Author: abington

We’re thrilled to announce a brand-new creative opportunity for teens this fall! Abington Community Library is teaming up with Scranton Fringe to offer a Teen Playwright Workshop, a five-week course designed to ignite imagination, sharpen storytelling skills, and give young voices the tools to bring their original plays to life. Writing will also be performed at the Scranton Fringe Festival!

Led by local artist and writer Sarah Regan, this workshop is perfect for both seasoned young writers and curious beginners. Sarah is a longtime member of the acclaimed New Vintage Ensemble and brings a wealth of experience as a director, educator, and playwright. Her passion for youth arts education makes this a truly unique chance for teens to learn from a local professional who knows the stage inside and out.

Workshop Details:

• Dates: Tuesdays, September 2 – September 30
• Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• Location: Abington Community Library, 1200 W Grove St, Clarks Summit, PA
• Ages: Open to teens ages 12 and up
• Cost: FREE to attend!

Throughout the workshop, participants will explore the foundations of playwriting, including character development, dialogue, scene structure, and dramatic tension. Whether you dream of writing a Broadway-bound play or just want to try something new, this welcoming and hands-on workshop is the perfect place to start.

Space is limited — and interest is high — so we encourage early registration to secure a spot.

🔗 Register here

Let your voice be heard, your story be told, and your creativity shine on the page and beyond. We can’t wait to see what you create!

Starting the year strong can make a big difference, and the Lackawanna County Library System offers a variety of free online resources to help students of all ages get a great start.

Explore some of our resources below and find more at LCLShome.org!

HelpNow– HelpNow™ offers live tutor access for homework help, skills building and test preparation as well as a writing lab, online study group functionality and more! Live tutors are available daily from 2 to 11 pm.

Power Kids– Pennsylvania’s Electronic Reference Library for Kids

Chat with a librarian, find great pictures and facts for your papers and projects and more!

Sirs Discoverer– This database provides coverage in areas including history, health, language arts, math, science, social studies, and technology. All newspaper, magazine, and reference book content is 100% full text, editorially-selected and indexed from over 2,200 reliable, high-quality global sources, including 400 full-text nonfiction books and around 300 full-text book chapters from publishers such as Britannica, World Book, Rosen Publishing Group, Enslow, and ReferencePoint Press.

Teacher Reference Center– This e-resource for teachers provides indexing and abstracts for 280 peer-reviewed journals.

Transparent Language Online– Whether you’re a true language learning beginner, dusting off your old high school Spanish, or eager to tackle your tenth language—Transparent Language Online will help you get started and stick with it.

National Dog Month is dedicated to our lovely canine companions across the world.  The nation began celebrating this holiday in 2020, thanks to Milk-Bone, who started this tradition. Dogs are the # 1 most common owned pet in the world. There is actual scientific evidence proving having a dog is good for your physical and emotional health.

• Dogs make us feel less alone – they offer unconditional love and emotional support that helps address social isolation.
• They help you stop stressing out – Your canine companion can offer comfort and ease your worries. Multiple studies show that dogs and therapy dogs help alleviate stress and anxiety. Even just petting a familiar dog lowers blood pressure, heart rate, slows breathing, and relaxes muscle tension.
• Dogs help us cope with crisis– many people working with trained service dogs have had significantly less symptoms of PTSD and better coping skills.
• Dogs are good for your heart– studies have shown dog owners have lower blood pressure and improved responses to stress.
• They encourage you to move – walking your dog really adds up, dog owners walk 300 minutes more per week than people without a dog.
• Dogs can help senior with cognitive function and social interaction – pet therapy improves cognitive functions and social interactions. They also can decrease agitated behaviors in seniors with dementia.
• Dogs make us happier – staring into your dog’s eyes can raise your level of oxytocin, and naturally boost your mood!

Source: Blagojevic, Jana. “National Dog Month 2025: When It Is & How to Celebrate – Dogster.” Dogster, 13 Jan. 2025, www.dogster.com/lifestyle/national-dog-month. Accessed 31 July 2025.

Starting Kindergarten is so much fun, but sometimes we can be a little anxious before getting into the routine of school. Check out some great selections from our catalog to help ease the transition into Kindergarten for our youngest Library Learners.

The Night Before Kindergarten– In the tradition of “The Night Before Christmas,” these rhymes outline the thoughts and emotions of children and their parents as they prepare for and attend the first day of kindergarten.

On the Night Before Kindergarten– The night before he starts kindergarten Milo’s dreams are full of worry, but after a fun first day of school, Milo decides that he likes kindergarten!

Twindergarten– Dax and Zoe are twins. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. It’s the night before the twins are starting kindergarten, and they have the just-about-to-start-school jitters. After all, they will be in different classrooms! What will kindergarten be like when they’re not together all day? But Dax and Zoe will learn that kindergarten is full of new surprises and adventures, and being apart for a short while isn’t so bad.

Lola Goes to School– Lola and her family prepare for the first day of school the night before, then get up early, take pictures, and head to class. Lola puts her things in her cubby, chooses her activities, reads, plays, and has a snack. Before she knows it, it’s time to sing the good-bye song and rush into Mommy’s arms for a warm reunion. A comforting, cheerful read that demystifies the school day for preschoolers and kindergarteners.

Butterflies on the First Day of School– Rosie can’t wait to start kindergarten–she’s had her pencils sharpened and her backpack ready for weeks. But suddenly, on the night before the big day, her tummy hurts. Rosie’s mom reassures her that it’s just butterflies in her belly, and she’ll feel better soon. Much to Rosie’s surprise, when she says hello to a new friend on the bus, a butterfly flies out of her mouth! As the day goes on, Rosie frees all her butterflies, and even helps another shy student let go of hers, too.

On the First Day of Kindergarten– On the first day of kindergarten, there’s so much to do! From making new friends to jumping rope in gym to riding the bus to school, there are lots of exciting firsts to look forward to. Even though saying good-bye to Mom and Dad is hard, when the school bus pulls up, it’s time to begin kindergarten fun.

Reading to dogs has several emotional, educational, and social benefits for children.

Dogs make great listeners. They create a safe, relaxed environment that helps children feel more comfortable reading aloud. This comfort can lead to greater confidence when reading in front of others.

Because dogs don’t judge or correct, kids feel less pressure about making mistakes. This builds self-esteem and encourages them to keep practicing. The more children read, the better they get. Reading to a dog offers extra practice, helping kids build fluency at their own pace.

For many children, reading “to” someone—even a furry friend—helps them stay focused and engaged.

Interacting with a therapy dog can also reduce stress and anxiety, making reading a fun and positive experience. Over time, this helps foster a lifelong love of reading.

Abington Community Library hosts Tail Waggin’ Tutors every 2nd Wednesday at 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM. Other libraries in Lackawanna County Library System also host read to dog programs.