🍎📚 A Fresh Batch of Stories Awaits This August!

August brings fresh starts, new routines, and plenty of opportunities to learn, create, and connect at your library!

 

As summer winds down and a new school year begins, Eastern Oklahoma Library System is here with free resources for students and families, fascinating virtual author talks, local history programs, reading challenges, and activities for all ages.

 

Whether you are preparing for the classroom, searching for your next great book, exploring family recipes, or learning something new, your library has something waiting for you this August.

🍳 The Legacy of Julia Child’s Kitchen

A Virtual Conversation with Smithsonian Curator Paula J. Johnson - Tuesday, August 4 at 1:00 PM CT

Join us for a conversation that is sure to warm your heart—and make your stomach rumble!

 

Smithsonian curator and public historian Paula J. Johnson will explore the life and legacy of cooking icon Julia Child through the design, tools, stories, and delightful details of her famous kitchen.

Discover how Julia’s kitchen served as a recipe-testing laboratory, television set, creative workspace, and reflection of the beloved chef, teacher, mentor, and culinary trailblazer she became.

 

This is a free digital live-stream that you can watch from home on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Register even if you cannot attend live, and you will receive access to the recording afterward.

🥫 Beyond the Recipe
Sharing History with U.S. Community Cookbooks

Tuesday, August 18 from 3:00–4:00 PM

Recipes can tell us much more than what people ate. They preserve family traditions, community connections, regional ingredients, and stories passed from one generation to the next.

 

Join a live discussion with a Culinary Specialist and the head of the Library of Congress Science Section as they explore the Library’s historical collection of U.S. community cookbooks.

 

Participants will learn how to search digitized community cookbooks published before 1930 and explore unique cookbooks from Oklahoma and neighboring states. Staff from Muskogee Public Library’s Local History and Genealogy Department will also share community cookbooks from the library’s collection.

 

Participating branches will offer different programs throughout the month that complement this theme, so check the full calendar for events at your library. Please note: This free program is designed for adults, and registration is required.

🔎 High Altitudes and High Stakes

A Miss Marple Mystery with Lucy Foley
Thursday, August 27 at 1:00 PM CT

Travel to the snowy Swiss Alps for an intriguing conversation with bestselling mystery author Lucy Foley!

 

Foley will discuss her upcoming novel, Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, which places Agatha Christie’s legendary sleuth Miss Marple in a glamorous mountain hotel filled with secrets, grudges, suspicious guests—and a killer.

 

When a blizzard cuts off every means of escape, Miss Marple must connect the clues before the murderer strikes again.

This free virtual author talk can be viewed from home on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Those who register will also receive access to the recording after the live event.

🌊 See Memories in the Current Come to Life
Go behind the scenes of one of the most exciting projects in the history of Eastern Oklahoma Library System!

 

A new Library of Congress video shares the story of Memories in the Current, the immersive digital experience created in partnership with Muskogee Public Library. See how local voices, community history, Green Country’s rivers, and materials from the Library of Congress came together to create an experience rooted right here in eastern Oklahoma.

 

Watch the video, learn more about the partnership, and discover how local stories can connect our communities with the nation’s library.

🎒 Start the School Year with Your Library

One of the most valuable school supplies a student can have is a library card!

EOLS libraries provide students and families with free access to educational tools and services throughout the school year, including:

 

📚 Books, eBooks, and audiobooks
💻 Online homework and research resources
🖨️ Computers, Wi-Fi, and printing services
📝 Test preparation and skill-building tools
🌎 Language-learning resources
🎓 College and career information
🙋 Friendly library staff ready to help

 

Explore digital resources anytime at:
eols.org/download-and-stream

 

Library cards are free for residents of the EOLS service area. Digital library cards are also available for eligible residents who would like to begin using online resources immediately.

💻 Build Something Awesome with Fiero Code

Curious about coding, game design, or how websites and apps are created? Fiero Code makes learning technology fun, creative, and hands-on!

Kids, teens, and adults can follow beginner-friendly lessons, experiment with code, and build real projects at their own pace. Learners can explore block coding, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, creative coding projects, and even live virtual classes.

 

Whether you are coding for the first time or ready to develop new skills, you can get started for free through EOLS.

🎓 Learn Almost Anything with UniversalClass

What would you like to learn next?

With UniversalClass, EOLS cardholders can choose from more than 600 self-paced online courses covering technology, business, writing, personal development, cooking, gardening, office skills, and much more.

 

Participants can work on their own schedules, build new personal or professional skills, earn certificates, and complete continuing education courses from almost anywhere. It is a valuable resource for students, job seekers, lifelong learners, and small businesses—and it is free with an EOLS library card.

Capture Today for Tomorrow: Help Build Our Living Archive
Every community has a story, and yours is still being written. The Eastern Oklahoma Library System (EOLS) Living Archive isn’t just a collection of history books—it’s a digital mosaic of the people, places, and moments that make our region unique.

 

We invite you to contribute your photos to help us preserve the "now" for future generations. Whether it’s a snapshot of a local festival, a changing streetscape, or a quiet moment in a neighborhood park, your perspective is a vital piece of our shared heritage.

Read It Your Way: 2026 Reading Challenge

Read It Your Way is a year-long reading challenge that celebrates your freedom to read your way. Whether you turn pages, swipe a screen, or listen on the go, it’s all about enjoying books on your own terms. Join the Read It Your Way year-long challenge and make this your year of reading—your way.