KIDS    TEENS    ADULTS    ALL AGES

Hearthside Book Group
TUESDAY, MARCH 7 AT 4—5PM

Join us in person at the library or on Zoom to discuss the novel "The Sweetness of Water" by Nathan Harris. 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. 

Teen Writers Workshop
FRIDAY, MARCH 10 AT 5:30—7PM

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! Second Fridays of every month 5:30-7:00 PM. REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

CFCE Early Childhood Partners Presents: Seaside Saturday with Julie Arthur
SATURDAY, MARCH 11 AT 10—11AM

Join Ms. Julie for Seaside Saturday at the Library every 2nd Saturday, where participants will enjoy themed stories, activities and crafts! This program will be outside or in the Children's Room depending on the weather. Please register on their website or call: www.EarlyChildhoodPartners.com / 978-468-5489.

This program is sponsored by our friends at Early Childhood Partners CFCE, who offer FREE playgroups, workshops, community events, advocacy, and support for families and children age 0-8.

Funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care awarded to Hamilton-Wenham RSD. All educational and non-academic programs, activities and employment opportunities at Hamilton-Wenham RSD are offered without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, age and/or disability, and any other class or characteristic protected by law. 

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 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.

Beekeeping 101
THURSDAY, MARCH 23 AT 5:30—6:30PM

Manchester residents Mike and Martha Chapman have been beekeepers for over 15 years. Last year, they had five hives at various locations around their neighborhood. Mike is a graduate of Essex County Beekeepers “Bee School”. This is a great intro for beginners looking to get connected and learn the basics.

“Beekeeping 101” will be a brief discussion of bees and beekeeping based on Mike and Martha’s personal experiences over the years. Registration is required.

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Weekly Events

KIDS    TEENS    ADULTS    ALL AGES

Craft Circle by the Hearthside
SUNDAYS AT 2-3PM

Registration is required for the 3 appointments on Monday and the 1 appointment on Thursday. Click Here to register. 

Dungeons and Dragons
ALTERNATING TUESDAYS 3:30-5PM

For Ages 11-18. Most Tuesday and registration is required. Click Here for more details and to register. 

Tai Chi Class
WEDNESDAYS AT 9:45-10:45AM

Safety Registration Form must be completed before 1st session. Fill out the form here. 

Shut Up and Write!
WEDNESDAYS AT 10:30 AM-12PM

Virtual over Zoom and registration is required. Email c.maile.black@gmail.com for the zoom link.

Stories & Songs in the Children's Room
WEDNESDAYS 10:30-11AM

For our youngest patrons and thier caregivers, ages birth-6. Registration is required and space is limited. Click Here to register.

Mindfulness Meditation
EVERY OTHER THURSDAY 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. Beginners and experienced meditators are welcome. There will be guided meditation, some silence, and discussion. Registration is encouraged but not required. Click Here to register or for more info. 

Friendship Bracelet Making with June
FOUR WEEK SESSION, THURSDAYS, FEBRUARY 16 - MARCH 9 AT 3:30-4:30PM

Create friendship bracelets with youth expert June B.! June has been making bracelets for years, and sharing the craft with family and friends is one of her favorite activities! After teaching her 8-year-old brother how to make bracelets last summer, then attending a fall craft night at the Manchester-by-the-Sea library, she thought it would be fun to offer this class to the youth community. The library will supply the materials and snacks so bring yourself and some friends. Registration is required. Sessions build upon each other but you can register for whatever technique(s) interests you. 

Families and children ages 3.5 - 5 are invited to share stories and activities with educator and diversity trainer, Lindsay Banks and Manchester Public Library Children's Librarian, Carol Bender. Registration is encouraged but not required. Click Here to register or for more info. 

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Virtual Events

All virtual events require registration. Click on the events to register.

"Dirtbag, Massachusetts": An Evening with Isaac Fitzgerald (Virtual)
TUESDAY, MARCH 7 AT 7—8PM

Join us for a very special author event! Isaac Fitzgerald has lived many lives. He's been an altar boy, a bartender, a fat kid, a smuggler, a biker, a prince of New England. But before all that, he was a bomb that exploded his parents' lives-or so he was told. In his memoir "Dirtbag, Massachusetts", Fitzgerald, with warmth and humor, recounts his ongoing search for forgiveness, a more far-reaching vision of masculinity, and a more expansive definition of family and self. 

Fitzgerald appears frequently on The Today Show and is also the author of the bestselling children’s book How to Be a Pirate as well as the co-author of Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them and Knives & Ink: Chefs and the Stories Behind Their Tattoos. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Esquire, The Guardian, The Best American Nonrequired Reading, and numerous other publications. He is Boston born, raised in Athol, and currently lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. The discussion will be moderated by Daniel Ford, host of The Writer's Bone Podcast.

This live online event will be held on the platform Crowdcast. To register, first create a Crowdcast account or sign in with Twitter, Facebook, or Google. After you have signed in, click the "Save My Spot" button and use the password below.

The registration link is: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/an-evening-with-isaac and the password is: dirtbagmass

This program was made possible through a partnership with The Reading Public Library and a coalition of libraries from throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

Ireland Travelogue (Virtual)
MONDAY, MARCH 13 AT 7—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 a partnership with Rockport Public Library and 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!

Emma Green is a staff writer at The New Yorker who covers education and academia. She was previously a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she covered religion and politics, and where she also served as managing editor. Her work has been anthologized in several books, including “The American Crisis” and “The God Beat,” and has won a number of awards, including the George W. Hunt, S.J., Prize for Excellence in Journalism, Arts & Letters and the Supple Award for feature writing from the Religion News Association.

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