This year marks 51 years since LGBTQ Pride Month was first celebrated in June 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Police raids on the Stonewall Inn gay bar in New York in 1969 sparked a movement for LGBTQ rights that carries on today. This month, explore the books in our collection highlighting LGBTQ pride.

The library's annual Literary Carousel will be held from June 2-10 this year in a tent outside the library. From puppet shows to storytelling, from crafts to author readings, there will be an event for every age and interest! Attend 3 or more events for the chance to win a raffle.

It's summer reading time! Sign-ups for summer reading start June 1, and the theme is Tails & Tales. We will host a variety of programs for all ages, including pick-up craft kits, animal balloons, a visit from the Potawatomi Zoo, an animal photography contest, and more. We also have a fun line-up of raffle prizes this year. Remember, the more you read, the more tickets you can enter in the raffle!

The library will hold its annual Community Shred Day on Saturday, June 5 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Bring your old documents to be shredded at the library. You can bring up to 2 banker boxes (15” x 12” x 10”) to shred for FREE. After your first two, additional boxes can be shredded for a donation. This event is sponsored by Lake City Bank.

Looking for a picture book on animals, sports, space, or more? You can access hundreds of nonfiction kids' books from World E-Book without even leaving your living room! All you need is a computer or smart phone and an Internet connection. Lots of these books even have a read-aloud feature so your child can listen to a book being read while they follow along.

June Trail Tales: Wild, by Emily Hughes

Our June Trail Tales book is up at Riverbend Park! Take a walk around the park to read the story of a little girl who is raised in the forest by wild animals.

Join Roz Puppets for a whimsical retelling of a classic tale set in the times of dragons and enchanted creatures. A young lad, George, will face the terrible Dragon of Legend. But how fierce is this dragon? Is he really as bad as the tale would have us believe? All questions will be answered in this fun, furry, and unforgettable story.

Young Learners @ Home Kits will be available Thursdays during Summer Reading. Kits will come with most of the supplies needed and a list of what is needed from home. These kits focus on science, technology, engineering, and math.

Join award-winning author John David Anderson for a fun, hands-on fiction writing workshop that will get your imaginations going. We will talk about what makes for a compelling story, engage in some fun creative exercises, and then try our hands at writing both engaging beginnings and satisfying conclusions. This workshop is geared towards middle school students.

In this lively puppet show, meet Fred the Mastodon, an Ice Age mammal who wanders the Indiana landscape searching for his herd. Animal adaptations and the importance of friendship are explored during this interactive show. Students have a chance to participate in the show through puppetry as other Ice Age animals are introduced, including dire wolves, owls and bison.

Join Maria, on a video posted to the Library's Facebook page, as she takes you through a step-by-step postcard watercolor project using a quote by C.S. Lewis - “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” Register on the library’s event calendar by June 4. Pick up supplies starting June 1. Limit of 15 participants. Suitable for ages 14 and up.

Pretty Funny Balloons will be here in the tent near State Street to share more TAILS and TALES fun. They will sculpt animals from balloons while telling stories, explaining how we can keep animals safe, and learning about the biggest, fastest animals on earth--all while sculpting balloons! You may just get to leave with your own balloon animal!

Library @ Home Kits will be available Tuesdays during Summer Reading. Kits will come with most of the supplies needed and a list of what is needed from home. Library @ Home Kits are similar to a program Ms. Beth would lead for Summer Reading (a story or two, a craft or an activity, and a way to continue learning about the subject).

6 p.m.: Danny Graber will speak about capturing the heart of the Amish community through photography. Copies of his book, Seasons of Amish Life, will be for sale.

7 p.m.: Lovina Eicher, Amish cookbook author and columnist, will speak about her work and sell signed copies of her cookbook, Amish Family Recipes.

Bring your dancing shoes and best air guitar moves… it's time to go ROCKIN' and READING with LEONARDO! He is a Parents' Choice Award winning family musician from Chicago strumming into town with a humorous high energy musical program that inspires little rockers to become big readers. This highly interactive performance has plenty of sing-alongs and dance moves to inspire imagination, creativity and a love of reading in audiences of all ages and abilities.

Join us on Zoom as Katrina demonstrates how to make 2 different summer snack treats for your pet dog and cat! Sign up in advance so that you can get a copy of the recipe and follow along at home to create tasty, fun, and simple snacks for your four -pawed furry companions.

Join Storyteller Lou Ann Homan as she journeys across the sea for stories set in England, Ireland and Wales. These stories will be sure to make you long for lazy summer days and watch for ghosts that meander during the nighttime hours. This program is appropriate for all ages - Lou Ann will have something for everyone!

The Leap Into Science program celebrating National Leap Into Science Week will be in the Tent outside MCPL State Street. Students who attend will become LIGHT EXPLORERS searching for Shadows and learning how light works. This program is perfect for kids currently in Kindergarten through 5th grade.

We are so excited to have Potawatomi Zoo visit us again this year at Bonneville Mill Park! We will learn about 4 animals from the educators from the Zoo.

The woods are full of tasty snacks, if you know how to look for them. Join us for a walk at Bonneyville Mill County Park to learn how to identify wild plants that you can eat. Eco-educator Paul Steury will talk about different species of edible plants in Northern Indiana and what time of year to find them, after which we will go on a foraging walk together.

Tired of always misplacing your keys, phone, school ID, or other necessary small items? Create a decorative glass organizer plate to hold those items at home and to get in the habit of placing items there! Sign up in advance is required. Attendance at this in-person program is limited to 12 people because of social distancing. Participants will be taking their decorated glass plate home with them.

We are celebrating those animals closest to us on June 21st! Let's join together and read stories about our pets, share the names of our pets, and create a craft for our pets.

Get ready to invite your friends over to your house again by creating a set of 4 Emoji Coasters for their drinks! We will be helping protect the environment by using some recycled materials for our coaster sets. The coasters help protect the furniture. Sign- up for this program is required.

Join us as we welcome an Elkhart Parks Naturalist to teach us about the animals of Indiana. Learn what animals are native to our area and why we need them.

Want to up your photo game? At this photography class with local photographer Jeff Longenbaugh, learn how to use lighting, framing, and camera settings to tell a story through photos. We’ll talk specifically about photographing animals – whether they’re in the wild or in your living room. Then we’ll go on a short photography walk to get some hands-on practice with your cameras.