Olean Public Library to Temporarily Relocate Teen and Adult Arts Programs
With groundbreaking approaching this fall on a capital expansion and renovation project, the Olean Public Library announced it will temporarily move several programs out of its Laurens Street building. Among those relocating are the library's popular Teen Room and its adult arts and crafts programs. Olean First Presbyterian Church, located across the street from the library, has offered its space to host the displaced programs during construction. Library officials say the moves are temporary and meant to keep programming running with minimal disruption while renovation work is underway.
Olean Library's 'Read Between the Wines' Fundraiser Returns Aug. 15
The Friends of the Olean Public Library are holding their eighth annual "Read Between the Wines" fundraiser on Friday, Aug. 15, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the library on North Second Street. The evening features local wine tasting, food, live music from Alex Cole and a basket raffle, with all proceeds going toward library programs and services. Tickets are $25 each or two for $45, and $15 designated-driver tickets are also available through the library. Organizers describe the event as one of the Friends group's key annual fundraisers supporting the library's continued operations.
Living-History 'Ulysses S. Grant' Visits Wellsville Library Aug. 13
The David A. Howe Public Library in Wellsville will host a living-history presentation on Thursday, Aug. 13, at 5:30 p.m., with re-enactor Ken Serfass portraying President Ulysses S. Grant. Titled a look at the United States at 250 through the eyes of the "Centennial President," the program focuses on 1876, when Grant opened the nation's first World's Fair, the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, during the country's 100th anniversary year. The free presentation ties into the library's broader programming ahead of Wellsville's own America's 250th celebration planned for later in August. Serfass's appearance gives area residents a chance to hear a first-person account of a pivotal moment in American history.
David A. Howe Library Rolls Out Dinosaur Programs and New Kids' Tech Station
The David A. Howe Public Library in Wellsville is capping its summer children's programming with dinosaur-themed activities, including a Dinosaur Dig Show set for the Nancy Howe Auditorium in early August 2026. The library recently added a Library Learning Tech Station in its children's section, featuring Playaway Launchpad devices preloaded with age-appropriate educational content for kids age three and up. Staff also announced a new pen pal program and a rotating story-time series that moves between local parks, community-helper locations and pajama-themed sessions at the library through the fall. The additions build on a library collection of more than 117,000 items serving the greater Wellsville area.
Friends of Cuba Library Selling Tickets for 'Cheers, Cheese & Chocolate' Fundraiser
The Friends of the Cuba Library are selling $25 tickets online for "Cheers, Cheese & Chocolate," a 21-and-over wine-tasting fundraiser set for the Cuba Circulating Library on August 2. Organizers say space is limited and tickets will not be sold at the door, so residents are asked to reserve online in advance through the Friends group's website. Net proceeds from the event will go toward upgrading the kitchen in the library's community room, a space used for library programs and public meetings. The fundraiser is one of several the volunteer Friends group runs each year to support the library, which has served the community since 1872.
Olean Public Library Launches 'Growing Together' Fundraising Campaign
Olean Public Library officials and supporters have kicked off a community fundraising campaign, called 'Growing Together,' to complement the $7.9 million bond that city voters approved in June 2025 for a major expansion and renovation. The capital project will remodel roughly a third of the existing building at 134 N. 2nd Street and add about 7,500 square feet, including a new second floor, to relieve overcrowding at family and community events. Plans call for larger, reconfigured spaces for the Children's Library, Teen Center, local history collection and study areas. Library Director Michelle La Voie said the investment, nearly a decade in the making, will keep the library as a cornerstone of learning for the city.
Whitesville Library's Garden Tour Showcases 14 Local Gardens
Whitesville Public Library hosted its "Hands in the Dirt, Nose in a Book" garden tour on a recent Saturday, sending visitors on a self-guided walk through 14 gardens around the village. Stops ranged from vegetable plots and pollinator habitats to a permaculture planting on Irish Hill Road, a mushroom-growing operation, and a chance to sample produce and pick blueberries along the way. Maps were available at the library's registration desk, and the free, donation-based event ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The tour serves as a fundraiser supporting the small library's programming.
