HCPL Press Releases

Harford County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, Make a Splash READ!, began on June 14th and almost 9,000 children and teens signed up during the first week.  

The Summer Reading Program offers programs for children birth through high school. Upon registering all participants receive a free bag. Children up to school age can join the Read To Me program and after listening to 25 books they can receive a free book.  Elementary school participants in the Make a Splash READ! program need to read 10 books to receive a free book. Middle school and high school teens who participate in the Make Waves at Your Library program need to read 3 books. Middle school participants receive a free book and high school teens receive a Barnes & Noble gift card when they complete.

All summer reading bag and book giveaways are while supplies last and are supported by Celebree Learning Centers, HAR-CO Maryland Federal Credit Union, Aberdeen Rotary Club, the Aegis, and the Harford County Public Library Foundation. “HAR-CO is proud to continue their community commitment in supporting the Harford County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program for the eighth consecutive year,” stated Diane Moore of HAR-CO Credit Union. “We recognize the importance of this program for the students and families in our community,” Ms. Moore further stated.

Throughout the summer the library will have programs and fun for everyone. Children can explore the music of island cultures with Tracey Eldridge, get inside a bubble with the Bubble Lady, meet Magician Mike Rose, do the H2O tour with Uncle Pete and see the Water, Water Everywhere show with Flumpa & Friends Live! The Maryland Science Center, National Aquarium and the Maryland Zoo will also be visiting the library branches. For complete program information visit the library website at hcplonline.info.

Participants that complete the summer reading program will also have a chance to win tickets to see the Orioles and one lucky winner will get to go on the field for the pre-game ceremony.

The Library will be Making a Splash at several Independence Day parades this year – Joppatowne on July 3rd  at 6 pm; Havre de Grace on July 4th  at 2 pm; and Bel Air on July 4th  at 6 pm. If you are interested in joining in on the fun and being a part of the parade please contact your local branch.

Children of all ages and adults can test their spelling skills at the annual Harford County Farm Fair Literary Spelling Bee on August 1st. Registration begins at 12:30 at the Farm Fair Main Pavilion. This year participants can also enter for a chance to win a family membership to the B&O Railroad Museum or tickets to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

The Summer Reading Programs ends August 14th. 

Harford County Public Library operates eleven branches located throughout Harford County, Maryland.  The library serves over 180,000 registered borrowers of all ages and has an annual circulation of over 4,600,000.  The core purpose of Harford County Public Library is to connect people with information and promote the love of reading within the community.

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Photo caption #1:  Sponsors of the summer reading program helped to sign up participants at the Bel Air branch. Pictured from left to right (front row): teen volunteer; Terence O. Hanley, Harford County Public Library (HCPL) Foundation President; Kim Norris, Tiddlywinks; Kimberly Weiss-Ingram, Branch Manager APGFCU; Melissa Greene, Yoga Fresh; (back row): Linda Van Deusen, HCPL Foundation; Annie Kovach, HCPL, Children’s; Claudia Sumler, HCPL Administrator; Linda Aaby, the Aegis; Diane Moore, HAR-CO Federal Credit Union; Dick Kinard, HCPL Board of Trustees; Beth LaPenotiere, HCPL, Branch Manager Bel Air; teen volunteer.

Photo caption #2: Sponsors of the summer reading program helped to signup participants at the Havre de Grace branch. Pictured from left to right (front row): William Allen, HCPL Foundation; teen volunteer; Tanya Cook HCPL Foundation; teen volunteer; Sandy Lucas, HCPL Foundation; (back row): Nancy Hume, HCPL Foundation; Claudia Sumler, HCPL Administrator; Irmgarde Brown, HCPL Branch Manager Havre de Grace.

Photo caption #3: Celebree Learning Centers, sponsor of the Summer Reading Program, helped to signup participants at the Abingdon branch. Pictured from left to right (back row): Kathy Wajer, HCPL Foundation Board; Dick Kinard, HCPL Board of Trustees; Kay Deitz, HCPL Foundation Board; William Allan, HCPL Foundation Board. Staff and children of Celebree Learning Centers.

