MBTS PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS & EVENTS

Did you know that the average person throws out approximately 5 pounds of trash a day? The Manchester-by-the-Sea Sustainability Committee and the Manchester Public Library invite you to join us in the Earth Day 2023 Zero Waste Challenge. 

MBTS residents, families and groups can bring whatever trash you collected between April 28- May 5 at 3-5PM on May 5 to the Sustainability Committee table at the library to have your trash weighed. 

 he household with the lowest weeklong trash accumulation will receive the honor of being Manchester-by-the-Sea’s 2023 Zero Waste Champion! Prizes include a 7 Seas Whale Watch gift certificate, and everyone gets a Captain Dusty coupon. Register at bit.ly/mbtszerowaste 

The Friends of the Manchester Library have announced the dates for collecting all those books you have been saving for their annual used book sale on August 5. Bring your books to the Manchester Middle High School parking lot on April 29, May 20 or June 10 between 9AM-12PM. Please only donate books you would be willing to buy.

Please do not donate the following: 
Encyclopedias, Textbooks, Magazines or Pamphlets, Foreign Language books, Self Help books, Coffee Table books, Travel Guides older than 2018, moldy, wet, torn, yellow or damaged books.

Thank you!

Weekly Events

Digital Advice with Expanded Hours
MONDAYS: APPOINTMENTS AT 11:30AM, 12PM & 12:30PM & DROP-IN FROM 1-2PM

ALTERNATING THURSDAYS: APPOINTMENTS AT 6PM          

Registration is required for the 3 appointments on Monday and the 1 appointment on Thursday. Click Here to register. 

Dungeons and Dragons
TUESDAYS 3:45-5PM

For Ages 11-18. Most Tuesday 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.

Stories & Songs in the Children's Room
WEDNESDAYS 10:30-11AM

For our youngest patrons and thier caregivers, ages birth-6. Registration is required and space is limited. Click Here to register.

Mindfulness Meditation
EVERY OTHER THURSDAY AT 11AM-12PM

Alida Bryant is a Dharma Leader and meditation instructor under the guidance of Anam Thubten Rinpoche. She has been meditating for over 30 years (still very much a beginner!) and studying and practicing with lineage holders in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Beginners and experienced meditators are welcome. There will be guided meditation, some silence, and discussion. Registration is encouraged but not required. Click Here to register or for more info. 

Chess Club in the Teen Loft
THURSDAYS AT 3—4:15PM

Come out and "rook" the house (sorry, chess humor) with club organizers Marcel and Milla and their energetic middle school group of aspiring grandmasters! Ages 9-11 must register for every week you can make it as space is limited!

MBTS Bike and Pedestrian Committee Book Discussion
THURSDAYS in MAY 6:00—7:00PM

The MBTS Bike and Pedestrian Committee is excited to be hosting another community book discussion group this May. We'll be reading 'There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster - Who Profits and Who Pays the Price' by Jessie Singer. You can pick up a copy at the library circulation desk or download a digital audiobook on Libby, a free ebook / audiobook service. The meeting will be help every Thursday evening in May at the Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library from 6-7PM so you don't need to finish the book to attend the discussion. Registration is encouraged but not required.

IN-PERSON & HYBRID EVENTS FOR ALL AGES

College Essay Brainstorming Workshop
TUESDAY, APRIL 25 AT 6:30—8PM

College will be here before you know it, high school juniors!  Get an early jump on writing your application essays by attending this helpful brainstorming session with local high school English teacher Tracy Stephens. You know you've got great personal stories to share -- get some expert tips on how to put them into words! Registration is required.

MBTS Reads 2023: Mocktail Happy Hour at the Library
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26 AT 4:00—5:00 PM

In honor of Lighten Up at the Library, our Manchester Reads theme, fun books, National Library Week, and a proclivity for mocktails, Lori and Sara will present books that have comic stories, characters, and or authors that tickle the funny bone. Join us in-person and enjoy book recommendations and a mocktail or two! Adults only, no need for children to discover what really intelligent, mature, library professionals find funny. Registration is encouraged but not required.

