News and Events

MBTS PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS & EVENTS

Library Closing Early Friday August 4 at 1:00PM

The Manchester Library will close early at 1:00 PM on Friday, August 4th to prepare for the Manchester Friends of the Library's Annual Summer Book Sale being held this year on the front lawn. 

It's back! The ever-popular Manchester Friends of the Library Book Sale returns this August 5th during Festival by the Sea. Come to the Manchester Library between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m and take advantage of deals and steals in hardcover fiction, nonfiction, children's books, DVDs, puzzles and more! Both cash and checks are accepted. All proceeds benefit the Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library. Come and bring a friend!

Don't miss this chance to get amazing books and more while supporting the Friends of the Library who have sponsored the permanent StoryWalk, beautiful landscaping, library lawn furniture, new Reference Room furniture, museum passes and countless library programs through decades of support. Our Library could not do any of these amazing things without them!

Hula Hooping Extravaganza: Two Sessions
FRIDAY, JULY 28 AT 10:30—11:30AM & 1:00-2:00PM

You are invited to the most awesome all ages hula hoop event of the year! It's time to put on your dancing shoes and grab those dazzling hoops for an unforgettable workshop of hula hoop magic! Hooping induces joy through movement explorations designed to promote healthy bodies and minds. We will learn basic hooping moves while increasing hand-eye coordination, strength, balance, and agility. We'll focus on empowering uniqueness through self-esteem building activities. Hooping promotes exercise, exploration, expression, movement, and dance while having fun! Get your heart rate up while working on stability and flexibility in a class packed with silly fun. We also focus on learning alignment with our bodies and exploring the hoop through laughter and joy!

Hula hoops provided - bring a friend or two! Registration is required incase we need to move inside due to the weather. Register for Session 1 at 10:30AM or Register for Session 2 at 1:00PM.

Mystery Book Group: "The Dime"
FRIDAY, JULY 28 AT 10:30—11:30AM

The Manchester Mystery Book Group meets on the last Friday of the month at 10:30AM. July's meeting will occur in the library's reading room or outside on the library's front lawn. Email [email protected] with any questions or to get connected with the group.

We will discuss "The Dime" by Kathleen Kent. Physical copies will be available at the circulation desk. 

August's pick will be "Right as Rain" by George Pelecanos. Physical copies will be available at the circulation desk in late July.

New members are always welcome. For the date, times, and book of the month during 2023 please Click Here. The Mystery Book Group is currently voting on what to read for the next year so if you want to vote Click Here. 

Hearthside Book Group: "Solito A Memoir"
TUESDAY, AUGUST 1 AT 4:00—5:00PM

Join us in person at the library or on ZOOM to discuss the biography Solito A Memoir by Javier Zamora. "Javier Zamora's adventure is a three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador through Guatemala and Mexico and across the U.S. border. A memoir as gripping as it is moving, Solito provides an immediate and intimate account not only of a treacherous and near-impossible journey but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most unexpected moments."

Contact Lori Dumont at [email protected] or at 978-526-7711 for further information. Copies of this book are available at the circulation desk, curbside pickup or by home delivery. Ebooks and digital audiobooks are available for free from the libby app. Sign up using your Manchester library card. 

Diversity Matters Book Group : “His Name Is George Floyd ..."
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2 AT 4:00—5:00PM

Please note the date and time of this program has changed from July 25 to August 2 at 4:00PM.

July's diversity matters book group will be reading Pulitzer prize winning "His Name Is George Floyd: One Man's Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice" by Robert Samuels. Physical book copies available at the circulation desk and free digital audiobooks and ebooks are available through the libby app, register with your Manchester library card. Email [email protected] for more info and to get connected to the book group.

