September, 2026 Edition
The Perry Cook Chronicle is a monthly newsletter featuring news, services, and events at Perry Cook Memorial Public Library. Print copies are available for reading at the library. Get library information and news straight to your inbox by subscribing to The Chronicle.
Curious About AI? Let's Make It Simple!
AI Made Simple: A New Learning Series Comes to Perry Cook -
Have you been hearing everyone talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and wondering what all the fuss is about? Maybe you've heard terms like ChatGPT, deepfakes, or AI tools - but aren't quite sure what they mean or how they might affect your everyday life.
This fall, Perry Cook Memorial Library invites you to explore the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence in a new four-part series, AI Made Simple: practical Artificial Intelligence for Everyday Life.
Designed for beginners and the AI-curious alike, this series will break down the basics of artificial intelligence and explore practical ways these new tools can be used at home, at work, and throughout daily life.
September 21 at 5pm: What is AI - and Why is Everyone Talking About It? Our first session will explore the fundamentals of AI and help answer some of the biggest questions surrounding this rapidly growing technology. Whether you're excited, skeptical, curious, or simply wondering what AI actually is, this session is a great place to start!
The remaining sessions will be held on Mondays at 5pm:
- October 19 - AI Tools You Can Start Using Today
- November 16 - AI Safety, Scams, Privacy & Deepfakes
- December 14 - AI for Work, Home & Retirement
This series will be presented by Barb Scott, M.B.A., a Business and AI faculty member at Marion Technical College. Barb is currently developing a technical course in artificial intelligence designed to prepare students with the knowledge and skills identified by industry partners for AI-related careers.
This programming is made possible through funding from the National Science Foundation, Award #2500324, helping bring educational opportunities and emerging technology conversations to communities throughout our area.
Can't make every session at Perry Cook? Don't worry! This programming will also be offered at other Morrow County libraries. Be sure to check their event calendars for additional dates and times.
AI is changing the way we live, work, communicate, and access information - and Perry Cook Memorial Library is excited to provide a welcoming place for our community to learn, ask questions, and explore what these changes might mean for all of us. We hope you'll join us as we make AI a little less intimidating - and a lot more understandable!
Adventures Between the Pages
Our new tween book club.
Each month we'll pick a classic or well-known favorite title. Read the book and join us for a monthly discussion, which will revolve around exploration of book themes, settings & characters, applications for real life, and likes/dislikes, among others. Recommended ages for this book club are 9-12 years, corresponding to 4th-6th grade reading levels.
Our October title will be "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Reach out to us and we'll order you a copy of the book, 419-362-7181. Copies are also available at the desk.
Adventures Between the Pages will meet the first Thursday of each month, 4:30-5:30 pm.
Friends Wanted: Help our Library Grow!
A Friends of the Perry Cook Memorial Library group would be a team of community members who believe in the value of our library and want to help it thrive. Friends groups can support the library by volunteering, helping with special events and fundraisers, promoting library programs and services, and building stronger connections throughout our community.
Most importantly, a Friends group would give you - the community - a voice and an opportunity to be more involved in the future of Perry Cook Memorial Library.
Interested in learning more? We would love to hear from you! Please reach out to Jen Carrick if you are interested in helping us explore what a Friends group could look like, If we generate enough interest, we will hold an introductory meeting in September! Could you be one of our Friends?
New Day and Time for Teen Craft!
Clay it your way! Friday, September 18, 4:00-4:45 pm.
A fun, hands-on craft using air-dry clay to create a one-of-a-kind tea light holder. Shape your creation into a flower, a pumpkin, a house, a heart - or shape of your choosing. Then add your own colors, textures, patterns, and tiny details to truly make this design your own.
No clay experience necessary - just bring your creativity and prepare to squish, shape, and glow.
All supplies provided. Open to tweens and teens, ages 11-18.
Registration required. Register yourself online or call the library and we'll sign you up. Program led by Juliana.
Turning the Page: a New Chapter for Sweet Reads
A new chapter is beginning for our beloved Sweet Reads Book Club! We are excited to announce that our very own Kim Oates will be taking the reins from Cheryl and leading the group into its next chapter.
Sweet Reads is a fun and welcoming women's book club that meets on the second Friday of every month for great conversation, tasty refreshments, and, of course, plenty of talk about all things literary!
Our September selection is "Orphan Train" and we would love for you to join us. Whether you're a longtime book club member or have been thinking about giving it a try, there's always room for another reader at the table. Come turn the page with us!
Second Friday of every month at 2:00 pm.
Orphan Train is a historical novel that weaves together the modern-day story of Molly Ayer, a 17-year-old Penobscot Indian girl in foster care, with the past of Vivian Daly, a 91-year-old woman whose own childhood was shaped by the orphan train movement.
Superbly crafted by Christina Baker Kline - we cannot wait to discuss this as our September book in Sweet Reads. Now available behind the desk at the library.
By Popular Demand: Sewing with Kyle Returns!
September's project is Meadow Mosaic Quilt (56"x65").
