Blog: Blog

100 Years of Sleeping Car Porters

For nearly 100 years, sleeping car porters prevailed in service and style when it came to providing railroad luxuries to working class individuals

Then and Now: Toledo’s Black-Owned Business Leaders

Stories of Black entrepreneurial success abound within the collections of your Library. Read about Toledo’s Black business pioneers, complete with notes on how these history-makers paved the way for the area Black-owned businesses we enjoy supporting in this current day.

10 Colorfully Quirky Queer Comics

Okay, so they’re technically graphic novels and not comics, but I love alliteration—almost more than I love colorful, queer happy endings!

Swoony Sports Romances

Romances with one or both of the main characters as athletes (or athlete-adjacent) continue to be super popular. Here are some great new/er titles for those who enjoy a great romance with a sporty slant.

Top Thrillers With Neurodivergent Perspectives

Neurodivergent people are those whose brains process information in a way that is not typical of most individuals. There are many wonderful mysteries and thrillers with characters on this spectrum that provide a unique and fascinating perspective in problem-solving and investigation.

Chillax with the Best Books on Pop Culture Life in the 1990s

It's always fun to look back at pop culture from the decades and wonder what the heck we were thinking at the time. Here's a great list of titles on the 1990s sure to make you nostalgic if you were there, or puzzled and amused if you weren't. As if!!

Totally Tubular Books about Pop Culture Life in the 1980s

Living in the 1980s was truly the end of an innocent era when we could take the phone off the hook or just go outside and be completely unreachable by anyone. Seriously: people would dial our number (which they either had to already know or get from something called a phone book), get no answer or a "busy signal" (look it up) and they'd think, "Gosh, I'll just have to call back later." It was AWESOME. Here are some great books on other bizarro aspects of life during that amazing era.

Must-Read Holiday Cozy Mysteries

Is there a better way to get into a holiday mood than to dive into a cozy mystery novel? How about diving into two! Wear your comfy pants, sip a hot beverage, and boom! Holiday self-care accomplished.

Local Veteran’s Brewery Business Set to Make History Twice

Ten years ago, Christopher Harris made history when he opened the first Black-owned brewery in Northwest Ohio. During our Entrepreneurship Week kickoff event on November 12 he’ll share more about how his Black Frog Brewery was uniquely sought out to open a second location, and the first of its kind in Northeast Ohio.

Intentional Choices, Endless Rewards

Read about local educator and lifelong learner Dondra Coleman’s path to building two successful businesses centered on supporting families. She will be a featured panelist during our Entrepreneurship Week kickoff on November 12.

Best Travel Guides for Great Road Trips

Fall is a wonderful time to hit the road and see what's around us. Here are some great guides to plan anything from an afternoon drive to a long vacation on wheels.

Rachel Recommends: Autumn Reads

Autumn means mugs of cider, supermoons, accessories with the color palette of a 1970s kitchen and, of course, a pile of good books.

Celebrate Pura Belpré

You may have heard about the Pura Belpré Award for children's books, but have you heard about the woman who inspired it?

The Fright Stuff: Top 10 Funny Horror Films

Dark comedy is a great genre for people who are not quite into horror. Here are the top 10 funny horror films/series to entertain, scare a little, and still get to sleep at night.

5 Titles to Start Your Environmental Feminist Journey

Local environmental activist, Angie Fitzpatrick, kicks off our discussion of Feminism and the Environment that will continue at the Sylvania Branch on (Tu) August 20 at 6 p.m. Local sustainability advocates will lead a discussion on their journeys to sustainability and what women in Lucas County can do to help.

Hot Dog!

It's National Hot Dog Day! Here are 10 fun books to celebrate.

Remembering Shelley Duvall

She didn't look like anyone else in the movies and she didn't act like them either. The talented Shelley Duvall, famously of Popeye and The Shining, was a true original.

Forget It, Jake: It’s Robert Towne

Hey! You just wrote Chinatown, which many acclaim as the greatest screenplay of all time – what are you gonna do next? If you’re Robert Towne, you write another one. And another one. Repeat as needed until you’re a Hollywood legend.

Be Transported by the Top 20 Titles for World UFO Day

June 24th AND July 2nd are both referred to as World UFO Day (it's complicated). Whichever one you celebrate, shine up your tin foil hat and Mork up your Nanoo, we have a lot of great books and documentaries on extraterrestrials and unidentified objects to share the wonder.

Commemorating Juneteenth

Juneteenth celebrates the official date, June 19th 1865, when all slaves in Confederate states were officially freed. It has become America's second Independence Day holdiay, and we've gathered some great books to learn about this important day.

Babies Need Words: Diversity

To build a positive sense of self, children need to see themselves, their families, and their cultural traditions in the books we read to them.

D-Day for Young Readers

The 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings is June 6th. Here are 10 books for curious minds to learn more about it and the war in general.

100 Years of Summer: 1945-1964

It's the 100th year of Summer Read! Here are books popular from 1945-1964. You're sure to recognize some of these classics!

Immigrant Heritage Month Storyteller: Nicolai Salgau

June is Immigrant Heritage Month, and we are excited to share stories of our community members who have made Toledo, and Lucas County, home. Hear from Nicolai, a small business owner in East Toledo, who found ways to give back to the supportive community that played a role in achieving his American dream.

