Lifelong learning is a tenant of public libraries. The Delaware County District Library just passed a new mission statement earlier this summer. In it, we state that the library opens “doors to imagination, knowledge, connection, and discovery.” We further illustrate that point by reflecting in our vision statement that the library is the “community’s cornerstone for discovery through all stages of life.”

All that to say, it’s quite natural for the library to be a partner with the Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) of Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) in collaboration with other Delaware-area organizations. The Lifelong Learning Institute is a semester of learning for intellectually curious adults ages 55 and older. The program is now in its sixth year and will take place from Oct. 7 through Nov. 15.

The fall 2024 term offers an array of topics, including legacy films of the Hollywood blacklist; archaeology of the Bible; sci-fi films of the 1950s; Ohio Native Americans as astronomers; the 2024 election; public schools under pressure, and much more. A weekly “Socrates Café” will explore the Socratic Method, which is a form of dialogue between individuals based on asking and answering questions. Attendees vote on a topic to discuss each week.

Registration opens on Aug. 26 for the six-week adventure in education. The program for older adults has a $75 registration fee but also offers $50 scholarships through a partnership with SourcePoint. Scholarships are considered on a first-come, first-served basis and must be submitted by Sept. 23 to be considered. For questions, contact the Lifelong Learning Institute at [email protected] or (740) 368-3078.

Of course, a library card would help add another layer to students’ learning experience as they could check out books for deeper dives on each of the subjects.

• “The Socratic Method: A Practitioner’s Handbook” by Ward Farnsworth. This book explains the Socratic method in detail: what it is, where it came from, and how to carry it out. The chapters teach the elements of the method step by step with examples from Plato’s dialogues. They illustrate how to create Socratic questions of your own. They show how the teachings of Socrates produced the philosophies of Stoicism and Skepticism.

• “The Forever Letter: Writing What We Believe for Those We Love” by Elana Zaiman. Inspired by the centuries-old Jewish tradition of the ethical will, a forever letter is a perfect way to share your most precious possessions: your values, wisdom, and love with the people who matter to you most. And you don’t have to do it alone. Through empowering stories, sample letters, and writing tips, author Elana Zaiman serves as your companion on this journey of self-discovery and deepening relationships.

• “Vinyl Age: A Guide to Record Collecting Now” by Max Brzezinski. From Carolina Soul Records, one of the world’s largest record sellers comes the definitive guide to every aspect of online record collecting in the digital era. This illustrated guide is packed with information for every type of collector, from crate diggers to high-end collectors of rare vinyl.

• “The Birds that Audubon Missed” by Kenn Kaufman. Kaufman examines the scientific discoveries of John James Audubon and his artistic and ornithologist peers in the 1800s to show how what they saw (and what they missed) reflects how we perceive and understand the natural world’s mysteries from Audubon’s time until ours.

• “When Science Sheds Light on History: Forensic Science and Anthropology” by Philippe Charlier. Did Richard the Lionheart really die from a simple crossbow wound, or was there foul play? Who are the two infants buried in Tutankhamun’s tomb? Could a skull found in a tax collector’s attic be the long-lost head of Henri IV? In When Science Sheds Light on History, Philippe Charlier, the “Indiana Jones of the graveyards,” travels the globe to unravel these and other unsolved mysteries of human history. To get answers, Charlier looks for clues in medical records, fingerprints, and bloodstains.

• “American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes, and Trial of Patty Hearst” by Jeffrey Toobin. An account of the sensational 1974 kidnapping and trial of Patty Hearst describes the efforts of her family to secure her release, Hearst’s baffling participation in a bank robbery and the psychological insights that prompted modern understandings about Stockholm syndrome.

• “By the Waters of Babylon” by Christopher Farrar. When twelve-year-old Ya’el is taken prisoner by the Babylonians, her ability to write saves her life. A girl scribe, unique in the Empire, she’s destined for slavery in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar. Days later, her ruined city of Jerusalem is far behind.

If you have a question that you would like to see answered in this column, mail it to Nicole Fowles, Delaware County District Library, 84 E. Winter St., Delaware, OH 43015, or call us at 740-362-3861. You can also email your questions by visiting the library’s web site at www.delawarelibrary.org or directly to Nicole at [email protected]. No matter how you contact us, we’re always glad you asked!