MHL librarians are on hand to take your calls, emails and chats on Sundays from 1 to 5 pm.
The Library will be closed Saturday, June 19th for Juneteenth
Many of these videos can be found on the library's Vimeo channel.
If you know the topic you want, choose it from the list below.
Systems librarian Theo Kontos and cataloging & reference librarian Stephanie Smith discuss technology in the library, including the Makerspace, with a focus on privacy and technology. How does the library protect patron privacy? What can each of us do when online to protect our data? From password managers to two-factor authentication and beyond, join us for this episode of Shelf Help from Memorial Hall Library.
Miss Kate shares some new fiction she's been reading!
back to top Categories: BooktalksMiss Kate shares some new fiction she's been reading!
back to top Categories: Booktalks
Join Clare Curran, Assistant Director for Collection & Development and Technical Services, and reference and cataloging librarian Stephanie Smith as they discuss summer reading (for adults), with a focus on some of the books they are most excited to read or to recommend this summer. A full list of the books discussed--plus some there weren't time to mention--can be found here.
Participants are welcome to find a quiet, comfortable space to relax and join mindfulness teacher, Lauren Masse in this Zoom webinar. Practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute class. Learn how to practice daily mindfulness and calm your mind and body. This week Lauren will lead guided visualization meditations.
In episode seven of MHL's Shelf Help podcast, teen services librarian Renata Sancken and reference librarian Stephanie Smith discuss a variety of read-alikes for The Library Book by Susan Orlean. A full list of titles discussed (plus some that weren't discussed) is available here: mhl.org/what-read-after-library-book
In episode six of MHL's Shelf Help podcast, reference librarians Justin Termini and Stephanie Smith and assistant head of circulation Gerry Deyermond cover chapters 28-32 (the final chapters) of Susan Orlean's The Library Book, Andover's current community read title. Topics include the difficulty of investigating arson, bookmobiles, the Library of Things and unusual library collections, and more.
In episode five of MHL's Shelf Help podcast, reference librarians Justin Termini and Stephanie Smith cover chapters 22-7 of Susan Orlean's The Library Book, Andover's current community read title. Topics in this episode include reference services, computers in the library, security in the library, and Harry Peak.
Are you a history buff, interested in all things medical, curious about public health initiatives or diseases long before COVID-19? We’ll take a virtual walk through the museum and learn how selected artifacts from the museum’s collection played a significant role to treat and mitigate disease before the discovery of vaccinations and antibiotics.
The Public Health Museum is an independent 501(c)3 organization, housed in the historic Richard Morris building (also known as the Old Administration Building) of Tewksbury Hospital in Massachusetts. The Museum strives to preserve artifacts and records of our nation’s history in public health and serve as a resource to the community to educate and promote public health initiatives that address current health issues.
This program is hosted by Memorial Hall Library in partnership with Andover Elder Services, Tewksbury Public Library and Billerica Public Library.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Health, History
Find a quiet, comfortable space to relax and join mindfulness teacher, Lauren Masse in this Zoom webinar. Practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute class. Learn how to practice daily mindfulness and calm your mind and body. This week Lauren leads a mindfulness meditation.
This series is hosted by Memorial Hall Library in partnership with Tewksbury Public Library.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Health
Author and historian Richard Webb shares his book, Boats Against the Current: The Honeymoon Summer of Scott and Zelda, the companion to the newly released documentary, Gatsby in Connecticut: The Untold Story, which explores the story behind the iconic American novel, The Great Gatsby.
“I was a black woman according to my family, society’s one-drop rule and my birth certificate. It was culturally and legally ridiculous to wonder if I wasn’t. Yet my biological ancestry counted for absolutely nothing. My beloved mother was white.”
Former Andover resident, E. Dolores Johnson discusses her new book, Say I'm Dead: A Family Memoir of Race, Secrets and Love, with author, Grace Talusan. It's a multi-generational memoir that reveals America's changing attitudes toward race mixing, discovered through the courageous journeys of her family’s women. Johnson's parents fled to Buffalo from Indianapolis so they could marry without violating Indiana's anti-miscegenation laws. Her father was black and her mother was white. Johnson details her journey unearthing the secrets of her family, and in so doing, wrestles with identity, class, and education, aiming a potent lens at what it means to be biracial and shining more light on the racism that continues to sicken this country to this day.
Presented in collaboration with Burlington Public Library, Memorial Hall Library, Stevens Memorial Library and Tewksbury Public Library, Libraries Working Towards Social Justice.
Author Matthew Van Meter discusses his book along with other social justice issues, including his work with Shakespeare in Prison, a Detroit Public Theatre community program.
In 1966 in a small town in Louisiana, a 19-year-old black man named Gary Duncan pulled his car off the road to stop a fight. Duncan was arrested a few minutes later for the crime of putting his hand on the arm of a white child. Rather than accepting his fate, Duncan found Richard Sobol, a brilliant, 29-year-old lawyer from New York who was the only white attorney at "the most radical law firm" in New Orleans. Against them stood one of the most powerful white supremacists in the South, a man called simply "The Judge."
In this powerful work of character-driven history, journalist Matthew Van Meter vividly brings alive how a seemingly minor incident brought massive, systemic change to the criminal justice system. Using first-person interviews, in-depth research and a deep knowledge of the law, Van Meter shows how Gary Duncan's insistence on seeking justice empowered generations of defendants-disproportionately poor and black-to demand fair trials. Duncan v. Louisiana changed American law, but first it changed the lives of those who litigated it.
A collaboration of Memorial Hall Library, Stevens Memorial Library and Tewksbury Public Library, Libraries Working Towards Social Justice.
Join us for a conversation with local writer, Kristin Bair (O’Keeffe), during which she will discuss her new novel, Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything, parenting in a pandemic, the writing process, facing our fears, Facebook mom groups, and more.
On Wednesday, October 14th, bestselling author Gregory Maguire spent a fun-filled hour in conversation with bestselling author Daniel Handler, familiar to many as 'Lemony Snicket.'
Systems librarian Theo Kontos and cataloging & reference librarian Stephanie Smith discuss technology in the library, including the Makerspace, with a focus on privacy and technology. How does the library protect patron privacy? What can each of us do when online to protect our data? From password managers to two-factor authentication and beyond, join us for this episode of Shelf Help from Memorial Hall Library.
Miss Kate shares some new fiction she's been reading!
back to top Categories: BooktalksMiss Kate shares some new fiction she's been reading!
back to top Categories: BooktalksJoin Clare Curran, Assistant Director for Collection & Development and Technical Services, and reference and cataloging librarian Stephanie Smith as they discuss summer reading (for adults), with a focus on some of the books they are most excited to read or to recommend this summer. A full list of the books discussed--plus some there weren't time to mention--can be found here.
In episode seven of MHL's Shelf Help podcast, teen services librarian Renata Sancken and reference librarian Stephanie Smith discuss a variety of read-alikes for The Library Book by Susan Orlean. A full list of titles discussed (plus some that weren't discussed) is available here: mhl.org/what-read-after-library-book
In episode six of MHL's Shelf Help podcast, reference librarians Justin Termini and Stephanie Smith and assistant head of circulation Gerry Deyermond cover chapters 28-32 (the final chapters) of Susan Orlean's The Library Book, Andover's current community read title. Topics include the difficulty of investigating arson, bookmobiles, the Library of Things and unusual library collections, and more.
In episode five of MHL's Shelf Help podcast, reference librarians Justin Termini and Stephanie Smith cover chapters 22-7 of Susan Orlean's The Library Book, Andover's current community read title. Topics in this episode include reference services, computers in the library, security in the library, and Harry Peak.
In episode four of MHL's Shelf Help podcast, coordinator of children's services Beth Kerrigan and reference librarian Stephanie cover chapters 17-21 of Susan Orlean's The Library Book, Andover's current community read title. Listen in as they discuss youth services, polygraph tests, literacy and language learning resources, unsafe working conditions, and more.
Listen as Ms Beth shares some books celebrating important women in history. Then visit or request some of the books, or others during March, Women's History Month!
back to top Categories: Booktalks, Children's Room
In episode three of MHL's Shelf Help podcast, assistant head of circulation Gerry and reference librarian Stephanie cover chapters 12-16 of Susan Orlean's The Library Book, Andover's current community read title. Topics include access and discrimination in libraries, the difficulties of investigating suspected arson cases, and map collections.
In episode two of our Shelf Help podcast, reference librarians Stephanie and Justin cover chapters 7-11 of The Library Book by Susan Orlean. Topics include book burnings, telethons, RFID technology, late fees, and more!
In our second booktalk for reluctant readers Miss Amy has more great suggestions for those needing a little push to read!
back to top Categories: Booktalks, Children's Room
Ms. Beth highlights some of the biographies on display in The Children's Room for Black History Month. In addition we have books to go along with this weeks Take it Make it with the theme The colors of us to celebrate the skin colors of the world. Books and or kits can be picked up in The Children's Room during open hours, requested through the catalog, or requested for Grab and Go contactless pickup.
Carter reads the newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson
Shirley Chisholm is a verb by Veronica Chambers
Kamala Harris: rooted in justice by Nikki Grimes
Barack by Jonah Winter
Whoosh:Lonnie Johnson's super-soaking stream of inventions by Christ Barton
Schomburg: the man who built a library by Carole Boston Weatherford
Sister Rosetta Tharpe by J.P. Miller
Rise: from caged bird to poet of the people, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus
The colors of us by Karen Katz
Brown: the many shades of love by Nancy Johnson James
I am brown by Ashok Banker
Marvelous Maravilloso: me and my beautiful family by Carrie Lara
Magnificent homespun brown: a celebration by Samara Cole Doyon
Join us for the first episode of MHL's Shelf Help, our new podcast where MHL librarians talk about all things libraries. In this episode reference librarians Stephanie and Justin talk about The Library Book by Susan Orlean, our Andover Reads 2021 title. This episode focuses on chapters 1-6 of the book.
Miss Kate discusses 3 of her new favorite chapter books for kids!
back to top Categories: Booktalks, Children's Room
Miss Amy shares some titles to help the reluctant readers in your life!
back to top Categories: Booktalks, Children's Room
Miss Kate is excited to share these books with you! If you want to read them you can request them online and pick up in person or through Grab and Go Contactless pick up! Call 978-623-8440 or email crcirc@mhl.org or visit our website for other ways to request books to keep you reading!
back to top Categories: Booktalks, Children's RoomMiss Kim and Miss Amy talk about some new books and some old favorites!
back to top Categories: Booktalks, Children's RoomMiss Amy and Ms Beth talk about some classic and new books available in The Children's Room!
Join Miss Kim and Miss Kate for some ideas for what to read next!
Miss Kim and Miss Beth share some books appropriate for upper elementary level readers: The remarkable journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart; The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury; Words on fire by Jennifer Nielsen; The Talk, edited by Wade and Cheryl Willis Hudson; What lane? by Torrey Maldonado; A good kind of trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee.
Join Miss Kate and Miss Amy as they talk about some great picture books related to mindfulness, meditation and humor!
