Library

Editor: On June 2, The Baltimore Sun published an article regarding the decision of the Director of Harford County Libraries to ban a popular book that she deemed inappropriate for Harford County's clientele; "degenerate works" we might say, a term used by Hitler in the 1940s when referring to publications and famous works of art that he deemed unacceptable, and which were therefore destroyed. I am truly appalled that officials in our libraries can arbitrarily decide what books are acceptable for Harford County citizens.

The Baltimore County Public Library's Summer Reading Club launches Monday, offering programs for kids of all ages. The club is free and features the opportunity to win prizes. Library officials say reading four to five books during the summer can help prevent the loss of reading skills acquired over the school year. Materials for the club will be ready for pickup starting Monday. People can sign up at local library branches or online at bcpl.info/summerreading . Elementary school kids will receive a game board to fill out with stickers throughout the summer as they read books.

Howard Community College leaders dedicated the school's renovated library Monday, with Board of Trustees chairman James Truby calling it the "new and improved hub" of the school. The $19 million project took three years to complete, resulting in upgraded study space, technology and laboratories. The revamped facility is named after the late state Sen. James Clark Jr. of Howard County. Originally called the Learning Resources Center, the building was the first to be built at the college.

Central Library 10375 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 410-313-7800. •All Together Now. Saturdays, 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. All ages; 30 minutes. •Employment Edge. Thu., June 13, 6:30 p.m. Topics include job search tools, resume writing, interview skills and professionalism on the job. •English Conversation Club. Mondays, 10 a.m.; and Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Practice speaking and understanding English in a group setting. Register before attending. •Noontime.

Elaine Dodd, member of the Joppatowne Garden Club, looks through her garden for specimens to enter in the Joppatowne Garden Club and the Joppa library's Small-Standard Flower Show, "Joppa Past and Present. " The show will be held at the Joppa library, 655 Towne Center Drive, Joppatowne on Saturday, June 1 from noon to 4 p.m. There will be exhibits of plants members and others have grown in their yards and floral designs created to carry out the show's theme. For more information call Ellie Pfoutz, 410-679-4813.

Pu Yang learned some English while growing up in China, but when he moved to Ellicott City, he discovered that he didn't know enough about the language to speak it. Then he heard about a group called the English Conversation Club that meets Wednesday evenings at the Howard County Library's Charles E. Miller Branch and Historical Center in Ellicott City. Designed for people who know English as a second or third language, the club encourages members to practice speaking and understanding the language while offering cultural and historical context to English words.

The North Point Library is offering a free six-week course to help smokers quit. Greta Brand, a health consultant, will lead the weekly one-hour sessions that start at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The class, paid for with a grant from the Tobacco Restitution Fund, includes free nicotine gum, patches and lozenges. Registration is requested. The library is at 1716 Merritt Blvd. Information: 410-887-7255. mary.gail.hare@baltsun.com Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

Local teens Leah Getz and Kara Lynch recently set up a lemonade stand and donated the proceeds to the Havre de Grace library. Surprising library staff with their generous and unexpected gesture, the donation was made during the first week of Harford County Public Library's Summer Reading Program. The proceeds will be used to help support children and teen programming at the Havre de Grace library. Upcoming programs at the Havre de Grace library include visits from special presenters The Bubble Lady on July 14 and The Extreme Balloon Man on July 26. Children grades three and up can "Catch a Dream" by making a dream catcher on July 17 and children of all ages can participate in Stargazing Fun on July 31. Middle and high school teens are invited to get creative with a Black Light T-shirts craft program on July 21. All program information is available at HCPLonline.org.

The Patterson Park branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library has been turned around.Literally.The front is now the back.The back is now the front.And the neighborhood library where Linwood Avenue crosses Fayette Street opens for business tomorrow for the first time since early 1990."

