Milton Public Library announces adult programming for May 2024

In May, the Milton Public Library is offering many fun and educational events for adults. Our ongoing programs include two more sessions of the virtual “MA Collaborative’s 50+ Job Seekers Group” which is a series that we have been hosting as part of a statewide library cooperative since last Fall. The dates this month are both Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m.  via Zoom, and the topics are “Interview Strategies” on May 1 and “Interview Practice” on May 15. The facilitator is Deborah Hope, an experienced executive career coach, and advance registration is required to attend. To sign up for either session, please go to this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqceChqjgpEty4gffitkRfEYFdVBaGeaJ9#/registration   This is a nice opportunity for older workers to network with other job seekers, while improving their search skills. Please join us!  For questions, Email [email protected] or call the Reference Dept. (617-898-4964).

Our drop-in Library Knitting Group will happen on Thursday, May 2, at 7:00 p.m.  and Saturday, May 18, at 10:00 a.m., both held in the lower level Conference Room. There is no signup required for this enjoyable activity geared to experienced knitters, who bring their own projects to share with others, learn knitting tips and tricks, and make new friends!

Also on Thursday, May 2, at 7:00 p.m. , there will be another meeting of our Celebrity Book Club with Sally Lawler and Sara Truog. The book to be read in advance for this discussion is: Gangland by Chuck Hogan. Read what the celebrities are reading!  This is a relaxed discussion of books recommended by popular celebrities, but you do have to sign up in advance, so use this link to do so:  https://tinyurl.com/22xjpbdf   Call (617) 898-4964 (Reference Dept) to reserve a copy of the book, and we hope you will join us!

There will be a special event on Monday, May 6 at 7:00 p.m.  in the Keys Room in honor of Holocaust Memorial Day, as a partnership between the MPL and Congregation Beth Shalom of the Blue Hills. This presentation is called: “Light Beyond the Shadows: The Legacy of Czech Torah Scrolls Recovered after the Shoah” with renowned photographer Sheila Pallay. The talk and slide presentation is of special interest because in 1987 the synagogue received one Czech Torah Scroll from the Memorial Scrolls Trust in London, England as a permanent loan. This severely damaged Torah is displayed in the sanctuary Ark as an ongoing reminder of the communities in Europe that were destroyed in the Shoah. For more details, please go to this link: https://tinyurl.com/2wj5b2kd  We hope you will join us for this important program in May  and there is no advance registration to attend.

There are a couple of free yoga classes being offered this month in our Keys Community Room. Regular Adult Yoga will be available on Tuesday, May 7, at 7:00 p.m. , with instructor Sheila Armstrong. We will practice asanas (yoga poses) and breathing techniques to come into the present moment, and to create more space in our minds and bodies. Space is limited and so advance registration is required at our website. Use this link to sign up:  https://tinyurl.com/42c9nkbf

Then there will be a second yoga class taught in May , and this time is will be a practice new to us called: “Adult Chair Yoga” with instructor Marianne Zullas, The date for this class is Thursday afternoon, May 16, at 3:00 p.m.. Chair yoga is recommended to anyone who spends long periods of time in a seated position. This is a very beneficial practice for teenagers, adults, seniors, people in wheelchairs or those with physical disabilities, and all of these participants should find the exercises very helpful. Some of the benefits of doing chair yoga are building core strength, mobility, flexibility, stress and anxiety reduction, and improvement in mental clarity. Advance registration is required, so please go to this link to sign up and to learn more:  https://tinyurl.com/wf2ce29p  Registration for both yoga classes opens on April 18th.

There will be another very fun adult craft workshop happening on Saturday, May 4  from 2-3:30 p.m.  in our Keys Community Room. It is called: “Make a Needle Felted Bumble Bee Next to Flowers” and it will be taught by Pop-up Art School. Join us for a delightful needle felting class where you get to make your own adorable fuzzy bee using wool fibers. In addition, you’ll also create beautiful flowers for this friendly little pollinator to buzz around!  You will gain the basic skills of needle felting, walking away with a finished piece, a foam block, needles, and the confidence to continue your felting journey independently. Advance registration is required as space is limited, so please sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/bdvv924a This workshop is geared to adults but appropriate for anyone over the age of 13 – please come!