This video was uploaded to the library's Instagram.
back to top Categories: Booktalks
This video was uploaded to the library's Instagram.
back to top Categories: Booktalks
Join Miss Kate as she shares a couple of bedtime stories about frogs & turtles and soothing songs to get you ready for bed. Bedtime Stories can be found on the Memorial Hall LIbrary website under Library Videos.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime Stories
Join Miss Kate for a Virtual Legomania. You may use any kinds of building toys you have!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Lego Mania
Miss Laura shows you how to make a recycled speaker using paper towel tube, 2 paper cups, scissors, and a marker.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Friday Fun
Miss Amy and Ms Beth share another poem from the book Seeds, bees, butterflies and more: poems in two voices by Carole Gerber.
back to top Categories: Poetry, Children's Room
Miss Kate shares some quiet stories, songs and rhymes to get you ready for a good night's sleep!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime Stories
Librarians Ms Beth and Ms Laura share a couple of flower poems from the book Seeds, bees, butterflies and more by Carole Gerber in celebration of National Poetry Month!
back to top Categories: Poetry, Children's Room
Miss Amy shares a pop-up paper plate rainbow for this week's Friday Fun! You will need a paper plate, crayons or markers, scissors, cotton balls and glue.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Friday Fun
Ms Beth and Miss Kate share two poems in two voices from the book Seeds, Bees, Butterflies and more!: poems for two voices by Carole Gerber. Each week during the month of April, National Poetry Month, we will share some poems from this book to inspire you to read more poetry!
back to top Categories: Poetry, Children's Room
Join Miss Kate for another virtual Bedtime Stories to get ready for a good night's rest!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime Stories
Miss Kate shows you how to make a paper kite. You will need: Paper, scissors, tape, ribbon, markers or crayons, stickers Paper Plate Flier: 3 paper plates, scissors, tape
back to top Categories: Crafts and Hobbies, Children's Room, Friday Fun
Join Ms Beth for stories and songs celebrating spring and spring festivals. Books shared include:
A new beginning by Wendy Pfeffer
Seven special somethings: a Nowruz story by Adib Khorram
A peaceful garden by Lucy London
Festival of colors by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal*
* I apologize for mispronouncing this festival name during my reading. I discovered while reading there was no pronounciation guide in the book and Holi is supposed to be pronounced How-lee. Lesson learned! Ms Beth
back to top Categories: Children's RoomListen as Ms Beth shares some books celebrating important women in history. Then visit or request some of the books, or others during March, Women's History Month!
back to top Categories: Booktalks, Children's Room
Join Miss Kate as she shares some owl stories, soothing songs and helps get you ready for a good night's sleep!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime Stories
Join us this week as we learn about static electricity and make a butterfly's wings flap! You will need the following items: cardboard tissue paper cardstock paper pencil scissors googly eyes balloon glue stick
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Friday Fun
Join Miss Kate for this book and activity on measuring and find out if you measure up! Listen to Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy (Henry Holt, 1997). Collect the following to make a scale:
Coat hanger; string; scissors; 2 paper cups; tape; hole punch(optional)
In our second booktalk for reluctant readers Miss Amy has more great suggestions for those needing a little push to read!
back to top Categories: Booktalks, Children's Room
Miss Amy creates snowflakes! You'll need markers, scissors, water and coffee filters.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Friday Fun
Joiin Miss Kate for some quiet stories and songs to get ready for bed. Snuggle up with your favorite lovey!
Ms. Beth highlights some of the biographies on display in The Children's Room for Black History Month. In addition we have books to go along with this weeks Take it Make it with the theme The colors of us to celebrate the skin colors of the world. Books and or kits can be picked up in The Children's Room during open hours, requested through the catalog, or requested for Grab and Go contactless pickup.
Carter reads the newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson
Shirley Chisholm is a verb by Veronica Chambers
Kamala Harris: rooted in justice by Nikki Grimes
Barack by Jonah Winter
Whoosh:Lonnie Johnson's super-soaking stream of inventions by Christ Barton
Schomburg: the man who built a library by Carole Boston Weatherford
Sister Rosetta Tharpe by J.P. Miller
Rise: from caged bird to poet of the people, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus
The colors of us by Karen Katz
Brown: the many shades of love by Nancy Johnson James
I am brown by Ashok Banker
Marvelous Maravilloso: me and my beautiful family by Carrie Lara
Magnificent homespun brown: a celebration by Samara Cole Doyon
Ms Beth shares Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio and shows how to make a ballot box and ballot out of things around the house. Materials: a small box, colored paper, paper bag or wrapping paper; scissors, tape, white paper, markers or crayons; stickers (optional)
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!Miss Kate discusses 3 of her new favorite chapter books for kids!
back to top Categories: Booktalks, Children's Room
Miss Kate makes Valentine crafts! Make a silly Valentine person with "accordion" arms and legs, or make a paper heart to give to your loved one or best friend. Grab these supplies to join in the fun!
Valentine person: Construction paper, ribbon or yarn, scissors, tape, glue stick, markers or crayons.
Heart shape: Paper, markers or crayons, glue stick and ribbon or yarn. Optional: hole punch and tissue paper or squares of construction paper.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Friday Fun
Miss Amy reads 2 books about self-esteem and invites you to make a handprint craft. Books: You Matter by Christian Robinson (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2020) and Be Who You Are by Todd Parr (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016). Craft supplies: paper, pencil and markers. Optional: Scissors, glue stick, paper in a contrasting color, stickers and artsy doo-dads. Guest starring Moxie the cat.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!
Miss Amy shares some titles to help the reluctant readers in your life!
back to top Categories: Booktalks, Children's Room
Join Miss Kate for Friday Fun! This week she's sharing books about the Northern Lights and leading us in a follow-along craft. Materials needed for the craft: dark colored construction paper; white paper; scissors; glue; chalk; and a cotton ball.
Miss Kate is excited to share these books with you! If you want to read them you can request them online and pick up in person or through Grab and Go Contactless pick up! Call 978-623-8440 or email crcirc@mhl.org or visit our website for other ways to request books to keep you reading!
back to top Categories: Booktalks, Children's Room
Join Miss Amy for this week's Goofy Craft and make a Silly Goose using a paper plate, feathers, plastic spoon (preferably white or another color; not clear), tape and/or glue, markers, scissors. Optional: colored paper, googly eyes, decorative "bling".
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Goofy Crafts
Listen to Thank You, Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson. Make a thank you letter, or a letter of suggestion. You'll need paper and an envelope, a pen or pencil and a stamp if you plan to mail your letter.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!
Miss Kate shows you how to make a Thankfulness tree! For this you will need a small flower pot or empty can, some small rocks or clay, a stick or branch, paper, ribbon, markers and scissors.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Goofy Crafts
Miss Kate will share a story called I Race the Wind, which includes some experiments, then make a
small paper twirler. The craft requires paper, scissors, a marker, and a paper clip.
Ms Beth shows you how to make a face with goofy leaf hair using cardstock, pencil, scissors, glue stick, real or fake leaves and crayons or markers.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Goofy CraftsJoin Ms Beth for a couple of books about being thankful and grateful and make a gratitiude banner. You will need cardstock, scissors, glue stick, yarn and markers or crayons.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!Miss Kim and Miss Amy talk about some new books and some old favorites!
back to top Categories: Booktalks, Children's Room
Join Miss Kim for a fun turkey craft using a paper plate, a piece of heavy paper (like the front of a cereal or cracker box), crayons or markers (especially the colors brown, orange, and red), a skein of multicolored yarn or string, googly eyes (2), scissors, tape, and glue.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Goofy Crafts
This session of Listen, Imagine Create! will be hosted by Miss Kim. She will be sharing the new book When I Draw a Panda by Amy June Bates. The items that you will need to participate in the activity are...drawing paper, colored pencils, and your imagination!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!Join Ms Beth for today's Goofy Craft: Goofy Goggles! You will need card stock or poster board, markers or crayons, glue, scissors, a ruler, tape, and ribbon or yarn. If you have feathers, stickers or other decorative items feel free to use those too!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Goofy Crafts
Miss Amy shares The Scarecrow by Betty Ferryand and shows you how to make a scarecrow face using a paper bag, markers, raffia and tape. Stuff the scarecrow with old plastic bags, polyfill, or rags. Get creative -- this craft can use anything that you find around the house, including dried leaves or yarn!
Miss Amy and Ms Beth talk about some classic and new books available in The Children's Room!
Miss Kate will show you how to make a Bat Mobile using a dowel or stick, tape, ribbon, paper, and markers.
Just in time for Halloween! Miss Kate reads The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams. Join in the sounds and actions, and then make a slightly spooky craft!
Miss Amy shares this week's Goofy Craft and it's a Monster!
Ms Beth shares a couple of stories and a craft about hedgehogs this week!
Join Miss Kim and Miss Kate for some ideas for what to read next!
Join Miss Kim for this session and create something using candy corn! The items you will need are as follows...black, yellow and green contruction paper, crayons or markers, glue, scissors, google eyes, and a bag of candy corn. *This session we are also going to make a healthy candy corn snack! For this you will need the following...a clear glass, pinapple chuncks, a clementine, whipped cream, and candy corn.
Miss Kim shares this Native American folk tale and helps you make a craft using black, pink, and white construction paper, scissors, glue, and google eyes.
Today's Goofy Craft is Handprint Owls with Miss Beth. You will need construction paper or card stock (color of your choice, plus white and yellow); 2 feathers; a pencil; glue stick; black marker and scissors.
Join Miss Amy as she shares Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter and then make a craft to go along with the story!
Join Miss Amy to make a Goofy Jellyfish! Materials needed are a paper plate, crepe paper streamers, markers or
crayons, yarn and tape.
Miss Kim and Miss Beth share some books appropriate for upper elementary level readers: The remarkable journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart; The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury; Words on fire by Jennifer Nielsen; The Talk, edited by Wade and Cheryl Willis Hudson; What lane? by Torrey Maldonado; A good kind of trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee.
Miss Kate shares Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert and then makes her own leaf man with real leaves!
Join Miss Kate as she creates a Pop-Up Goblin using paper, markers, a stick or straw and a paper cup!
Ms Beth shares the funny story of Chicken Big by Keith Graves, a humorous retelling of the classic Chicken Little story. Then we'll make a chick craft with white paper and markers, or green, orange and black paper, cotton balls, yellow chalk, paper grass, egg shells (real or plastic) glue, a hole punch or google eyes, and a cheese grater!
Join Miss Kate and Miss Amy as they talk about some great picture books related to mindfulness, meditation and humor!
Gather your supplies and make some Goofy Grin props with Ms Beth! You will need white paper or poster board; crayons, markers or colored pencils; a stick, straw or something to attach to your grin; tape to attach.
Join us for a sing-a-long of Five Green and Speckled Frogs! Glub! Glub!
Miss Kim shares a favorite folktale for this week's program. Listen to our story, imagine it in your mind, and create something to go with it and remind you of it!
Join us for a Goofy Craft every Friday at 4pm! This week Miss Kim is making something with her favorite letter "K"!
Ms Beth shares Crankee Doodle by Tom Angleberger, a variation of the song Yankee Doodle, but with a grumpy and humorous theme! Then we'll make a three corner hat!
Miss Kim shares a folktale from Hawaii for this week's Listen! Imagine! Create!
Looking for a new book to read? Not sure which one? Miss Beth reads from chapter one of The Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander, to see if it's a book you'd like to read too!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, First Chapter Friday
Follow along as Miss Kate reads Time Train by Paul Fleischman. Stay tuned at the end for Miss Kate's Lego challenge!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Lego Mania
Join Miss Kim for some sleepy bedtime stories, including Goodnight, Sleepyville by Blake Liliane Hellman.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime Stories
Miss Kate shares stories about summer food and picnics, including We're Going on a Picnic by Pat Hutchins, The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli, Sun by Sam Usher, and Should I Share My Ice Cream by Mo Willems.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Little Listeners
Follow along as Miss Beth reads the first chapter of The Lost Fairy Tales by Anna James.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, First Chapter Friday
Join Miss Amy for a mathematical folktale and related craft using One Grain of Rice by Demi
Listen to a story with Ms Beth, practice some guided meditations and learn about making a "worry" box to put your worries aside and learn to be peaceful every day.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!
Miss Kate reads The Three Billy Goats Gruff, a Norwegian folktale, as interpreted by Paul Galdone.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!
Join Miss Kim for some sleepy songs and stories, including Twilight Chant by Holly Thompson, and more!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime Stories
Join Miss Beth as she gives you a taste of a book by reading its first chapter. This week she looks at My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, First Chapter Friday
Watch Miss Kim's retelling of The magpie's nest and get creative after with a craft using cheerios, pipe cleaners, ribbon or string!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!
Miss Kim reads a folktale from the United Kingdom, The Magpie's Nest, retold by Joanna Foster and Julie Downing.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!
