Adult Services

Changes Coming this Fall

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Can you believe we are looking at the coming of fall?  There is talk of kids going back to school, of football games starting up again, and of course Fair Week in September.  Change is a part of life and here at the library you will see some changes beginning in September.  First, our public hours will be changing slightly.  If you recall, library hours were changed due to the pandemic and we are excited to extend evening hours during the week–specifically for students needing our facility and resources for school work.  We will also be extending our hours on Saturday and shortening them slightly on Friday to make things more consistent.  Beginning in September, our new public hours will be: Monday-Thursday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM; Friday & Saturday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 


Another major change you will see in September is the return of limited overdue fines for certain types of materials at $.10/day.  If you recall, the library went fine-free in 2020 due to the pandemic. The reasons for the return to limited overdue fines are twofold. First, prior to the pandemic, overdue fines made up over $20,000 of our operating budget.  This was money we could count on each and every year.   That translates into new books and movies for the library and services and programs for the community.  Frankly, overdue fine revenue will help us buy more new books, movies, and other materials.  Second, overdue fines will only be placed on new adult materials, Interlibrary Loan materials, and mobile hotspots.  There will be no fines on children’s library cards, nor fines on older items in the adult, teen, and children’s collections.  As you well know, there is great demand for the latest and greatest titles–especially with bestselling authors or Hollywood blockbuster films.  This will encourage borrowers to return new items promptly so they are available–at no cost, of course–for the next patron. 


Change is not always fun so please let me know if you have any questions about the changes coming in September.  The library remains committed to providing as many materials, resources, services, and programs as possible to the community at no cost..  Please know that any revenue from our limited overdue fines will be reinvested into the library so that we can continue to offer a plentiful, strong, and diverse collection for the community. Thank you and have a good rest of your summer!


– Jim Gill, Director 

Perplexing, Confusing, Brain-Stumping… Puzzles!

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Puzzles were created in the 18th century by John Spilsbury. The old term for jigsaw puzzles was called “Dissected Maps”. When he first designed this tool, he made a map of Europe into pieces This helped children learn geography! 

To this day, millions of people play puzzles. Studies show that puzzles help work left brain and right brain coordination. This makes puzzles great for children with autism to build fine motor skills.

Puzzle Facts: 

  1. Deepika Ravichandran holds the World Record for completing a 250 piece puzzle in 13 minutes and 7 seconds!
  2. The world’s most difficult puzzle is printed on both sides! It is a picture of Dalmations!
  3. Enigmatology is the study of puzzles
  4. In the U.S., 1.8 billion jigsaw puzzles are sold annually.

So why not give your brain some exercise and complete a puzzle! They are a fun group activity and you can even glue it together and frame it!

In the meantime, stop by the adult department and look at my collection of vintage wooden puzzles including: Sesame Street characters, Humpty Dumpty and even Snoopy!

– Ellen Lint, Library Assistant

5-Star Super Reads from our Super Readers

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This year’s Summer Reading Program, Super Heroes, Super Readers, is going, well, SUPER! We have had over 500 registered participants of all ages take part in our reading challenges for chances to win fabulous prizes.

The Adult Summer Reading Challenge is to read and rate books then turn in the ratings back to the library to share with fellow patrons. We’re collecting these ratings in a notebook that you can view at the library to find your next read.

Here are some highlights that have received five-star ratings from other readers. Maybe one of these is your next beach read!

  1. Devoted by Dean Koontz
  2. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
  3. Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center
  4. Warm Nights in Magnolia Bay by Babette De Jongh
  5. In a Book Club Far Away by Tif Marcelo
  6. Past Tense by Lee Child
  7. Missing and Endangered by J.A. Jance
  8. Grateful American by Gary Sinise
  9. Take a Chance on Me by Susan May Warren
  10. Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

– Liz Strauss & Paula Fawcett

Plastic Caps to Plastic Benches

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On behalf of the library, I wanted to say thank you to the community for their overwhelming support of our plastic bench project. 

If you are not aware, the library began a partnership and a journey with an organization called the ABC Promise Partnership in the fall of 2020 with the aim of collecting plastic caps and lids which ultimately will be melted down and extruded into benches made of the recycled material.  If you did not know, the plastic that makes up caps and lids cannot be recycled with your average recyclable plastic. These plastic caps and lids would simply be discarded in the landfill. The ABC Promise Partnership strives to repurpose this plastic into something positive and useful in the community. 

For months and months we have been blessed with donations from the community. The donated caps and lids were sorted and weighed by volunteers (thank you Interact Club at Dover High School, library staff, and community volunteers!) and transported to a plastics factory in Indiana. 

