With prices rising on everything from milk to fuel, it’s good to know that some things in life are still free. Of course, your Delaware County District Library is loved for the free books and movies, but there are so many other perks that come with the joy of owning a library card – especially at DCDL!
Online streaming doesn’t have to be with paid subscriptions but can be enjoyed with some of the free services provided through Kanopy or Hoopla. Both provide some movies, TV series, and music that will fill your entertainment agenda for the evenings or weekends. Wireless hotspots from the library can even provide the internet for your home to do the streaming.
If you need to get out and explore for free, try one of the library’s Culture Passes. We currently have “member for a day” access to the Columbus Museum of Art for up to eight people, along with free parking for one vehicle. Stop by your local DCDL branch to pick up your pass. Every weekend at 1:30 p.m. through July, by simply showing your library card at the Gateway Film Center, you can view their From Book to Film series, too.
Gather some snacks and grab a board game from the library to create your own family game night for free. No need to purchase anything, just search the 180 games in our catalog or visit www.delawarelibrary.org/games to find one that meets your group’s needs.
Maybe you have some scraps lying around from a previous art project. Discover how you can turn it into something beautiful with free access to Creativebug, a video platform that gives step-by-step tutorials, patterns, and more for anything from watercolor and paper art to quilting. Perhaps even a trip to the Maker Studio, where you only pay for materials (unless you provide your own), can feed your creative need.
Free entertainment can be one of the best perks of a library, and the summer is the best time to find something happening nearby. This week alone we have the Bluegrass band Lafferty Pike presenting a “Bluegrass Musical Petting Zoo” on Monday, the Ohio Canid Center teaching “Wolves: Fact vs Myth” on Tuesday, and local artist Renuka Bhatt presenting “The Art of Henna” on Thursday – world-class performers right in your backyard.
If you’re taking a road trip this summer, you may want an audiobook to keep you company while you travel. One of these recent releases may be just the listen for your journey!
• “Moon Witch, Spider King” by Marlon James; narrated by Bahni Turpin. A companion novel to Black Leopard, Red Wolf and the 2nd book in The Dark Star trilogy that revisits events of the first book from the perspective of Sogolon, the 177-year-old Moon Witch, while also delving into her rich and turbulent backstory. Bahni Turpin expertly juggles multiple character accents and tones in her AudioFile Earphones Award-winning recording.
• “Notes on an Execution” by Danya Kukafka; narrated by Mozhan Marnò and Jim Meskimen. A disturbing yet moving portrayal of the last 12 hours of death row inmate Ansel Packer’s life, told through the alternating, kaleidoscopic perspectives of the women in his life. Jim Meskimen (as Ansel) and Mozhan Marnò (as Ansel’s mother, ex-sister-in-law, and a childhood acquaintance) trade narrative duties in this gripping production.
• “Circus of Wonders” by Elizabeth Macneal; narrated by Tuppence Middleton. Nell has always been stared at in her small English village thanks to the mottled birthmarks that cover her body, but fate gives her the chance for attention on her own terms after her father sells her to a traveling circus and its proprietor lets her perform acrobatic stunts instead of being a sideshow attraction. British actress Tuppence Middleton offers a spirited reading of this thought-provoking historical fiction novel.
• “The Last Slave Ship: The True Story of How Clotilda Was Found, Her Descendants, and An Extraordinary Reckoning” by Ben Raines; narrated by Kevin R. Free. In 2019 Mobile, Alabama, environmental journalist Ben Raines discovered the burned remains of the Clotilda, the last known ship to carry enslaved people to America. Kevin R. Free’s intense yet approachable narration of this dramatic history earned him an AudioFile Earphones Award.
• “The Last Rose of Shanghai” by Weina Dai Randel; narrated by Josh Bloomberg and Emily Woo Zeller. A moving and atmospheric tale of survival and forbidden love set in Japanese-occupied Shanghai in 1940. Josh Bloomberg and Emily Woo Zeller trade narrative duties in this engrossing production.