Miss Kim reads a folktale and shows us all how to make a shark puppet! She reads Punia and the King of Sharks: A Hawaiian Folktale, adapted by Lee Wardlaw and Felipe Davalos
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!
Watch as Miss Kate reads some castles books, like Mr. King's Castle by Genevieve Cote, Castle by Christopher Gravett, and Steven Biesty's Cross-sections Castle. Then she shows us a castle she built with Legos!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Lego Mania
Join Miss Kim for some sleepy bedtime stories and songs, including Baby Bat's Lullaby by Jacquelyn Mitchard and Ten Nine Eight by Molly Bang.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime Stories
Join Miss Kate as she reads stories and sings songs for 3-5 year-olds. This week the theme is summer adventures, where Miss Kate reads The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer, We Were Tired of Living in a House by Liesel Moak Skorpen and Joe Cepeda, and more!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Little Listeners
Miss Kate delves into some science! Learn about sinking and floating! She reads The Biggest Frog in Australia by Susan Roth and Things That Float and Things That Don't by David Adler and Anna Raff.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!
Listen to a story! Imagine you are there! Create something with materials you have at home or pick up before the program!
Join Miss Amy as she reads some fun stories, including Itsby Bitsy Spider by Richard Egielski, Freight Train by Donald Crews, The Neighborhood Mother Goose by Donna Crews, and more!
Join Miss Kim as she reads a sleepy story to send us off to bed.
Miss Beth leads a fun-filled round of songs and stories for everyone.
Join Miss Kim as she leads us in a series of songs and stories.
Join Miss KIm as she reads us a sleepy story before bedtime.
Join Miss Beth as she sings some fun songs and read stories.
Miss Kate sings songs and reads stories for the little ones.
Join Miss Kate as she walks us through making some fun crafts.
Miss Beth leads us in a series of songs and stories.
Join Miss Kim as she shares songs and stories for little ones.
Join Miss Kim as she reads us some sleepy bedtime stories.
Join Miss Beth and Mr. Pennybear for a fun series of songs and stories.
Join Miss Kate for a fun nature craft you can make at home!
Join MIss Kate as she leads us through a series of songs and stories for little ones, including My Car by Byron Barton, Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Birmingham, and Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis.
Miss Amy leads us through a series of rhyming stories, including A Pocketful of Posies by Salley Maver, Home is a Window by Stephanie Ledyard, and Mr. Cookie Baker by Monica Wellington.
Join Miss Kim as she shares songs and stories for little ones.
Join Miss Kim as she reads us some sleepy bedtime stories, including It's Time to Sleep, It's Time to Dream by David A. Adler.
Miss Beth leads us in a series of songs and stories, including Baby at the Farm by Karen Katz.
Follow along as Miss Kate shows us how to create a fun bird's nest craft that you can make at home!
Join Miss Kate for some fun stories, including My Nest is Best by P.D. Eastman and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
Join Miss Beth and Mr. Pennybear for a fun series of songs and stories.
Miss Amy leads us through a series of rhymes, songs, and stories, including This Little Chick by John Lawrence and Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington.
Join Miss Kim as she reads stories and sings songs for all of the little ones.
Relax as Miss Kim reads us a sleepy bedtime story.
Follow along as Miss Kate teaches us how to make paper flowers and a paper vase!
Join Miss Kate as she leads us through a series of stories and songs for little ones.
Join Miss Beth and Mr. Pennybear for a fun series of songs and stories.
Join Miss Amy as she leads us through a series of rhymes, songs, and stories, including Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas, Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman, and I Heard Said the Bird by Polly Berrien Berends.
Join our Children's Librarians for a favorite story time song!
Miss Kim leads us the little ones through a fun, engaging series of stories and songs.
Join Miss Beth as she leads us in a series of rhymes, songs, and stories!
Join Miss Kim for some calm, sleepy reads to wind down before bedtime.
Join Miss Kate as she walks us through making a fun Mother's Day inspired craft.
Join Miss Kate as she reads some Mother's Day inspired stories and sings songs!
Miss Amy leads us through songs and stories, including Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones by Byron Barton.
Join Miss Kim as she brings us songs and stories, including Birds by Kevin Henke and other bird books!
Miss Beth leads us through a series of stories and songs, including Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and I Love You, Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton.
Join Miss Kim for a sleepy reading of The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle and Ten Nine Eight by Molly Bang.
Join Miss Kate as she reads some fun stories, including Jump Frog Jump by Robert Kalan, Mushroom in the Rain by Mirra Ginsburg, and Turtle Splash by Cathryn Falwell.
Join Miss Kate as she walks us through making a simple craft at home!
Join Miss Beth as she leads us in a series of rhymes, songs, and stories! Featuring Where is Baby's Yummy Tummy by Karen Katz.
Miss Amy leads us through a series of songs and stories, featuring Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ellert, My Very First Mother Goose by Rosemary Wells, Clap Your Hands by Lorinda Bryan Cauley, and more!
Join Miss Kim as she leads us through a series of stories and songs, featuring Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes.
Join Miss Kim as she reads gentle stories to get ready for bed, such as While the World is Sleeping by Pamela Duncan Edwards and Ten Nine Eight by Molly Bang.
Join Miss Beth as she leads us through a fun series of songs and stories, including The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle.
Miss Kate leads us through some songs and cat and dog stories, including Cat-fish by Jill Newton, The Last Puppy by Frank Asch, and Dog Blue by Polly Dunbar.
Join Miss Kate as she walks us through making a fun craft!
Join Miss Beth as she leads us through a fun series of songs and stories, including The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle.
Miss Amy leads us through a series of songs and rhymes. Follow along as she reads from My Very First Mother Goose, Color Surprises, Freight Train, and more!
Join Miss Kim as she reads When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes and Wee Little Bunny by Lauren Thompson.
Join Miss Kim as she reads us Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Helen Berger.
Join Miss Kate as she leads us through Little Listeners.
Join Miss Kate as she leads us through Little Listeners.
Miss Beth leads everyone through Wiggle Words on Facebook Live, April 11, 2020
Join Miss Kim for a rhyme, story and song!
This video was presented via Facebook Live.
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Hello from Miss Kate! I miss my little friends and wanted to share one of my favorite stories with you. i hope you are doing well!
Wiggle Words from Facebook Live, April 6, 2020.
This video was presented via Facebook Live.
back to top Categories: Children's Room
Join Miss Kate as she shares a couple of bedtime stories about frogs & turtles and soothing songs to get you ready for bed. Bedtime Stories can be found on the Memorial Hall LIbrary website under Library Videos.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime StoriesMiss Kate shares some quiet stories, songs and rhymes to get you ready for a good night's sleep!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime StoriesJoin Miss Kate for another virtual Bedtime Stories to get ready for a good night's rest!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime StoriesJoin Miss Kate as she shares some owl stories, soothing songs and helps get you ready for a good night's sleep!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime StoriesJoiin Miss Kate for some quiet stories and songs to get ready for bed. Snuggle up with your favorite lovey!
Join Miss Kim for some sleepy bedtime stories, including Goodnight, Sleepyville by Blake Liliane Hellman.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime StoriesJoin Miss Kim for some sleepy songs and stories, including Twilight Chant by Holly Thompson, and more!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime StoriesJoin Miss Kim for some sleepy bedtime stories and songs, including Baby Bat's Lullaby by Jacquelyn Mitchard and Ten Nine Eight by Molly Bang.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Bedtime StoriesJoin Miss Kim as she reads a sleepy story to send us off to bed.
Join Miss KIm as she reads us a sleepy story before bedtime.
Join Miss Kim as she reads us some sleepy bedtime stories.
Join Miss Kim as she reads us some sleepy bedtime stories, including It's Time to Sleep, It's Time to Dream by David A. Adler.
Relax as Miss Kim reads us a sleepy bedtime story.
Join Miss Kim for some calm, sleepy reads to wind down before bedtime.
Join Miss Kim for a sleepy reading of The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle and Ten Nine Eight by Molly Bang.
Join Miss Kim as she reads gentle stories to get ready for bed, such as While the World is Sleeping by Pamela Duncan Edwards and Ten Nine Eight by Molly Bang.
Join Miss Kim as she reads us Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Helen Berger.
Looking for a new book to read? Not sure which one? Miss Beth reads from chapter one of The Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander, to see if it's a book you'd like to read too!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, First Chapter FridayFollow along as Miss Beth reads the first chapter of The Lost Fairy Tales by Anna James.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, First Chapter FridayJoin Miss Beth as she gives you a taste of a book by reading its first chapter. This week she looks at My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, First Chapter FridayMiss Laura shows you how to make a recycled speaker using paper towel tube, 2 paper cups, scissors, and a marker.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Friday FunMiss Amy shares a pop-up paper plate rainbow for this week's Friday Fun! You will need a paper plate, crayons or markers, scissors, cotton balls and glue.
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Miss Kate shows you how to make a paper kite. You will need: Paper, scissors, tape, ribbon, markers or crayons, stickers Paper Plate Flier: 3 paper plates, scissors, tape
back to top Categories: Crafts and Hobbies, Children's Room, Friday FunJoin us this week as we learn about static electricity and make a butterfly's wings flap! You will need the following items: cardboard tissue paper cardstock paper pencil scissors googly eyes balloon glue stick
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Friday FunMiss Amy creates snowflakes! You'll need markers, scissors, water and coffee filters.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Friday FunMiss Kate makes Valentine crafts! Make a silly Valentine person with "accordion" arms and legs, or make a paper heart to give to your loved one or best friend. Grab these supplies to join in the fun!
Valentine person: Construction paper, ribbon or yarn, scissors, tape, glue stick, markers or crayons.
Heart shape: Paper, markers or crayons, glue stick and ribbon or yarn. Optional: hole punch and tissue paper or squares of construction paper.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Friday FunJoin Miss Kate for Friday Fun! This week she's sharing books about the Northern Lights and leading us in a follow-along craft. Materials needed for the craft: dark colored construction paper; white paper; scissors; glue; chalk; and a cotton ball.
Join Miss Amy for this week's Goofy Craft and make a Silly Goose using a paper plate, feathers, plastic spoon (preferably white or another color; not clear), tape and/or glue, markers, scissors. Optional: colored paper, googly eyes, decorative "bling".
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Goofy CraftsMiss Kate shows you how to make a Thankfulness tree! For this you will need a small flower pot or empty can, some small rocks or clay, a stick or branch, paper, ribbon, markers and scissors.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Goofy CraftsMs Beth shows you how to make a face with goofy leaf hair using cardstock, pencil, scissors, glue stick, real or fake leaves and crayons or markers.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Goofy CraftsJoin Miss Kim for a fun turkey craft using a paper plate, a piece of heavy paper (like the front of a cereal or cracker box), crayons or markers (especially the colors brown, orange, and red), a skein of multicolored yarn or string, googly eyes (2), scissors, tape, and glue.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Goofy CraftsJoin Ms Beth for today's Goofy Craft: Goofy Goggles! You will need card stock or poster board, markers or crayons, glue, scissors, a ruler, tape, and ribbon or yarn. If you have feathers, stickers or other decorative items feel free to use those too!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Goofy Crafts
Miss Kate will show you how to make a Bat Mobile using a dowel or stick, tape, ribbon, paper, and markers.
Miss Amy shares this week's Goofy Craft and it's a Monster!
Join Miss Kim for this session and create something using candy corn! The items you will need are as follows...black, yellow and green contruction paper, crayons or markers, glue, scissors, google eyes, and a bag of candy corn. *This session we are also going to make a healthy candy corn snack! For this you will need the following...a clear glass, pinapple chuncks, a clementine, whipped cream, and candy corn.
Today's Goofy Craft is Handprint Owls with Miss Beth. You will need construction paper or card stock (color of your choice, plus white and yellow); 2 feathers; a pencil; glue stick; black marker and scissors.
Join Miss Amy to make a Goofy Jellyfish! Materials needed are a paper plate, crepe paper streamers, markers or
crayons, yarn and tape.
