Press December 22, 2023

The library will be closed Sunday, December 31 & Monday, January 1. Many of the library’s virtual resources are available 24/7 from our website, manchesterpl.org/resources/all-resources/ but may require a library card. 

News & Events for Kids and Families 

*To register for the programs below and more: manchesterpl.org/events or call 978-526-7711 

*Storytime and Craft at the Manchester Museum 

Friday, January 12 at 2:30—3:30PM 

Join us for a Storytime and craft with Miss Audrey, hosted by the Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum. This program is for ages 5-10. We hope to see you there on January 12th at 2:30 pm! 

*Graphic Novel Club 

Wednesday, January 17 at 4:00—4:45PM 

Do you love graphic novels? Want to read them with your friends? Do you like tasty snacks and fun activities? If you are in grades 4-7 and answered yes to any of these questions, join the library’s Graphic Novel Club today! We meet monthly from January to June. 

Our first book will be “Freestyle” by Gale Galligan. Pick up a copy today and read it for our first meeting on January 17th at 4 pm. Hope to see you there! 

*Eyes on Owls 

Saturday, January 27 at 2:00—3:00PM 

Eyes on Owls is coming to Manchester! This live owl educational program gives participants an up-close look at these majestic creatures. Join us at the First Parish Church Hall on Saturday, January 27th at 2 pm. This program is for all ages. Registration is required.  

News & Events for Teens and Young Adults

*To register for the programs below and more: manchesterpl.org/events or call 978-526-7711   

*Forensic Science Roadshow with Paul Zambella 

Thursday, January 25 at 5:30—7:00PM 

Venture into the world of CSI with this interactive program run by Paul Zambella, who spent 36 years with the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory. 

Subjects include: 

• Functions of a forensic scientist
• Blood
• DNA
• Fingerprints
• Gunshot residue
• Footwear impressions
• Crime light

To add mystery to the program, there is audience participation to identify a “suspect.” 

Due to the nature of the subject matter, the program is recommended for people of high school age and older. 

News & Events for Adults

*To register for the programs below and more: manchesterpl.org/events or call 978-526-7711  

Mindfulness Meditation – Moving Back to the Library 

Tuesdays in 2024 at 11:00 AM—12:00PM  

Group will meet in the teen loft on Tuesday mornings. 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. 

Beginners and experienced meditators are welcome. There will be guided meditation, some silence, and discussion.  

Please register if this is your first time coming to this mindfulness meditation program. We need either an email or a phone number in case we need to cancel or change venues last minute.  

Hearthside Book Group  

Tuesday, January 9 at 4:00-5:00PM 

On Tuesday, January 9 at 4:00 PM join us in person at the library or on ZOOM to discuss “Lessons in Chemistry.” 

Contact Lori Dumont at ldumont@manchesterpl.org or at 978-526-7711 for further information. Copies of this book are available at the circulation desk, curbside pickup or by home delivery. 

*What Works In Community News’ with Journalism Professor D. Kennedy (Virtual) 

Thursday, January 11 at 7:00—8:00PM 

Journalism professor and author Dan Kennedy will discuss his new book, “What Works in Community News: Media Startups, News Deserts, and the Future of the Fourth Estate”, published 1/9/2024, which serves as a groundbreaking study of the journalism startups that are solving the local news crisis one community at a time. 

Local news is essential to democracy. Meaningful participation in civic life is impossible without it. However, local news is in crisis. According to one widely cited study, some 2,500 newspapers have closed over the last generation. And it is often marginalized communities of color who have been left without the day-to-day journalism they need to govern themselves in a democracy. Kennedy, and his co-author Ellen Clegg, cut through the pessimism surrounding this issue, showing readers that new, innovative journalism models are popping up across the country to fill news deserts and empower communities. 

Dan Kennedy is a professor in the School of Journalism at Northeastern University and a nationally known media commentator. He was a panelist on the GBH News television program Beat the Press (1998–2021) and served as a weekly columnist for the network. Dan is a recipient of the Yankee Quill Award from the New England Academy of Journalists and the James W. Carey Journalism Award from the Media Ecology Association.  

RECORDING NOTE: This program will NOT be recorded. Viewers must attend live to watch.  

This program is made available through a partnership with the Tewksbury Public Library and is sponsored by the Friends of the Tewksbury Library. 

*Art Across Asia: Timeless Traditions: Expressions of the Divine in India Art (Virtual) 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14 at 2:30—4:00PM 

Join us on Zoom by registering below for Timeless Traditions: Expressions of the Divine in India Art with Mary Mead.  

Explore the vast panoply of South Asian art through the prism of four belief systems founded there: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Discover how for thousands of years the artists of India and its neighbors have beautifully depicted their impressions of their deities and reflected their cultures. Visit the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco virtually. 

This program is made possible through a partnership with the Chelmsford Public Library and other MA libraries and registration is required.