Beyond the Shelf with Orrville Public Library

Our 5th Local Author Festival was on March 21, 2026. Twelve authors were new to the event and sat down to chat about their books and writing. The interviews in this episode include Don Ake, Jim Duffey, Irv Korman, Jack Kristofco, Brad Rice, S.E. Rood, S.A. Schneider, G.E. Stroud, Jane Ann Turzillo, and Lori Wilkerson.

The next stops on our U.S. exploration take us down the east coast a little more. Libraries in Connecticut, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania shared some fun facts that we're passing on to you. Thanks to the Canton Public Library, CT, Northport-East Northport Public Library, NY, Millsboro Public Library, DE, Cape May County Public Library, NJ, and Punxsutawney Library, PA!

As we continue our celebration of America's 250th anniversary, Jenny & Dawn share letters and stories from Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island as well as American Samoa. Thanks to Bethany at Calef Memorial Library, Berit at Ellsworth Public Library, Elizabeth at Seabrook Library, Matt at Pawtucket Public Library, and Amanda at Winchester Public Library for helping us with research for this episode.

As we begin exploring America, Dawn and Jenny start in the Midwest. In this episode we'll learn about libraries and locales from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. Tune in for fun facts and learn something new!Find more information about all these places and more in our library's catalog.

This year is the 250th anniversary of the founding of the USA. We want to share interesting information about each state and territory that makes up this nation including (but not limited to) traditions, authors, books, and famous people. We're connecting with libraries across the country to learn unique things about places like Orrville. Each episode we will share what we've learned about five states or territories. Join us on this journey across our nation! Find books and more about American History in our catalog!

We're wrapping up our 100th anniversary in this episode with some special guests: past employees of the Orrville Public Library. Take a walk down memory lane and maybe learn something new in this month's episode.Books shared by our guests:The Reservation by Rebecca KaufmanKilling Time by MC BeatonSugar and Spite by MC BeatonOld School by Gordon Korman

Jenny and Dawn zero in on the Pulitzer Prize novel The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead in this episode. Published in 2019 with a movie adaptation released in 2024, this impactful story almost required a book to movie comparison. The content of this book is very heavy and upsetting at times, but tells an important story based on real events. Reader discretion is strongly suggested. Find The Nickel Boys, other books by Colson Whitehead, and so much more with our online catalog.

The sequel to last month's episode brings a conversation with Cindy Lombardo, director from 1998-2004. This time period included a large library building project and book collaboration with Orrville schools students. Books Cindy is reading:2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed by Eric KlinenbergMy Friends by Fredrick BackmanThe Power Broker by Robert CaroFind these titles and more in our catalog. Please note: due to technical difficulties, the audio quality of this episode is lower than our standard.

In this two-part series, Dawn and Jenny sat down with past directors to talk about how Orrville Public Library has changed over the decades. Our guest for part one is Lynn Stainbrook, director from 1987-1998. Lynn recommends two mystery series: the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman and the Inspector Gamanche series.

We've said before that the library is more than just books. In this episode, let's explore what that means. Our Library of Things contains 176 items that you can play with, learn with, bake with, and much more! Click here to see the growing list of items in the Library of Things. Visit the library to see what's available to checkout today!

Will Hillenbrand, picture book illustrator and author, visited the Orrville Public Library to celebrate our 100th anniversary in May. We were glad to sit down for a chat about storytelling and growing up. Find Will's books on our shelves and in our catalog.

Part of our 100th anniversary celebration theme is 'celebrating the past'. We decided a good way to do that would be to have a local history panel. On March 17, 2025, three local experts answered questions about the city and shared their memories. Take a walk down memory lane with this episode of Beyond the Shelf.

In this episode, we talked with OHuddle Executive Director Sara Reith about this unique in-school mentorship organization. Take a listen to learn about the mission and methods of OHuddle throughout Wayne County. To find out more about OHuddle, including how you can be a part of the movement, go to www.OHuddle.org.

