"The Soldiers Are Coming" to Harrison Library

Plenty of entertainment for children of all ages is planned this month at the Harrison Library, where the community is welcomed to join in celebrating National Library Week.

Although it is certainly under the radar as far as major holidays are concerned, this week gives communities across the country the opportunity to recognize the educational programs and other services offered at local libraries. Every year both the downtown and West Harrison Library plan a few extra activities to recognize this week.

The Harrison Library is holding its annual writing contest for children ages four to 11 this month. Prizes are available to top finishers and stories are accepted through the end of the month. The library is also offering children the opportunity to attend "The Life of a Soldier", a presentation of the life of men and women of Washington's Continental Army during the American Revolution. John Wright, the director of the Thomas Paine Cottage Museum, is expected to arrive in a full costume for the event on Thursday afternoon.

Children's craft events and a monthly movie are also planned this month, and are part of the library's regular programming.

Both library branches offer children's activities throughout the year. In addition to things like story time and meeting times for toddlers, educational DVDs and computer games are offered for kids.

"They like to play with the computers," said Harrison Children's Librarian Margie Lorusso, who said the library is looking into letting kids check out the computer games with a library card. The library is also considering using e-readers for kids to keep them interested in reading. There is also a county-wide reading program offered during the summer to keep kids reading when they aren't in school.

The library offers computer access to Harrison residents and art displays at different times throughout the year. This month the Harrison Council For the Arts is displaying “” by Rose marie James in the downtown library. Earlier this month the Harrison Library written by a Pulitzer Prize winning author.

With more and more content becoming available online, both libraries have made an effort to offer activities and entertainment for residents of all ages. For a detailed look at the library's programs visit their new website.