Class Information:
- This sewing class will meet on Thursdays, September 17 & 24
- There will be a morning and an afternoon session: 10:00 am - 12:30 pm OR 1:00 - 3:30 pm
- The library doors will open at 9:45 am for the morning session
- Registration IS required
- You can register yourself online through our website events calendar or call the library to sign up, 419-362-7181.
Fabrics:
- (42) - 10" squares (need to have a contrast)
- You can use a layer cake or cut your own squares
- 1 yd. of contrasting fabric or (84) - 3 1/2" squares
- If you would like to make this for Snuggled, you will need to add a border - 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 yds. will do for border and binding.
Equipment/Supplies:
- Sewing machine
- 1/4" foot
- Marking pencil or pen
- Square ruler at least 10" up to 12 1/2" square
- Rotary cutter
- Mat big enough to hold a 12 1/2" square
- 6"x24" ruler or one close to that size
Quilters of all experience levels are welcome, beginners to advanced. Try to attend a session on the 17th, as this is the day of explanation/cutting/block making. If you cannot, we'll still make it work.
As always, you can work on this project, start a new one of your choosing, or bring something that you are trying to finish. Just come for the camaraderie, conversation, fun, and a little quilting, too!
We are excited to welcome back our regular weekly POUND classes at Perry Cook Library! Join us as we get moving, make some noise, and have fun with our very own POUND Pro, Toni.
But that's not all... Once a month, Toni will shake things up with a FREE surprise workout class! Each month, she'll choose a different style of exercise and invite the community to try something new. Will it be stretching, strength and balance, yoga-inspired movement, dance, or something completely different? You'll have to join us to find out!
This monthly series is a fun opportunity to get the people of Johnsville up and moving, explore different types of exercise, and get to know Toni beyond the POUND sticks. Whether you're already active, just getting started, or simply curious about trying something new, everyone is welcome. No membership. No cost. No pressure. Just a new way to move! Come join us each month for a little surprise, a lot of movement, and a chance to try something new at your library!
One library. One surprise workout each month. Endless ways to get moving!
Unearth a Story Wrap Up
GED Classed Offered Every Wednesday
Earn a High School Equivalency (GED) or an Adult Workforce Diploma through one of two programs presented by Knox Technical Center at Perry Cook.
If you need a GED (General Equivalency Diploma), register for weekly GED classes. Open to anyone age 16 or older. You will need to complete an orientation session, where you will learn more about the classes covered (usually math and writing skills), the four GED subject tests you need to pass, how the material can be customized to fit your needs, and get an assessment to determine your individual education plan and goals. Some of the class work can be done online, but in-person classes are held weekly on Wednesdays.
There is not cost to you for these GED or Adult Workforce Diploma classes. If you want to register for either program or need additional information, please call Knox Technical Center at 740-393-2933, ext. 1121.
Save the Date! Special Author Event
Perry Cook will be hosting a special author event with Kathleen Fuller. She will be reading an excerpt from her upcoming book, "Autumn in the Cat Cafe." During the reading, attendees are encouraged to bring a craft, such as knitting, crocheting, or coloring, allowing you to engage in a hands-on activity while enjoying the reading.
The event will take place on Saturday, October 3rd, at 11:00 am. Coloring pages and colored pencils will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own craft projects.
Jen's Corner
A Journey Back in Time - and Back to a Beloved Book.
I just love rereading a book - especially one that was truly well loved the first time around. This year, I have been reading around the world alongside the wonderful readers in our Passport Pages Book Club, and I was thrilled when I saw Outlander on our list for this month, representing Scotland. It gave me the perfect excuse to return to a story and a world that I had loved before.
The books chosen for Passport Pages Book Club aren't necessarily meant to be the "cream of the crop" of literary genius that you might traditionally find on a book club list. Instead, they are chosen because they offer something equally special: a chance to experience a place. Our goal is to travel through books - to get a sense of a country, its people, its history, and its culture - all while sitting right here in everyday Morrow County, Ohio.
Outlander does exactly that. From the sweeping landscapes of Scotland to its rich history and traditions, the book has a way of transporting you completely. But what makes the story truly memorable for me is how real the characters feel. Even in the opening chapters, Claire feels wonderfully human. There is something about the image of her shopping after her time as a wartime nurse and longing for the comfort and stability of having a home that has always stayed with me. And then, of course, Diana Gabaldon takes that longing and turns Claire into something of a permanent nomad for much of the rest of the series.
That contrast gives Claire such depth. I found myself feeling for her and understanding that longing for a place to belong, while also admiring her incredible pragmatism and sense of duty. No matter the time or place in which she finds herself, Claire is, at her core, a healer. Her commitment to caring for others translates across centuries, countries, and circumstances.
Perhaps that is part of the magic of rereading. We may know where the journey is going, but we notice different things along the way. This time around, I found myself thinking less about the adventure and romance and more about Claire herself - her resilience, her restlessness, and the extraordinary ability she has to make a home wherever she happens to be. And for a book that is meant to take us to Scotland, Outlander does something even better: it reminds us that the best stories don't just introduce us to a place. They make us fell as though we have lived there for a little while. So this month, Passport Pages is taking us to Scotland - and I, for one, am happy to be making the journey again.