Join Miss Kate as she creates a Pop-Up Goblin using paper, markers, a stick or straw and a paper cup!
Gather your supplies and make some Goofy Grin props with Ms Beth! You will need white paper or poster board; crayons, markers or colored pencils; a stick, straw or something to attach to your grin; tape to attach.
Join us for a Goofy Craft every Friday at 4pm! This week Miss Kim is making something with her favorite letter "K"!
Join Miss Kate for a Virtual Legomania. You may use any kinds of building toys you have!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Lego ManiaFollow along as Miss Kate reads Time Train by Paul Fleischman. Stay tuned at the end for Miss Kate's Lego challenge!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Lego ManiaWatch as Miss Kate reads some castles books, like Mr. King's Castle by Genevieve Cote, Castle by Christopher Gravett, and Steven Biesty's Cross-sections Castle. Then she shows us a castle she built with Legos!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Lego Mania
Join Miss Kate for this book and activity on measuring and find out if you measure up! Listen to Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy (Henry Holt, 1997). Collect the following to make a scale:
Coat hanger; string; scissors; 2 paper cups; tape; hole punch(optional)
Ms Beth shares Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio and shows how to make a ballot box and ballot out of things around the house. Materials: a small box, colored paper, paper bag or wrapping paper; scissors, tape, white paper, markers or crayons; stickers (optional)
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!Miss Amy reads 2 books about self-esteem and invites you to make a handprint craft. Books: You Matter by Christian Robinson (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2020) and Be Who You Are by Todd Parr (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016). Craft supplies: paper, pencil and markers. Optional: Scissors, glue stick, paper in a contrasting color, stickers and artsy doo-dads. Guest starring Moxie the cat.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!Listen to Thank You, Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson. Make a thank you letter, or a letter of suggestion. You'll need paper and an envelope, a pen or pencil and a stamp if you plan to mail your letter.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!
Miss Kate will share a story called I Race the Wind, which includes some experiments, then make a
small paper twirler. The craft requires paper, scissors, a marker, and a paper clip.
Join Ms Beth for a couple of books about being thankful and grateful and make a gratitiude banner. You will need cardstock, scissors, glue stick, yarn and markers or crayons.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!This session of Listen, Imagine Create! will be hosted by Miss Kim. She will be sharing the new book When I Draw a Panda by Amy June Bates. The items that you will need to participate in the activity are...drawing paper, colored pencils, and your imagination!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!Miss Amy shares The Scarecrow by Betty Ferryand and shows you how to make a scarecrow face using a paper bag, markers, raffia and tape. Stuff the scarecrow with old plastic bags, polyfill, or rags. Get creative -- this craft can use anything that you find around the house, including dried leaves or yarn!
Just in time for Halloween! Miss Kate reads The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams. Join in the sounds and actions, and then make a slightly spooky craft!
Ms Beth shares a couple of stories and a craft about hedgehogs this week!
Miss Kim shares this Native American folk tale and helps you make a craft using black, pink, and white construction paper, scissors, glue, and google eyes.
Join Miss Amy as she shares Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter and then make a craft to go along with the story!
Miss Kate shares Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert and then makes her own leaf man with real leaves!
Ms Beth shares the funny story of Chicken Big by Keith Graves, a humorous retelling of the classic Chicken Little story. Then we'll make a chick craft with white paper and markers, or green, orange and black paper, cotton balls, yellow chalk, paper grass, egg shells (real or plastic) glue, a hole punch or google eyes, and a cheese grater!
Miss Kim shares a favorite folktale for this week's program. Listen to our story, imagine it in your mind, and create something to go with it and remind you of it!
Ms Beth shares Crankee Doodle by Tom Angleberger, a variation of the song Yankee Doodle, but with a grumpy and humorous theme! Then we'll make a three corner hat!
Miss Kim shares a folktale from Hawaii for this week's Listen! Imagine! Create!
Join Miss Amy for a mathematical folktale and related craft using One Grain of Rice by Demi
Listen to a story with Ms Beth, practice some guided meditations and learn about making a "worry" box to put your worries aside and learn to be peaceful every day.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!Miss Kate reads The Three Billy Goats Gruff, a Norwegian folktale, as interpreted by Paul Galdone.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!Watch Miss Kim's retelling of The magpie's nest and get creative after with a craft using cheerios, pipe cleaners, ribbon or string!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!Miss Kim reads a folktale from the United Kingdom, The Magpie's Nest, retold by Joanna Foster and Julie Downing.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!Miss Kim reads a folktale and shows us all how to make a shark puppet! She reads Punia and the King of Sharks: A Hawaiian Folktale, adapted by Lee Wardlaw and Felipe Davalos
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!Miss Kate delves into some science! Learn about sinking and floating! She reads The Biggest Frog in Australia by Susan Roth and Things That Float and Things That Don't by David Adler and Anna Raff.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Listen! Imagine! Create!Listen to a story! Imagine you are there! Create something with materials you have at home or pick up before the program!
Miss Kate shares stories about summer food and picnics, including We're Going on a Picnic by Pat Hutchins, The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli, Sun by Sam Usher, and Should I Share My Ice Cream by Mo Willems.
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Little ListenersJoin Miss Kate as she reads stories and sings songs for 3-5 year-olds. This week the theme is summer adventures, where Miss Kate reads The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer, We Were Tired of Living in a House by Liesel Moak Skorpen and Joe Cepeda, and more!
back to top Categories: Children's Room, Little ListenersMiss Kate sings songs and reads stories for the little ones.
Join MIss Kate as she leads us through a series of songs and stories for little ones, including My Car by Byron Barton, Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Birmingham, and Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis.
Join Miss Kate for some fun stories, including My Nest is Best by P.D. Eastman and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
Join Miss Kate as she leads us through a series of stories and songs for little ones.
Join Miss Kate as she reads some Mother's Day inspired stories and sings songs!
Join Miss Kate as she reads some fun stories, including Jump Frog Jump by Robert Kalan, Mushroom in the Rain by Mirra Ginsburg, and Turtle Splash by Cathryn Falwell.
Miss Kate leads us through some songs and cat and dog stories, including Cat-fish by Jill Newton, The Last Puppy by Frank Asch, and Dog Blue by Polly Dunbar.
Join Miss Kate as she leads us through Little Listeners.
Join Miss Kate as she walks us through making some fun crafts.
Join Miss Kate for a fun nature craft you can make at home!
Follow along as Miss Kate shows us how to create a fun bird's nest craft that you can make at home!
Follow along as Miss Kate teaches us how to make paper flowers and a paper vase!
Join Miss Kate as she walks us through making a fun Mother's Day inspired craft.
Join Miss Kate as she walks us through making a simple craft at home!
Join Miss Kate as she walks us through making a fun craft!
Join Miss Kate as she leads us through Little Listeners.
Join Miss Kim as she leads us in a series of songs and stories.
Join Miss Kim as she shares songs and stories for little ones.
Join Miss Kim as she shares songs and stories for little ones.
Join Miss Kim as she reads stories and sings songs for all of the little ones.
Miss Kim leads us the little ones through a fun, engaging series of stories and songs.
Join Miss Kim as she brings us songs and stories, including Birds by Kevin Henke and other bird books!
Join Miss Kim as she leads us through a series of stories and songs, featuring Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes.
Join Miss Kim as she reads When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes and Wee Little Bunny by Lauren Thompson.
Join Miss Amy as she reads some fun stories, including Itsby Bitsy Spider by Richard Egielski, Freight Train by Donald Crews, The Neighborhood Mother Goose by Donna Crews, and more!
Miss Amy leads us through a series of rhyming stories, including A Pocketful of Posies by Salley Maver, Home is a Window by Stephanie Ledyard, and Mr. Cookie Baker by Monica Wellington.
Miss Amy leads us through a series of rhymes, songs, and stories, including This Little Chick by John Lawrence and Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington.
Join Miss Amy as she leads us through a series of rhymes, songs, and stories, including Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas, Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman, and I Heard Said the Bird by Polly Berrien Berends.
Miss Amy leads us through songs and stories, including Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones by Byron Barton.
Miss Amy leads us through a series of songs and stories, featuring Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ellert, My Very First Mother Goose by Rosemary Wells, Clap Your Hands by Lorinda Bryan Cauley, and more!
Miss Amy leads us through a series of songs and rhymes. Follow along as she reads from My Very First Mother Goose, Color Surprises, Freight Train, and more!
Join us for a sing-a-long of Five Green and Speckled Frogs! Glub! Glub!
Join our Children's Librarians for a favorite story time song!
Miss Beth leads a fun-filled round of songs and stories for everyone.
Join Miss Beth as she sings some fun songs and read stories.
Miss Beth leads us in a series of songs and stories.
Join Miss Beth and Mr. Pennybear for a fun series of songs and stories.
Miss Beth leads us in a series of songs and stories, including Baby at the Farm by Karen Katz.
Join Miss Beth and Mr. Pennybear for a fun series of songs and stories.
Join Miss Beth and Mr. Pennybear for a fun series of songs and stories.
Join Miss Beth as she leads us in a series of rhymes, songs, and stories!
Miss Beth leads us through a series of stories and songs, including Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and I Love You, Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton.
Join Miss Beth as she leads us in a series of rhymes, songs, and stories! Featuring Where is Baby's Yummy Tummy by Karen Katz.
Join Miss Beth as she leads us through a fun series of songs and stories, including The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle.
Join Miss Beth as she leads us through a fun series of songs and stories, including The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle.
Miss Beth leads everyone through Wiggle Words on Facebook Live, April 11, 2020
Wiggle Words from Facebook Live, April 6, 2020.
Andover resident and life coach, Jennessa Durrani, describes how to get 'unstuck' and breaks down the three phases of setting an action plan for one's life based on the three phases of a typical MacGyver television episode.
Learn how to open a Zoom link to attend a virtual library program.
Fun sewing craft for all ages and a great gift for all ages! Pocket can contain a book, coloring books and crayons, journal and pens, the ideas are endless! Click here for instructions.
Learn how to get daily access to the New York Times online with your library card.
Learn how to get online access to The Washington Post with your MHL library card.
Learn how to get online access to The Wall Street Journal with your MHL library card.
Learn how to get started with knitting with MHL staff members Vicki Murphy and Gerry Deyermond.
MHL is now open by appointment only. You can read more about our reopening here, and you can book an appointment for yourself at our booking site. This video will show you the steps to book your appointment.
Learn how to use your library card to place a hold on an item.
Learn how to log your Summer Reading time in Beanstack.
Learn how to create a free account on Beanstack so that you can start logging your Summer Reading hours!
Teen Services / Reference Librarian Anna walks you through the process of finding available items in the catalog so that they can be requested for curbside pickup.
MHL Teen Services Librarian Renata walks you through setting up the Library Extension browser extension to search multiple library system catalogs at once. This is especially handy for when you want to search across multiple OverDrive collections!
While I've been spending more time at home, I've been enjoying walks through the neighborhood. I've been enjoying hearing more birdsong and seeing more birds, but I can't always put the two together. For example, I see a lot of robins on my walks, but I realized I don't know what their songs or calls sound like. So I turned to a cool resource MHL offers, Birds of the World Online, to hear recordings of robins and learn a bit more about these fun feathered friends. Now, when I'm out walking, I can identify robins by sight as well as by sound! Check out this video to learn more about using Birds of the World Online.
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MHL Reference Librarian Dean walks you through getting access to the New York Times with your library card.
This video was uploaded to the library's Instagram.
back to top Categories: How-to
Celebrate National Poetry Month with prize-winning poet Peter Schmitt in a Zoom webinar. In Goodbye, Apostrophe, his first new collection in more than a decade, the nationally recognized and prize-winning poet has assembled nearly 50 poems exemplary for their range and emotional power. From the hard lessons of childhood to the loss of parents, these poems confront the challenging issues of our time, including race, religion, abuse of varying kinds, and reflexive political correctness. By turns poignant and funny, elegiac and celebratory, formal and free, the mature work of a poet Richard Wilbur hailed as “one of the strongest talents in his generation” will resonate indelibly with any serious reader of American poetry.
