Hot Topics Blog

This past legislative session in Annapolis brought good news to libraries throughout the state of Maryland. House Bill 1380 (crossfiled with Senate Bill 709) paved the way for the state to establish a grant program through the Maryland State Department of Education to fund county capital projects. Sponsored by forty members of the House of Delegates, the bill passed both the House and the Senate unanimously and was signed into law on May 16. Under the law, funds for construction and renovation of libraries will increase by $5 million annually beginning in 2008.

Previous to this law, state and local governments shared operating costs of libraries but not the costs of construction and renovation of libraries. That remained a local fiscal concern. Now, library systems may be eligible for grants from the state of $20,000 or more, if they secure matching grants from county, municipal, or private sources. Considering that 35% of library branches throughout the state are more than 30 years old, with an additional 6% housed in rented space, these grants will be put to good use, for building new branches and repairing and expanding old ones. --submitted by library staff

It may be raining like cats and dogs in Harford County today, but Uncle Pete is bringing lots of sunshine to the kids who have managed to snag tickets for his performances over the weekend and this week in the branches of the library. There may be a few more tickets available, so if you want to really delight the kids, bring them to one of the remaining performances of Up with Kids. With original music about our Summer Reading Program, Uncle Pete is a real treat. Call 410-638-3151 and ask which branches have room for more. For children of all ages!

With almost 4,000 children and teens already signed up for the Summer Reading Program, (in just two days!) it's clear that lots of kids are ready to "Clue into Reading." Every year, we see our summer reading grow and this year is no different. As part of our celebration, the library has numerous programs to fill your summer hours. Coming up this weekend is Uncle Pete with Kids... this special show has original music and songs to help motivate kids to read, learn, and enjoy life in the library. Don't be "clueless" - check out summer reading at HCPL.

The library, in conjunction with the American Library Association, is offering a new game called Step Up to the Plate. This game is played online and there are different versions for all ages. There's even a game for adults. You can submit your answers online or send them via snail mail to the address on the Step Up to the Plate page. Each question gives you a real "work-out" in the library as you learn to use the many resources for answering questions. It's perfectly OK to ask a librarian for help. Have some fun! Oh, I almost forgot, the lucky winners will be entered into a national drawing to win a trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, to attend the World Series Gala in October 2006 and an Ozzie Smith autographed baseball! You could also win one of 20 runner-up prizes. Sounds like a good deal.

Each month, Jennifer Vido interviews a well-known author and shares her interview online with us through her Jen's Jewels column. As part of the Readers Place where customers can get the latest news on book awards, new releases, and book discussion groups, Jen's Jewels is always prominently posted on the Readers Place homepage. Stop by soon and get an inside look into an author's mind.


This month, Jennifer has featured Denise Hamilton



Previous articles have been on:

• Laura Dave
• Michele Martinez
• Kristin Hannah
• Meg Cabot

“Putting Children First� was the focus of an event held yesterday (June 5th) at the Harford County Public Library Abingdon Branch. Hosted by the Governor’s Office for Children and the Maryland Department of Human Resources, the event served as a backdrop to highlight programs and services for children. The event focussed on the need to recruit foster parents for children who are temporarily in the State’s care. See More Pictures from this event.

Maryland is launching a state-wide Foster Parent recruitment campaign, Foster Parent Appreciation, which is recognized nationally in May and will continue through the next several months here in Maryland. See the Putting Children First Recruitment Plan.


Foster parents Michael and Doreen Hochlowski were recognized at the event. The couple has offered a home to over 20 children since becoming foster parents, and Mrs. Hochlowski is an active member of the State Foster Parent Association and also serves as Vice-President of the Harford County Foster Parent Association. During the event, Mrs. Hochlowski read a story to a group of first graders from the Emmorton Elementary School.

Harford County Public Library was pleased to host the Governor's Office and to share in recognizing the work of the State Foster Parent Association.

That's right, the library has several scrapbook groups that get together on a regular basis. If you've gotten hooked on scrapbooking and want some new ideas, go to our Events page and type in "scrapbooking" - you'll see sessions in Whiteford, Bel Air, and Havre de Grace throughout the summer with one next week on June 5th. Happy Scrapping!