Celebrate America’s 250th birthday at the Library!

250 Reads

Check out the lists below for suggested reading for all ages focusing on the Revolutionary War, historical figures, and the founding of the United States of America.

America 250 Reading List for Kids

America 250 Reading List for Adults

America’s 250th Anniversary on hoopla
250 years, countless stories. Celebrate America’s history with this curated collection on Hoopla. Available digitally with your Plain City Public Library card.

Patriotic Programs & Events

PCPL will offer a number of patriotic events throughout June and July, including themed storytimes, crafts, and more. Many programs require registration, so be sure to check each description for details.

Take & Make: Mini Liberty Bell

Friday, June 19
Celebrate America’s 250th birthday with a craft inspired by the famous American symbol housed in Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell!
This Take & Make kits includes everything you need to make your own mini Liberty Bell.
Available at the library beginning Friday, June 19 while supplies last.

Armstrong Air & Space Museum

Wednesday, June 24
Join us in celebrating America’s 250th birthday by learning about Neil Armstrong and the airplanes he flew, including the Lear Jet that set 5 world records with Armstrong as the pilot. Children will learn how airplanes fly by doing experiments on the 4 forces of flight. They will make their own balsa wood flyers and decorate them with markers. 
For children in grades K-6. Registration is required. Please register children only; adults do not need to register. Click here to register.

Kids: Design a Patriotic Hat

Tuesday, June 30
Choose your patriotic hat design and add the colors of your choosing to personalize!
This program is for ages 6 & up. Children under 9 should be accompanied by an adult. Registration is required. Join the waitlist here.

Star Spangled Storytimes

Monday, June 29 at 10:30AM at the Library
Wednesday, July 1 at 10:30AM at Pastime Park
Join us for stories, rhymes, songs and other learning activities appropriate for ages 6 and under.
Caregiver must attend. No registration required.

Glitter Alcohol Ink Glass

Wednesday, July 1
Create your own unique design for a glass using glitter alcohol ink. For teens (12+) and adults. Registration required.
Using a cup tumbler, you will be able to drip alcohol ink onto the glass to create a design. 
For Teens (12+) and Adults. Registration by appointment required. Click here to register.

Book Giveaway

Enter to win this basket filled with books and other patriotic items! Must be a PCPL cardholder and enter in person at the Library. One entry per person per day. Winner will be drawn and notified on July 3, 2026.

Interested in printing a vinyl banner in the Workshop? Read below for more information.

Getting Started

You must be a Plain City Public Library cardholder to use The Workshop. Learn more about registering for a library card here. Each group or individual using The Workshop is permitted to print up 16 ft of banner material per month.

Design

As The Workshop is a DIY space, you will need to design your own banner for printing. This can be done using any design platform.  Some examples include Canva, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Gimp, and Inkscape. Of these, Gimp, Inkscape, and Canva (web-based basic account) are free to use. 

We recommend Canva for beginners due to its ease of use and web-based interface.  They offer account set-up and several banner templates for free. You’ll find 3 sizes of banner templates within Canva that can be used with our printer.  These are Small: 48×24 in, Medium: 72×36 in,  and Large: 96×48 in. We suggest you stick with these if possible.

Download your design as either a (raster image) PNG file at 300 ppi resolution or as a (vector image) SVG or EPS file. If using a PNG file, you’ll also want to download it at as large a file as possible to ensure a good quality print. Low-resolution files can result in blurriness/pixelation and a poor quality print. Keep in mind that when you add elements or your own images in design platforms like Canva, you’ll want those to be at a sufficiently high resolution as well to achieve good quality prints. 

Appointments and File Upload

Visit plaincitylib.org/workshop to request an appointment and share your banner file with Workshop staff. The Workshop does accept walk-ins, but making an appointment will ensure that your Workshop experience runs smoother. Appointments allow staff to take a look at your design ahead of time and point out any changes that should be made to ensure a better print. Appointments also allow staff to be ready for you when you arrive, with the correct material loaded into the equipment.

Printing

Your banner will be printed using the Workshop’s Mimaki CJV150-130 Wide Format Eco Solvent Printer. Workshop staff will convert your image to EPS if needed, load your file into the printer’s software, and get your final approval before printing.

Depending on the size and complexity of your banner, printing can take more than 2 hours. You must be present in the Workshop while your banner is printing. If you have more than one banner, we suggest a second appointment. 

Finishing

When your banner is finished printing, you will need to trim around the edges of the banner and install grommets for hanging if desired. The Workshop has all of the equipment needed for you to finish your banner.

Payment

The Workshop charges only for materials used. In the case of a banner that would include the banner material, a small ink charge, and grommets. As of 3/12/26 the costs for these items are:

Banner material – $0.78/linear ft.

Mimaki Ink – $0.60/cc

Grommets – $0.20/set

Drop in and create, invent, and explore with a different hands-on project every Thursday from 3:00pm-4:30pm.
Projects are designed for ages 8 and up. No registration is required.

April 23 – LEGO Challenge
Can you build the tallest tower? How about an igloo? The longest bridge? Test your LEGO skills at IMake!

April 30 – Sink or Float?
Using the provided materials design and build a boat that will float on the water.
Challenge one: Make a boat that will float
Challenge two: If it floats, how much weight can it hold?

May 7 – Pythagoras Cup
Learn how to make a trick cup that when filled to a certain point will siphon all the liquid out of the cup.

May 14 – Paper Airplane Challenge
How far can your plane fly? Learn the principles of flight (lift, thrust, drag, and gravity) while folding your own airplane. Test how far it can go outside.

May 21 – Color Extravaganza
Experiment with colors to make a Lava Lamp, Rainbow Paper, and learn about Chromatography using candy!

May 28 – Scented Slime
Create a fun sensory toy by adding fragrance to slime.