Peter Schmitt is the author of six collections of poems: Goodbye, Apostrophe (Regal House Publishing, 2020), Renewing the Vows (David Robert Books), Hazard Duty, and Country Airport (Copper Beech Press), and two chapbooks, Incident in an Apartment Complex: A Suite of Voices, and To Disappear (Pudding House). He has received the Lavan Award from The Academy of American Poets (selected by Richard Wilbur), the “Discovery”/The Nation Prize (judged by Anthony Hecht, Mary Jo Salter, and Nicholas Christopher), the Julia Peterkin Award (Converse College) and is twice a recipient of grants from the Florida Arts Council. He was awarded an Ingram Merrill Foundation Fellowship. His poems have been featured on NPR’s Writers Almanac, and he is a winner of the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival open competition. His work has appeared in many leading publications, including The Hudson Review, The Nation, The Paris Review, Poetry, and The Southern Review, and been widely anthologized. He has reviewed poetry and fiction for the Miami Herald and South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and worked as a freelance editor of novels, short fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and journalism. He is currently editing his late father’s WWII remembrance, Ferry Tales: A Navigator’s Memoir (McFarland, 2022).
A native Miamian and honors graduate of Amherst College, Schmitt studied with Richard Wilbur and received the College’s poetry prizes as a junior and senior. He attended the University of Iowa Writers Workshop, where his teachers included Donald Justice. He has taught creative writing and literature at The University of Miami since 1986.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, PoetryMiss Amy and Ms Beth share another poem from the book Seeds, bees, butterflies and more: poems in two voices by Carole Gerber.
back to top Categories: Poetry, Children's RoomLibrarians Ms Beth and Ms Laura share a couple of flower poems from the book Seeds, bees, butterflies and more by Carole Gerber in celebration of National Poetry Month!
back to top Categories: Poetry, Children's RoomMs Beth and Miss Kate share two poems in two voices from the book Seeds, Bees, Butterflies and more!: poems for two voices by Carole Gerber. Each week during the month of April, National Poetry Month, we will share some poems from this book to inspire you to read more poetry!
back to top Categories: Poetry, Children's RoomJoin Miss Amy as she reads some fun stories, including Itsby Bitsy Spider by Richard Egielski, Freight Train by Donald Crews, The Neighborhood Mother Goose by Donna Crews, and more!
MHL Children's Services Coordinator Beth reads "The Rainbow" by Christina Rossetti for National Poetry Month.
MHL Children's Librarian Kim reads "I Met a Dragon Face to Face" by Jack Prelutsky for National Poetry Month.
MHL Teen Services Librarian Renata reads "How Do I Know When a Poem is FInished?" by Naomi Shihab Nye for National Poetry Month.
MHL Librarian Stephanie reads the first few stanzas of "The Rybaiyat of Omar Khayyam," translated by Edward FitzGerald, or National Poetry Month 2020.
MHL's Coordinator of Children's Services Beth reads "The Wind" by Robert Louis Stevenson for National Poetry Month 2020.
MHL Librarian Dean reads "Errantry" by J.R.R. Tolkien for National Poetry Month 2020.
Teen Services Librarian Anna reads "From an April" by Rainer Maria Rilke for National Poetry Month 2020.
Participants are welcome to find a quiet, comfortable space to relax and join mindfulness teacher, Lauren Masse in this Zoom webinar. Practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute class. Learn how to practice daily mindfulness and calm your mind and body. This week Lauren will lead guided visualization meditations.
Are you a history buff, interested in all things medical, curious about public health initiatives or diseases long before COVID-19? We’ll take a virtual walk through the museum and learn how selected artifacts from the museum’s collection played a significant role to treat and mitigate disease before the discovery of vaccinations and antibiotics.
The Public Health Museum is an independent 501(c)3 organization, housed in the historic Richard Morris building (also known as the Old Administration Building) of Tewksbury Hospital in Massachusetts. The Museum strives to preserve artifacts and records of our nation’s history in public health and serve as a resource to the community to educate and promote public health initiatives that address current health issues.
This program is hosted by Memorial Hall Library in partnership with Andover Elder Services, Tewksbury Public Library and Billerica Public Library.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Health, HistoryFind a quiet, comfortable space to relax and join mindfulness teacher, Lauren Masse in this Zoom webinar. Practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute class. Learn how to practice daily mindfulness and calm your mind and body. This week Lauren leads a mindfulness meditation.
This series is hosted by Memorial Hall Library in partnership with Tewksbury Public Library.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Health
An event designed to raise awareness about parole and change hearts and minds about the importance/difficulties of parole in Massachusetts. Panelists include formerly incarcerated speakers, Isaiah Dotson and Jonathan Best, Representative Liz Miranda who has filed several parole bills for 2021-22, Attorney Patty Garin, one of the foremost parole experts in Massachusetts, and moderator Jean Trounstine, professor, writer and activist who has written extensively about parole, along with Lisa Berland, who is part of Parole Watch.
A collaboration of Courageous Conversations, Memorial Hall Library, the Social Justice Coalition of South Church, and the Coalition for Effective Public Safety.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Social Justice
Find a quiet, comfortable space to relax and join mindfulness teacher, Lauren Masse in this Zoom webinar. Practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute class. Learn how to practice daily mindfulness and calm your mind and body. This week Lauren leads a movement meditation.
This series is hosted by Memorial Hall Library in partnership with Tewksbury Public Library.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Health
Have you ever wandered through the woods and wondered who had been there before you? In Massachusetts, many parks and trails have been carved out of historical sites. Author Alison O’Leary, an award-winning journalist and coauthor of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s new guide Best Day Hikes Near Boston, will share her favorites through this hour-long program. Using maps and historic photos, she describes several day trip destinations with historical significance and interesting features in Massachusetts. Special effort is made to include varying levels of difficulty (flat and easy to steep and challenging) and variety of scenery. These sites include a former rubber factory overlooked in the woods, contributions of the Roosevelt-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to our favorite parks, offbeat tales of local residents, sites of former grand estates (and tales of the owners). Author Alison O’Leary is a longtime journalist and editor. She has won awards from national and regional organizations for travel writing, reporting, and editing.
Renowned art historian and Phillips Academy alumnus William Agee (PA 1955) discusses masterworks from the Addison’s collection, their art historical significance, and their personal impact on him as a student at Andover. This program is a collaboration of Memorial Hall Library and the Addison Gallery of American Art on the campus of Phillips Academy.
Mindfulness teacher, Lauren Masse discusses and leads various ways to use deep breathing meditation. This program is a collaboration of Memorial Hall Library and Tewksbury Public Library.
This series is presented in partnership with Andover WECAN and Memorial Hall Library. Find a page of recycling resources at https://mhl.org/beyond-bin-recycling-resources.
In our first two webinars we focused on recycling and composting. What’s left? The rest of your trash. Learn how you personally and how we as a society can reduce our trash. Expand what you can do by learning what legislative changes are in the works and how you can support them. Waneta Trabert, Vice President of MassRecycle will discuss trash in Massachusetts and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), why it’s exciting and how you can speak up in favor of manufacturers taking responsibility for their waste.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs
A list of books and resources on native plants that was made available during the program can be found here: https://mhl.org/native-plants.
Recent headlines about global insect declines and three billion fewer birds in North America are a bleak reality check about how ineffective our current landscape designs have been at sustaining the plants and animals that sustain us. Such losses are not an option if we wish to continue our current standard of living on Planet Earth. The good news is that none of this is inevitable. Professor Tallamy discusses simple steps that each of us can- and must- take to reverse declining biodiversity and will explain why we, ourselves, are nature’s best hope.
Doug Tallamy is the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has authored 104 research publications and has taught insect related courses for 40 years. Chief among his research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. His book Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens was published by Timber Press in 2007 and was awarded the 2008 Silver Medal by the Garden Writers' Association. The Living Landscape, co-authored with Rick Darke, was published in 2014. Doug's new book Nature's Best Hope, released by Timber Press in February 2020, is a New York Times Best Seller. Among his awards are the Garden Club of America Margaret Douglas Medal for Conservation and the Tom Dodd, Jr. Award of Excellence, the 2018 AHS B.Y. Morrison Communication Award and the 2019 Cynthia Westcott Scientific Writing Award.
This program is a collaboration of libraries in Andover, Chelmsford, North Reading, Tewksbury and Wilmington.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Gardening
A group of experienced gardeners who volunteer on the Andover Seed Library committee touch on a wide range of topics, including edible foraging, early pest prevention, watering and more. Send your garden questions and suggestions to andoverseedlibrary@mhl.org.
Celebrate National Poetry Month with prize-winning poet Peter Schmitt in a Zoom webinar. In Goodbye, Apostrophe, his first new collection in more than a decade, the nationally recognized and prize-winning poet has assembled nearly 50 poems exemplary for their range and emotional power. From the hard lessons of childhood to the loss of parents, these poems confront the challenging issues of our time, including race, religion, abuse of varying kinds, and reflexive political correctness. By turns poignant and funny, elegiac and celebratory, formal and free, the mature work of a poet Richard Wilbur hailed as “one of the strongest talents in his generation” will resonate indelibly with any serious reader of American poetry.
Peter Schmitt is the author of six collections of poems: Goodbye, Apostrophe (Regal House Publishing, 2020), Renewing the Vows (David Robert Books), Hazard Duty, and Country Airport (Copper Beech Press), and two chapbooks, Incident in an Apartment Complex: A Suite of Voices, and To Disappear (Pudding House). He has received the Lavan Award from The Academy of American Poets (selected by Richard Wilbur), the “Discovery”/The Nation Prize (judged by Anthony Hecht, Mary Jo Salter, and Nicholas Christopher), the Julia Peterkin Award (Converse College) and is twice a recipient of grants from the Florida Arts Council. He was awarded an Ingram Merrill Foundation Fellowship. His poems have been featured on NPR’s Writers Almanac, and he is a winner of the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival open competition. His work has appeared in many leading publications, including The Hudson Review, The Nation, The Paris Review, Poetry, and The Southern Review, and been widely anthologized. He has reviewed poetry and fiction for the Miami Herald and South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and worked as a freelance editor of novels, short fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and journalism. He is currently editing his late father’s WWII remembrance, Ferry Tales: A Navigator’s Memoir (McFarland, 2022).
A native Miamian and honors graduate of Amherst College, Schmitt studied with Richard Wilbur and received the College’s poetry prizes as a junior and senior. He attended the University of Iowa Writers Workshop, where his teachers included Donald Justice. He has taught creative writing and literature at The University of Miami since 1986.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Poetry
Seems obvious not to throw your spaghetti in the fireplace right? Well then why would you throw it in your trash? In Andover, as with most Massachusetts towns, our trash is incinerated. We want to keep that process burning cleanly and we want to create new healthy soil. How can we do both? Compost. Learn why composting is worth the effort and why gardeners think compost is black gold. Learn how composting helps to reduce the impacts of climate change. Julia Greene, Municipal Asst Coordinator at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MA DEP) will speak on what is happening with composting in our region. Rachel Ciaramitaro, Department of Public Works, Office Assistant shares what Andover is doing with composting and our other refuse streams.
This series is presented in partnership with Andover WECAN and Memorial Hall Library. Find a page of recycling resources at https://mhl.org/beyond-bin-recycling-resources.
UTEC's team discusses their nationally recognized model which begins with intensive street outreach, correctional facility in-reach, and gang peacemaking, engaging our most disconnected young adults by meeting them “where they’re at.” UTEC’s mission and promise is to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disconnected young people to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success. Today they serve Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill, MA and are nationally recognized as a model agency serving justice-involved young adults. Their wraparound program is designed to never give up on young adults as they overcome personal, health, and institutional barriers to improving their lives.
