Blog

Unearth a Story This Summer at the Plain City Public Library 

The Plain City Public Library’s 2026 Summer Reading Program begins June 1st! The Summer Reading Program offers participants rewards for reading over the summer months. The Plain City Public Library offers a Summer Reading Program for kids (ages 3 – 12), teens (12-17), and adults (18 and up).

Beginning June 1 simply pick up a reading log at the library or print one at home using the links below. You’ll have until August 1 to fill in your reading log and turn it in to the library. Reading logs can be returned in person, in the library’s book drop, by mail, or you can email a scanned copy or photo to awarner@plaincitylib.org (kids reading logs) or lpowers@plaincitylib.org (teen and adult reading logs) and make arrangements to pick up your prizes later.

Kids will earn prizes for reading for 6 and 12 hours over the summer! Teens and adults have the chance to win a gift card, tote bag filled with surprises, and other fun prizes. The more you read, the more chances you’ll get! Plus, one child and one teen or adult will win our grand prize: a Kindle Fire tablet!

The library will also host a series of online programs in conjunction with the Summer Reading Program. Check out our Events page for up-to-date summer program offerings.

Download & Print Your Summer Reading Log

Kids Reading Log Coming Soon

Teen & Adult Reading Log Coming soon

New and Recommended Reads

Not sure which book to pick up first this summer? Check out our lists of new and recommended reads for all ages in our catalog. These lists are updated weekly with the newest library material. Check out the following lists of recommended reads for children with titles that come highly recommended by kid readers themselves! In addition to print books, most of these titles are available as eBooks in Overdrive (Libby) or Hoopla.

Recommended Reads for Birth-Preschool Coming Soon

Recommended Reads for Kindergarten-Grade 2 Coming Soon

Recommended Reads for Grades 3-5 Coming Soon

Recommended Reads for Grades 6-8 Coming Soon

Recommended Reads for Teens Coming Soon

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.

Plain City Public Library cardholders are invited to visit The Workshop this December, or anytime throughout the year, to create unique, personalized gifts. Check out samples of what you can make below. To learn more about any of these projects or to request an appointment, visit https://www.plaincitylib.org/workshop/

Whether you prefer hot drinks or cold drinks, The Workshop has you covered. The library has both blank ceramic mugs and stainless steel tumblers available for purchase that can be customized using our sublimation printer and heat press.

The Workshop has new double-sided blank sublimation ornaments available for purchase. With our sublimation printer and heat press, you can create a custom ornament for yourself or as a gift.

Planning on sending greeting cards soon? Well The Workshop has tools that can help! The Cricut Maker 3 can help you create one-of-a-kind cards and envelopes with its cutting, drawing, and foiling capabilities. Or you can print and cut custom address labels and gift tags on our wide-format printer.

Creating a custom tote bag in The Workshop is easy. Just print your design onto our heat-transfer vinyl, then use the heat press to apply it to the tote.

Did you know you we have 3-D printers at the library? Our Bambu Lab A1 Mini printers are perfect for printing small yet durable items. You can even print your own toys, including ones with movable parts like pictured above! You can design your own 3-D model to print using free software such as TinkerCad, or find free pre-made designs on websites like Thingiverse.com. Once you have your design, simply fill out the 3-D print request form at https://www.plaincitylib.org/services/#equipment.