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By James Gardner

Clark County Public Library

Fall is upon us. While the air holds a hint of pumpkin spice (or more than a hint if you’re standing next to Starbucks vents), there is also an unmistakable chill. That chill could be from the temperature beginning its gradual dip into coat-wearing weather, or it could be a ghostly touch that brings out gooseflesh. Is it the wind you hear during the longer nights, or is something not of this world calling your name?

Spooky season is once again upon us, and I am excited. Things get a little spookier when October begins. The leaves lose their green and turn red, orange, and gold as treelines explode with more color than watercolor sunsets. The morning sun brings a little more mist to the ground and even the shimmer of dew. And store shelves overflow with plastic pumpkins and rubber skeletons of all shapes and sizes. Fall may be when people look to consume more pumpkin spice, but I like to consume media that’s scary. The library has plenty of media that will send a shiver down your spine.

Whether it’s our assortment of scary movies curated by Caleb Diedrich or the scary books haunting our shelves, the library has plenty of scary stories that will get you into the Halloween spirit. Watch “Trick R’ Treat” (DVD Horror TRIC) and let little Sammy, the precocious spirit of Halloween, guide you through Warren Valley, Ohio, to see what can happen in one Halloween night. If you’re wanting something less scary, of course, you can take a trip to “Halloweentown” by watching the Disney Channel movie (in our collection as DVD Family HALL) and see what monsters are really like when humans aren’t watching them (it turns out they’re not all bad). We also have classic films featuring Michael Myers in the “Halloween” slasher series (starting with DVD Horror HALL) as well as Linus Van Pelt and his continuing search for the Great Pumpkin in “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (J DVD Children’s IT’S). Whatever kind of fright you prefer, the library is sure to have it on our shelves.

You may prefer a quiet night savoring a fall-flavored drink and a terrifying tale. The library has plenty of those. A classic of story that rears its jack o’lantern head around this time is “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and the library has that story in J Irvi, but we also have retellings like Tim Burton’s creepy whodunit “Sleepy Hollow” (DVD Horror SLEE) as well as the more modern series (DVD Series SLEE) that features a less timid (and more movie star handsome) Ichabod Crane. There are also more modern Halloween tales that fill the pages of “Haunted Nights” (Fantastic F Haun) or check out the original master of creepy stories, Edgar Allen Poe, in “The Pit and the Pendulum and Other Stories” (J 818 Poe).

Even if your idea of Halloween is enjoying a sweet or savory treat that may or may not come after a night of trick or treating, the library has cookbooks that will ensure you can have something delicious (the costume is, of course, optional). Fans of the movie “Hocus Pocus” (DVD Comedy HOCU) and the diabolical shenanigans of the Sanderson sisters should love “The Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook” (641.568 Thor), which includes recipes like Wiliam’s Wormy Grave Dirt Cake and Dead Man’s Toes. If you want something tasty during Halloween and/or the zombie apocalypse, “The Snacking Dead: A Parody in a Cookbook” (641.53 Walk) promises stick-to-your-ribs food like Sweetish Fleshballs and Nachos of the Living Dead.

The library even has programs that will scratch your spooky itch. On Oct. 19, Brad Allard is your host for a Trivia Murder Party. Players are kidnapped by a killer who forces his victims into the ultimate trivia contest for fabulous prizes. Bring a tablet or smartphone, your trivia knowledge, and a will to survive! On Oct. 26, the Local History Potluck presents Murder and Mayhem, where we dive into some Kentucky crime stories. Come at 6:15 with your dish and enjoy a meal before the program starts at 7, or just come for the program. Registration for the potluck and the program is required, so call 744-5661 to register or use Evanced. And on Halloween night, join yours truly for a Spooky Story Shindig. Think you can’t trick or treat as an adult? Come to the library for some treats and some spooky stories; no costume required. Feel free to call the library at (859) 744-5661 for more details.

The library is the place for all your spooky needs this spooky season. And we also have a not-so-spooky movie this week if you’re into those:

• On Oct. 6 at 2 p.m., the Kentucky Picture Show presents Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy displaying their on-screen chemistry. Domestic and professional tensions mount when a husband and wife work as opposing lawyers in a case involving a woman who shot her husband. Popcorn and snacks provided.