WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., will host a solar eclipse program and picnic from 1-4:30 p.m. Monday, April 8 at Memorial Park.

The Library will give away 500 pairs of eclipse glasses at that time – no glasses will be given away prior to the picnic. Families are encouraged to grab a water bottle, bring your chair or blanket, and join us at Memorial Park Pavilion #2 next to the all-access playground.

Not only will we check out the solar eclipse and share picnic foods together, but we will also have other items to explore.

First, Book’s Bus will be on location, so you can check out books or even register for a library card with your photo ID. Next, students in the Library’s “Bubble, Fizz, POP!” program will display their science projects about the sky. Finally, area students will have interactive science exploration tables for hands-on experiments.

As part of the event, River Valley Transit is providing free bus rides to Memorial Park from the Transit Center on West Third Street on April 8. Buses will depart the Transit Center, drop off picnic-goers, and park along the entrance of the park until designated departure times. The preliminary schedule is:

Please dress for the weather and have comfortable shoes for walking around and playing at the park. Participants may come and go as it suits their needs; we understand that the eclipse takes a long time and have no expectations for how long you join us.

For more information, visit calendar.jvbrown.edu or call 570-326-0536.

The library supports the PA Forward statewide initiative, which believes that when Pennsylvania residents improve their command of five types of literacy – basic, information, civic and social, health and financial – they can achieve greater success as students, parents, employees, consumers, as citizens.

The James V. Brown Library is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. To place a hold, visit www.jvbrown.edu or call 570-326-0536 during the library’s operating hours. Walk-in passport services are available from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

The James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., Williamsport, Pa., is the place to go to learn, connect and grow. Founded in June 1907, the library champions the love of reading, opens new doors to lifelong learning, provides a haven to those who seek and ensures the preservation of public library services for future generations. The library has more than 225,000 visitors in a year and circulates a half-million items annually. A member of the Lycoming County Library System, the James V. Brown Library participates in PA Forward, a statewide initiative to promote literacies in our communities to power a better future for everyone.