Olean Public Library Hosts Cattaraugus County Disability Resource Fair
On July 22, the Olean Public Library hosted a free, community-wide Disability Resource Fair connecting residents with local organizations from across Cattaraugus County. Vendors on hand covered career exploration, disability benefits advisement, job search support, Medicaid enrollment, employment services, independent living skills, nutrition, health care and veterans' services, and food trucks were invited on-site. The event was organized with the county's Workforce Development Board through Disability Resource Coordinator Marsha Blessing Whitsell. It's one example of the library increasingly positioning itself as a connector between Olean-area residents, including job seekers, and regional support services well beyond traditional book lending.
Portville Free Library Launches 'Unearth a Story' Summer Reading Program
Portville Free Library kicked off its summer reading program, themed 'Unearth a Story,' with sign-ups opening in late June and programming running from early July through mid-August 2026. The library is offering Monday and Thursday activities plus Friday story times for toddlers and preschoolers. Alongside the reading program, the library is hosting a Portville Historical Society presentation, an owl-pellet program with Pfeiffer Nature Center, and a one-room-schoolhouse experience at Bedford Corners in August. A twice-monthly FeedMore food truck visit also continues at the library through the summer.
Olean Public Library Begins Saturday Closures as Capital Project Nears
The Olean Public Library's July newsletter announced that the library is closed on Saturdays from July through August, with additional full-day closures on July 10, 17 and 31, so staff can start packing collections and moving materials into storage ahead of construction. The prep work follows the $7.9 million bond city voters approved in June 2025 for a major renovation and roughly 7,500-square-foot expansion of the North 2nd Street building. It also comes as the library's separate 'Growing Together' community fundraising campaign continues to raise additional money alongside the bond funding. Library officials asked patrons to plan around the temporary reduced hours, noting curbside pickup remains available by appointment during the transition. The closures mark one of the first visible steps toward the long-planned project actually getting underway.
Cuba Circulating Library Rolls Out Dinosaur-Themed Summer Reading Lineup
Cuba Circulating Library kicked off a dinosaur-themed slate of summer programming running into early August 2026, alongside its regular weekly pre-school, K-2 and grades 3-6 storytimes. Highlights include a hands-on Dinosaur Dig presentation by Mike and Roberta Straka, clay dino-eyes and dinosaur-terrarium craft sessions for older kids and teens, a 'Tea Rex' party for preschoolers through fifth graders, and a professional 'Jurassic Journeys' dinosaur show from performer Cris Johnson. Teens also get dedicated soap-making and cooking club sessions during the same stretch. The programming runs alongside the library's ongoing adult offerings, including chair aerobics, a needlework group and several book clubs, giving Cuba-area families a full summer calendar at the Main Street library.
Scio Memorial Library Wins $10,000 Accessibility Grant
Scio Memorial Library was chosen as one of 300 libraries nationwide to receive a $10,000 grant aimed at improving access for patrons with disabilities. Following the award, the library invited community members to a public discussion on July 14 to talk through what more inclusive library access could look like locally. The grant and the follow-up conversation are part of a broader push by the small library to make its building and programs more welcoming to residents with disabilities. Library staff framed the sessions as a chance for residents to help shape how the funding gets used.
Cuba Circulating Library Unveils Renovated Children's Area
Cuba Circulating Library celebrated the completion of a multi-year children's area renovation with a public ribbon-cutting ceremony. The project, which began in 2023, brought new lighting, a wall of reading nooks, a small play stage, an updated video game station in the young-adult area, and a new water fountain with a bottle-filling station. Library staff and trustees invited families to tour the refreshed space, which is aimed at making the library a more welcoming spot for children and teens. The renovation followed years of fundraising and planning by the library association, which has served the Cuba community since 1872.
Friendship Free Library Wins Grant to Refresh Children's Collection
Friendship Free Library was one of three Allegany County libraries, alongside Alfred Box of Books Library and Scio Memorial Library, to receive a $5,000 grant from the John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation. The rural-libraries foundation has distributed more than $1 million since 2012 to honor literacy advocate John Henry Eldred Jr. and his mother, Dorothy Louise Kyler. Friendship's library, housed in the 1912 Pitt Memorial Library building on West Main Street, plans to use the funds to add shelving, create comfortable reading nooks, buy new titles, and reorganize its children's collection by reading level. The goal is to make the space easier for young readers and families to navigate.