Next month's book pick is "Constructing a Nervous System" by Margo Jefferson

Virtual Events

Advice From Literary Agent Doug Grad
MONDAY, JULY 31 AT 7:00—8:00PM

Are you a writer -- or an aspiring writer -- looking for some support? The Tewksbury Writing Group, which generally meets the fourth Monday evening of every month, is open to everyone who's interested in writing -- all genres, all skill levels. Each meeting -- which will take place via Zoom -- features a guest speaker (typically a published author or editor) offering some tips of the trade.

The July 2023 guest speaker is literary agent Doug Grad. Grad, a 37-year veteran of the publishing industry, is the President of Doug Grad Literary Agency. Prior to starting his own agency in 2008, Grad spent the previous 22 years as a Senior Editor at four major New York publishing houses, including Simon & Schuster (1987-1995), Random House (1995-1998), Penguin (1998-2004), and Harper Collins (2005-2008). Grad promises to give aspiring and new authors the cold, hard reality of the business of publishing—from landing a deal with a major publisher to self-publishing your manuscript. He’ll give you a general overview of publishing; how the publishing industry has changed in recent years; and the various steps to getting a book published, from the writer’s ideas to the bookstore (or library) shelves.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Tewksbury Library and made available through a partnership with the Tewksbury Public Library. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 24 hours of the program. Register Here.

Author Chat with Gail Sahar, "Blame and Political Attitudes..." (Virtual)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9 AT 7:00—8:00PM

Have you been asking yourself "what does culture war even mean" and "what does it mean to be 'woke'" and how do these questions contribute to the current divide in America? If you have been, please join us for this conversation with Professor Gail Sahar, author of "Blame and Political Attitudes: The Psychology of America’s Culture War".

You can buy signed books (by bookplate) by Gail from Aesop's Fable. Just write that you would like the book signed in the notes section at checkout.

About the book: Questions about the causes of events, from terrorist attacks to mass shootings to economic and public health crises dominate conversations across the US. Recent research in social psychology outlines the process we use to identify the causes of such events, reveals how we determine who is responsible or to blame, and documents the far-reaching consequences of these determinations for our emotions, our actions, and our attitudes. Current approaches to political opinions posit a direct path from a person’s worldview (liberal or conservative) to their attitudes toward specific political issues like abortion and welfare. This book argues that blame is the missing link between the two.

About the Author: Gail Sahar is the Jane Oxford Keiter Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College in Norton, MA. She earned her Ph.D. at UCLA and has been teaching social and political psychology while researching attitudes toward controversial social issues for over 25 years. She has won awards for her teaching and was recently honored with an endowed chair for teaching and research. Her research focuses on how a person’s worldview or political ideology is linked to their perceptions of the causes of social problems and how those perceptions influence blame, emotions, and opinions. She has investigated public attitudes toward numerous issues, such as poverty, abortion, and terrorism. Her work offers hope to those working for political change as it suggests ways to influence the attitudes of others by focusing less on political ideology and more on perceptions of the causes of social problems. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, music, movies, cooking and tasting good wine. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and beloved mutt.

This program is made available through a partnership with the Ashland Public Library sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library. Register Here or call 978-526-7711.

Weekly Events

Registration is required for the 4 appointments on Monday. Click Here to register. 

Mindfulness Meditation
TUESDAYS AT THE MBTS COMMUNITY CENTER, 11AM-12PM

No program on July 18. Registration is required if you haven't attended the program before. Click Here to register or for more info. 

Dungeons and Dragons
TUESDAYS AT 3:45-5PM

For Ages 11-18. Most Tuesdays 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 [email protected] for the zoom link.

NEW Summer Art and Sensory
WEDNESDAYS BEGINNING July 5 - AUGUST 23 FROM 3:00-4:00PM

Art and Sensory encourages students to explore their creativity through the fun of using many different art materials. The project is always step by step, hands on and guided to help create individual masterpieces! This program starts 6/28 and runs every Wednesday in the summer. Kids entering pre-k - leaving 2nd grade can register at manchesterpl.org/events. Space is limited and you must register for every week you would like to attend.