Fourteen new authors share about their books, writing, and reading in this month's episode of Beyond the Shelf:R.W. Futrell, Max Willi Fischer, Connie Nussbaum, Julie Hatcher, Lorie Troyer, Eva Johnson Allen and C. Ermal Allen, Cary Harter, Christy Donmoyer, Dottie Sines, Kayla Maximovich Ogg, Amanda M. Lyons, Joanne Lehman, Cyndi Brec, and Gloria A. Adams. Find their books in our online catalog! Learn more about OPL events and programs on our website.

Grab the popcorn and enjoy a movie from the library! Find out about how you can check out movies from the library and the Hoopla app in this episode of Beyond the Shelf. Also in this episode is a special chat with Marsha about the 100th Anniversary event, 100 Years of Orrville. Find your favorite movies and more in our online catalog.

In honor of President's Day, we took a look at the history of U.S. presidents to find some fun and interesting facts about them. Who enjoyed a variety of animals? Who was left handed? Find out in this episode. For OPL's 100th anniversary, we spoke with 'the brains of the operation' Pearl, who has seen many changes in the library over the years. Check out the amazing things happening at Orrville Public Library on our website: www.orrville.lib.oh.us!

It's our 100th anniversary! Dawn and Jenny took the opportunity to talk to Daphne, the library director, about activities and events to celebrate the past and imagine the future happening in 2025. Mark your calendar for April 7, 2025 - Centennial Celebration Kickoff. Stop by the library to learn more about the 100 Challenges. Visit our website to see more events on our online calendar.

Dawn and Jenny go global for this episode. They explore interesting and odd holiday traditions from around the world. Have you heard of Mari Lwyd or the Kallikantzaroi? Enjoy this special holiday episode and learn about some fun traditions. Learn more about library events and services on our website. Merry Christmas from Orrville Public Library!

The Orrville YMCA is "more than a gym and swim." Listen to this episode to learn about the Y from their wonderful director, Lindsay Baumgartner. Check out The Kessler Effect series by Vannetta Chapman which Lindsay recommends in our library catalog.

Tune in for conversation about book monsters and mythical creatures in this Halloween-themed episode. We also chat with Ohio author Greg Scheetz about his new cryptid creature A to Z book, Bigfoot Walks Barefoot. Find Greg's books on his website and in the library's catalog.

Graphic novels are getting noticed so it's time to get into some great titles. Jenny and Dawn discuss several graphic novels for all ages in this month's episode. Titles from this episode include: Maus by Art Spiegelman Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe Author/Illustrator Molly Knox Ostertag Bloodlust & Bonnets by Emily McGovern The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Macksey The Dam Keeper by Robert Kondo and Dice Tsusumi Various Eisner award winners Find these titles and more in our Catalog.

The Cookbook Club is a longstanding group at OPL. Dawn and Jenny sat down with the club's coordinator, Corrie, to talk about the highs and lows of cooking and the comradery that food brings. Find 'The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner's Ready' by Ree Drummond in our catalog, along with thousands of other cookbooks.

Some moments will be memories forever … like meeting your heroes! Dawn and Jenny share their own and others' experiences of meeting people they admire in this episode. Let us know if you've met anyone that you admire and what that experience was like in the Q&A section or on our Facebook page. Find the authors mentioned in this episode in our online catalog.

There are over 8,000 DVDs available at OPL including movies and TV series. In this episode Dawn & Jenny challenged each other to watch their favorite TV series and share their reviews. These shows, movies, and more are available at OPL or in the ClevNet catalog!

Dawn and Jenny from OPL sat down with Dawn and Jenny from the Orrville Area United Way to chat about nonprofits, Dolly Parton, and more. Learn more about the Orrville Area United Way at OrrvilleAreaUnitedWay.org. Find books discussed in this episode in the library catalog.

