How Mentor Library celebrates spring in Lake County

Our Pop-Up Library will be popping up all over the place now that the weather's warmer.

Is it finally over? The subzero temperatures? The freezing wind? The snow? (So much snow.)

Is winter truly gone?

It must be because the sun is out, and some plants have even dared to bloom.

Here are some of our favorite things to do during springtime in Lake County:

1. Get planting

Maybe you're already a certifiable green thumb. Maybe you've never grown anything except dandelions. Either way, we're about to make gardening a little easier for you.

Mentor Library just launched a new seed library.

Here’s how it works. Anyone with a MPL card in good standing can check out seeds from the library for their own garden. The library’s collection already includes more than 100 varieties of seed, including herbs, flowers, vegetables and fruit.

People can check out as many as 15 types of seed per year.

2. Read outside

We are blessed with a plethora of lovely parks—city, county, state and even national parks.

There are few things we enjoy more than a good book in a beautiful place. Some of our favorite places to read outdoors include Wildwood Cultural Center & Park, Squire’s Castle, Mentor Beach Park, James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Eleanor Garfield Park and the Read House next door to our Main Branch.

Visit them sometime on a quiet afternoon or even during your lunch break. And if you need reading material, we can help.

3. Get out there
We're not blessed with a surfeit of sunshine in Northeast Ohio; so, when we get a little glimmer, we need to make the most of it.

That's why this spring and summer, you're going to see us all around the community. We'll be bringing our Pop-Up Library to parks, schools and other places all around Mentor and Mentor-on-the-Lake. Whenever you see it, feel free to grab a book or two.

The books are free to keep forever. You don't need to return them to the library. If you like, you can drop the book off in one of our Little Free Libraries when you're finished.

You'll also see our Flash Libraries during the city of Mentor's summer concert series and farmers markets, as well as Concord Community Days. So when you see us out there, feel free to say hello and (of course) get yourself or your kids something to read.

Skipper from the Lake County Captains checks out a book during one of  our Flash Libraries.