Thursday, September 19
Poetry Salon with Claire Keyes Featuring the Work of Richard Blanco
2 p.m.–4 p.m.
Event Center (105)
Register to attend via Zoom
The Poetry Salon begins its new season at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, featuring the work of poet Richard Blanco. Blanco, born in Madrid and brought to the United States as an infant with his Cuban-exile family, has been a practicing engineer, writer, and poet since 1991. In 2013, he was chosen by President Barack Obama to serve as the fifth inaugural poet of the United States, performing “One Today,” an original poem he wrote for the occasion. Blanco was the first Latino, immigrant, and openly gay writer to hold the honor. He has won numerous awards for his poetry and was named education ambassador for the Academy of American Poets. A resident of Bethel, Maine, he has published several collections of poetry, including “Homeland of My Body: New & Selected Poems” (2023).
The poems selected for this session can be accessed via this link. Physical copies can be requested at the library.
Join Claire Keyes, professor emerita at Salem State University, at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, in person or via Zoom for a reading and discussion of Blanco’s poems. Registration is required to attend in person or via Zoom.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of Abbot Public Library.
Kid’s Craft Afternoon
3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Killam Children’s Room (101)
Children of any age and their caregivers can visit the Children’s Room between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to make a craft to take home. Crafting helps enhance pre-literacy skills in children through practice in sequencing steps and hand-eye coordination. No registration is required.
This program is sponsored by both the Oliver P. Killam Jr. Fund and craft supply donations from the public.
Virtual Event: Haunted Experiences with Jeff DePaoli
6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Zoom
In collaboration with Ashland Public Library
To attend this program via Zoom, please register here.
Halloween New England is the go-to website for Halloween enthusiasts, offering extensive guides to haunted houses, ghost tours, horror film screenings, jack-o’-lantern festivals, haunted hayrides, and more. With over 2,500 Halloween events listed, plus over 400 local Halloween attractions, it covers everything from haunted houses to pumpkin festivals. Join Alexandra De Collibus, owner of Halloween New England, and Jeff DePaoli, host of “That Halloween Podcast,” as they discuss how Halloween New England keeps everyone informed about local events and programs.
Learn more about Halloween New England at halloweennewengland.com.
Alexandra De Collibus is the passionate force behind Halloween New England. After struggling to find events on outdated websites and misleading directories, she created Halloween New England to address this gap. Her dedication to meticulous research and curation has made Halloween New England the top resource for Halloween events in the northeast.
Jeff DePaoli, a Woburn, Massachusetts, native and Emerson College graduate, has been obsessed with Halloween since a young age. Now residing in Los Angeles, he is involved in Halloween conventions and events, including Midsummer Scream and Creep It Real OC. DePaoli is also an avid podcaster, sharing his Halloween enthusiasm on “That Halloween Podcast.” He has worked with Universal Pictures and Netflix, hosted TEDx Culver City, and reported on Halloween events as a journalist for Attractions Magazine.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of Abbot Public Library in collaboration with Ashland Public Library.
Friday, September 20
Music with Dara
10:30 a.m.–11 a.m.
Event Center (105)
Join Dara for a lively, interactive musical program designed for children ages 2 to 5 and their caregivers. Online registration is required—please register below.
This program is sponsored by the Oliver P. Killam Jr. Fund.
Monday, September 23
Minecraft Physics Roller Coaster
5 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Thompson Makerspace (102)
Engineer gravity-defying twists and turns to create the ultimate coaster experience using principles of physics. The presenters will provide 10 tablets for the students, and the program is limited to 10 children in grades 4 to 6. Online registration is required—please register at abbotlibrary.org/events.
This program is sponsored by the Oliver P. Killam Jr. Fund.
Evening Chess Instruction with Flynn MacCallum
6 p.m.–7 p.m.
Killam Children’s Room (101)
Students in grades 2 to 6 are invited to weekly evening chess instruction with high school student Flynn, offering levels from beginner through advanced. The Children’s Room will provide chess boards and pieces. Online registration is required.
This program is sponsored by the Oliver P. Killam Jr. Fund.
Intellectual Freedom 2024: The State of Book Bans
6:30 p.m.–8 p.m.
Event Center (105)
In honor of Banned Books Week, librarian Wesley Sueker will discuss the current state of intellectual freedom in libraries, including book bans and challenges, current and proposed legislation, and activism efforts nationwide. The event will include a brief presentation, a Q&A session, and a list of banned book recommendations to kick off Banned Books Week.
Registration is required and limited to 50 attendants.
This event is presented in collaboration with the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization working to protect and expand voting rights and defend democracy through education and advocacy.
Tuesday, September 24
Abbot Library Mystery Book Group
10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Event Center (105)
The Mystery Book Group will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 10:30 a.m. to discuss “The Villa” by Rachel Hawkins. For more information, contact Head of Technical Services Librarian Rachael Meneades at rmeneades@noblenet.org.
Wednesday, September 25
Story Time A-Go-Go
10:30 a.m.–11 a.m.
Courtyard
Children are invited to a weekly Wednesday program with stories and movement led by early childhood educator Debbie Leibowitz. Story Time A-Go-Go is for kids ages 1 to 4-years-old in the Events Center. Online registration is required—please register below.
This program is sponsored by the Oliver P. Killam Jr. Fund.
On the Trail of Your Family Roots: A Six-Week Genealogy Course at Abbot Public Library
6 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Event Center (105)
This class is currently waitlist only.
The class dates are: Sept. 11 & 25 and Oct. 2, 9, 16 & 30
Starting Wednesday, Sept. 11, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., join Linda B. MacIver for a six-week course on gathering and organizing historical materials, and using online genealogy and biography tools. Participants will learn to discover their family’s origins and will explore research on immigrant ancestors and naturalization. At the end of the course, participants will present their findings and learn how to continue their research independently.
Space is limited, and participants must have basic computer skills and attend the first two classes on Sept. 11 and Sept. 25.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Marblehead Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.