Press March 7, 2023

Message from The Friends of the Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library 

Annual summer book sale is this summer!!!  Due to a lack of onsite storage space, the friends have been unable to accept book donations on an ongoing basis. However, book collection dates and instructions will be set in the spring…so start saving your books now and watch for the collection dates to be announced! If you would like to learn more about the Friends and how you can join them visit https://www.manchesterpl.org/about/friends-of-the-library/   

Children’s News & Events

*Please register for all programs on our website:  https://www.manchesterpl.org/events/ 

*Seaside Saturday in the Children’s Room  

Saturday, March 11 at 10AM   

Join our friends from Early Childhood Partners for themed stories, crafts and activities.  Please register on their website or call: www.EarlyChildhoodPartners.com / 978-468-5489. 

*Spring Books & Bingo 

Wednesday, March 22 at 3:30PM 

Stories and Spring Bingo for preschool and kindergarten aged children.  Please register for this event as space is limited. 

Teen Loft Announcements & Events

*To register for the programs below and more: manchesterpl.org/events 

*Teen Writers Workshop 

Friday, March 10 at 5:30—7:00PM 

Come write! Anyone in grades 7-12 is welcome to join the Teen Writers Workshop. Play games, write to prompts, share your stuff, and become a part of the local writing community. Snacks provided! Registration Required. 

*Make a Night Sky Painting with Pop-Up Art School 

Thursday, March 30 at 5:30—7:00PM  

In your face, Vincent Van Gogh!  Join Pop Up Art School for a fun canvas painting event! Follow along  step by step to create a magical star-filled night sky with silhouettes of a hillside and trees. It’s amazing what you can create with four colors and some simple brush techniques. Registration is limited to 30 participants age 11 and up, and art supplies are included. Registration Required. 

News & Events for Adults

*To register for the programs below and more: manchesterpl.org/events 

*Cookbook Throwdown 

Saturday, March 11 at 11:30 AM—12:30PM 

The cookbook book club meets on the 2nd Saturday of every month and we share recipes from a cookbook from off our library shelves. March’s pick is “The Irish Cook Book” by Jp McMahon. March is National Irish American Heritage Month and St. Patrick’s Day is less than a week after on Friday, March 17.  

Sign up for a recipe in the library or online below and bring your dish to be sampled on Saturday, March 11th along with any utensils needed. The library will provide small plates, napkins, and the standard cutlery but if you are bringing a soup or other recipe that needs specialized cutlery please bring bowls or cups for everyone to use. I have picked 10 recipes to showcase but you can pick any recipe from the book. Please call Maddy Willwerth at 978-526-7711 if you have any questions. 

Mindfulness Meditation 

Every other Thursday, March 16 and 30 at 11AM—12PM 

Alida Bryant is a Dharma Leader and meditation instructor under the guidance of Anam Thubten Rinpoche. She has been meditating for over 30 years (still very much a beginner!) and studying and practicing with lineage holders in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Meditation, fundamentally, is about getting to know ourselves better. The mind is a powerful thing, and often leads us on a merry chase that does not always serve us. So, we practice becoming familiar with it, coaxing it into the present moment, where it finds rest and ease… and then we do, too. We will learn that thoughts are not a problem in meditation – they are very much a part of our experience, but usually we don’t notice them. Beginners and experienced meditators are welcome. There will be guided meditation, some silence, and discussion. Registration is requested but not required. 

*Ireland Travelogue (Virtual) 

Monday, March 13 at 7:00—8:15PM 

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Loaded with exciting pictures, videos, and historical information, Dana Zaiser’s presentation will focus on his 2017 “Castles and Manors” trip to Ireland. Sharing his extensive knowledge, Dana will offer many humorous stories from multiple travels. His plan is to transport attendees, through this presentation, to the Emerald Isle. The visit includes stops at the Rock of Cashel, Ring of Kerry, Kylemoor Abbey, Phoenix Park, and the Irish Potato Famine Museum, among others. And what trip to Ireland would be complete without a tour of the Guinness brewery. Erin go Bragh! 

This free presentation is suitable for all age groups, and is made possible thanks to the support of the Friends of the Rockport Library as well as the multiple Massachusetts libraries. 

*An America Divided: Can We Live With One Another? (Virtual) 

Tuesday, March 14 at 7:30—8:30PM 

Join Emma Green, New Yorker staff writer in this exploration of the ways that Americans are divided – politically, religiously, economically, communities, and even families. What has caused these ruptures and what are some ways for us to come back together? Pulling from the many, many people she has spoken to over the years as well as her articles on the Federalist Society, the Supreme Court, and Affirmative Action, Emma will lead us in this difficult but essential discussion! 

We’re thrilled to be collaborating with the Ashland Public Library and a multitude of MA Libraries to bring this program to our communities.