It’s hot this week. How are you staying cool? Thankfully, all locations of the Delaware County District Library partner with our Delaware County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to act as cooling centers for people seeking refuge from the 100-degree temperatures.

In addition to visiting your local library for air conditioning, the experts recommend encouraging friends, family, employees and co-workers to stay hydrated and only be outside as needed. Of course, if you are required to be outdoors, the best practice is to wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, with wide-brimmed hats, and to always apply sunscreen.

Do you have vulnerable family members or neighbors who would benefit from a check-in during these high-temperature days? Delaware County is full of resources at little-to-no expense when it comes to helping our fellow man.

If you, or someone you know, needs a box fan to help cool your home, People in Need of Delaware County are continuing to run their Fans for Friends drive through Sept. 15. All donations are distributed through People in Need. Call them at 740-363-6284 to request services, or send an email to [email protected]. All Delaware County libraries will continue to collect new fan donations during this time, as well.

The Delaware County Transit offers FLEX service, which provides door-to-door transportation six days a week. Rides can be scheduled to a cooling center by calling 740-363-3355 or through the Delaware County Transit app.

SourcePoint, Delaware County’s resource for residents ages 55 and older, also acts as a cooling center during their open hours during this heat wave. While you’re there, see what’s happening in the enrichment center. Whether it’s quilting, walking with the SilverSneakers, or playing pinochle, there’s plenty to do to stay occupied while keeping cool.

When you visit one of the libraries in the county, perhaps you’ll want to check out a book and start reading for an upcoming book club. The Delaware County District Library has six different book clubs each month that meet at varying locations, days and times.

See if one of these books piques your interest. They can be reserved online at www.delawarelibrary.org or by calling 740-362-3861 and asking one of our librarians for assistance. Enjoy reading, while you stay inside and out of the heat.

• “Come and Get it” by Kiley Reid. It’s 2017 at the University of Arkansas. Millie Cousins, a senior resident assistant, wants to graduate, get a job, and buy a house. So when Agatha Paul, a visiting professor and writer, offers Millie an easy yet unusual opportunity, she jumps at the chance. But Millie’s starry-eyed hustle becomes jeopardized by odd new friends, vengeful dorm pranks, and illicit intrigue.

• “Tom Lake” by Ann Patchett. In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family’s orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

• “Mr. Fixer Upper” by Lucy Score. It’s a constant battle on set between home renovation reality star grumpy Gannon and his no-nonsense field producer. Paige has zero time for temperamental talent, especially one who acts like being in front of the camera is the last thing he wants. They’re on the road together working long hours fixing houses and changing lives. When cracks in her legendary coolness start to show and sparks fly, Gannon is infatuated and the cameras are there to capture it.

• “The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie” by Rachel Linden. Lolly Blanchard’s life only seems to give her lemons. Ten years ago, after her mother’s tragic death, she broke up with her first love and abandoned her dream of opening a restaurant in order to keep her family’s struggling Seattle diner afloat and care for her younger sister and grieving father. Now, a decade later, she dutifully whips up the diner’s famous lemon meringue pies each morning while still pining for all she’s lost. As Lolly’s thirty-third birthday approaches, her quirky great-aunt gives her a mysterious gift — three lemon drops, each of which allows her to live a single day in a life that might have been hers.

• “Trust” by Hernán Díaz. In glamorous 1920s New York City, two characters of sophisticated taste come together. One is a legendary Wall Street tycoon; the other, the brilliant daughter of penniless aristocrats. Steeped in affluence and grandeur, their marriage excites gossip and allows a continued ascent — all at a moment when the country is undergoing a great transformation. This is the story at the center of Harold Vanner’s novel Bonds, which everyone in 1938 New York seems to have read. But it isn’t the only version.

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!