Library Events - May 2009

From the Children's Room...

Saturdays May 2, 9, & 30 from 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Birds in Spring Art Class with Char Russell & Pamela Hanna

We'll do some felting, weaving, and painting while learning about birds in springtime. Open to 1st - 4th graders. Taught by Char Russell & Pamela Hanna. There is a fee of $45 for all three Saturdays. Stop by or call 525-4411 to register as class size is limited.

Saturday May 9th from 10:00 - 11:30 am
World Tales Art Classes with Melody Zahn Russell

Every class includes a story, a demonstration and an art activity inspired by different cultures. There will be watercolor, drawing and collage opportunities. Suggested ages 5 - 10. There is a $15 fee per child per class. Call the library at 525-4411 to register. The last class in this series will be held Saturday June 6th instead of Saturday June 13th as originally scheduled.

For the Grown-ups...

Monday May 4th from 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Kind & Firm: Setting Limits for Your Young Children

In this discussion for parents of children under 6, we will be talking about what makes a reasonable limit for kids this age regarding use of language, play behavior, following directions, understanding family rules. We'll discuss the importance of creating a positive environment, of being clear about expectations, and of following through consistently . We want children to take their parents seriously without parents having to be "mean" about it! Please call the Grapevine Family Center at 588-2620 to preregister. This program is free thanks to the Friends of the Hancock Library.

Tuesday May 5th at 7:00 pm
First Tuesday Book Group

Join us as we discuss the book Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky. Next month's book will be Jonathan Harr's The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece. Copies of the book will be available at the front desk after May 5th. All are welcome!

Thursday May 7th at 7:00 pm
Cows & Communities with Steve Taylor
A NH Humanities Council Program
Co-sponsored with the Hancock Historical Society

In this program Steve Taylor explores the impact of cattle on New Hampshire’s past, present and future. Cattle were essential to the survival of the earliest New Hampshire settlements and their contributions have been central to the life and culture of the state ever since. From providing dietary sustenance to basic motive power, bovines have had a deep and enduring bond with their keepers, one that lingers today and is a vital part of the iconography of rural New Hampshire. Where are New Hampshire’s cows today? What are they doing for us now? Some answers will surprise you. Steve Taylor is a farmer, journalist and longtime public official. He operates a dairy and maple farm in Meriden Village, has been a newspaper reporter and editor and served a quarter century as New Hampshire’s commissioner of agriculture. He is a lifelong student of the state’s rural culture. Come early to get a good seat - last time Steve Taylor spoke here we had 105 people in attendance!

Friday May 8th at 7:00 pm at the Harris Center
Arrivals & Departures

A celebration of life's great and small changes in poetry, prose and music. Following up on their popular performances of Thoreau, Dwelling, the Flower Power Hour, Birdfest, and Walt Whitman's Song of Myself, Jane Eklund, Howard Mansfield, Sy Montgomery, Julia Older and Steve Schuch will read poems and stories about arriving in a new city, birth, friendship, epiphanies, leaving, migration, aging, and what endures. The readings will be accompanied by Steve Schuch, of the acclaimed Night Heron Consort, on violin and guitar. Co-sponsored by the Harris Center in loving memory of Walter Clark and Thelma Babbitt.

Friday May 15th at 7:00 pm
Film: Enemy of the State

Great action thriller starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman. Free admission & popcorn thanks to Friends of the Library.

Thursday May 21st at 7:00 pm
The Hourglass Readers present Cyrano de Bergerac

This highly romantic play was written in 1897 and first starred the famous Coquelin in the title role. The story of the man with the big nose and the long sword who wins the lovely Roxanne for another man, but pines for her himself, has been beloved by generations of theatregoers. The eloquent and witty translation from the French by an American, Brian Hooker, is itself a work of art. The Hourglass Readers are dedicated to performing readings of classical dramatic works in abridged versions. Performances are always free and open to the public.

Thursday May 28th at 7:00 pm
Judith Stout's Tour with the Peace Corps

Hancock resident Judith Stout is a retired nurse who spent the last 14 months in South Africa working for the Peace Corps. She'll show us her photographs and tell us what it was like to live and work in a different culture. All are welcome!

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The library now loans an MP3 player (you provide the earbuds) and a Kill-A-Watt (measures the electric use of various appliances/devices). Stop by anytime to borrow these items.

Don't forget that we will take your donations of food to the Food Bank in Peterborough. Drop off anytime the library's open!