Book sale, Suminagashi program, World Fair Trade Day
May is a busy month at the Bluffton Public Library. Here's a list of events planned:
Children’s Book Week is May 1-6. Celebrate by checking out a children’s book from our many sections of children’s materials. Take on the “Reading without Walls” Challenge.
Dulcimers @ the Library continues into May at its regular meeting time, Tuesdays at 1 p.m. Meetings are in the library’s lower level.
Chill Zone is a time and space for tweens and teens to hang out and relax at the library every Tuesday after school, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Anyone in 6th through 12th grade is welcome to join. Snacks are provided.
The Library offers free one-on-one tech tutoring sessions,Tutor Me Paperless, on Wednesdays by appointment. These sessions happen every other month and cover the basics of navigating laptops, PCs, smartphones, tablets, Microsoft Office, or obtaining eBooks free through the Ohio Digital Library by way of the Overdrive app. To schedule an appointment in May, stop by the front desk, call 419-358-5016, or email [email protected].
The library’s Adult Book Discussion group will meet May 3 at noon to Skype with author Amy Belding Brown about her book Mr. Emerson’s Wife. This monthly discussion group is always looking for new members; registration is requested. Call 419-358-5016 or email [email protected] for more information. On June 7, the group will discuss Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly.
May the 4th be with you! On May 4, come to the library to feel the force. Star Wars- themed activities will be stationed throughout the library all day, for all ages.
Children ages 6 through 12 are invited to the second Brain Builders Free Build: Construction Zone session on May 4 at 4 p.m. Brain Builders provides opportunities for problem solving and imaginative construction, and this series of Brain Builders does not require registration.
On May 4 at 6 p.m., the library’s Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writer’s Group will meet. If you are working on writing in this genre, or are seriously interested in doing so, you are invited to join this group. For more information or to join (space may be limited), email [email protected].
Library Playgroup continues on Fridays at 10 a.m. in May. Make a play date and the library will provide the space and toys. Registration is not required for these Playgroup sessions.
All ages are welcome at the library’s Farmer’s Market Storytime on May 6 at 10 a.m. at Farmers’ Market opening day in the Citizens National Bank parking lot on South Main.
Jammin’ at the Library continues at the library at 6 p.m. on May 8 and 22. This is a song-circle style jam session to which anyone is welcome to join. Bring your instrument, voice, or listening ears. This month’s Jammin’ at the Library (Instructional) is on May 18 at 6 p.m. Learn various methods in jammin’-style music. Topics are determined each month by the group. For more information, email [email protected].
The Friends of the Library Book Sale will be held in the lower level of the library starting May 10 at 5 p.m. and ending May 13 at 1 p.m. Have a free cup of coffee and cookie as you browse our many books and other materials for sale. All proceeds benefit the library’s many programs and services to the public. The sale is open May 10 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; May 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; May 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and May 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
World Fair Trade Day is May 13. Visit the library between May 10 and May 13 to sample some fair trade foods (while supplies last) and learn more about fair trade.
On May 15 at 6 p.m., the library will host another Suminagashi program. This program is for 6th grade through adult and will involve an introduction to this Japanese marbling technique using floating ink, followed by time to experiment on one’s own. Please register by May 9.
Watercolor Workshop is back on May 22 at 5:30 p.m. Jeanne Beutler will continue teaching on the lower level of the library. Theme this month is “Hollyhocks and Bumblebees.” Advance registration is required (the number of registrants is limited).Walk away with your own watercolor piece of art, complete with mat! There is a $10 supply fee at the door (cash only please).
The Gluten Free and Food Allergy Support Group meets s on May 22 at 6:30 pm. Please notice: this group will meet in the Local History Room on the library’s main level.
A Youth Art Lesson presented by Janette Reineke will be on May 25 at 3:30 p.m. This program is open to ages 11-13, and the supply fee is $8 (cash only) at the door. Kids will explore Picasso’s cubism technique and walk away with their very own mask. Please register with the library by May 22.
The library’s community display case will feature local art photography from Elysian Fields Photography.
The library will be closed on May 29 in observance of Memorial Day. Due dates are adjusted accordingly.
Stories Posted This Week
Friday, September 11, 2026
- Mennonite Home Communities provide backup phone numbers during outage
- Pirate volleyball wins in four vs. Elmwood
- Howard Thornsberry worked in the produce industry
- Pirate girls soccer silenced by Bath
- Pirate boys soccer nipped by Liberty-Benton
- September 11 Bluffton High School athletics lineup, streaming
- Sept. 12 Open Doors offers sneak peek at future Bluffton museum space
- Innovation Forum challenges leaders to think deeper about AI
- Invitation to Sept 15 Bluffton Lions program with Dr. William H. Kose
- Deer archery hunting begins Sept. 12 in Disease Surveillance Area
Thursday, September 10, 2026
- Women in Business program with Positive Nutrition
- It's time for Fall Storytime at the Bluffton Public Library
- Pirate girls golf win vs. Lima Central Catholic
- Pirate boys golf splits NWC tri
- Bluffton PTO is collecting Community Markets receipts
- Richland Twp. trustees hire mower and Zoning Inspector
- Schumacher Homestead plans a farm full of Fall Fest activities
- Hindsight is 20/20: Recent reports for RSV, flu, and COVID-19
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
- Darrell Lee Diller, 92, managed a farming business
- Bluffton alumni will discuss pathways to chaplaincy
- Beaverdam cleanup day is Sept. 12
- Pirate boys golf 3rd at NWC quad
- Pirate volleyball outlasts Arlington
- Pirate girls soccer blanks Crestview
- Pirate boys soccer tie vs. Kalida
- Letter: The future of American agriculture
- Maple Grove Cemetery records now online
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
- Bluffton Historical meets Sept. 9 at the 1899 Depot
- Jerry L. Blosser worked for DTR Industries
- Bluffton Schools cancelled on September 8, cleanup for biodigester malfunction underway
- July 2026 Bluffton Police Dept. activity report
- Hillville Rd. closure on Sept. 8-9
- Lions and friends will count pathway users in September
- Bluffton Ohio Historical Society takes part in Ohio Open Doors, Sept. 12