Skip to main content
close
Font size options
Increase or decrease the font size for this website by clicking on the 'A's.
Contrast options
Choose a color combination to give the most comfortable contrast.
Image for event: 18th Annual Family Reading Festival

18th Annual Family Reading Festival

2025-02-08 10:00:00 2025-02-08 14:00:00 America/New_York 18th Annual Family Reading Festival Sing, dance, and play with Jim Gill. See captive-born exotic animals up close and personal with Outback Ray. Visit with Bluey and Daniel Tiger. Enjoy literacy-rich activities. Take home a new book. Main Library -

Saturday, February 08
10:00am - 2:00pm

Add to Calendar 2025-02-08 10:00:00 2025-02-08 14:00:00 America/New_York 18th Annual Family Reading Festival Sing, dance, and play with Jim Gill. See captive-born exotic animals up close and personal with Outback Ray. Visit with Bluey and Daniel Tiger. Enjoy literacy-rich activities. Take home a new book. Main Library -

Sing, dance, and play with Jim Gill. See captive-born exotic animals up close and personal with Outback Ray. Visit with Bluey and Daniel Tiger. Enjoy literacy-rich activities. Take home a new book.

Performances:

10:30 am - He's Back! Musician Jim Gill's Sing-a-thon of Celebrated Songs.

11:30 am - Outback Ray and his amazing animal friends. See captive-born exotic animals up close and personal! Sponsored by the Lucy & Emily Beasley Charitable Trust.

1 pm - Jim Gill, afternoon matinee performance.

Drop-In:

10 am - 1 pm: Meet Bluey!

10 am - 1 pm: Meet Daniel Tiger from Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood! Sponsored by Ideastream Public Media.

10 - 1 pm - Local community organizations will share hands-on activities and information about services for families.

10 am - 2 pm - Each child in attendance will take home a free book. Sponsored in part by Children & Books.

11 am - 1 pm - Face Painting sponsored by the Friends of Main Library.

Jim Gill's Sing-a-thon of Celebrated Songs

Get ready to sing, clap, dance and spin along during this visit by award-winning musician and author Jim Gill. Jim Gill’s distinctive music play creates the spirit of a family room in the concert hall and is an invitation to children, parents and grandparents to sing and play together!

Jim Gill is a musician and author with unique credentials among children's artists. Jim is a child development specialist, completing his graduate studies in child development at the Erikson Institute of Chicago with a special emphasis on the study of play. For this reason, each of Jim's recordings and books is created as an opportunity for playful interactions between a child and a caring adult. Anyone who has experienced one of Jim's family concerts knows that rather than performing for the children and parents, Jim leads them to sing and play together.

Jim has released ten award-winning CDs of music play for young children that are favorites in family rooms, classrooms and playrooms. Jim is also the author of two children's books. A Soup Opera is a silly sing-along opera inspired by concerts that Jim performs with symphony orchestras. His first book, May There Always Be Sunshine, continues to inspire children from across the country to share their heartfelt wishes and extraordinary illustrations in community VIDEO book projects that Jim carries out with libraries, school districts and other community organizations.

AGE GROUP: | Preschool |

EVENT TYPE: | Special Events |

TAGS: | |

Main Library

Phone: 330.643.9000
Branch manager
Michael Bianchi

Hours
We're closed Sunday May 25 due to Memorial Day Eve
Mon, May 19 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Tue, May 20 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, May 21 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, May 22 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Fri, May 23 10:00AM to 6:00PM
Sat, May 24 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sun, May 25 Closed
(Memorial Day Eve)

About the branch

Main Library, located in the heart of downtown Akron, combines compelling public space with meaningful and relevant public library services for all members of our community. Since opening in 2004, the downtown library welcomes more than one million visitors each year.

Subject divisions include: Business, Government & Science, Culture & AV, Magazines & Newspapers, Special Collections (local history & genealogy), TechZone@Main, Teen, and a 12,000 square feet Children's Library.

Special services available at Main Library include: a Patent & Trademark Resource Center; U.S. Passport and Notary services; a Microbusiness Center; a Maker Space; a resource lab for early childhood educators; and regularly scheduled computer training classes. Also available at Main Library are more than 125 public access computers, color photocopiers/printers, laminating, scanning, faxing, and free Wi-Fi.

Specialized spaces include a 425-seat auditorium, public meeting rooms, and a used bookstore. An interior glass block walkway leads to a 600-space parking garage owned by the City of Akron. An outdoor amphitheater and landscaped park complete the complex.

Upcoming Events

Thu, May 22, 10:30am - 11:30am

Thu, May 22, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Computer Lab 2

Thu, May 22, 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center

Thu, May 22, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
TechZone

Thu, May 22, 6:15pm - 8:00pm
Auditorium

Tue, May 27, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center

Tue, May 27, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
TechZone

Wed, May 28, 10:30am - 11:30am
This event is full

Wed, May 28, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Wed, May 28, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
TechZone

Thu, May 29, 10:00am - 4:00pm
Quiet Study Room 1

Thu, May 29, 10:30am - 11:30am

Thu, May 29, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Computer Lab 2

Thu, May 29, 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center

Thu, May 29, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
TechZone

Thu, May 29, 6:15pm - 8:00pm
Auditorium

Sun, Jun 01, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Auditorium

Mon, Jun 02, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Computer Lab 1

Tue, Jun 03, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space B

Tue, Jun 03, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Tue, Jun 03, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Computer Lab 1

Wed, Jun 04, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space B

Thu, Jun 05, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Jun 05, 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Jun 05, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Computer Lab 1

Thu, Jun 05, 6:15pm - 8:00pm
Auditorium

Thu, Jun 05, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
1 South High St.

Mon, Jun 09, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Mon, Jun 09, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Computer Lab 1

Mon, Jun 09, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Computer Lab 1

Tue, Jun 10, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Tue, Jun 10, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
TechZone

Tue, Jun 10, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space B

Tue, Jun 10, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Computer Lab 1

Wed, Jun 11, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Computer Lab 1

Wed, Jun 11, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room
This event is full

Wed, Jun 11, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Wed, Jun 11, 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Auditorium

Wed, Jun 11, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Children's Library Programming Room

Wed, Jun 11, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
TechZone

Thu, Jun 12, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Thu, Jun 12, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Jun 12, 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Jun 12, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Children's Library Educator Lab,Children's Library Programming Room

Thu, Jun 12, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Computer Lab 1

Thu, Jun 12, 5:00pm - 9:00pm

Thu, Jun 12, 6:15pm - 8:00pm
Auditorium

Fri, Jun 13, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Fri, Jun 13, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Teen Meeting Room

Mon, Jun 16, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Tue, Jun 17, 10:00am - 11:00am
TechZone

Tue, Jun 17, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Wed, Jun 18, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A,Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space B

Wed, Jun 18, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room
This event is full

Wed, Jun 18, 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Auditorium

Wed, Jun 18, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Meeting Room 1
Registration opens Wednesday, May 28 2025 at 10:00am

Thu, Jun 19, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Jun 19, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Thu, Jun 19, 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center Space A

Thu, Jun 19, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Children's Library Educator Lab,Children's Library Programming Room

Fri, Jun 20, 10:30am - 11:30am
Children's Library Programming Room

Sat, Jun 21, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Children's Library Programming Room

Sat, Jun 21, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Teen Meeting Room

Sat, Jun 21, 2:00pm - 4:45pm
Auditorium