At the 3rd annual Local Author Festival, Dawn and Jenny chatted with eight authors who were new to the Orrville author event. These authors write everything from poetry to picture books. Find these authors' books and more in our catalog. Rebecca Greenfield's website Lindsay Ward's website Debbie Ashley's website George Ebey's website AudraKate Gonzalez's website Alex Erickson's website Alexxa Burton's YouTube channel Cat Russell's website

There are plenty of reasons why Orrville is a great city. Dawn and Jenny had the chance to sit down with Orrville's most recent mayors to talk about our city and what makes it unique. Thank you to Dave Handwerk and Mayor Matt Plybon for joining us for this episode.

Two well-known celebrities' books, debatably alike in dignity, in this fair podcast where we lay our scene. Fred Rogers, America's neighbor, and Britney Spears, once America's sweetheart, each have had the opportunity to write about their experiences. In this episode, Dawn and Jenny discuss the memoirs A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and The Woman in Me. Although these two may seem like opposites, a look under the surface may show a little more. To find these titles and more, visit the Orrville Public Library website.

Happy New Year! In this episode we're exploring our resolutions including our reading goals. Learn some ways to reach your goals in the new year and find some fun reading prompts for your next reading challenge. Find your next challenge book in our catalog!

It's Christmas time again! Dawn & Jenny share their conversation with historical fiction novelist Patti Flinn whose newest historical fiction novel "The Greatest Thing" released on 11/30/2023. They reflect on their Christmas movies challenges from last year as well as discussing some nontraditional Christmas movies and lesser-known holiday books. Find more about Patti Flinn and her books at gildedorangebooks.com/. Find many of the books and movies discussed in this episode in our catalog.

Stepping out of our favorite book genres can be hard so Jenny and Dawn challenged themselves to read new genres. Sometimes going beyond your usual shelves turns out to be a great choice. Books discussed in this episode are The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, and It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime. Find these books in our catalog or on your smartphone with Libby. Content Warning: Please be advised that in this episode we discuss racism and domestic violence. If you are sensitive to these topics please use discretion when listening. If you or someone you know are a victim of domestic violence please seek help by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Residents of Wayne and Holmes counties can find assistance with One Eighty.

Music reaches into many parts of life including the library. Dawn and Jenny spent some time discussing their favorite musicians, music themed movies, and books. Let us know some of your favorite misheard lyrics in the Q&A section. Did you know that you can find music and movies at Orrville Public Library? Stop in or take a look in our catalog to find CDs and DVDs. On Hoopla, you'll find music and movies updated weekly. The books discussed in this episode were The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb and All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir.

Beyond the Shelf with OPL is one year old! We're so excited! Dawn and Jenny decided to pass the microphone to the rest of the OPL staff. Get to know the staff from each department, what they do, and a bit about them as well. Thank you to all of you, the listeners, for making this first year so fantastic! 1st Anniversary Giveaway - Pick up a trivia sheet from the Information Desk. When completed, return it to receive a Beyond the Shelf pinback button, and be entered to win an exclusive Beyond the Shelf mug. The giveaway contest runs from September 1-30, 2023. Learn more about Orrville Public Library, programs, and services on our website: www.orrville.lib.oh.us.

This month is a gathering of Thriller titles from across the literary world. Jenny and Dawn discuss classic thriller and mystery books and favorite shows. We are pleased to share a conversation with young adult author Mindy McGinnis who has written a number of titles in the thriller genre as well as historical fiction and fantasy. Find out more about Mindy McGinnis on her website: MindyMcGinnis.com. Find Mindy's books, and any of the titles discussed in this episode in the Orrville Public Library catalog.

Summer is in full swing and fun activities are not hard to find... especially in Orrville. In this episode we've got summer book and activity suggestions for everyone. What do you like to read and do in the Summer? To find any of the books we discussed go to our catalog: www.search.clevnet.org Local Activities include the Orrville Railroad Historical Society, Orrville Historical Society, Orrville Lions Rib & Music Fest, Orr Pool & Splash Pad, Wayne County Rails to Trails, and Orrville Parks and Rehm Performing Arts concert series.