15 Books for New Dog Owners

To all the dog parents out there, here are some recommendations for you and your kiddos on raising your newest addition to the family!

10 Incredible Real Life Mysteries

May is National Mystery Month! Learn about incredible heists, mysterious places, disappearances, and unexpected discoveries with these books.

Small Business Launch: The Easy Jump by Eddie Jones

Though the Easy Jump is only one of Eddie Jones’ many mechanical or engineering pursuits, it is his first foray into entrepreneurship. What he has found most surprising about this new small business journey is people’s reactions. From his initial drawings to today, only about a year and a half has elapsed – remarkable progress for a product of significant size that takes some manufacturing know-how…

Small Business Launch: Building Up Seniors in Tech by Alondria Wright

Before becoming a small business owner, Alondria Wright fielded support requests for a local technical service provider. “People were upset and frustrated, and I felt like as I listened to more and more senior citizens to call into my line, I felt rushed to get them the help that they needed.” Feeling limited by the extent to which she could help seniors in that role, Wright got an idea…

What’s Funnier Than 24?

Are you ready kids?! Your favorite sea sponge turns 25! Dive into nautical nonsense in celebration of SpongeBob SquarePants' 25th Anniversary.

Babies Need Words: Hello, Baby!

Faces play an important role in infant development, as babies learn to mimic facial expressions and determine meaning based on facial cues.

10 Youth Novels Written in Verse

Celebrating National Poetry Month by reading poetry? Out. Celebrating National Poetry Month by reading entire novels told via poetry? In. (Actually, reading poetry is still in, but you know what I mean).

Happy 75th Birthday, NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was born 75 years ago. It’s kind of like an exclusive country club only without the annual dues. And with tanks instead of golf carts.

Autism Awareness Month

Explore titles that teach our littlest ones about autism that include autistic characters, and help address important concepts.

Who Ya Gonna Call? TLCPL!

In case you're in for spooks, specters, or ghosts-- TLCPL has you covered! Check out our inventory of all things Ghostbusters!

Trail Blazing Women

10 amazing books for kids about women explorers, adventurers, and pioneers in their fields.

10 Vocabulary Building Books for Rising Readers

One of the many ways we can improve reading comprehension is to strengthen children’s vocabulary and background knowledge. Try these tips from the Library's Ready to Read team to raise a confident reader.

5 Books to Develop Fluency in Young Readers

Fluency is the ability to read with the speed, accuracy, and inflection needed to approximate natural speech patterns. Try these resources as you help strengthen your growing reader's fluency.

9 Television Stars Who Left Us in 2023

Television personalities face the threat of cancellation but also enjoy the possibility of immortality through reruns and binge-watching. In that sense, these nine figures will always be with us.

5 Ways to Commemorate the Summer of Soul

In 1969, over the course of six Sundays the Harlem Cultural Festival was born. Filling Harlem with the mighty sounds of Mahalia Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly and The Family Stone, and Gladys Knight and the Pips just to name a few.

Brewing Knowledge: 10 Must-Read Books About Kombucha

Dive into the world of kombucha with books that offer a blend of beginner-friendly insights and expert techniques. Uncover the secrets to mastering the art of fermentation and crafting your perfect batch of probiotic goodness.

Animals In Winter

Squirrel yourself away with these books about animals getting through the winter.

Ten Quick Reads for the Shortest Day of the Year

The winter solstice marks the start of winter and is referred to as the shortest day due to the limited hours of daylight. In celebration of our shortest day, check out one of these very short books.

20 Hockey Books for Kids

It's Hockey Night in Toledo as we welcome the Walleye back to the ice. Before enjoying a little family fun at the Huntington Center, be sure to share a few great hockey books with the young skaters and readers in your life.

5 Books to Help You Knit Socks – The Possibly (Im)perfect Last Minute Holiday Gift

Early Christmas morning / Sneaky as can be / I creep across the carpet / And I peek under the tree / Pick out a gift from Mom to me / And bring it to my ear / Give it a little shimmy shake and what do I hear? / Socks / This is the worst gift I ever got / It doesn't beep or buzz or bop or rattle in the box / Hey, why'd you waste the paper on a lousy pair of socks? - J.D. McPherson, 'Socks'

The First: Remembering Sandra Day O’Connor with 5 Books

"Sandra Day O'Connor blazed an historic trail as our nation's first female justice," Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement. "She met that challenge with undaunted determination, indisputable ability, and engaging candor."

15 New Cute and Cozy Holiday Mysteries

Few things go together like murder and the holidays. Here are the newest cozy mysteries with a chilling holiday theme. And some of the punniest titles ever!

15 Titles to Combat Violence Against Women

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was November 25. These titles lean on personal experience, statistics, and work being done by women worldwide to end this crisis.

World Hello Day

Hi, there! How do you say, “Hello?” Do you sing, “Hello, hello?” Do you yell, “HELLO, HELLO?” What will you do for World Hello Day on November 21?

Hey, That’s My Picture Book!

November is National Picture Book Month! Picture books are meant to a shared reading and visual experience. What picture books are your favorites?

Found in Translation: Literature in Other Languages

Gifted translators like Edith Grossman break through language barriers to introduce readers to the great literature of the world, so you can finally find out what people mean when they talk about Don Quixote and windmills.

World Nursery Rhyme Week

Help children learn to read by celebrating World Nursery Rhyme week singing or rhyming your favorite rhymes!