Kitty Duggan, employee at the Administrative Office of Harford County Public Library, shows her quilt square that she made for the MLA Quilt “The Heart of Maryland Libraries.”

Margaret Carty, Executive Director of the Maryland Library Association (MLA), came up with the idea to create a “MLA quilt” to convey the message that all libraries in the state of Maryland are united. “The Heart of Maryland Libraries quilt is a visible statement of the unity of Maryland libraries, public, academic, school, special and state,” stated Ms. Carty. “Volunteers from around the state contributed their time and creativity to produce a diverse selection of quilt squares which, when joined together, convey the message of unity,” further explained Ms. Carty.

Almost 130 individuals, representing libraries and library organizations from around the state, created 27 unique interpretations of the quilt’s title. Some squares and pages were completed by local quilting groups and avid scrapbookers, both within the library staff and from the communities served. Harford County Public Library submitted a square created by Kitty Duggan, from the Administrative Offices in Belcamp.

The quilt was unveiled at the 2009 MLA Annual Conference and has traveled around the state to be displayed in libraries. The quilt will be on display in the Bel Air branch of Harford County Public Library from June 16 – 30.

Harford County Public Library operates eleven branches located throughout Harford County, Maryland. The library serves over 200,000 registered borrowers of all ages and has an annual circulation of almost 5,000,000. Harford County Public Library is committed to connecting people with information and promoting the love of reading within the community.

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Audra Caplan, Director of Harford County Public Library, announced her retirement effective November 30, 2010. Ms. Caplan has been Library Director since June of 2002.

Ms. Caplan’s long and successful library career includes several positions with Harford County Library beginning in 1997 as Collection Manager and then Associate Director. Prior to working for the Harford County Public Library system, Ms. Caplan worked for Howard County Public Library, Baltimore County Public Library and the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore.

Her professional accomplishments include the major expansions of the Edgewood and Whiteford branches and the construction of three new library buildings in Norrisville, Abingdon and Jarrettsville. Ms. Caplan implemented two outreach vehicles to serve those that cannot obtain services at the branches – Rolling Reader, which serves children at after school programs like the Boys and Girls Club, and the Silver Reader for the senior population in Harford County.

Ms. Caplan’s passion to provide services and programs for teens led to the creation of Young Adult services which included the hiring of the first full time Young Adult Librarian for Harford County and the creation of Young Adult Advisory groups. Last year the Aberdeen branch became home to the Aberdeen Youth Program, giving teens a place to get together with their peers after school.

New Friends groups have been established under Ms. Caplan’s tenure and the Library Foundation was established and has flourished into an organization that has a full active board that provides additional resources for the library.

Ms. Caplan has served on numerous boards and associations throughout her career including ALA (American Library Association), PLA (Public Library Association), where she is currently the President Elect, and YALSA (Young Adult Library Association Services). She is very proud of her professional accomplishments and especially proud of the Harford County Public Library organization. “I have great confidence that the future of Harford County Public Library is bright because of the depth of quality people we have on staff,” stated Ms. Caplan. “My goal has always been that Harford County Public Library would be in a position to continue the tradition of excellence and innovation after I left,” Caplan further remarked.

The Board of Library Trustees has formed a Search Committee and will be moving forward with the process of hiring a new director over the next six months. “Audra has been a magnificent leader,” said Lucie Snodgrass, chairman of the Harford County Public Library Board of Trustees. “It’s not just that she is a superb manager and a bold thinker, it is also that she is able to lead equally well in lean times as she does in the best of times. Under her leadership we have been able to build three new branches and renovate and expand another two. We have inaugurated wonderful new programs and have dramatically increased circulation. To say that her shoes will be hard to fill is a gross understatement,” further commented Ms. Snodgrass.

Ms. Caplan looks forward to traveling and hiking mountain trails around the world, doing volunteer work with animal rescue organizations and being able to read any book she feels like at any time she wants.

Photo caption #1: Audra Caplan, Harford County Public Library Director, announced her retirement effective November 30, 2010.

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