(1-25-24) Mercer County’s seven public libraries are gearing up for a drive-thru pickup event on Saturday, March 2nd, from 9 am to Noon, outside each library. This event marks the beginning of the distribution of 40,000 Free Solar Eclipse Glasses, a collaborative effort by the Mercer County District Library, Celina-Mercer County Chamber, Mercer County Fairgrounds, and the support of local organizations.

The glasses will be distributed for free at the drive-thru pickup event on March 2nd outside each of the seven libraries located in Celina, Chickasaw, Coldwater, Ft. Recovery, Mendon, Rockford, and St. Henry. After this date, residents can pick up the glasses at the circulation desk of any of the seven libraries in Mercer County and at the Mercer County Fairground Office and Celina-Mercer County Chamber. Starting with the drive thru, there will be a limit of four glasses per household. That limit will increase if there is a surplus of glasses closer to the actual date of the eclipse.

The acquisition of these custom Solar Eclipse glasses was made possible through the generous contributions from organizations including the Celina Eagles #1291, the Celina Rotary Club, and the Rotary District 6600. With the help of organizations like these, residents wishing to view the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024, can do so safely and without financial burden.

The simplest way to safely look at the sun during an eclipse is with solar eclipse glasses. Solar eclipse glasses are made with solar filters that conform to a worldwide safety standard known as ISO 12312-2. Regular sunglasses or homemade solar filters are not safe for watching an eclipse because they transmit sunlight at a rate that is thousands of times too high. The custom glasses also serve as promotional items for the Solar Eclipse Festival scheduled at the Mercer County Fairgrounds from April 6th to April 8th, 2024. This festival is expected to draw additional viewers to the area, creating a memorable experience and promoting economic activity within Mercer County.

In addition to promoting safe viewing, the library will be hosting educational programming before the total eclipse. Eric Lochtefeld, the Mercer County District Library’s Technology Manager and Coordinator of the Solar Eclipse Glasses Project, expressed excitement about the collaboration, stating:

“All seven libraries are excited to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime event. We are planning how to distribute across all of Mercer County in a fair and efficient manner as well as promote community events that will be happening across the area of totality.”

For more details about the Solar Eclipse glasses distribution, please visit the Mercer County District Library website at MercerLibrary.org/eclipse or contact your local participating library. For information about the Mercer County Fairgrounds Eclipse Festival, visit MercerCountyOhioFair.com.