Summer has finally arrived and that means it's time for Summer Reading at OPL! In this episode we talk to local author and leadership expert Tim Hiller about his book Strive and the importance of serving your community. All the details of OPL Summer events are shared by library staff, Nicholas and Tammy, including the launch of the Library on the Go! Van, the Summer Reading Program, and lots of fun activities for everyone. To learn more about the Summer Reading Program and the Library on the Go! Van go to the library website: www.orrville.lib.oh.us/

Aliens, robots, monsters, and superheroes … We're talking science fiction this time around. Join us as we discuss the history of sci-fi and some of our favorite and least favorite books and films across this genre. This past October, Dawn & Jenny had the opportunity to talk to some of the cosplayers from the Ohio Garrison of the 501st Legion during OPL's annual Fandom Week. The 501st Legion is a fantastic volunteer organization of dedicated fans of a certain sci-fi series from a galaxy far, far away. To find out more about the 501st, listen to this episode and check out their website 501st.com. Thank you to Bryan and the members of the 501st Legion's Ohio Garrison and Rebel Legion who generously attended Fandom Week and allowed us to interview them.

It's not hard to tell that we love local authors. During Orrville Public Library's second annual Local Author Festival we sat down with the authors to chat about their books. In this two part episode are interviews with each of the authors who attended on March 11, 2023. Find more information about each author below. Visit the ⁠library catalog⁠ to find their books! Authors in this episode: Patrick Kinkead - fantasy; on Amazon Patricia Miller - YA and Middle grade mystery and science fiction; PM Writes Don Ruff - Nonfiction Humor & Entertainment; DonRuff.com Greg Scheetz - Children's books; Scheetz Books Erik Steidl - Children's books, YA Biblical Fiction; Instagram: @erik.steidl C.C. Warrens - Christian Suspense; CCWarrensBooks.com Shirley Weyrauch - Christian Devotional; ShirleyWeyrauch.com Cassandra Zook - Illustrator; CassandraZook.com

It's not hard to tell that we love local authors. During Orrville Public Library's second annual Local Author Festival we sat down with the authors to chat about their books. In this two part episode are interviews with each of the authors who attended on March 11, 2023. Find more information about each author below. Visit the library catalog to find their books! Part 1 Authors: Jordan Antonino - Urban Fantasy; on Facebook Dan R. Arman - Fantasy; Like Dreamers Do Press Mary Arman (Rose Withering) - Fantasy; Like Dreamers Do Press Michele L. Brooks - Local History; Orr Cemetery: Reflections of the Past Chiseled in Stone Doug Brown - Biography, Self-help; DougBrown.org Dawn Dagger - High fantasy, Christian Romance, Science Fiction; Linktree to website and more Chrissy Hartmann - Contemporary Western Romance; ChrissyHartmann.com Dorcas Sharp Hoover with Phyllis Lehman - House calls and Hitching posts Max Eli Kelbly - To Speak is to See

Dawn & Jenny talk with New York Times Best-selling author Natalie D. Richards about Star Wars, writing, and her new thriller Four Found Dead coming in early May 2023. New York Times Bestselling Author Natalie D. Richards is the author of eight “page-turning thrillers'' (School Library Journal), including Five Total Strangers (2020) and Seven Dirty Secrets (2021).  Four Found Dead (May 2, 2023) will be her ninth bone-chilling novel. Her first middle-grade novel, through Penguin Random House, is called 15 Secrets to Survival and is due out in Fall of 2023. A champion of literacy and aspiring authors, Richards is a frequent speaker at schools, libraries, and writing groups. She lives in Ohio with her three children and (very) large dog, Wookiee. Learn more about Natalie D. Richards and her books on her website: www.nataliedrichards.com.

