Paws to Read at Mentor Public Library

Theron reads "Bunny Double We're in Trouble" to Diva.

Looking for a way to encourage your kid to read? If they like dogs, then Paws to Read at Mentor Library is the perfect program for them.

Paws to Read pairs young readers (between the ages of six and 12 years old) with therapy dogs, who listen to the children as they read.

The dogs make an ideal audience—supportive and adorable—and all they ask for in return is the occasional belly rub.

...and sometimes they go for a kiss like Hattie here.

Registration for our next sessions start March 2. There will be two 30-minute sessions on March 16 at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch; one beginning at 6:30 p.m., the next at 7 p.m. We only have so many therapy dogs; so, unfortunately, there’s a limit on how many kids can participate each month.

Furthermore, those spots tend to fill up fast, so contact the children’s department at Mentor Public Library soon if you think you child would enjoy Paws to Read.

For more information on Paws to Read and other children’s programs at Mentor Public Library call (440) 255-8811 ext. 221.

Rudder (our newest Paws to Read volunteer) listens to Maddie as she reads.

For more photos from Paws to Read, visit Mentor Public Library's Facebook page.

Read Across America: Celebrate Dr. Seuss's Birthday at Mentor Public Library

Celebrate a Seuss-pendous birthday at Mentor Public Library.

There’s never a bad time to celebrate Dr. Seuss; but there is a good time, a wonderful time, a Seuss-pendous time to celebrate him.

On Wednesday, March 2, Mentor Public Library will celebrate the good doctor's birthday as part of Read Across America.

From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at our Main Branch, kids can make crafts and play games based on their favorite Seuss characters. They can make wockets for their pockets, pin the ham on the plate, and more.

Of course, there will also be Dr. Seuss books available that you can read with your child.

There will even be birthday cake while it lasts.

The party is free and open to all kids. There's no need to register either. Just stop by and join the fun!

Download & stream Grammy winners for free with Freegal

Download and stream the music of Grammy winners like Bruno Mars for free using your library card and Freegal.

Want to listen or download music by some of the Grammy winners and nominees without having to spend money on iTunes or Spotify?

Several of them have their music available on Freegal, which is free to use if you have a Mentor Public Library.

Freegal is one of the library’s digital services, which lets you download DRM-free mp3s of your favorite songs. Moreover, once you download a song, you can keep the mp3 forever. Put it on your phone, your computer, your iPod–wherever you want. It’s yours. You can download up to five songs a week.

You also get unlimited streaming, if you prefer that.

Here are some of the Grammy winners and nominees you can download now from Freegal:

Record of the Year

Winner: "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars (The rest of Mark Ronson's Grammy-nominated album, Uptown Special, is also available on Freegal.)

Best New Artist

Winner: Meghan Trainor (You can get all of Trainor's bestselling Title and her new song, "Better When I'm Dancing" from the Peanuts movie from Freegal.)

Nominee: Courtney Barnett

Best Pop Vocal Album

Nominee: Piece by Piece by Kelly Clarkson, which includes the Grammy-nominated "Heartbeat Song"

Best R&B Album

Winner: Black Messiah by D'Angelo and the Vanguard

Nominee: Reality Show by Jazmine Sullivan

Nominee: Forever Charlie by Charlie Wilson

Nominee: Coming Home by Leon Bridges

Best Alternative Album

Nominee: Vulnicura by Bjork

Best Rap Album

Nominee: 2014 Forest Hill Drive by J. Cole

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Winner: The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern by Tony Bennett & Bill Charlapp

Nominee: Shadows in the Night by Bob Dylan

Best Rock Performance

Nominee: "Something for Nothing" by Foo Fighters

Nominee: "Ex's & Oh's" by Elle King

Nominee: "Moaning Lisa Smile" by Wolf Alice

Best Dance Recording

Nominee: "We're All We Need" by Above & Beyond

Best Country Solo Performance

Nominee: "Little Toy Guns" by Carrie Underwood

Nominee: "Burning House" by Cam

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

Winner: "Cherokee" by Christian McBride Trio

Best Gospel Performance/Song

Winner: "Wanna Be Happy?" by Kirk Franklin

Best Latin Pop

Winner: A Quien Quiera Escuchar by Ricky Martin

Best Americana Album

Winner: Something More than Free by Jason Isbell

Best Blues Album

Winner: Born to Play Guitar by Buddy Guy

Best Arrangement: Instrumental or A Capella

Winner: "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" by Pentatonix

Best Metal Performance

Nominee: "Identity" by August Burns Red

Nominee: "512" by Lamb of God

Best Urban Contemporary Album

Nominee: Ego Death by The Internet

Nominee: Wildheart by Miguel

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Winner: For One to Love by Cécile McLorin Salvant