Another fun gardening program is happening this month on Wednesday, May 8 , at 7:00 p.m.  in our Keys Room  Join Master Gardener Christine Paxhia for an evening called “Stop and Smell the Lilacs,” which will be a presentation that delves into the history of lilacs, how they came to the U.S., and how to plant, care, prune and propagate them. The talk then moves into a colorful slide show of the various colors of this favorite spring blossom. No registration is required to attend but if you would like more information, you May  click here: https://tinyurl.com/2a7y5688 and we hope to see all you gardening fans there!

Historian Bob Begin will return to our library on Tuesday, May 14, at 7:00 p.m. , in the Keys Community Room to give another interesting presentation about naval history. This one is called: “The U.S.S. Bunker Hill, Kamikazes & Sacrifices in May  1945” and the focus of this talk is on a story of the actions of Bob’s relative, Lt. J.G. Alexander Domonkos. He was a pilot on board the day the Bunker Hill was hit by 2 Kamikazes within 10 seconds on May  11, 1945 off the coast of Okininawa. Uncle Al survived the attack and aided in caring for the wounded and dying. There were horrific sacrifices and countless acts of bravery. He was a highly decorated pilot and following the war, he went to Yale College of Art which led to a successful art career, and Bob will be showing us paintings, sketches, and letters from his uncle, plus diary excerpts. Come listen to this riveting story and see some incredible images to illustrate it!  You do not have to register to hear this fascinating true story – just come and please bring your history fan friends with you!

We are offering a really great film on Wednesday, May 15, starting at 6:15 p.m.  in our Keys Community Room, as we will screen the Academy Award nominated movie called: “The Holdovers.”  The actors are Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and more, and Randolph won Best Supporting Actress at the 2023 awards for her role as Mary Lamb. This dramedy tells the story of a disagreeable schoolteacher named Paul Hunham. With no family or friends, Paul ends up staying at the private school where he teaches during Christmas break to supervise holdover students who can’t travel home for the holidays. Troublemaker Angus and head cook Mary build an unexpected bond with Paul on campus. Together, they go through hilarious adventures, celebrating Christmas in their own unique way. This is an a.m. azing and uplifting film about loneliness, connection and ultimately joy for these characters and. If you have not seen it, you should!  The running time is 2 hours, 13 minutes, and it is rated R for language, some drug use, and brief sexual material so is not appropriate for children. No registration is required to attend and please note earlier start time of 6:15 p.m. .

For those people who have always wanted to learn to knit, we are offering a second “In Person Beginning Knitting Instructional Workshop” on Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m.  until 12 noon, held in the Keys Community Room. Instructor Jackie Stephenson of the Stitch House in Dorchester will be back at the MPL to welcome all would be knitters who are complete beginners. Space is limited and you must register in advance to attend. This is your chance to learn to knit, but you will need to bring your own needles and yarn to the class and a project if you wish. The program is geared to adults but young people over the age of 13 are also welcome to attend. Use this link to register:  https://tinyurl.com/yw2zd5vn

And then our final adult program this month will be a virtual fashion talk called “Style for the Golden Years” with expert Karen Antonowicz of “Spirits of Fashion.”  In this Zoom presentation held on Tuesday, May 21, at 7:00 p.m. , you will learn that style for “people of a certain age” is eternal!  As we age, we May  think that style no longer matters and that we shouldn’t worry about expressing ourselves with fashion. Karen, our speaker, disagrees. Share this journey with her as we witness women of advanced age dressing in fabulous and unique ways, refusing to give up their authentic style and glamour. Join us and be inspired!  You must register at this link in advance to receive the Zoom code: https://tinyurl.com/mtyf667s  We hope to see all you fashionistas online with us for this talk!

These events are kindly sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library and are free and open to all.

To learn more details about any program, visit miltonlibrary.org/events/upcoming-events.

Questions? Email [email protected] or call the Reference Department at (617) 898-4964.

We hope you will consider joining us for a fun presentation or class in May!