The Howard County Central Library recently has changed its telephone numbers.Patrons may reach the library's various departments by calling the following numbers:* Reference and non-fiction: 313-7850.* Fiction/audio-visual: 313-7860.* Children's materials and programs: 313-7880.* Magazines and newspapers: 313-7870.* Operating hours: 313-7890.* Miscellaneous questions: 313-7800.

Since it was founded in 1946, the Harford County Public Library System has grown to include 11 branches, with an annual circulation of more than 4.5 million items serving more than 176,000 registered borrowers. In addition to books, the library system is a repository for recordings, cassettes, magazines, newspapers, CDs, DVDs, puzzles and even puppets. It provides public access to computer catalogs with printers, microfilm reader-printers, programs for children and adults, information services, reading development materials, an online community information directory, Internet access, health information, tax assistance and volunteer opportunities.

Harford County Public Library and the Harford County Department of Community Services were presented with a Special Preservation Award by the Harford County Historic Preservation Commission for their partnership in bringing Journey Stories to Harford County. The award was given during a May 10 ceremony at the Liriodendron Mansion in Bel Air. Journey Stories was a Smithsonian Exhibition that ran May 19 through July 6, 2012 at the Abingdon library and also featured additional exhibitions and several notable authors and speakers appearing around the county.

Hampton "Skip" Auld does not mince words when he talks about the struggles of Anne Arundel County's library system the past few years. "We were devastated," the library director says. "We were on the ropes. " Years of government cuts during an economic downturn took its toll on the libraries. There was less money to buy new books, audio books and DVDs. Magazine subscriptions were canceled. Sunday hours were cut. Employees had no raises. During those years, Auld spearheaded a cheery but relentless campaign on the library's behalf.

Anne Arundel County is moving forward with plans to build a new library in Annapolis — preferably on a grassy field next to the district courthouse on Rowe Boulevard. The state-owned property is the top choice for a new regional library, said Hampton "Skip" Auld, the director of the county's library system. Auld envisions a 65,000-square-foot library — as big as a grocery store, he said — with new computers and plenty of books. It might have an art gallery and host high-profile speakers; and perhaps work with the nearby Maryland State Archives or the Annapolis Visitors Center on special projects, he said.

A suspicious package left under a bench outside the Towson public library that led to the building's evacuation Saturday morning turned out to be harmless, county police reported. The bag contained clothes that had been left as a donation to the homeless, police spokesman Cpl. John Wachter said. Police received a report at 11:11 a.m. of a package that had been left behind by two men, Wachter said. The county's hazardous devices team was called to the scene. The library and a nearby Subway sandwich shop were evacuated, he said, and York Road was closed to traffic between Chesapeake Avenue and Towsontown Boulevard.

Elaine Dodd, member of the Joppatowne Garden Club, looks through her garden for specimens to enter in the Joppatowne Garden Club and the Joppa library's Small-Standard Flower Show, "Joppa Past and Present. " The show will be held at the Joppa library, 655 Towne Center Drive, Joppatowne on Saturday, June 1 from noon to 4 p.m. There will be exhibits of plants members and others have grown in their yards and floral designs created to carry out the show's theme. For more information call Ellie Pfoutz, 410-679-4813.

Anne Arundel Community College is closing its library and all services connected with the library on weekends.The library will close from 4 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Monday through the academic year.Information: 541-2341.RED-LETTER DAYS CHANGESeveral calendarchanges affecting elementary report card distribution were announcedrecently by school officials.All report cards will be distributed on the dates designated for "secondary report card distribution" onthe school year calendar.Students at all levels will receive their final report cards of the year on the last day of school.

A screening and discussion of the film The Murder of Emmett Till is set for 6:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Enoch Pratt Central Library, 400 Cathedral St. The free presentation - sponsored by the library and the Baltimore Community Relations Commission - marks the 40th anniversary of Till's death. The 14-year-old boy had traveled from Chicago to Mississippi to visit relatives in August 1955, and was beaten and killed, allegedly by two white men, after he purportedly whistled at a white woman.