Best Roots Gospel Album

Winner: Still Rockin' My Soul by The Fairfield Four

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album

Winner: Hasta la Raiz by Natalie Lafourcade

Winner: Dale by Pitbull

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Nominee: "Classic Man" by Jidenna

Best R&B Performance

Nominee: "If I Don't Have You" by Tamar Braxton

Nominee: "Breathing Underwater" by Hiatus Kaiyote

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

Nominee: The Gospel According to Jazz, Chapter IV by Kirk Whalum

Nominee: Guitar in the Space Age by Bill Frisell

Best Regional Roots Album

Winner: Go Go Juice by Jon Cleary

If you’re having trouble with Freegal, MPL Librarian Mary Pelton made a video explaining how to navigate its web site.

Learn about the science of happiness at Mentor Public Library

Be the happy one.

You know you want to be happier, but you're not sure how to get there.

We want to help, so we called in the expert.

Mentor Public Library's Get Healthy series continues at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23, with a talk on happiness from James Kargakos, a psychology professor and certified life coach.

He'll discuss the science behind happiness and what detracts from it. He'll also offer advice on how to be naturally happy and live a happier life.

We started the Get Healthy series to help you become healthier—physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.

Each month, we offer a different program on how to improve an aspect of one’s health. In January, we offered a free introductory boxing class at TITLE Boxing.

In March, we’ll learn about homeopathic medicine with Remedy Jane.

All of our Get Healthy programs are free and open to the public. Attend one of them; come to all of them; and get healthier!

$5 Book Sale at the Read House this Weekend

Hopefully, there won't be any snow the day of the book sale.

The Friends of Mentor Public Library will hold a $5 bag sale at Mentor Library’s Read House from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 20, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Sunday, Feb. 21.

That means you can buy as many books—picture books, chapter books, fiction, nonfiction, whatever you want—that fit in a bag for just five dollars.

Best of all, the money from these book sales go to support library programs and services, including:

• Summer reading programs
• Author visits
• Children’s story time and programs
• Teen programs

So visit the Read House, buy some cool books (for really cheap,) and help support the library.

And if you’d rather not spend money on books, that’s fine. I know this cool place where you can borrow as many books as you want for free.

Author Deanna Adams offers advice to writers

Author Deanna Adams offered advice to writers, both professionals and hobbyists, during her recent visit to Mentor Public Library.

She stressed the importance of observation, reading, and participating in writers' events.

"Those who want to write for a career should start early and go to a lot of writing events," she said, "be part of the writing community, be part of writers's groups, hang out with other writers and learn from them. Because writing is a very solitary field. So you want to get out and embrace of the aspects of life and other people."

Adams' newest book is The Writer’s GPS: A Guide to Writing & Selling Your Book.

She also wrote Rock ’n’ Roll and the Cleveland Connection, Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Roots and Peggy Sue Got Pregnant.

Additionally, Adams discussed the role that music plays in her writing.

"I'm a baby boomer. Music was always important to us," she said.

"Music defines your life, in many ways."

For more author interviews, visit Mentor Public Library's Facebook page

Learn about your credit score at Mentor Public Library

Your credit score is important.

It can have an impact on finding employment, buying insurance, and purchasing or renting a home or car.

It can affect college students who are looking for loans and prevent seniors from qualifying for a reverse mortgage at retirement.

And a lot of people still don't understand what their credit score is or how to improve it.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Mentor Public Library is hosting a free presentation on understanding your FICO credit score at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25, at its Main Branch.

The speaker will be Bob Houston, a retired credit counselor and credit report reviewer. He has helped hundreds of people improve their credit score in order to purchase a home or start a business.

Patrons can also win a free prize just for attending the program. There will be four drawings, one for each: “Building Wealth” by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas; “Building a Better Credit Report” by the Federal Trade Commission; “It’s Not What You Make, It’s How You Spend” by Gary Vosick; and “The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Financial Success,” also by Gary Vosick.

The program is free and open to everyone. People can register for the event on our website or by calling Mentor Public Library at 440-255-8811 ext. 216.

The talk is sponsored by Ohio Saves in partnership with the Ohio State University Extension Service.