A local filmmaker, Clyde McDaniel, of Cleo Film Productions, will debut his new documentary about local African-American churches, Monday, Sept. 24, 6 p.m. at the Akron-Summit County Main Library’s Main Library auditorium. The Main Library is located at 60 S. High St. in downtown Akron. The event is free. The film, called “A Historical Look at the African American Church,” … [Read more...]
Akron library system selected for short story kiosks as part of national program
The Akron-Summit County Public Library will soon be home to short story machine kiosks, which will enable residents to print out and read short stories at the touch of a button. The terminals, which give users the choice of one-, three-, or five-minute stories, were created by startup company Short Edition in 2015, and will be installed in four U.S. cities, thanks to a … [Read more...]
Pamela Hickson-Stevenson named new library director
Pamela Hickson-Stevenson has been named director of the Akron-Summit County Public Library, effective April 2. Hickson-Stevenson, who was deputy director for 12 years, succeeds David Jennings, who retired in February. Hickson-Stevenson is the first female director since 1927. “Pam has been outstanding in serving the library in numerous ways,” said Ray Weber, president, … [Read more...]
Akron’s Karen community celebrates 2757 New Year
Akron’s Karen community recently celebrated the 2757 New Year at the Akron-Summit County Public Library's Main Library in downtown Akron. Traditional music and dancing, along with food, was provided for the hundreds in attendance. The Karen people have been in Akron since 2006, and the community now totals around 1,000 people. The celebration also included an overview of the … [Read more...]
Legendary Cavs player, coach Lenny Wilkens delivers 2018 MLK Day lecture at Main Library
Former Cleveland Cavaliers player and coach Lenny Wilkens will be the speaker for the Akron-Summit County Public Library’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2 p.m. at the Main Library in downtown Akron. A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Wilkens had a storied career as both player (1960-1975) and coach in National Basketball … [Read more...]
Library completes digitization of Akron’s African-American newspaper
Oct. 25 Main Library program offers overview of digitization project Jenni Salamon, coordinator for the Ohio Digital Newspaper Program at the Ohio History Connection, will present “Searching The Reporter, Akron’s African-American newspaper and other digital historic newspapers now available on Ohio Memory” on Wednesday, Oct. 25, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Akron-Summit County … [Read more...]
Cartoonist Roz Chast kicks off Library’s Main Event series Oct. 12
Fall lineup also includes Rolling Stone correspondent Matt Taibbi and ex-local contributing writer Malu Halasa -- Akron-Summit County Public Library’s Fall Main Event Speaker Series kicks off with acclaimed New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast Thursday, Oct. 12, 7 p.m. at Main Library, 60 South High St., in downtown Akron. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Chast’s cartoons began … [Read more...]
Main Library hosts Historic Zoar, Ohio Village exhibit through Oct. 1
The Akron-Summit County Public Library is hosting a temporary exhibit through Oct. 1 commemorating the 200th anniversary of Historic Zoar Village in Ohio. The exhibit may be viewed in the Main Library Business & Government Division (located on the third floor), at 60 S. High St in downtown Akron during regular library hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., … [Read more...]
Library Director David Jennings to retire in early 2018
Akron-Summit County Public Library Director David Jennings plans to retire on March 31, 2018, after serving the library system for nearly 40 years, leading the organization through many phases of innovation, like a successful levy campaign, expansion of the system, a Tech Center at the Main Library and a robust electronic book collection. The announcement to the Library's … [Read more...]
Main Library presents ‘Discovering Your Military Ancestors’ day-long workshop Aug. 5
Military historians and expert genealogists Eric Johnson and Michael Strauss will present “Discovering Your Military Ancestors” on Saturday, Aug. 5, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Akron-Summit County Public Library's Main Library Auditorium. Co-sponsored by the Library and the Summit County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, the program will focus on tracing … [Read more...]