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Director's Update, February 14, 2021


2/15/20213 years ago

caution sign The information on this page may be outdated as it was published 3 years ago.

Boudreau Branch Library

Dear Library lovers,

Happy Valentine’s Day and happy school vacation week! While you are on break, I invite you to join us for one of our youth programs, a tween/teen comic workshop, or a virtual tour of The Hive makerspace!

Seniors are invited to join our Virtual Zumba Gold classes, and job seekers may be excited to enroll in a Resume Writing workshop, the first in our new Career Skills series.

All are welcome to celebrate Black History Month with the poet Nate Marshall this Wednesday! This week we also offer ESOL, The Hive workshops, Story Times--including with the Mayor, and more!

Vacation Week Programs

We have a variety of extra youth programs this week!

  • Talewise: Tuesday, February 16, at 2 p.m. Aliens: Escape from Earth: Buckle up for an action-packed, out-of-this-world adventure that explores scientific concepts like the solar system, desert habitats, and more!
  • ScreenPLAY! Wednesday, February 17, at 2 p.m. Families, join the intrepid artists of the Gottabees for nonstop interactive FUN, where your whole family becomes part of the story as we race through the snow. We explore movement, puppetry, theater, and the irresistible power of being ridiculous!
  • Tales from African Traditions: Thursday, February 18, at 2 p.m. Listen as Valerie Tutson brings an assortment of myths, folk tales, and historical accounts from the African continent and the African Diaspora to life.
  • Brazilian Beats by Grooversity: Friday, February 19, at 2 p.m. Enjoy world music featuring original drumming compositions based on traditional Afro-Brazilian rhythms.

Registration is required for each event.

Virtual ESOL Classes

Virtual English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Introductory ESOL takes place at 11 a.m., beginner ESOL at 1 p.m., and intermediate ESOL at 3 p.m. Registration is required for each class. Please see the Library’s online events calendar for more details.

Turn Your Drawing into 3D Charms

Please join us for our virtual workshops on Tuesday, February 16, at 3:30 p.m., and Friday, February 19, at 12:30 p.m. You will learn some of the fundamentals of Google Drawing and Tinkercad to draw or design a charm or token and transform it into a three-dimensional object. Participants may share a completed design file to be made into a 3D printed charm or token in The Hive and arrange to collect them via Contactless Holds Pickup. Computer proficiency is necessary for this course. Registration is required.

Google Drawing 101: Personalized Coaster Set

On Tuesday, February 16, at 7 p.m., and Thursday, February 18, at 12:30 p.m., learn the fundamentals of Google Drawing to design and edit images for a set of four distinctive coasters. You'll also be introduced to our in-house laser cutting machines. Participants may share a completed design file to be made into coasters in The Hive and arrange to collect them via Contactless Holds Pickup. Computer proficiency is necessary for this course. Registration is required.

Virtual Baby Lapsit

Children who are not yet walking and their caregivers are invited to enjoy time together with other parents, caregivers, and babies to learn, play, and develop language and motor skills! This series , on Wednesdays at 10 a.m., will continue until February 24. Registration is required. Register at any point during the  series and we will sign you up for any remaining sessions.

The Hive Open House

On Wednesday, February 17, at 1 p.m., join us for a virtual tour of the new makerspace, recording studios, and extended reality lab at the Main Library. See what you can do in this exciting space and learn about upcoming virtual workshops where you can design projects to be produced and picked up from The Hive. Registration is required.

Tween/Teen Comic Workshop

Continuing Wednesday, February 17, at 4 p.m., grab some blank paper and pencils and join Matt Ryan of Free Lunch Studios for a series designed to make you a better visual storyteller. Explore comic forms, develop your own catalog of characters, and share your work. Drop in for Storytelling on February 17, from 4-5 p.m. and Comic Construction on February 24, from 4-5p.m.

Career Skills: Résumé Writing

The online Career Skills workshop series, presented by the employment specialist Gary Gekow, will cover the fundamentals of looking for a job, from writing a strong résumé to preparing for a virtual job interview. Attend any or all of the workshops; registration is required for each:

Nate Marshall presents FINNA

On Wednesday, February 17, at 7 p.m., celebrate Black History Month with a special poetry reading by Nate Marshall, the author of FINNA (One World, 2020). He also wrote Wild Hundreds (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2015), winner of the Black Caucus Award of the American Library Association’s for Poetry Book of the Year and the Great Lakes College Association’s New Writer Award. Nate Marshall is a writer, rapper, and educator from the South Side of Chicago. Registration is required.

Wellness for Seniors: Virtual Zumba Gold

On Thursday, February 18, at 11 a.m., put on your dancing shoes to improve flexibility and balance, strengthen muscles, and have a great time! The certified Zumba Gold instructor Emily B. will lead you through 45 minutes of low-impact and easy choreography in your own home through Zoom.  Register for this event. Separate registration is required for each session.

Join us for Story Time

We invite children and their grownups to join us from home for 20-25 minutes of engaging stories. Plan to join in, sing along, and move around! STEAM Story Times include hands-on activities to explore science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math.

We are happy to offer these Story Time programs this week:

Registration is required for each event.

Stay Connected

Please subscribe to our email list, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, or visit our website.

Best wishes,

Maria McCauley, Ph.D.
Director of Libraries