John Paul II Municipal Public Library
Opole, Poland

January 6 is Three Kings Day, marking the end of the Christmas season and celebrated around the Christian world with different traditions and customs. In Poland, ?wi?to Trzech Króli is a public holiday, with colorful parades, large and small feasts, and church services. Families are given a blessed piece of chalk with which to write the initials of the Magi on the door of their houses, a tradition said to protect the family from sickness and misfortune. In Opole, a city on the Oder River in southwestern Poland, the Procession of the Three Kings marches through the streets to Jana Paw?a II Square, where Christmas carols are sung.

On the outskirts of the Old Town district of Opole is the Municipal Public Library. In 2010, a 19th-century neoclassical tenement building was restored and extended with a modern glass-faced addition. On the façade framing the entrance are engravings of lyrics from the poems of Polish writer Edward Stachura (1937-1979). Interior footbridges make it possible to move freely between the old and the new parts of the building, which now opens to a walkway and the M?ynówka canal. In 2011, the design by Andrzej Zatwarnicki received the Association of Polish Architects award for the best architectural development built with the support of public funds, and the Polish Architecture XXL award.

Coffee with Shakesphere

A Reading and Discussion of Hamlet with Melissa Cook

9:30-ll:00am, Tuesdays in January (starting Jan. 3) Meet in Library Conference Room

The first session of this literary series featured an overview of Hamlet. Please feel free to join the discussion next week. Visit here to find out more and to register.

The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin
Book Discussion Group with Kelly Kandra Hughes
Mondays, beginning January 9, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Join us virtually this winter as we gain insight into our personality using Gretchen Rubin’s The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too).  Each week we’ll read assigned chapters, reflect on the material, and then come together via Zoom to discuss our insights. Discussions will take place from 1:00-2:00 p.m. on Mondays, from January 9 through February 27. Feel free to join the book discussion at any point on our schedule! Visit here to find out more and to register.

Women & Money Roundtable:
How To Make Sense of Today's Financial Markets
Wednesday, January 11, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. via Zoom

In this informal series, meeting monthly, financial experts Julia Strayer and Liz Maccarone lead participants in an easy-to-follow discussion on how to make sense of today’s financial markets. Julia and Liz cover the latest market news and how that might affect decision making. They’ll also give background and context for understanding why market movement occurs, as well as share strategies for keeping ahead of what might come. This roundtable is in partnership with the Darien Library, who serves as host. To find out more and to register, visit here.

Film Screening: The Proposal (in honor of Betty White’s birthday)
Thursday, January 19, 7:00 - 8:45 p.m.

If you missed seeing The Proposal in 2009, now is your chance to watch the legendary actress and comedian Betty White on our big screen in the Great Hall. White won five Primetime Emmys and received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009. In The Proposal, starring Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock, she played the vivacious Grandma Annie. The romantic comedy is about a no-nonsense publishing house editor (Bullock) who forces her younger assistant, Andrew (Reynolds), to marry her to keep her visa status and remain in the United States, avoiding deportation to Canada.  The faux couple fly home to Alaska for Grandma Annie’s birthday party. Betty White died on December 31, 2021, at the age of 99. Please visit here to register.

Music Among Neighbors: Trina Hamlin
Saturday, January 21, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

A resident of Norfolk, Trina Hamlin will perform at the Library on Saturday, January 21, at 5:00 p.m. With a rich, powerful voice, Hamlin reveals a rare confluence of Midwestern innocence, contemplative focus, and raw passion while adding a disarmingly sharp wit in her stage banter. She seamlessly moves from guitar to piano with self-accompaniment on harmonica leaving many who have seen her wondering what she can't do. Regarded as one of the best harmonica players around, she presents a driving, sensuous rhythm in her performance reawakening audiences to the art of the instrument. Her unique combination of ballads, folk-rock and blues has earned her a steady national following. Trina tours full-time throughout the United States and Europe. Additionally, she is a much sought after harmonica player and percussionist, accompanying numerous nationally recognized singer/songwriters in the studio and live on stage. Please register here for this free concert and join us for an evening of music among neighbors.

Click Here for more information.