At this time we have three benches made up of the donated caps and lids.  I wanted to say thank you to the sponsors who made the financial commitment to make this project a reality.

Starting with Dover Rotary and the Dover Exchange Club and expanding into donations from private individuals who care about leaving the world a better place, we were able to secure funding for five benches which will be placed on library grounds and throughout the community.

This project was a perfect example of how a group of people with a shared vision and a shared passion can transform something negative into something beautiful and sustaining. 

Thank you T-Valley!

-Jim Gill, Director

Free Seeds at the Library!

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Ripe red tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and fried eggplant. I love all of the tasty fresh garden veggies. My mouth is watering just thinking about them.

The library has a whole wheelbarrow full of seed packets that you can take home to grow in your garden, and it is all free. There are beans, onions, pumpkins, cantaloupe, peas and peppers to name a few. Some of the seed packets have a picture of the veggie they grow on the outside, but a lot of them have a picture of soup beans and you have to check the label to see what kind of seeds are actually inside. There are quite a few delightful surprises in those packets.

So grab your gardening gloves and pick up some free seeds at the Dover Public Library!

-Mallory Thompson, Librarian

So Many Things to Do, Not So Many Miles to Go to Do Them

This entry was posted in Adult Services DPL Blog Local History & Genealogy on by

Spring is here (except for the snow on April 20th), and summer is just around the corner!  Just like everyone else, I am anxious to be outdoors to enjoy the fresh air.  With this in mind, I have tried to invite speakers to get us out of our long hibernation.  Some guests speakers have told us about interesting places in or near Tuscarawas County.  Other speakers have guided us through activities that we can do with friends and family.  

Camp Tuscazoar, Zoarville Ohio logo

In March, Dale Tschantz talked about the history of Camp Tuscazoar and the hiking/biking trails we can enjoy any time of the year.  Laura Watilo Blake presented a program called “The Return to America” in which she reminded us that beautiful and interesting things are literally in our backyard.  Don’t fret that you missed those programs.  We recorded them and you can access them on our handy archive page.

On April 29, Norm N. Nite will talk about his book The House that Rock Built. After hearing him speak, you might want to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  It’s not that far away.  

On May 13, Kim Jurkovic will present “The Building of the Canal in Dover,” which could inspire you to visit the lock just south of New Phila or walk along the river trail near Zoar until you see Lock 9. 

Reeves Museum

On May 18, Tamara Benson and Anastasia Merritt will walk us through the process of how The Reeves Museum made history accessible to children through the writing and illustrating of The New Carriage, the book which introduces Jeeves the horse.  The Museum will resume some activities this summer.  

On June 23, Doug Lockart from the Lockhart Forge in Logan, Ohio will introduce us to the family-owned blacksmith shop where they make iron skillets and teach blacksmithing classes. 

Deb and Scott Morrision, members of TCAPA (Tuscarawas County Area Photography Association)  will inspire us to become better photographers as we enjoy the great outdoors this summer. 

We are organizing an outdoor drum circle for late July or early August.  I don’t know about you, but I haven’t done this before so this promises to be a unique experience. 

You can always take a stroll through the Dover Park. You can try out the adult exercise equipment at the playground down by the ball diamonds. Or you can walk around the pond, stopping along the “Story Walk” to read the book displayed there, or sit on one of the benches to read in the sunshine.  I didn’t mention the disc golf because I haven’t participated in that sport, but I have seen lots of people enjoying the course. 

Visit the flower beds at Warther’s Museum. 

Pack a picnic lunch and sit down by the river at Canal Park. 

Maybe you can just walk in a different neighborhood every day and notice the houses as you pass by.

So many things to do.  Some are a short drive away, others are right here in town.  Just get out there and enjoy them!

-Sherrel Rieger, Library Assistant 

Waiting: A Poem in Two Voices

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In this week’s blog, Technology Manager Jen Miller shares a poem inspired by the challenges we have faced during the pandemic. On the left, we have the perspective of the librarian. On the right, we have the perspective of the patron. In the middle are the shared words of the two voices.

We hope you enjoy this creative and unique poem from our very talented Jen Miller.

Waiting: A Poem in Two Voices

We must space out theComputersAre too few. Much too few.
There is an hour timeLimitMy browsing? My searches? My notes?
Clean between each and every Person - Ally, My time it too valuable for this wait.
To keep you safe computers mustRestartNormalcy. This is too much.
To never again close our DoorsAre open, at least
And stay open forYouDo care.
We hear you and we will TryTo understand; I need the library
To make the best ofThis situationCould be worse.
We areListeningTo me is appreciated
We will get through this together.

– Jen Miller, Technology Manager