Updates from the Library
Autumn 2025

See the Library's full calendar of events.

Friends of the Library Programs

The Second Annual Harvest Tea will be held on Saturday, October 4th at noon at the First Presbyterian Church in Youngstown. Join the Friends of the Library and the Lewiston Service Guild for our elegant high tea service fundraiser to benefit both organizations. We'll enjoy salad, sandwiches, scones and cakes, along with tea, of course! Mimosas will be available to purchase. A selection of baskets will be raffled off at the end of the event.

• Tickets are $45 each.
• To reserve a table for eight, purchase a table for $340.
• Basket raffle tickets are $25 each.

Tickets can be purchased at the Youngstown Free Library and at Queen B's Cottage.


The Friends of the Library Annual Fall Book Sale will be held at the beginning of November! There will be thousands of titles available and all of them will be sorted and organized.
• Friday, November 7 from 9:30 AM - 6 PM
• Saturday, November 8 from 9:30 AM - 3 PM

Members' Preview Night
• Thursday, November 6 from 5 PM - 8 PM
Members of the Friends ($10 to join!) get in early for first dibs at the thousands of offerings! You can join the Friends at the door or join in advance here.

Book Donations
Do you have books to donate to the Friends of the Library? We are completely out of storage space at the Library, so please HOLD your donations until the following dates:
• Monday, Nov. 3 from 10 AM - 3 PM and 6 - 8 PM at the Youngstown Red Brick Gym
• Tuesday, Nov. 4 from 10 AM - 3 PM and 6 - 8 PM at the Youngstown Red Brick Gym
• Wednesday, Nov. 5 from 10 AM - 3 PM and 6 - 8 PM at the Youngstown Red Brick Gym

Please note, we cannot accept textbooks, encyclopedias, VHS tapes, and any materials with mold issues.

Finishing the Summer Reading challenge

The Library's Summer Reading Challenge will run from June 30 - September 6 (the end of the first week of school). This year, families can track their child's time spent reading two ways:

• Download the READSquared app from the App Store or the Google Play Store and create an account under the Youngstown Free Library OR
• Log in to the READSquared website on your computer to create an account and track time spent reading.

So far, 69 readers have already logged a record-breaking 138,131 minutes!

Autumn Programs For Children and Teens

• Story Hour with the Town of Porter is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers! Every week, we read together, make crafts, and practice socialization skills while having fun! No registration required.
• Tuesday, September 16 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM
• Tuesday, September 16 from 11 - 12 PM
• Tuesday, September 23 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM
• Tuesday, September 23 from 11 - 12 PM
• Tuesday, September 30 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM
• Tuesday, September 30 from 11 - 12 PM
• Tuesday, October 7 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM
• Tuesday, October 7 from 11 - 12 PM
• Tuesday, October 14 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM
• Tuesday, October 14 from 11 - 12 PM
• Tuesday, October 21 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM
• Tuesday, October 21 from 11 - 12 PM
• Tuesday, October 28 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM
• Tuesday, October 28 from 11 - 12 PM
• Tuesday, November 4 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM
• Tuesday, November 4 from 11 - 12 PM
• Tuesday, November 18 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM
• Tuesday, November 18 from 11 - 12 PM
• Tuesday, December 2 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM
• Tuesday, December 2 from 11 - 12 PM
• Tuesday, December 9 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM
• Tuesday, December 9 from 11 - 12 PM


• Visit the Tiny Art Show Exhibition in the Magazine Room. Sixty-eight artists of all ages completed a small canvas this summer, and their creations are magnificent and delightful! Visit soon, as this art display will only be up until the end of September!


• Explore our newest Scavenger Hunt in the Children's Room--find the camper vans to solve the knock-knock joke!

Any last-minute updates to programs will be posted to the Library's Facebook page and updated on the Library's calendar.

Autumn Programs for Adults

Tech Help: Cybersecurity & Scams is the perfect class if you've ever worried that you could fall for a scam or that your computer could get a virus, especially something that could put your finances or your identity at risk. Sara Taylor, the tech trainer from Nioga, will be here to teach you about cybersecurity and avoiding scams.
• Wednesday, September 24 from 2-3:30 PM
Registration is not required, but we highly encourage you to call the Library so we can advise you what you bring for the class.


Tech Help with Sonora and Adam will be held on the first Tuesday of every month at 1:30 PM at the Lewiston Senior Center. It's a one-on-one appointment program to answer your questions about your cell phones, tablets, and laptop computers.
• Tuesday, September 2 from 1:30-3 PM
• Tuesday, October 7 from 1:30-3 PM
• Tuesday, November 4 from 1:30-3 PM
• Tuesday, December 2 from 1:30-3 PM
Registration is required; please call Melinda at the Senior Center to sign up for a half-hour slot: 716-754-2071.


Tabletop Gaming is held on Tuesday evenings from 6-8 PM. Teens and adults, join us for good gaming and great company! No registration is required.


Evening Book Club meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 7 PM at the Youngstown Free Library with a simultaneous Zoom option.
• Wednesday, September 10 from 7-8:15 PM: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
• Wednesday, October 8 from 7-8:15 PM: author study of Louise Erdrich
• Wednesday, November 12 from 7-8:15 PM: Sabrina by Nick Drnaso
• Wednesday, December 10 from 7-8:15 PM: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Here is the list of all the titles we'll be reading and discussing until the end of the year, as well as the dates of upcoming Evening Book Club get-togethers.


Afternoon Book Club meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 1:30 PM at the Lewiston Senior Center.
• Tuesday, September 16 from 1:30-3 PM: The Stranger in the Woods: the extraordinary story of the last true hermit by Michael Finkel
• Tuesday, October 21 from 1:30-3 PM: Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
• Tuesday, November 18 from 1:30-3 PM: James by Percival Everett
• Tuesday, December 16 from 1:30-3 PM: This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub Here is the list of all the titles we'll be reading and discussing until summer, as well as the dates of upcoming Afternoon Book Club get-togethers.


Non-Fiction Book Club meets virtually every other month. If you'd like to receive the Zoom link, please contact Sonora at 745-3555 or smiller@nioga.org.
• Monday, October 27 from 1:30-3 PM: Frostbite: how refrigeration changed our food, our planet, and ourselves by Nicola Twilley.

All are welcome to any of the book clubs! To receive a copy of the book, you can order it here. If you have questions about how to attend, please contact Sonora at 745-3555 or smiller@nioga.org.


Library Board of Trustees meets the fourth Monday of every month at 7 PM at the Youngstown Free Library. No meetings are typically scheduled in August and December.
• Monday, September 22 at 7 PM
• Monday, October 27 at 7 PM
• Monday, November 24 at 7 PM
Meeting reports are available online the weekend before the meeting.

Any last-minute updates to programs will be posted to the Library's Facebook page and updated on the Library's calendar.