In anticipation of the library's Second Annual Local Author Festival, we're discussing Ohio authors and their notable books. The state of Ohio has a wealth of authors from the familiar to others that may surprise.  Come to the library for the Local Author Festival on Saturday, March 11 from 11:00am to 2:00pm. You can meet some of your local favorites and find new reads. Learn more about the festival including a list of authors by visiting our website.  Can you Stump the Librarians? If you've got a question about the library or Orrville, send us an email with the subject 'Stump the Librarians' or ask us on our Facebook page with the tag #StumpTheLibrarians. We'll try to answer your questions or you might just stump Jenny and Dawn.  Authors & Titles discussed in this episode: Toni Morrison - Beloved Sharon Creech - Boy on the Porch Margaret Peterson Haddix - Among the Hidden Robert McCloskey - Make way for Ducklings Will Hillenbrand - Spring is Here! Cinda Williams Chima - The Heir Chronicles; Children of Ragnarok Dandi Daley Mackall - The Silence of Murder R.L. Stine - Welcome to Dead House Mary Doria Russell - The Sparrow; Children of God Thrity Umrigar - The Space Between Us; The Secrets Between Us; Museum of Failures David Giffels - All the Way Home Authors mentioned: O. Henry, Langston Hughes, Zane Grey, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Louis Bromfield, DM Pulley, Alex Erickson, Amanda Flower, Dav Pilkey, Cynthia Rylant, Lindsay Bonilla, Anthony Doerr, Jennifer Chiaverini, Sue Grafton, and Celeste Ng. Search our catalog to find and place a hold on any of the titles discussed in this episode. Or, visit the library for assistance!

In this episode Jenny interviews Dawn, our Teen Services Specialist, about everything YA (Young Adult). We discuss great YA reads and how we make OPL a place for teenagers and students in middle and high school. We've all been there, in the awkward teenager stages, which means YA books are for everyone. Take a listen and maybe you'll find a YA book that you love.  More activities for teens at OPL: the Teens page and our Events Calendar  What's new in YA at OPL:  view our online catalog or stop by the library to check out the new books shelf.

This month we're discussing adaptations and retellings.  We're talking about some of our favorite books and their movie adaptations.  Was the book or movie better?  We also chat about retellings of some beloved classics like “Pride and Prejudice” and “Sherlock Holmes.”  Find more of the books and movies we mentioned in our catalog. This podcast includes the last of the Artist Fest interviews including: Sam Sheller, potter - Smithville Community Historical Society Amy Schlabach, painter - Capture the Calm Tia Dozie Smith, painter & author - Instagram: TiasArt731; Fish Wish on Amazon Dennis Lipp, painter - Peace Like A River Fine Art

Holiday traditions vary from family to family. We discuss some of our favorite holiday traditions including baking, stories, and classic movies. We'd love to hear about  your traditions and favorite Christmas movies on our Facebook page.  In this episode, we've included a few more interviews with local artists that we recorded at our Local Artists Festival on October 22, 2022. The final interviews will be a part of our January episode. Artists: Verna Horvath - Facebook: New Every Morning Creations John Lorson - website: Rail Trail Naturalist; Instagram @railtrailnaturalist Kristin Lorson - website: Kristin-Art.com; Facebook: KristinArt Personality Portraits

We had the opportunity to sit down with Daphne Silchuk-Ashcraft, the current director of Orrville Public Library. Daphne has spent over two decades working in libraries; she's enjoying leading OPL in new outreach services. We've also included interviews with some of the artists from our Local Artists Festival.  You can find the artists from this episode on social media and their websites listed below. Nancy Graham - artwork available at Uptown Downtown in Wooster, Ohio (330) 262-9735 Melissa Csepel - Facebook: Be Abundant Now Tim Shue - Instagram: @woodnshue  Stephen Miller - Instragram: @stevemiller8116

Are you a fan? Let's talk about some of our favorite books, movies, and shows. Come out for Fandom Week October 31 - November 5.

In our premiere episode, we're sharing some of the services that Orrville Public Library has to offer. Jenny and Dawn, OPL staff, chat about their favorite things you can find at the library from Story Times to the Memory Lab and much more. Find out what's happening Beyond the Shelf with Orrville Public Library!  Check out the Orrville Public Library website for more information about all the things we talked about in this episode. 

Orrville Public Library has so much to offer the community beyond the bookshelf. Tune in on the first Friday of each month for a lively discussion about books, movies, library programs, and more.