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Monday, May 16th 2022

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Fondest Farewells, Sara Slymon!

The staff of the Public Library of Brookline would like to give a hearty thanks and our best wishes to Sara Slymon on her new adventure as the Director of the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy. Sara joined the Library in 2014 as a fierce advocate for patrons, and spent her eight years with us tirelessly improving the Libraries for the public, despite the incredible and unforeseeable circumstances of the last two years. During her time as Director, Sara saw a major Coolidge Corner renovation to completion, fostered the creation of a dedicated Tween space at the Brookline Village Library, and expanded the hours of the Putterham Library. She oversaw the launch of multiple major initiatives, including the ideaSPACE and the recent launch of a Tool Library at Coolidge Corner.

And while Sara's work to improve our Libraries for the public cannot be overstated, it is as a colleague and mentor that many of us will miss her most. She created an environment where good ideas could flourish and where staff were encouraged to think big and explore new ideas. Her leadership and support have been invaluable. We would like to extend our thanks to Sara for her tireless work in support of the community and staff. She leaves the Library a better place than she found it.

Best of luck, Sara!

Flash Fiction Writing Workshop

Flash Fiction Writing Workshop MAY 2022
Brookline Village Library

MONDAY, May 23 at 7 PM

Get writing at the Library! Authors Chandreyee Lahiri and Malavika Shetty will discuss their own writing journeys, give an introduction to flash fiction (very short stories), and provide a writing prompt. Then everyone will have a chance to write their own piece of flash fiction. Come write with us, whether you’ve been writing for a while or you want to give creative writing a try. We’ll have writing supplies on hand, though you can also bring your own or borrow a Library Chromebook.

This will be a hybrid program, so you can participate in person at the Brookline Village Library or online via Zoom. No registration required to attend in person. To register for the Zoom session, click here!

Chandreyee Lahiri is the author of “Dumba Chora,” the 2021 One City One Story all-city read. She earned an honorable mention in the 2020 Boston in 100 Words contest for her piece “Jellies in the Charles.” Learn more about Chandreyee Lahiri’s writing on her website.

Malavika Shetty is a lecturer in the Writing Program at Boston University. Her writing has appeared in publications such as the Kenyon Review, and she is the author of the picture book The Sweetest Mango. Learn more about Malavika Shetty’s work here.

This event is generously sponsored by the Library Trustees.
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UPCOMING EVENTS

Teen/Adult Book Nook Kit

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Make your very own book nook diorama, a miniature street scene that you personalize to make your bookshelf into its own small world. We’ve collected all of the supplies, including using our Glowforge laser cutter to create all of the wooden pieces, to decorate and put together this kit. You’ll have everything you need: parts, glue, paint, lights — you bring your imagination!

Kit reservations begin Monday, May 16 at 6 PM. When reserving your kit, please select the Public Library of Brookline location where you would like to pick it up. Kit pickups begin Monday, May 23 at noon!

Registration for this kit is required! Register for your kit at Eventbrite here.

This kit is meant for teens in grades 8-12 on up to adults. LIMIT ONE KIT PER PERSON. Please be aware this is a complicated kit – younger makers might get frustrated with this project. Please watch the accompanying video to see whether you think this kit will work for your maker!

This event is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Brookline Public Library.

Spanish Storytime – La Hora de Cuentos en Español

child-like rabbit reading a book
Brookline Village Library

TUESDAY, May 17 at 11:15 AM

Join us for an in-person Spanish storytime filled with stories, songs, and more! This storytime is geared for kids who are ages 0 to 5 years-old. Space is limited, so please arrive early and stop by the Children’s Room Desk to get a storytime ticket. Only families with a storytime ticket will be admitted to the program. For the safety of our program attendees and staff, masks will be required for all attendees ages 2 and older during the program.

Acompáñenos para la hora de cuentos—será un evento lleno de cuentos, canciones, juegos y más! La hora de cuentos es para niños de 0 a 5 años. El espacio es limitado, asi que por favor pase por la mesa del Children’s Room para obtener su boleto. Solo podremos admitir aquellas personas con boleto. Para la seguridad de todos, es obligatorio que todos mayores de 2 años pongan sus máscaras. ¡Gracias!

Viewing Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritages

Viewing Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritages (1)
Coolidge Corner Library

TUESDAY, May 17 at 7 PM

Stay engaged this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by joining us for a roundtable discussion of multi-ethnic identities. We will develop a shared awareness of these cultures through the lens of a short story and its film adaptation.

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers is a realist story about bonds that form and dissolve among family members, specifically between a father and daughter. Please consider reading the short story and/or watching the movie prior to the discussion. The movie is set in the U.S. and features some dialogue in Mandarin Chinese. The short story appears in the collection of the same name by Yiyun Li. Copies of both the book and the DVD are available at the Coolidge Corner Library. You can also stream the film for free via the OverDrive website or Libby app.

Portuguese Storytime – Hora das Histórias Portuguesas

Cat-Reading
Brookline Village Library

TUESDAY, May 24 at 11:15 AM

Join us for an in-person Portuguese storytime filled with stories, songs, and poems! This storytime is geared for kids who are ages 0 to 5 years-old. Space is limited, so please arrive early and stop by the Children’s Room Desk to get a storytime ticket. Only families with a storytime ticket will be admitted to the program. For the safety of our program attendees and staff, masks will be required for all attendees ages 2 and older during the program.

Juntem-se a nós para uma hora das histórias Portuguesas preenchida com histórias, canções e poemas! Esta hora das histórias é designada para crianças dos 0 aos 5 anos de idade. O espaço é limitado, por isso pede-se o favor de chegarem cedo e parar na secretária da sala das crianças para obter o bilhete da hora das histórias. Apenas famílias com o bilhete da hora das histórias serão admitidas para o programa. Por razões de segurança dos participantes do nosso programa, requere-se o uso de máscara para todos os participantes com 2 ou idade superior a 2 anos de idade durante o programa.

Virtual Pop Goes the Culture: The History of Asians in American Pop Culture

pop goes the culture image

TUESDAY, May 31 at 7 PM

Let’s close out Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a deep dive into Asians in pop culture! In the pre-talkie early years of Hollywood, two of the biggest silent movie stars, Sessue Hayakawa and Anna May Wong, were Asian. Portrayed as exotic and inscrutable, these stars graced the silver screen with great success. But suddenly and within a short period of time, all the major Hollywood movie studios began hiring white actors instead of actual Asians and gave them the “yellowface” treatment with taped-back eyes and makeup. Fast-forward to today, and Asians have attained an amazing level of stardom and success both on TV and the big screen. How, when, and why did all those cultural shifts come about? This presentation covers more than a century of how Asians have been portrayed in Hollywood, on commercials, and on stage.

Presenter Gil Asakawa is a journalist, editor, author, and blogger who covers Japan, Japanese American, Asian American, and Pacific Islander cultural and social justice issues, with a blog, The Nikkei View. He’s a nationally-known speaker, panelist, and expert on Japanese American history and Asian American identity.

To register for this program, click here!

This program is in partnership with the Ashland Public Library, Cary Memorial Library, Maynard Public Library, Morrill Memorial Library, Somerville Public Library, and Wayland Free Public Library. This event is generously sponsored by the Library Trustees.
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ONGOING PROGRAMS

Each week the Library holds many regularly occurring programs for adults and kids of all ages. Check out what's happening this week – and click on the links for more information and sign-ups!

For a listing of book group and movie screening titles, please visit our website.
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