The Ohio County Public Library has events each week throughout the summer. Kids, teens, and adults are sure to find something that interests them! Look through this listicle of free events to stay up to date with what is coming up, and hear from the people organizing them!
PROGRAMMING FOR KIDS
Lee Ann Cleary is the Children’s Programming Coordinator for the Ohio County Public Library, where she has worked for 17 years. She is excited for the summer. “You actually get to see the kids that you don’t get to see during the school year,” Cleary said.
The library children’s department is hosting its annual summer reading challenge to help encourage kids to keep reading. This year the theme is ‘A Neighborhood of Stories,’ where people in the community are invited to read with the kids. 247 students have signed up already.
To go along with the summer reading series, the children’s section walls have been decorated with a game board. For every event attended, or book read, kids will receive a ‘trolley token’ which will move their game piece through the board. The program ends on July 14.
For more information check out the Ohio County Public Library’s website.
Friday, June 23, 10:30 – Toddler Time @ OCPL
Monday, June 26, 10:30 – Toddler Time @ OCPL
Tuesday, June 27, 10:00 – Story Time @ OCPL
Tuesday, June 27, 6:00 – Campfire Night at Schwertfeger Shelter, Wheeling Park
We will have stories, activities, and roasting marshmallows over a campfire. Activities will be provided by WVU Extension. Cleary says this event has become somewhat of a tradition for the library and that she’s always looking forward to it. There will be songs, arts, and pizza available from Domino’s Pizza.
Wednesday, June 28, 10:00 – Story Time @ OCPL
Thursday, June 29, 12:00-2:00 – Splish, Splash, Read @ Garden Park Pool
Stories, activities, and crafts at the Garden Park Pool. Families can attend for free, or pay $1 if they also wish to swim.
Thursday, June 29, 2:00 – Tour of WTRF-7 News
Go behind the scenes to see and tour a television studio.
Thursday, June 29, 6:00 – Story Time After Dark @ OCPL
Friday, June 30, 10:30 – Toddler Time @ OCPL
Monday, July 3, 10:30 – Toddler Time @ OCPL
Wednesday, July 5, 10:00 – Story Time @ OCPL
Thursday, July 6, 12:00-2:00 – Splish, Splash, Read @ 36th St Pool
Stories, activities, and crafts at the 36th Street Pool. Families can attend for free, or pay $1 if they also wish to swim.
Thursday, July 6, 2:00 – Tour of Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum
Dolls, trains, miniatures, and more are on display for everyone to enjoy.
Thursday, July 6, 6:00 – Story Time After Dark @ OCPL
Friday, July 7, 10:30 – Toddler Time @ OCPL
Monday, July 10, 10:30 – Toddler Time @ OCPL
Tuesday, July 11, 10:00 – Story Time @ OCPL
Tuesday, July 11, 6:00 – POOL PARTY at Wheeling Park
The pool party is back and fun for all ages.
Wednesday, July 12, 10 – Story Time @ OCPL
Thursday, July 13, 12:00-2:00 – Splish, Splash, Read @ Grandview Pool
Stories, activities, and crafts at the Grandview Pool. Families can attend for free, or pay $1 if they also wish to swim.
Thursday, July 13, 2:00 – Tour of the SMART Centre
Our friends are in a new location and are anxious to show us all they have to offer.
Thursday, July 13, 6:00 – Story Time After Dark @ OCPL
Friday, July 14, 10:30 – Toddler Time @ OCPL
Thursday, July 20, 12:00-2:00 – Splish, Splash, Read @ Bridge Park Pool
Stories, activities, and crafts at Bridge Park Pool. Families can attend for free, or pay $1 if they also wish to swim.
PROGRAMMING FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Ellen Scheid is the Young Adult Specialist and Assistant to Adult Services for the Ohio County Public Library. These events, targeted at teens and young adults, are held downstairs in the large meeting room beside the elevator.
These events offer video games, board games, arts and crafts, and book giveaways. Some of the crafts include button making, DIY bookmarks, and tote bags. If you’ve got a teen in your life plan to attend these fun events!
For more information check out the Ohio County Public Library’s website.
Monday, June 26, 2:00 – Game and Create @ OCPL
Monday, July 10, 2:00 – Game and Create @ OCPL
PROGRAMMING FOR ADULTS
Sean Duffy is the Programming Coordinator for the Ohio County Public Library. He also runs the Lunch with Books series every Tuesday. Duffy is looking forward to an eventful summer and invites community members to take part.
The library’s ‘Wheeling Reads’ series is back with Jennifer Haigh’s ‘Heat and Light.’ The series includes several events throughout the summer culminating in a September 9 festival with a presentation from the author. Free copies of the book are available online through Hoopla with a library card.
For more information visit the Ohio County Public Library’s website.