The team will also share some of the ways they are innovating with the State and the Department of Corrections to make real, meaningful changes at a systemic level and how you can support. UTEC was founded in 1999 as the result of an organizing movement driven by young people to develop their own teen center in response to gang violence in Lowell. Originally known as “United Teen Equality Center,” today their name is simply UTEC, Inc.and they serve youth ages 17-25.
This program is a collaboration of Courageous Conversations, Memorial Hall Library, and Haverhill Public Library, Libraries Working Towards Social Justice.
America’s most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, created iconic modern buildings like Fallingwater and the Guggenheim Museum. This interactive presentation, led by art educator, Jane Oneail, offers an introduction to Wright’s career and explore his final house type, the Usonian, in depth, with special emphasis on the Zimmerman House in Manchester, NH. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Andover Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Are you confused about what goes in your trash bin and what goes in your recycling bin? You’re not alone! Neil Rhein, founder and executive director of Keep Massachusetts Beautiful talks about what really happens to our trash and recyclables here in Andover. He’ll discuss the world’s plastic pollution crisis and how trash and recycling are managed in Massachusetts. Learn how to make informed decisions about your own personal habits. Learn ways to reduce the amount of trash you generate, improve your recycling habits, and make small changes to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. MassRecycle's website Recycle Smart is chock full of information and tips about how to dispose of household waste responsibly.
Sandra Gerraughty, Department of Public Works, Business Manager and Rachel Ciaramitaro, Department of Public Works, Office Assistant talk about their new tool ReCollect, which is designed to help residents with recycling questions.
This series is presented in partnership with Andover WECAN and Memorial Hall Library. Find a page of recycling resources at https://mhl.org/beyond-bin-recycling-resources.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs
Lauren Masse leads a guided visualization and a loving kindness meditation.
Lauren Masse leads a movement meditation.
A group of experienced gardeners touch on a wide range of topics and share tips for planning your garden, what they're doing right now to get ready for the garden season and gardening in containers.
Author and historian Richard Webb shares his book, Boats Against the Current: The Honeymoon Summer of Scott and Zelda, the companion to the newly released documentary, Gatsby in Connecticut: The Untold Story, which explores the story behind the iconic American novel, The Great Gatsby.
Lauren Masse leads a deep breathing and muscle relaxation meditation.
Mindfulness teacher Lauren Masse leads a movement meditation. Find a quiet, comfortable space to relax and practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute class presented in collaboration with Memorial Hall Library and Tewksbury Public Library.
“I was a black woman according to my family, society’s one-drop rule and my birth certificate. It was culturally and legally ridiculous to wonder if I wasn’t. Yet my biological ancestry counted for absolutely nothing. My beloved mother was white.”
Former Andover resident, E. Dolores Johnson discusses her new book, Say I'm Dead: A Family Memoir of Race, Secrets and Love, with author, Grace Talusan. It's a multi-generational memoir that reveals America's changing attitudes toward race mixing, discovered through the courageous journeys of her family’s women. Johnson's parents fled to Buffalo from Indianapolis so they could marry without violating Indiana's anti-miscegenation laws. Her father was black and her mother was white. Johnson details her journey unearthing the secrets of her family, and in so doing, wrestles with identity, class, and education, aiming a potent lens at what it means to be biracial and shining more light on the racism that continues to sicken this country to this day.
Presented in collaboration with Burlington Public Library, Memorial Hall Library, Stevens Memorial Library and Tewksbury Public Library, Libraries Working Towards Social Justice.
Practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute class. Lauren Masse explains mindfulness and leads a seated meditation. Learn how to practice daily mindfulness and calm your mind and body.
Frida Kahlo has become a household name in recent years, with movies, books and countless products dedicated to her art and likeness. Art educator, Jane Oneail, goes beyond the artist’s famous facial hair and penetrating stare and explore her life and her work, particularly as it relates to the trolley accident she survived as a teen and her passionate and often tumultuous marriage to fellow artist Diego Rivera.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Andover Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Steve Gallant shares his expertise about surfcasting on the North Shore. He specializes in surfcasting the North Shore after dark in search of trophy stripers.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Fish On! AndoverAuthor Matthew Van Meter discusses his book along with other social justice issues, including his work with Shakespeare in Prison, a Detroit Public Theatre community program.
In 1966 in a small town in Louisiana, a 19-year-old black man named Gary Duncan pulled his car off the road to stop a fight. Duncan was arrested a few minutes later for the crime of putting his hand on the arm of a white child. Rather than accepting his fate, Duncan found Richard Sobol, a brilliant, 29-year-old lawyer from New York who was the only white attorney at "the most radical law firm" in New Orleans. Against them stood one of the most powerful white supremacists in the South, a man called simply "The Judge."
In this powerful work of character-driven history, journalist Matthew Van Meter vividly brings alive how a seemingly minor incident brought massive, systemic change to the criminal justice system. Using first-person interviews, in-depth research and a deep knowledge of the law, Van Meter shows how Gary Duncan's insistence on seeking justice empowered generations of defendants-disproportionately poor and black-to demand fair trials. Duncan v. Louisiana changed American law, but first it changed the lives of those who litigated it.
A collaboration of Memorial Hall Library, Stevens Memorial Library and Tewksbury Public Library, Libraries Working Towards Social Justice.
Striped bass are the iconic gamefish of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, and anglers take over 15 million trips annually to target them. But the species is currently in trouble, with population levels at a 25-year low. Dr. Willy Goldsmith, Executive Director of the American Saltwater Guides Association, outlines the conservation status of striped bass, upcoming key management actions, and how anglers can get involved in the process.
In the final presentation of this three-part series, Curator Gordon Wilkins explores works created between 1930 and 1950, by artists including Ruth Asawa, Jacob Lawrence, Jackson Pollock, and Andrew Wyeth.
Organized chronologically, Currents/Crosscurrents places iconic paintings, photographs, works on paper, and sculptures in dialogue with works by and lesser-known and unknown artists.
Julio Silva shares lessons learned from years of experience on the surf so you can safely take your surfcasting to the next level.
In Currents/Crosscurrents: American Art 1850-1950, Part 2, Curator Gordon Wilkins explores works created between 1900 and 1930, by artists including Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, and John Singer Sargent. A collaboration of Memorial Hall Library and the Addison Gallery of American Art.
A group of experienced Andover gardeners share tips and best practices for starting seeds and nurturing seedlings.
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Art educator, Jane Oneail, examines that arc as it relates to African American history enshrined in American Art. From colonial era portraits to 19th-century and Jim Crow-era prints to 1960s Civil Rights photography, this program will provide a visual overview of African American oppression, struggle and progress towards equality.
Practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute mindfulness meditation class. You will learn how to practice daily mindfulness and calm your mind and body with meditation. Participants are welcome to find a quiet, comfortable space to relax and join mindfulness teacher, Lauren Masse in this webinar.
Organized chronologically, Currents/Crosscurrents places iconic paintings, photographs, works on paper, and sculptures in dialogue with works by and lesser-known and unknown artists. In the first presentation of this three-part series, Curator Gordon Wilkins will explore works created between 1850 and 1900, by artists including Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and James McNeill Whistler.
Join longtime art educator, Jane Oneail, for a Zoom webinar focused on the art of Norman Rockwell. Rockwell is heralded for depicting and defining American life. He often captured bittersweet images of people experiencing universal and relatable feelings of being left out or left behind. Yet, as an artist working in the 20th century, his works are curiously devoid of America’s rich cultural and racial diversity. Toward the end of his career, Rockwell painted several poignant works about race in America that can be seen as an extension of his earlier sense of the power of inclusion and exclusion.
Looking for a creative outlet in the new year? A way to express your thoughts and feelings that goes beyond written journaling? In this interactive class, you will learn techniques on combining your written work with simple art techniques to help you establish an art journaling practice of your own. You will create a “paper bag” journal and several spreads throughout the evening using limited supplies that you should have on hand.
Andover resident and life coach, Jennessa Durrani, describes how to get 'unstuck' and breaks down the three phases of setting an action plan for one's life based on the three phases of a typical MacGyver television episode.
Join Lauren Masse, MPH, in a thought-provoking Zoom Webinar on the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, including a discussion of the effects of stress related to isolation, job loss, and radical change in routine, along with mindset shifts, behavior changes and tools helpful for reducing personal suffering and supporting your well-being at this time.
Pop artist Andy Warhol famously elevated everyday objects - like soup cans - to works of fine art. His paintings, silkscreens and photography often focused on American consumerism, not just of products, but of celebrities and images themselves. Art educator, Jane Oneail, will look at the abbreviated life, artwork and enduring legacy of the artist who predicted “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes.”
Andover author and attorney, Tara K. Wilson, shares highlights from her new book, Trustworthy: Enlightened Estate Planning, and provide a broad overview and tips for putting a good trust-based estate plan in place.
What can Civil War painting and photography tell us about how history is documented and authored? Join Jamie Kaplowitz Gibbons, Head of Education, and Dr. Tessa Hite, Curatorial Fellow, as they use educational and curatorial lenses to examine works by Alexander Gardner, Edward Lamson Henry, Winslow Homer, and more from the collection of the Addison Gallery of American Art.
Fun sewing craft for all ages and a great gift for all ages! Pocket can contain a book, coloring books and crayons, journal and pens, the ideas are endless! Click here for instructions.
Join us for a conversation with local writer, Kristin Bair (O’Keeffe), during which she will discuss her new novel, Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything, parenting in a pandemic, the writing process, facing our fears, Facebook mom groups, and more.
Fraud and scams have become entirely too commonplace, especially with the increase in online transactions, social media and smartphone technology. Learn how to protect yourself from many of the schemes devised by fraudsters and scammers in this panel discussion hosted by the Andover Senior Mentors, Roland Jacobson, Jeff Kaplan and Don Schroeder, in collaboration with Memorial Hall Library. Prema Nagathan is the Senior Vice President and Security Director at Enterprise Bank. Edmund Donnelly currently serves as the Director of External Affairs, State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for AT&T Services, Inc. The Andover Senior Mentors work closely with Andover Elder Services to provide programming and information helpful to seniors in the community.
Associate Curator of American Art, Gordon Wilkins, explores artworks from the Addison Gallery of American Art exhibition, To Make Visible: Art and Activism, 1980–2000, and discusses the ways in which artists use their work to hold a mirror up to the injustices of their time, combat apathy, and provoke change.
Licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Kate Madden, discusses the basic science of sleep, tips to improve sleep, and information about a specialized treatment for insomnia.
A local panel demystifies affordable housing and provides an update on Andover's affordable housing stock and opportunities for maintaining and growing affordable housing in the community.
Learn how to get started with knitting with MHL staff members Vicki Murphy and Gerry Deyermond.
The Andover Senior Mentors, retired financial professionals, Roland Jacobson, Jeff Kaplan and Don Schroeder, discussed factors to consider when contemplating retirement and provided useful insights into issues such as having sufficient income, spending one's time in a meaningful way, and planning for the expected and unexpected in retirement.
On Wednesday, October 14th, bestselling author Gregory Maguire spent a fun-filled hour in conversation with bestselling author Daniel Handler, familiar to many as 'Lemony Snicket.'
Staff members Gerry and Vicki walk you through making a pumpkin wall-hanging, just in time for Fall!
Climate change will have - and is having - a profound effect on conditions in New England. Dr. Caleb Dresser explains how changes in regional climate are expected to affect human health in coming years, exploring changes in heat-related illnesses, vector-borne diseases such as Lyme and West Nile, risk from coastal storm surges and intensifying hurricanes, and other issues.
