Join Us This Week at the Olean Public Library!

Wednesday and Thursday, July 24th and 25th, will be fun filled days at the Olean Public Library!

Teens and Adults Can Make Their Own Seascape Wednesday at 4pm. The ArtMobile from St. Bonaventure will be here with actual seascape  paintings from the art collection at St. Bonaventure University. After being inspired by these paintings, participants will experiment and create their own 3 dimensional seascape. Call to reserve your spot.

Does Windows 8 have you flummoxed? Join us Wednesday at 6:30pm for an Intro to Windows 8. JCC instructor and patron favorite Christina Lopez will be here to help you navigate the new Windows 8 interface. Bring your Windows 8 device (phone, tablet, laptop) and discover how to find your files and programs. Call the Reference Desk to sign up.

Teens Can Come Hang Out in the YA Area for a Teen Coffeehouse on Thursday at 6:30pm. Come and relax, read, or participate in a planned activity while enjoying a selection of coffeehouse refreshments. Anyone participating in the summer reading program can “check in” and collect their prize.

Looking for something different to do? Join us Thursday at 7pm for “Not Your Usual Brass”. From the collection of 200 horns of Robert Fairbanks of Portville, NY, a selection of unusual instruments will be displayed and their historical applications discussed. Most of the horns are at least 100 years old. The audience will be encouraged to “touch the horns,” ask questions, and even try to play some of them. This is an informational program, not a concert.

Mr. Fairbanks has played the cornet for 60 years in a variety of venues, including bands, military ceremonies, weddings, funerals, and church programs. He sees this as an opportunity to share some of his collection.

For more information on these or any future events please visit the library website at http://www.oleanlibrary.org or call us at (716) 372- 0200.

Robert Lax, Mentor & Peacemaker by Dr. Steven Georgiou

 

The Olean Public Library has partnered with St. Bonaventure University’s School of Arts and Sciences, Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, and Friedsam Library to present a program entitled “Robert Lax, Mentor & Peacemaker” by noted Lax scholar Dr. Steven Georgiou.

This presentation is part of a a week-long series of lectures, performances, and discussions in the Olean area from March 4th-8th.

Robert Lax, who spent a significant part of his life in Olean, remains a well-known poet, artist, spiritual thinker, mentor and friend to many, including Thomas Merton.

Highlights of the week include three lectures by noted Lax scholar Dr. Steven Georgiou of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, an archive exhibit mounted by Paul Spaeth, performance of an original composition by Gwyneth Walker inspired by poetry of Lax, classroom discussions, and informal events.

St. Bonaventure University’s School of Arts and Sciences, Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, and Friedsam Library have partnered together with the Olean Public Library, Olean High School, and members of the Olean community in planning this week of celebration and commemoration of the legacy, work, and enduring significance of Robert Lax.

Low Bridge, Everybody Down…The Story of the Genesee Valley Canal

Saturday  October 20, 2012 @ 2:00 pm—Olean Public Library

 

 

Allegany County Historian Mr. Craig Braack will present Low Bridge, Everybody Down…The Story of the Genesee Valley Canal Saturday October 20^th at 2pm at the Olean Public Library.

The Erie Canal opened across NYS in 1825.  Its success was immediate and led New York State to becoming “The Empire State.”  The need for lateral canals in parts of the rest of the state stirred local interests into creating the Genesee Valley Canal starting about 1830.  This canal ran from Rochester south to Belfast next to the Genesee River and turned southwest heading to Cuba, Olean, Portville and ended just into Pennsylvania.  Cuba Lake and dam were constructed to provide water for the canal.

Unfortunately, the popularity and growth of railroads ultimately put the Genesee valley canal out of business in 1877.  Several railroads soon built track on the canal’s tow path in the next few decades and the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Rochester Division was the last line to use it, closing about 1963.  Now almost all of the canal’s towpath is the Genesee valley Greenway hiking trail.  Mr. Braack’s program illustrates this history.

Mr. Braack has held the position of Allegany County Historian and County Records Management Officer since 1985. He served in the United States Navy and is a graduate of the State University of New York in Geneseo.

This program is free and open to the public.  The Olean Public Library is located at 134 North Second Street, Olean, NY.   For more information please call the Reference Desk at (716) 372-0200 or visit the website at http://www.oleanlibrary.org

Star Wars Reads Day comes to the Olean Public Library

Olean Public Library is pleased to announce their participation in the first ever Star Wars Reads Day on Saturday, October 6, 2012 from 1:00-3:30pm.  Patrons of all ages are invited to try a 5-fold origami Yoda, enter trivia contests, view Star Wars displays, and enjoy “galactically” cool refreshments.  Star Wars related memento for all attendees!  Kids are welcome to come in costume for an extra treat!

Star Wars Reads Day is a national event that celebrates reading and Star Wars. It was created by Lucasfilm and its publishing partners–Abrams, Chronicle Books, Dark Horse, Del Rey, DK Publishing, Random House Audio, Scholastic, Titan Magazines and Workman.  There are over 1,000 Star Wars Reads events scheduled at libraries and bookstores on October 6th throughout the United States.

For more information please call the Olean Public Library, 716-372-0200 or visit our website at http://www.oleanlibrary.org. This program is sponsored by the Olean Public Library and is free and open to the public.

Olean Library To Host Breast Cancer Program

OLEAN – Breast cancer survivors and representatives of the Susan G. Komen Western New York Affiliate will present a program titled “Are You at Risk for Breast Cancer?” from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, at the Olean Public Library.

Light refreshments will be served, and door prizes will be distributed. For information on the event, which  is free and open to the public, call 372-0200. The library is located at 134 North Second Street, Olean.

“The two most common risk factors associated with breast cancer are being a woman and getting older,” according to Komen Grants Administrator Natalie Weil. Speakers Lesley Hoag and Patricia Stewart will address additional risk factors, the importance of early detection by proper screening, knowing what is “normal” for an individual, and ways to reduce risk.

One speaker, Lesley Hoag, has been involved with Race for the Cure runs for more than 10 years. Each year, her team, Senecas Fighting for a Cure, grows in numbers with those supporting the cause. Lesley has many family members who have battled some form of cancer, and her mother, Debra, is a five-year breast cancer survivor. As a co-survivor, Lesley is passionate about promoting the messages of early detection, taking care of oneself and living every day to the fullest.  She hopes one day to see the world cancer free.

The other speaker, Patricia “Trish” Stewart, is a board member of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Western New York Affiliate.  She is responsible for training Komen volunteer speakers to educate local communities about breast health, and she facilitates a cancer support ministry at her church.  As a breast cancer survivor, Trish has an understanding of cancer as a patient. As a mother of two cancer survivors, she also understands the effect of the disease on caregivers and families.  She and her husband Tom have been married for 39 years. They have five grown children and are enjoying their “empty nest” as well as the arrival of grandchildren.

Their presentations in Olean are supported by funding awarded to the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System  by the  Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Western New York Affiliate, for a project called “Empowered by Information: Libraries help Cattaraugus County Address Breast Cancer.”

Another   presentation will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 22, at the King Memorial Library, 9538 Route 16, in Machias, with speakers June Brennan and Amy Benjamin. For information, call 353-9915.

In addition to supporting programs, the Komen Western New York Affiliate enabled each Cattaraugus County library to add a collection of books and DVDs about breast cancer and provided free breast cancer education information to all members of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System for useduring Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

According to Patricia Johnson, outreach coordinator for the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System, library displays will increase the information people have available to them about breast cancer, and the programs will enable attendees to receive inspiration and support in person from a trained Komen ambassador.