Tuesday, June 27, 12:00 – Lunch With Books
Abigail Adams, ‘Remember the Ladies’
To celebrate the spirit of Independence, we will welcome Abigail Adams to the Library. An active participant in our nation’s birth, Abigail Adams is well known for her advocacy of women’s rights, especially in education, and her opposition to slavery. As a valued confidant and advisor to her husband John Adams, the nation’s second president, Abigail cautioned him that the Founding Fathers should “remember the ladies” in the new laws they would write for our young country. Together, they were the first inhabitants of the White House. Mrs. Adams is portrayed by JoAnn Peterson for the WV Humanities Council’s History Alive program.
Tuesday, July 11, 12:00 – Lunch With Books
‘It’s Wheeling History’ Trivia Challenge – Deluxe Neighborhood Edition
Teams representing Wheeling’s historic Neighborhoods will answer trivia questions mostly centered on those Wheeling Neighborhoods in a Round-Robin format with a double elimination until only one team is left standing to have their names carved on the It’s Wheeling History cup! Register your team now! (lunchwithbooks@yahoo.com)
Thursday, July 13, 7:00 – ‘Wheeling Reads,’ Read-in @ Vagabond Kitchen
Tuesday, July 18, 12:00 – Lunch With Books
Wheeling Poetry Series Presents Lori Wilson & David Prather
Tuesday, July 25, 12:00 – Lunch With Books
Japanese Language for Travel
Manami Kawazoe of the Japanese Outreach Initiative at West Liberty University returns to promote awareness and understanding of Japan through activities and events for culture exchange. For her final presentation, she will instruct us in useful terms for travel to Japan.
Tuesday, August 1, 12:00 – Lunch With Books
Goosetown Memories
As part of the Neighborhood Nostalgia Series, we invite people to share memories of Goosetown, a hard-nosed, fun-loving Wheeling community of up to 100 homes with small gardens and full of mom-and-pop stores and pubs that once spanned the area between McColloch Street and Tunnel Green. Sadly, most of it was taken for the modernized Route 2 leading to the I-470 ramp.
Tuesday, August 8, 12:00 – Lunch With Books
Music and Memories with Roger Hoard
Roger Hoard and Kyle Knox will discuss music and memories from Roger’s amazing career.
Thursday, August 10, 7:00 – People’s University
Considering the Climate: Climate Science and Environmental Justice
Tuesday, August 15, 12:00 – Lunch With Books
Music for Saint Rocco featuring Faire May
In honor of the Italian tradition of marking the Feast Day of San Rocco, August 16, local musical group Faire May will present a set of Italian music. Also known as Saint Roch, the ‘plague saint,’ Rocco was a fourteenth-century pilgrim famed for healing plague victims. Having contracted and survived the dread disease himself, he’s usually depicted lifting back his garments to reveal the plague bubo on his thigh and is often accompanied by a dog. Saint Rocco’s Feast Day commemorated the end of a severe outbreak of the plague in Venice in 1576. The tradition was brought by Italian immigrants to New York, the Pittsburgh area, and all over the United States. The festival usually includes a procession with a statue of San Rocco, music, food, celebratory dance, and a Mass. Faire May is a traditional music band specializing in enjoyable folk music from the near and distant past.
Thursday, August 17, 7:00 – People’s University
Considering the Climate: Are We Doomed? What Solutions Might Science Offer?
Tuesday, August 22, 12:00 – Lunch With Books
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Environmental Justice: The Psychology of Sustainability with Cory Campanizzi
In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Aug. 28, 1963, and as part of Wheeling Reads 2023, Cory Campanizzi will discuss his research on Dr. King’s work that intersects with environmental justice and the psychology of sustainability.
Thursday, August 24, 7:00 – People’s University
Considering the Climate: Can We Still Do This? What Solutions Might Science Offer? Featuring Edward Brzostek, Ph.D., WVU Dept of Biology
Tuesday, August 22, 12:00 – Lunch With Books
The Beatles: A Solo Acoustic Tribute, Featuring The Troubadour, Bob Gaudio
In honor of the last Beatles concert, which took place at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California before an audience of 25,000, on Aug 29, 1966, our friend The Troubadour, Bob Gaudio, returns to regale us with an array of the Fab Four’s finest in a solo acoustic tribute.
Thursday, August 31, 7:00 – People’s University
Considering the Climate: Reasons for Hope. What Solutions Might Science Offer? Featuring Ember Morrissey, Ph. D., WVU. The long slow march of progress toward a greener future for WV.
• Justice Hudson is an AmeriCorps volunteer and citizen journalist originally from Saint Albans, West Virginia, and has lived in Wheeling since January 2020. He studied history and women and gender studies at West Virginia University and has worked in farming and community education since moving to the Friendly City. In February 2023 he began writing as a folk reporter independently for the Hudson Household Editorial and for organizations including Mustard Seed Mountain, BlackByGod: The West Virginian, and Weelunk