Amy Fifarek from the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County came to speak to our club about education and literacy. Fifarek reported we currently have 15 Mahoning County libraries, including ours in Boardman. In addition, the Michael Kusalaba branch opened on February 14, 2018. 
 
The Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County has a number of initiatives in place:
 
Summer Reading vs. Summer Slide: this year there were 6,833 registrants (4,795 kids, 669 teens, and 1,369 adults). There were a total of 616,925 books read, and 1,910 badges given out during the summer reading program.
 
Baby Brilliant: sharing books with your baby or toddler for 20 minutes each day increases language development. The prime time for encouraging language development in babies occurs in the time before a baby is born up to the age of 2. Talking, singing and reading are all ways to enhance that. For more information about the Baby Brilliant program, visit https://www.libraryvisit.org/kids/babybrilliant/
 
Education for all Ages: through the use of Universal Class and Lynda.com, the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County is offering free courses for professional and lifestyle development. Learn more at https://www.libraryvisit.org/blog/news/library-now-offers-lynda-com-learning-platform-free-to-cardholders/
 
In addition to these great programs, they also offer Kindergarten Readiness, Ohio Department of Education State Support Team Region 5 Partnership, Girls Who Code, and STEM/STEAM/STREAM classes. 
 
September is library card signup month — be sure to visit the local library to get yours!