What do a Root Slayer Shovel, free admission to the Pittock Mansion and heirloom vegetable seeds all have in common?

They are all things you can check out of the Lake Oswego Public Library!

September is national Library Card Sign-Up Month and in case you needed one more reason to get yours or make sure your kids have one, here’s a rundown of what our library has to offer.

CULTURAL PASS EXPRESS. Enjoy FREE admission to local venues and experiences includindg: End of the Oregon Trail interpretive Center, Evergreen Aviation Museum, Lan Su Chinese Garden, Oregon Historical Society, Oregon State Parks, Portland Art Museum, Portland Opera, The Oregon Garden and more! Check out all your options here.

DISCUSSION GROUPS. These groups meet virtually on a regular basis including A Bookish Affair for devotees of romance and happily-ever-afters and Building Bridges Book Group to build understanding, empathy and connection in our world through reading and discussing acclaimed works of fact and fiction.

LIBRARY OF THINGS. Explore an array of useful items for borrowing from sewing machines to VHS-to-DVD converters. This is a great resource for those seasonal occasions you might need something or to try an item out before purchasing it.

LOCAL HISTORY. For the budding historian, the library has digitized photos and documents, newspaper indexes, oral history recordings and more to deepen your understanding of this place we call home.

ONLINE RESOURCES. Your library card gives you access to popular online resources like Libby for e-books and audiobooks, and Kanopy for streaming movies as well as research databases like Consumer Reports or the Ancestry Library Edition, newspapers and local news resources, online courses offered through LinkedIn Learning, Mango Languages and Creativebug crafting, and eContent for kids and Teens.

SEED LIBRARY. Grow a green thumb using the library’s seed library as a resource for gardening in formation and free vegetable, herb and flower seeds. You do have to check out the seeds (for inventory purposes) but no, you do not have to return them – hopefully you will plant them instead! More information here.

WORLD LANGUAGES COLLECTION. The library offers books written in or translated into Chinese, Korean and Spanish

And then there’s the programming the library offers. From storytimes and Storywalks to concerts, adult crafting workshops and author presentations, the library’s calendar of events is filled with offerings for all ages.

So make sure you and everyone in your household is a card-carrying member of the Lake Oswego Public Library. Last year the library met its challenge to get 300 more people signed up. They are hoping for even more this year. They will have candy, games, and a chance to win prizes at the front desk for new library cardholders.

And…the American Library Association is holding its own contest in honor of the month, challenging everyone to “Try Something New” at your library. Share that experience with them online and enter to win a $150 Visa Gift Card.

The Lake Oswego Public Library is just one of hundreds of reasons to love Lake Oswego. Discover more by subscribing to this blog. Or give us a call and let us share our experience as both residents and Realtors to help. you discover the joys of calling Lake Oswego home!

Kevin Costello 503.939.9801

Riley Costello 971.322.6205