Abbot Public Library is ready for April and is “thrilled to embrace a new season filled with exciting programs this spring.”
Color Our World Collaborative Art Exhibit is accepting submissions from May 1-31.
“This upcoming exhibit, inspired by this year’s summer reading theme, will embrace the beauty of art and creativity in all its forms,” said Kimberly Grad, Abbot Public Library director. “It explores how the creation of art by all people, not just those who identify themselves as artists, enriches our lives on personal and interpersonal levels.”
Community members are welcome to submit self-created works of any medium size. Any art that can be hung on a wall is welcome. The exhibit will be displayed in June and July. For any questions or more information, contact Adult Services Librarian Wesley Sueker at wsueker@noblenet.org.
Adults have plenty to look forward to this month from various lectures to book clubs to craft events, and there’s even a concert on April 5 at 11 a.m. Folk musician Marc Berger will be performing in the courtyard, weather permitting, or the event center.
“A thoroughly engaging performer, Marc’s between-song ‘stage banter’ went well beyond the witty patter of many musical performers. He is certainly capable of telling an amusing yarn, but what makes his performances especially appropriate for a library setting are the cultural, topographical, and often quite literary references he makes,” said Gregory Callahan, Hyde Park Free Library director. “Marc Berger is the real deal.”
The first lecture is from renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize winner Doris Kearns Goodwin. She will reference her book “Leadership: In Turbulent Times” to discuss the current state of affairs in the context of American history. It will be held April 3 from 2-3 p.m. in the library’s event center
“At a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, as we confront a cascade of crises – concerns about the fragility of our democracy and a deepening political polarization unmatched since the Civil War – Doris Kearns Goodwin offers critical historical context,” Grad wrote. “Not since the 1850s has our nation been so politically divided. Not since the Great Depression and World War II have we faced such a succession of shared hardships. And not since the 1960s have we grappled so intensely with the struggle for social and economic equality.”
She added, “Goodwin transports us back in time to provide perspective and analysis as she helps us understand how the presidents she’s studied most closely – Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson – provide proof that, as a country and a people, we’ve been through most difficult times before and came through stronger. History, as Goodwin demonstrates, provides lessons, solace and even hope.”
Chief Program Officer of Massachusetts Road Scholar Programs Maeve Hartney will lead a viewing of the online lecture at Abbot Public Library, followed by a discussion session.
Registration is required and limited to 35 attendees. Register at tinyurl.com/leadership-lecture.
There are a handful of programs this coming month that are directed toward teenagers.
On April 8 at 3 p.m., there will be a DIY polymer clay class that doesn’t require any prior experience. Attendees will be provided with all necessary supplies and can use their creativity to sculpt a small figurine. Registration is required.
There will also be a morse code jewelry class with EOS Designs Studio April 15 at 4 p.m. that requires registration, teen game time April 25 at 3 p.m. and a presentation called “How to Pay for College Without Going Bankrupt” April 30 at 7 p.m. that requires registration as well.
Nine children’s programs are set on the calendar for April. The first event is story time yoga with Lindsey Kravitz April 1 at 10:30 a.m., and registration is required. There are also plenty of story times, playgroups and craft events throughout the month.