Rose Cheyette of Samaritans, Inc. discusses suicide, risk factors and warning signs, and skills their helpline volunteers use to support those going through any number of mental health challenges. The helpline gets lots of calls for information, which they are happy to provide. She reviews some of the best ways to listen, and how to ask questions to get a clearer understanding of how to help support those who need it. She reviews resources, including self-care, for those who support others. For more information, go to https://samaritanshope.org/
Certified Massachusetts arborist and horticulturist, Marc Fournier shares all kinds of information about native plants and shrubs and their importance in the landscape.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, GardeningMiss Kate shows you how to make a paper kite. You will need: Paper, scissors, tape, ribbon, markers or crayons, stickers Paper Plate Flier: 3 paper plates, scissors, tape
back to top Categories: Crafts and Hobbies, Children's Room, Friday FunLooking for a creative outlet in the new year? A way to express your thoughts and feelings that goes beyond written journaling? In this interactive class, you will learn techniques on combining your written work with simple art techniques to help you establish an art journaling practice of your own. You will create a “paper bag” journal and several spreads throughout the evening using limited supplies that you should have on hand.
Fun sewing craft for all ages and a great gift for all ages! Pocket can contain a book, coloring books and crayons, journal and pens, the ideas are endless! Click here for instructions.
Learn how to get started with knitting with MHL staff members Vicki Murphy and Gerry Deyermond.
Watch as Teen Services Librarian Anna and For Freedoms staffer Pola Dobrzynski discuss the history of the organization, the intersection of art and politics, and the state of community activism.
Staff members Gerry and Vicki walk you through making a pumpkin wall-hanging, just in time for Fall!
A list of books and resources on native plants that was made available during the program can be found here: https://mhl.org/native-plants.
Recent headlines about global insect declines and three billion fewer birds in North America are a bleak reality check about how ineffective our current landscape designs have been at sustaining the plants and animals that sustain us. Such losses are not an option if we wish to continue our current standard of living on Planet Earth. The good news is that none of this is inevitable. Professor Tallamy discusses simple steps that each of us can- and must- take to reverse declining biodiversity and will explain why we, ourselves, are nature’s best hope.
Doug Tallamy is the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has authored 104 research publications and has taught insect related courses for 40 years. Chief among his research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. His book Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens was published by Timber Press in 2007 and was awarded the 2008 Silver Medal by the Garden Writers' Association. The Living Landscape, co-authored with Rick Darke, was published in 2014. Doug's new book Nature's Best Hope, released by Timber Press in February 2020, is a New York Times Best Seller. Among his awards are the Garden Club of America Margaret Douglas Medal for Conservation and the Tom Dodd, Jr. Award of Excellence, the 2018 AHS B.Y. Morrison Communication Award and the 2019 Cynthia Westcott Scientific Writing Award.
This program is a collaboration of libraries in Andover, Chelmsford, North Reading, Tewksbury and Wilmington.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, GardeningA group of experienced gardeners who volunteer on the Andover Seed Library committee touch on a wide range of topics, including edible foraging, early pest prevention, watering and more. Send your garden questions and suggestions to andoverseedlibrary@mhl.org.
A group of experienced gardeners touch on a wide range of topics and share tips for planning your garden, what they're doing right now to get ready for the garden season and gardening in containers.
A group of experienced Andover gardeners share tips and best practices for starting seeds and nurturing seedlings.
Certified Massachusetts arborist and horticulturist, Marc Fournier shares all kinds of information about native plants and shrubs and their importance in the landscape.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, GardeningParticipants are welcome to find a quiet, comfortable space to relax and join mindfulness teacher, Lauren Masse in this Zoom webinar. Practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute class. Learn how to practice daily mindfulness and calm your mind and body. This week Lauren will lead guided visualization meditations.
Are you a history buff, interested in all things medical, curious about public health initiatives or diseases long before COVID-19? We’ll take a virtual walk through the museum and learn how selected artifacts from the museum’s collection played a significant role to treat and mitigate disease before the discovery of vaccinations and antibiotics.
The Public Health Museum is an independent 501(c)3 organization, housed in the historic Richard Morris building (also known as the Old Administration Building) of Tewksbury Hospital in Massachusetts. The Museum strives to preserve artifacts and records of our nation’s history in public health and serve as a resource to the community to educate and promote public health initiatives that address current health issues.
This program is hosted by Memorial Hall Library in partnership with Andover Elder Services, Tewksbury Public Library and Billerica Public Library.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Health, HistoryFind a quiet, comfortable space to relax and join mindfulness teacher, Lauren Masse in this Zoom webinar. Practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute class. Learn how to practice daily mindfulness and calm your mind and body. This week Lauren leads a mindfulness meditation.
This series is hosted by Memorial Hall Library in partnership with Tewksbury Public Library.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, HealthFind a quiet, comfortable space to relax and join mindfulness teacher, Lauren Masse in this Zoom webinar. Practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute class. Learn how to practice daily mindfulness and calm your mind and body. This week Lauren leads a movement meditation.
This series is hosted by Memorial Hall Library in partnership with Tewksbury Public Library.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, HealthMindfulness teacher, Lauren Masse discusses and leads various ways to use deep breathing meditation. This program is a collaboration of Memorial Hall Library and Tewksbury Public Library.
Lauren Masse leads a guided visualization and a loving kindness meditation.
Lauren Masse leads a movement meditation.
Lauren Masse leads a deep breathing and muscle relaxation meditation.
Mindfulness teacher Lauren Masse leads a movement meditation. Find a quiet, comfortable space to relax and practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute class presented in collaboration with Memorial Hall Library and Tewksbury Public Library.
Practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute class. Lauren Masse explains mindfulness and leads a seated meditation. Learn how to practice daily mindfulness and calm your mind and body.
Practice clearing your mind, being in the present moment and reducing stress in this 30-minute mindfulness meditation class. You will learn how to practice daily mindfulness and calm your mind and body with meditation. Participants are welcome to find a quiet, comfortable space to relax and join mindfulness teacher, Lauren Masse in this webinar.
Join Lauren Masse, MPH, in a thought-provoking Zoom Webinar on the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, including a discussion of the effects of stress related to isolation, job loss, and radical change in routine, along with mindset shifts, behavior changes and tools helpful for reducing personal suffering and supporting your well-being at this time.
Licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Kate Madden, discusses the basic science of sleep, tips to improve sleep, and information about a specialized treatment for insomnia.
Climate change will have - and is having - a profound effect on conditions in New England. Dr. Caleb Dresser explains how changes in regional climate are expected to affect human health in coming years, exploring changes in heat-related illnesses, vector-borne diseases such as Lyme and West Nile, risk from coastal storm surges and intensifying hurricanes, and other issues.
Rose Cheyette of Samaritans, Inc. discusses suicide, risk factors and warning signs, and skills their helpline volunteers use to support those going through any number of mental health challenges. The helpline gets lots of calls for information, which they are happy to provide. She reviews some of the best ways to listen, and how to ask questions to get a clearer understanding of how to help support those who need it. She reviews resources, including self-care, for those who support others. For more information, go to https://samaritanshope.org/
Are you a history buff, interested in all things medical, curious about public health initiatives or diseases long before COVID-19? We’ll take a virtual walk through the museum and learn how selected artifacts from the museum’s collection played a significant role to treat and mitigate disease before the discovery of vaccinations and antibiotics.
The Public Health Museum is an independent 501(c)3 organization, housed in the historic Richard Morris building (also known as the Old Administration Building) of Tewksbury Hospital in Massachusetts. The Museum strives to preserve artifacts and records of our nation’s history in public health and serve as a resource to the community to educate and promote public health initiatives that address current health issues.
This program is hosted by Memorial Hall Library in partnership with Andover Elder Services, Tewksbury Public Library and Billerica Public Library.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Health, HistoryHave you ever wandered through the woods and wondered who had been there before you? In Massachusetts, many parks and trails have been carved out of historical sites. Author Alison O’Leary, an award-winning journalist and coauthor of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s new guide Best Day Hikes Near Boston, will share her favorites through this hour-long program. Using maps and historic photos, she describes several day trip destinations with historical significance and interesting features in Massachusetts. Special effort is made to include varying levels of difficulty (flat and easy to steep and challenging) and variety of scenery. These sites include a former rubber factory overlooked in the woods, contributions of the Roosevelt-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to our favorite parks, offbeat tales of local residents, sites of former grand estates (and tales of the owners). Author Alison O’Leary is a longtime journalist and editor. She has won awards from national and regional organizations for travel writing, reporting, and editing.
Author and historian Richard Webb shares his book, Boats Against the Current: The Honeymoon Summer of Scott and Zelda, the companion to the newly released documentary, Gatsby in Connecticut: The Untold Story, which explores the story behind the iconic American novel, The Great Gatsby.
Frida Kahlo has become a household name in recent years, with movies, books and countless products dedicated to her art and likeness. Art educator, Jane Oneail, goes beyond the artist’s famous facial hair and penetrating stare and explore her life and her work, particularly as it relates to the trolley accident she survived as a teen and her passionate and often tumultuous marriage to fellow artist Diego Rivera.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Andover Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
In the final presentation of this three-part series, Curator Gordon Wilkins explores works created between 1930 and 1950, by artists including Ruth Asawa, Jacob Lawrence, Jackson Pollock, and Andrew Wyeth.
Organized chronologically, Currents/Crosscurrents places iconic paintings, photographs, works on paper, and sculptures in dialogue with works by and lesser-known and unknown artists.
In Currents/Crosscurrents: American Art 1850-1950, Part 2, Curator Gordon Wilkins explores works created between 1900 and 1930, by artists including Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, and John Singer Sargent. A collaboration of Memorial Hall Library and the Addison Gallery of American Art.
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Art educator, Jane Oneail, examines that arc as it relates to African American history enshrined in American Art. From colonial era portraits to 19th-century and Jim Crow-era prints to 1960s Civil Rights photography, this program will provide a visual overview of African American oppression, struggle and progress towards equality.
Organized chronologically, Currents/Crosscurrents places iconic paintings, photographs, works on paper, and sculptures in dialogue with works by and lesser-known and unknown artists. In the first presentation of this three-part series, Curator Gordon Wilkins will explore works created between 1850 and 1900, by artists including Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and James McNeill Whistler.
Join longtime art educator, Jane Oneail, for a Zoom webinar focused on the art of Norman Rockwell. Rockwell is heralded for depicting and defining American life. He often captured bittersweet images of people experiencing universal and relatable feelings of being left out or left behind. Yet, as an artist working in the 20th century, his works are curiously devoid of America’s rich cultural and racial diversity. Toward the end of his career, Rockwell painted several poignant works about race in America that can be seen as an extension of his earlier sense of the power of inclusion and exclusion.
Pop artist Andy Warhol famously elevated everyday objects - like soup cans - to works of fine art. His paintings, silkscreens and photography often focused on American consumerism, not just of products, but of celebrities and images themselves. Art educator, Jane Oneail, will look at the abbreviated life, artwork and enduring legacy of the artist who predicted “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes.”
What can Civil War painting and photography tell us about how history is documented and authored? Join Jamie Kaplowitz Gibbons, Head of Education, and Dr. Tessa Hite, Curatorial Fellow, as they use educational and curatorial lenses to examine works by Alexander Gardner, Edward Lamson Henry, Winslow Homer, and more from the collection of the Addison Gallery of American Art.
Associate Curator of American Art, Gordon Wilkins, explores artworks from the Addison Gallery of American Art exhibition, To Make Visible: Art and Activism, 1980–2000, and discusses the ways in which artists use their work to hold a mirror up to the injustices of their time, combat apathy, and provoke change.
Andover author and attorney, Tara K. Wilson, shares highlights from her new book, Trustworthy: Enlightened Estate Planning, and provide a broad overview and tips for putting a good trust-based estate plan in place.
Fraud and scams have become entirely too commonplace, especially with the increase in online transactions, social media and smartphone technology. Learn how to protect yourself from many of the schemes devised by fraudsters and scammers in this panel discussion hosted by the Andover Senior Mentors, Roland Jacobson, Jeff Kaplan and Don Schroeder, in collaboration with Memorial Hall Library. Prema Nagathan is the Senior Vice President and Security Director at Enterprise Bank. Edmund Donnelly currently serves as the Director of External Affairs, State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for AT&T Services, Inc. The Andover Senior Mentors work closely with Andover Elder Services to provide programming and information helpful to seniors in the community.
