Updates from the Library
Summer 2025

See the Library's full calendar of events.

Friends Programs

The Friends of the Library Garage Sale will be held on the weekend of July 19-20. Shop for gently used clothing, household items, toys, tools, small appliances, and more to benefit the Friends of the Youngstown Free Library!

Garage Sale Hours
• Saturday, July 19 from 9 AM - 6 PM
• Saturday, July 20 from 9 AM - 3 PM

UPDATE: At this time, the Friends are no longer accepting donations for the upcoming Community Garage Sale. It means that we've had an overwhelmingly generous response from the community! The Friends are very grateful for everyone's donations, and we look forward to seeing everyone shopping at the Garage Sale!

If your donation is a large item that’s difficult to move, let us post photos of your item at our garage sale and match you with a potential buyer.

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.

Summer Programs For Children and Teens

FOR AGES 2-5:
• Toddler & Preschool Storytime is held on Wednesdays from 10:30-11 AM in Falkner Park. Join Miss S. for stories and songs perfect for your toddlers and preschoolers. It will be an active romp of reading, singing and learning. When storytime is finished, the splashpad turns on!

FOR AGES 4-8:
• Art Adventurers is held on Wednesdays from 1-1:45 PM in Falkner Park. Let's get messy and make art! Every week, we'll enjoy the process of making art--from bubble painting to flower smashing, this will be an active and playful program. After we finish, we'll have a frozen treat for everyone!

FOR AGES 5-10:
• Take & Make Craft Kits are available for pick-up at the Library every Monday starting at 2 PM. There will be 20 kits released every week--first come, first served.

FOR AGES 6-16:
• Dungeons & Dragons Arts & Crafts Edition is a weekly series held on Wednesday afternoons from 4:30-6 PM at the Library. Using the D & D 5th edition, you'll be crafting your own characters, equipment, villains, dungeons, and so much more! Pre-registration for this series is not required, but we'd love to know if you plan to come to make sure we have enough art supplies. Parents are welcome.

FOR AGES 7-12:
• Make Your Own Book is a weekly series held on Tuesday afternoons from 4-5:30 PM at the Library. Every week, we'll tackle an element of creating a book. By the end of this 4-week series, you'll have written & illustrated your own book! Then we'll have a book presentation reception on Saturday, August 9 from 11 AM-1 PM. Pre-registration for this series is not required, but we'd love to know if you plan to come to make sure we have enough supplies on hand.

FOR AGES 10+
• Take & Make Teen Craft Kits are available for pick-up at the Library every other Monday starting at 2 PM. There will be 15-20 kits released every other week--first come, first served.

FOR ALL AGES:
• Tiny Art Show kits will be available for pick-up at the Library starting June 30. Turn your creativity loose! Return your finished artwork by July 30 to have it included in the Library's Tiny Art Show in August. Then we'll have an art show reception on Saturday, August 9 from 11 AM-1 PM.
• Town of Porter Rec Dept is held on Tuesday mornings in June and July from 10-11 AM at the Youngstown Free Library.
• Storywalk in the Park is held on Fridays from 2 PM to 8:30 PM (when the weekly concerts end) in Falkner Park. Each StoryWalk integrates a children's picture book into stops along a walking path. Families can walk...and read!
• Explore our newest Scavenger Hunt in the Children's Room--find the flowers!

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

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.

Either way, great prizes await you!

Summer Programs for Adults

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, July 1 from 1:30-3 PM
• Tuesday, August 5 from 1:30-3 PM
• Tuesday, September 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.
• Wednesday, July 9 from 7-8:15 PM: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
• Wednesday, August 13 from 7-8:15 PM: Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
• Wednesday, September 10 from 7-8:15 PM: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
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, July 15 from 1:30-3 PM: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
• Tuesday, August 19 from 1:30-3 PM: The First Ladies by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray
• Tuesday, September 16 from 1:30-3 PM: The Stranger in the Woods: the extraordinary story of the last true hermit by Michael Finkel
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, August 11 from 1:30-3 PM: Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies by Jared Diamond

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. The May meeting will be held the third Monday due to the Memorial Day closing.
• Monday, June 23 at 7 PM
• Monday, July 28 at 7 PM
• Monday, September 22 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.