover ground faster and fit into places that humans cannot.
4. A dog's nose is so acute that a trained K-9 can smell out drugs, chemicals (like for explosives), people (living or dead), bed bugs and more. Some dogs have even been trained to alert when their owners have low blood sugar or a seizure.
5. The Big Creek Search Dog Team is comprised of 14 humans and 16 dogs, all of whom are volunteers. They pay for most of their dogs' training and certification out of pocket. They also don't charge a fee for their services
6. The team has helped law enforcement, fire departments, park rangers and other agencies to help find missing persons. They're available 24/7 with different volunteers offering their time depending upon whom is available.
7. For a missing person or their family, what the Big Creek Search Dog Team does is a matter of life and death. However, for the K-9s, it's a game.

"He does it for a toy," Trench explained. "It's all a big game for him."

For more information on the Big Creek Search Dog Team, visit their Facebook page. For more programs and events at Mentor Public Library, visit our online event calendar.