News and Events - Manchester-By-The-Sea Public Library

Did you know that the average person throws out approximately 5 pounds of trash a day? The Manchester-by-the-Sea Sustainability Committee and the Manchester Public Library invite you to join us in the Earth Day 2023 Zero Waste Challenge.

MBTS residents, families and groups can bring whatever trash you collected between April 28- May 5 at 3-5PM on May 5 to the Sustainability Committee table at the library to have your trash weighed.

he household with the lowest weeklong trash accumulation will receive the honor of being Manchester-by-the-Sea’s 2023 Zero Waste Champion! Prizes include a 7 Seas Whale Watch gift certificate, and everyone gets a Captain Dusty coupon. Register at bit.ly/mbtszerowaste

Manchester Reads 2023 begins April 1st and runs all month. We will be celebrating laughter, humor and joy with the theme "Lighten Up at the Library." Visit manchesterpl.org/events to register and see all the fun programs we have planned.

The Friends of the Manchester Library have announced the dates for collecting all those books you have been saving for their annual used book sale on August 5. Bring your books to the Manchester Middle High School parking lot on April 29, May 20 or June 10 between 9AM-12PM. Please only donate books you would be willing to buy, no ripped pages, mold or broken spines.

Virtual Events

KIDS TEENS ADULTS ALL AGES

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

Author Louise Gray discusses "Avocado Anxiety ..." (Virtual)
SATURDAY, APRIL 22 AT 10—11AM

Have you ever wondered who picked your Fairtrade banana? Or why we can buy British strawberries in April? How far do you think your green beans travelled to get to your plate? And where do all the wonky carrots go? Above all, how do we stop worrying about our food choices and start making decisions that make a difference? In an effort to make sense of the complex food system we are all part of, Louise Gray decides to track the stories of our five-a-day, from farm to fruit bowl, and discover the impact that growing fruits and vegetables has on the planet.

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

Weekly Events

KIDS TEENS ADULTS ALL AGES

Digital Advice with Expanded Hours
MONDAYS: APPOINTMENTS AT 11:30AM, 12PM & 12:30PM & DROP-IN FROM 1-2PM

ALTERNATING THURSDAYS: APPOINTMENTS AT 6PM

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

Dungeons and Dragons
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.

Silhouette of a figure in a sun burst in a seated yoga pose.

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.

Chess Club in the Teen Loft
THURSDAYS AT 3—4:15PM

Come out and "rook" the house (sorry, chess humor) with club organizers Marcel and Milla and their energetic middle school group of aspiring grandmasters! Ages 9-11 must register for every week you can make it as space is limited!

IN-PERSON & HYBRID EVENTS FOR ALL AGES

KIDS TEENS ADULTS ALL AGES

Silly Shorts & Clay Critters
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 AT 1:00—2:00 PM

Watch silly animated picture book stories Diary of a Spider & Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by our featured author / illustrator for Manchester Reads 2023 Harry Bliss. We will then make clay bugs out of modeling clay. For ages 3.5+ registration is required.

PJ Family Story Time
THURSDAY, APRIL 20 AT 5:30—6PM
Join Ms. Carol for bedtime stories. It's fun to bring a stuffed animal friend and wear your PJs!

Crisscrossing hand drawn maps.

Diversity Book Group : “Born in Blackness"
TUESDAY, APRIL 25 AT 5:30—6:30PM

Reading “Born in Blackness : Africa, Africans, and the making of the modern world, 1471 to the Second World War” by Howard W. French. Physical book copies available at the circulation desk.

In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, Diversity Book Group has two graphic non-fiction books to pick up any time in April at the front desk: "They Called US Enemies" by George Takai. Star Trek actor Takei shares his family story of time in a US internment camp for Japanese American citizens. "The Best We Could Do" by Thi Bui, Her family's daring escape after the fall of South vietnam is captured in "A book to break your heart and heal it".―Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize winning novelist. All are welcome to read either or both and join in the discussion of these books, which will be our May meeting.

College Essay Brainstorming Workshop
TUESDAY, APRIL 25 AT 6:30—8PM

College will be here before you know it, high school juniors! Get an early jump on writing your application essays by attending this helpful brainstorming session with local high school English teacher Tracy Stephens. You know you've got great personal stories to share -- get some expert tips on how to put them into words! Registration is required.

MBTS Reads 2023: Mocktail Happy Hour at the Library
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26 AT 4:00—5:00 PM

In honor of Lighten Up at the Library, our Manchester Reads theme, fun books, National Library Week, and a proclivity for mocktails, Lori and Sara will present books that have comic stories, characters, and or authors that tickle the funny bone. Join us in-person and enjoy book recommendations and a mocktail or two! Adults only, no need for children to discover what really intelligent, mature, library professionals find funny. Registration is encouraged but not required.

MBTS Reads 2023: 100 Years of Boston Comedy
THURSDAY, APRIL 27 AT 5:30—6:30PM

In-person, veteran arts journalist Nick Zaino explores Boston’s long history of comedy, from vaudeville to YouTube, highlighting some of the personalities that have defined laughter in America for 100 years.

Zaino has covered comedy as a freelance writer for twenty-five years, twenty-one of those as a correspondent on the comedy beat for the Boston Globe. His bylines have appeared in the Globe, The Los Angeles Times, Boston Magazine, WBUR’s ARTery blog, Mental Floss, Kirkus Reviews, and various other publications.

Close up of a woman's face and leaves and branches obscuring the right side.

Mystery Book Group
FRIDAY, APRIL 28 AT 10:30—11:30AM

The Manchester Mystery Book Group meets on the last Friday of the month at 10:30 AM. April's meeting will occur in the library's reading room & over Zoom. Email mwillwerth@manchesterpl.org with any questions or to get connected with the group. We will discuss "My Sweet Girl" by Amanda Jayatissa. Physical copies will be available at the circulation desk. New members are always welcome. For the date, times, and book of the month during 2023 please Click Here.

MBTS Reads 2023: Mushroaming - Hunting Morels in the Pacific North West, Truffles in Italy and Porcini in Colorado
SATURDAY, APRIL 29 AT 11AM—12:15PM

Join local mushroom expert, Gary Gilbert fo an in-person for a whirlwind tour of mushroom hunting around the world. We will demystify their growth patterns in various regions, techniques and what to expect while hunting and harvesting them and even how to cook them in these widespread regions of the world. There will be time for discussion and Q&A.There is limited space so please register.

MBTS PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS & EVENTS

Virtual Events

KIDS TEENS ADULTS ALL AGES

Weekly Events

KIDS TEENS ADULTS ALL AGES

IN-PERSON & HYBRID EVENTS FOR ALL AGES

KIDS TEENS ADULTS ALL AGES

Check Out Free Virtual Resources

Manchester Reads 2023: Lighten Up at the Library Display!