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.
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.
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.
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.