A local panel demystifies affordable housing and provides an update on Andover's affordable housing stock and opportunities for maintaining and growing affordable housing in the community.
Did you miss our College Financial Aid semester this October? No problem! Watch as certified financial planner Jim Femia walks teens and caregivers through the basics of the process.
The Andover Senior Mentors, retired financial professionals, Roland Jacobson, Jeff Kaplan and Don Schroeder, discussed factors to consider when contemplating retirement and provided useful insights into issues such as having sufficient income, spending one's time in a meaningful way, and planning for the expected and unexpected in retirement.
Steve Gallant shares his expertise about surfcasting on the North Shore. He specializes in surfcasting the North Shore after dark in search of trophy stripers.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Fish On! AndoverStriped bass are the iconic gamefish of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, and anglers take over 15 million trips annually to target them. But the species is currently in trouble, with population levels at a 25-year low. Dr. Willy Goldsmith, Executive Director of the American Saltwater Guides Association, outlines the conservation status of striped bass, upcoming key management actions, and how anglers can get involved in the process.
Julio Silva shares lessons learned from years of experience on the surf so you can safely take your surfcasting to the next level.
Renowned art historian and Phillips Academy alumnus William Agee (PA 1955) discusses masterworks from the Addison’s collection, their art historical significance, and their personal impact on him as a student at Andover. This program is a collaboration of Memorial Hall Library and the Addison Gallery of American Art on the campus of Phillips Academy.
In the final presentation of this three-part series, Curator Gordon Wilkins explores works created between 1930 and 1950, by artists including Ruth Asawa, Jacob Lawrence, Jackson Pollock, and Andrew Wyeth.
Organized chronologically, Currents/Crosscurrents places iconic paintings, photographs, works on paper, and sculptures in dialogue with works by and lesser-known and unknown artists.
In Currents/Crosscurrents: American Art 1850-1950, Part 2, Curator Gordon Wilkins explores works created between 1900 and 1930, by artists including Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, and John Singer Sargent. A collaboration of Memorial Hall Library and the Addison Gallery of American Art.
Organized chronologically, Currents/Crosscurrents places iconic paintings, photographs, works on paper, and sculptures in dialogue with works by and lesser-known and unknown artists. In the first presentation of this three-part series, Curator Gordon Wilkins will explore works created between 1850 and 1900, by artists including Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and James McNeill Whistler.
What can Civil War painting and photography tell us about how history is documented and authored? Join Jamie Kaplowitz Gibbons, Head of Education, and Dr. Tessa Hite, Curatorial Fellow, as they use educational and curatorial lenses to examine works by Alexander Gardner, Edward Lamson Henry, Winslow Homer, and more from the collection of the Addison Gallery of American Art.
Associate Curator of American Art, Gordon Wilkins, explores artworks from the Addison Gallery of American Art exhibition, To Make Visible: Art and Activism, 1980–2000, and discusses the ways in which artists use their work to hold a mirror up to the injustices of their time, combat apathy, and provoke change.
Renowned art historian and Phillips Academy alumnus William Agee (PA 1955) discusses masterworks from the Addison’s collection, their art historical significance, and their personal impact on him as a student at Andover. This program is a collaboration of Memorial Hall Library and the Addison Gallery of American Art on the campus of Phillips Academy.
America’s most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, created iconic modern buildings like Fallingwater and the Guggenheim Museum. This interactive presentation, led by art educator, Jane Oneail, offers an introduction to Wright’s career and explore his final house type, the Usonian, in depth, with special emphasis on the Zimmerman House in Manchester, NH. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Andover Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Frida Kahlo has become a household name in recent years, with movies, books and countless products dedicated to her art and likeness. Art educator, Jane Oneail, goes beyond the artist’s famous facial hair and penetrating stare and explore her life and her work, particularly as it relates to the trolley accident she survived as a teen and her passionate and often tumultuous marriage to fellow artist Diego Rivera.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Andover Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
In the final presentation of this three-part series, Curator Gordon Wilkins explores works created between 1930 and 1950, by artists including Ruth Asawa, Jacob Lawrence, Jackson Pollock, and Andrew Wyeth.
Organized chronologically, Currents/Crosscurrents places iconic paintings, photographs, works on paper, and sculptures in dialogue with works by and lesser-known and unknown artists.
In Currents/Crosscurrents: American Art 1850-1950, Part 2, Curator Gordon Wilkins explores works created between 1900 and 1930, by artists including Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, and John Singer Sargent. A collaboration of Memorial Hall Library and the Addison Gallery of American Art.
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Art educator, Jane Oneail, examines that arc as it relates to African American history enshrined in American Art. From colonial era portraits to 19th-century and Jim Crow-era prints to 1960s Civil Rights photography, this program will provide a visual overview of African American oppression, struggle and progress towards equality.
Organized chronologically, Currents/Crosscurrents places iconic paintings, photographs, works on paper, and sculptures in dialogue with works by and lesser-known and unknown artists. In the first presentation of this three-part series, Curator Gordon Wilkins will explore works created between 1850 and 1900, by artists including Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and James McNeill Whistler.
Join longtime art educator, Jane Oneail, for a Zoom webinar focused on the art of Norman Rockwell. Rockwell is heralded for depicting and defining American life. He often captured bittersweet images of people experiencing universal and relatable feelings of being left out or left behind. Yet, as an artist working in the 20th century, his works are curiously devoid of America’s rich cultural and racial diversity. Toward the end of his career, Rockwell painted several poignant works about race in America that can be seen as an extension of his earlier sense of the power of inclusion and exclusion.
Pop artist Andy Warhol famously elevated everyday objects - like soup cans - to works of fine art. His paintings, silkscreens and photography often focused on American consumerism, not just of products, but of celebrities and images themselves. Art educator, Jane Oneail, will look at the abbreviated life, artwork and enduring legacy of the artist who predicted “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes.”
What can Civil War painting and photography tell us about how history is documented and authored? Join Jamie Kaplowitz Gibbons, Head of Education, and Dr. Tessa Hite, Curatorial Fellow, as they use educational and curatorial lenses to examine works by Alexander Gardner, Edward Lamson Henry, Winslow Homer, and more from the collection of the Addison Gallery of American Art.
Associate Curator of American Art, Gordon Wilkins, explores artworks from the Addison Gallery of American Art exhibition, To Make Visible: Art and Activism, 1980–2000, and discusses the ways in which artists use their work to hold a mirror up to the injustices of their time, combat apathy, and provoke change.
Social Justice
Courageous Conversations: Parole 101: The Massachusetts Parole System & Why It Needs to Change
An event designed to raise awareness about parole and change hearts and minds about the importance/difficulties of parole in Massachusetts. Panelists include formerly incarcerated speakers, Isaiah Dotson and Jonathan Best, Representative Liz Miranda who has filed several parole bills for 2021-22, Attorney Patty Garin, one of the foremost parole experts in Massachusetts, and moderator Jean Trounstine, professor, writer and activist who has written extensively about parole, along with Lisa Berland, who is part of Parole Watch.
A collaboration of Courageous Conversations, Memorial Hall Library, the Social Justice Coalition of South Church, and the Coalition for Effective Public Safety.
back to top Categories: Adult Programs, Social JusticeCourageous Conversations: What Positive Justice Looks Like - UTEC, Inc.
UTEC's team discusses their nationally recognized model which begins with intensive street outreach, correctional facility in-reach, and gang peacemaking, engaging our most disconnected young adults by meeting them “where they’re at.” UTEC’s mission and promise is to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disconnected young people to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success. Today they serve Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill, MA and are nationally recognized as a model agency serving justice-involved young adults. Their wraparound program is designed to never give up on young adults as they overcome personal, health, and institutional barriers to improving their lives.
The team will also share some of the ways they are innovating with the State and the Department of Corrections to make real, meaningful changes at a systemic level and how you can support. UTEC was founded in 1999 as the result of an organizing movement driven by young people to develop their own teen center in response to gang violence in Lowell. Originally known as “United Teen Equality Center,” today their name is simply UTEC, Inc.and they serve youth ages 17-25.
This program is a collaboration of Courageous Conversations, Memorial Hall Library, and Haverhill Public Library, Libraries Working Towards Social Justice.
Author E. Dolores Johnson in Conversation with Grace Talusan
“I was a black woman according to my family, society’s one-drop rule and my birth certificate. It was culturally and legally ridiculous to wonder if I wasn’t. Yet my biological ancestry counted for absolutely nothing. My beloved mother was white.”
Former Andover resident, E. Dolores Johnson discusses her new book, Say I'm Dead: A Family Memoir of Race, Secrets and Love, with author, Grace Talusan. It's a multi-generational memoir that reveals America's changing attitudes toward race mixing, discovered through the courageous journeys of her family’s women. Johnson's parents fled to Buffalo from Indianapolis so they could marry without violating Indiana's anti-miscegenation laws. Her father was black and her mother was white. Johnson details her journey unearthing the secrets of her family, and in so doing, wrestles with identity, class, and education, aiming a potent lens at what it means to be biracial and shining more light on the racism that continues to sicken this country to this day.
Presented in collaboration with Burlington Public Library, Memorial Hall Library, Stevens Memorial Library and Tewksbury Public Library, Libraries Working Towards Social Justice.
Deep Delta Justice: A Virtual Conversation with Author Matthew Van Meter
Author Matthew Van Meter discusses his book along with other social justice issues, including his work with Shakespeare in Prison, a Detroit Public Theatre community program.
In 1966 in a small town in Louisiana, a 19-year-old black man named Gary Duncan pulled his car off the road to stop a fight. Duncan was arrested a few minutes later for the crime of putting his hand on the arm of a white child. Rather than accepting his fate, Duncan found Richard Sobol, a brilliant, 29-year-old lawyer from New York who was the only white attorney at "the most radical law firm" in New Orleans. Against them stood one of the most powerful white supremacists in the South, a man called simply "The Judge."
In this powerful work of character-driven history, journalist Matthew Van Meter vividly brings alive how a seemingly minor incident brought massive, systemic change to the criminal justice system. Using first-person interviews, in-depth research and a deep knowledge of the law, Van Meter shows how Gary Duncan's insistence on seeking justice empowered generations of defendants-disproportionately poor and black-to demand fair trials. Duncan v. Louisiana changed American law, but first it changed the lives of those who litigated it.
A collaboration of Memorial Hall Library, Stevens Memorial Library and Tewksbury Public Library, Libraries Working Towards Social Justice.
Virtual Art Afternoons: African American History in American Art
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Art educator, Jane Oneail, examines that arc as it relates to African American history enshrined in American Art. From colonial era portraits to 19th-century and Jim Crow-era prints to 1960s Civil Rights photography, this program will provide a visual overview of African American oppression, struggle and progress towards equality.
Norman Rockwell: Inclusion, Exclusion and Evolving Views on Race
Join longtime art educator, Jane Oneail, for a Zoom webinar focused on the art of Norman Rockwell. Rockwell is heralded for depicting and defining American life. He often captured bittersweet images of people experiencing universal and relatable feelings of being left out or left behind. Yet, as an artist working in the 20th century, his works are curiously devoid of America’s rich cultural and racial diversity. Toward the end of his career, Rockwell painted several poignant works about race in America that can be seen as an extension of his earlier sense of the power of inclusion and exclusion.
Addison Gallery Virtual Tour - To Make Visible: Art and Activism, 1980-2000
Associate Curator of American Art, Gordon Wilkins, explores artworks from the Addison Gallery of American Art exhibition, To Make Visible: Art and Activism, 1980–2000, and discusses the ways in which artists use their work to hold a mirror up to the injustices of their time, combat apathy, and provoke change.
Affordable Housing in Andover Panel Discussion
A local panel demystifies affordable housing and provides an update on Andover's affordable housing stock and opportunities for maintaining and growing affordable housing in the community.
For Freedoms Discussion and Sign Making
Watch as Teen Services Librarian Anna and For Freedoms staffer Pola Dobrzynski discuss the history of the organization, the intersection of art and politics, and the state of community activism.