Events
Press March 4, 2024
MBTS Library Renovation Grant Opportunity
Since its inception, the Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library has been a cherished part of the community, however, it faces many challenges due to its size, age and especially its many accessibility issues. The Library cannot truly fulfill its mission until it is ADA compliant and can provide welcoming and easy-to-navigate space for all. Libraries of today are not merely book repositories, but thriving community hubs providing access to information, resources, technology, programs, and lifelong learning opportunities with room to connect and grow. To do so, we need to renovate and expand.
The Library is currently in the process of applying for grant funding to support our renovation/expansion goals. Should we be awarded a grant, Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program grants provide up to 50% of the eligible costs. The application will be submitted in May 2024.
This application process requires an approved warrant article authorizing the Town to appropriate $150,000 for the planning and design phase of the project. Residents will vote on the warrant article at Town meeting in April. As we continue to work on the other pieces of the application, we are asking for your support. To stay up to date on this project, please visit https://www.manchesterpl.org/future-plans-at-the-library/
News & Events for Kids and Families
*To register for the programs below and more: manchesterpl.org/events or call 978-526-7711
Poetry Contest
Entries Due by Friday, March 22nd
Do you love poetry and writing? Enter the Manchester Public Library Poetry Contest! Selected poets will read their winning poems at a special poetry reading and reception on April 10th from 5:30-7 pm. Anyone ages 8 – 180 may submit their poetry. Entrance forms and contest rules can be found at the library or online at bit.ly/mbtspoetrycontest
Winter and Spring Storytime
Wednesdays 10:30—11:15AM
Join Miss Audrey for storytime for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers! We’ll share books, songs, and games. Join us every Wednesday starting January 24th at 10:30 am. This program runs through to April 24th.
News & Events for Teens and Young Adults
*To register for the programs below and more: manchesterpl.org/events or call 978-526-7711
Make Way For Peeps!
Entry Forms and Dioramas Due by March 15
The Manchester Library invites you to create a diorama using Peeps as the main characters of your favorite book or movie. Bags of Peeps are available at the library (while supplies last), or supply your own. Dioramas and entry forms need to be submitted between March 8th and March 15th. The public is then invited to view the entries through March 22nd and cast their vote for the Peeple’s Choice Award. A panel of library volunteers will judge and award additional prizes. Join us on March 23rd at 11 a.m. for a Peeps Party where we will announce all winners. Although this event is geared towards kids, teens and families all ages are encouraged to submit! Although this movie is rated PG-13 all ages are encouraged to attend!
Free Friday Movies at MBTS Public Library
Friday, March 22 at 6:00—8:00PM
We will be showing a movie in the Reference Room on the 4th Friday of every month at 6:00PM. We will supply the popcorn. Feel free to bring covered, non-alcoholic beverages. The movie this month has a MPAA Rating: PG-13; for strong violent content and disturbing material. Visit manchesterpl.org/events to see what is playing.
News & Events for Adults
*To register for the programs below and more: manchesterpl.org/events or call 978-526-7711
*Art Across Asia: The Goddess: Images of Power (Virtual)
Sunday, March 10 at 2:30—4:00PM
During Women’s History Month explore various cultural and religious manifestations of female deities. 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.
MBTS Made by Hand: Mug Rugs
Tuesday, March 12 at 5:30—6:30PM
Join us at the library for a new adult craft activity every month. This month we will be using hand looms to create mug rugs for our tea! No registration or experience needed. Come enjoy some tea and crafting with your community.
*Cookbook Club: “Brilliant Bites”
Tuesday, March 19 at 5:30—6:30PM
The Cookbook Club meets once a month to share recipes from a new cookbook off our library shelves. March’s pick is “Brilliant bites : 75 Amazing Small Bites for Any Occasion” by Maegan Brown.
Register for any recipe from the cookbook. We will email you a recipe and/or put a cookbook on hold for you. Please register so we know how much cutlery to have on hand. Email mwillwerth@manchesterpl.org with any questions.
How it works:
Register for a recipe or call 978-526-7711.
Make enough to share (for about 5-10 people) and bring your own serving utensils.
Come to the library and be prepared to eat, share, chat, and connect over food. We’ll be talking about what you liked or didn’t like about the cookbook, how you picked your recipe, and if you modified it at all.
*MBTS Cultural Council Presents: D McCullough III, CEO of American Exchange Project
Thursday, March 21 at 5:30—6:30PM
The Manchester-by-the-Sea Cultural Council in partnership with the MBTS Public Library are excited to host a distinguished speakers lecture series this winter and spring. For our 3rd session we will be hosting David McCullough, CEO of the American Exchange Project.
About the American Exchange Program: Toxic polarization has moved into our daily lives, corroding our faith in one another and our democracy, shaping the choices we make, the people we associate with, and the places we call home. As a consequence, our kids are growing up isolated in bubbles that burden their mental health and limit their development as young adults and young citizens. Welcoming the stranger, hometown pride, a deep love of our children, and a reverence for the character-building journey—these are deeply American ideals. AEP harnesses them, along with the energy and curiosity of young people, to create a solution: a free domestic youth exchange program. Find out more at www.americanexchangeproject.org.
In the summer of 2016, inspired by a Yale course on poverty’s effects on education, David McCullough III, a rising senior, drove 7,100 miles across the country. He spent two months in three towns that were very different from the Boston suburb he grew up in: Cotulla, Texas, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, and the Slavic Village of Cleveland, Ohio—three of the most impoverished communities in America. The lessons he learned and unlikely friendships he made inspired him two years later to work alongside his mentors, Paul Solman, Economic Correspondent for PBS News Hour, and Bob Glauber, professor at the Harvard Business School and former Under-Secretary of the US Treasury, and a team of expert advisors that included professors, pastors and military leaders, to find a social innovation that could bring America closer together. The idea the team landed on was inspired by youth. In towns rich and poor, liberal and conservative, urban, suburban and rural, across the country, young people were voicing a common complaint: “I feel like I’m growing up in a bubble, and I’ve never seen life on the outside.” And so, AEP was born.
The Manchester Cultural Council is a community initiative in partnership with the Mass Cultural Council working to elevate our rich cultural life in Manchester-By-The-Sea. Connect with them on Facebook.
Registrations are required for this event as space is limited. We will move locations if registrations exceed capacity, and attendees will be notified via the email or phone number provided, so please register even if the event is full and please call us to cancel your registration if you are unable to attend.
*Haunted Happenings with DePaoli: The Dark Woods with Owner Zingales (Virtual)
Thursday, March 21 at 6:30—7:30PM
The Dark Woods is a haunted Halloween event located at Trombly Gardens in Milford, NH. Guests take a self-guided (walking) tour through a dimly-lit woodlands while being met by an unusual cast of creeps and misfits. The event celebrates the spirit of Halloween and is perfect for families, couples, and people of all ages. Join owner Chad Zingales and Jeff DePaoli, Host of “That Halloween Podcast”, as they talk all about this fantastic haunted experience right in our backyard!
This session will be recorded. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library and made possible through a partnership with the Ashland Public Library and many MA libraries.
Connect with the MBTS Public Library
www.manchesterpl.org
linktr.ee/manchesterpl
facebook.com/manchesterbytheseapl
Email: info@manchesterpl.org
Phone: 978-526-7711
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