MBTS Reads 2023: 100 Years of Boston Comedy
THURSDAY, APRIL 27 AT 5:30—6:30PM

In-person, veteran arts journalist Nick Zaino explores Boston’s long history of comedy, from vaudeville to YouTube, highlighting some of the personalities that have defined laughter in America for 100 years. 

Zaino has covered comedy as a freelance writer for twenty-five years, twenty-one of those as a correspondent on the comedy beat for the Boston Globe. His bylines have appeared in the Globe, The Los Angeles Times, Boston Magazine, WBUR’s ARTery blog, Mental Floss, Kirkus Reviews, and various other publications.

Mystery Book Group
FRIDAY, APRIL 28 AT 10:30—11:30AM

The Manchester Mystery Book Group meets on the last Friday of the month at 10:30 AM. April's meeting will occur in the library's reading room & over Zoom. Email [email protected] with any questions or to get connected with the group. We will discuss "My Sweet Girl" by Amanda Jayatissa. Physical copies will be available at the circulation desk. New members are always welcome. For the date, times, and book of the month during 2023 please Click Here.

MBTS Reads 2023: Mushroaming - Hunting Morels in the Pacific North West, Truffles in Italy and Porcini in Colorado
SATURDAY, APRIL 29 AT 11AM—12:15PM

Join local mushroom expert, Gary Gilbert fo an in-person for a whirlwind tour of mushroom hunting around the world. We will demystify their growth patterns in various regions, techniques and what to expect while hunting and harvesting them and even how to cook them in these widespread regions of the world. There will be time for discussion and Q&A.There is limited space so please register.

Hearthside Book Group: Reading "The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post"
TUESDAY, MAY 2 AT 4:00—5:00PM

Join us in person at the library or on Zoom to discuss the novel The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post a novel by Allison Pataki. Contact Lori Dumont at [email protected] or call 978-526-7711 for further information. Copies of this book are available at the circulation desk, curbside pickup or by home delivery.

Read to Gus, a Certified Reading and Therapy Dog
THURSDAY, MAY 4 AT 3:30, 3:45, 4:00 and 4:15PM

Deb Kaneb and Gus, a Certified Reading Partner and Therapy Dog, are back and looking forward to hearing stories read by YOU!  Reading with a certified reading dog helps to build confidence with a safe, nonjudgmental partner.  Sign up for a 15-minute appointment and make sure to bring a favorite book or allow time to pick out your just right book at the Library. 

This program is especially for those starting to read and that want to little extra practice with our special friend, Gus!

First Friday Movies at MBTS: A Man Called Otto
FRIDAY, MAY 5 AT 5:30—7:30PM

We will be showing a movie in our newly renovated Reference Room on the first Friday of every month at 5:30PM. We will supply the popcorn. Feel free to bring covered, non-alcoholic beverages. 

The movie this month, A Man Called Otto has a MPA rating: PG-13; for mature thematic material involving suicide attempts, and language. Starring Tom Hanks, "Based on the comical and moving New York Times bestseller, it tells the story of Otto Anderson, a grumpy widower whose only joy comes from criticizing and judging his exasperated neighbors. When a lively young family moves in next door, he meets his match in quick-witted and very pregnant Marisol, leading to an unexpected friendship that will turn his world upside down."

Virtual Events

All virtual events require registration. Click on the events to register.

Lioness of Boston - The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner (Virtual)
MONDAY, MAY 8 AT 7:00—8:00PM

Author Emily Franklin will discuss her brand new novel, The Lioness of Boston, in conversation with author Dawn Tripp, in this ZOOM webinar. The Lioness of Boston is a deeply evocative novel of the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner, a daring visionary who created an inimitable legacy in American art and transformed the city of Boston itself. Click Here for more info and to register.

Check Out Free Virtual Resources

We are always open online where you can check out our free to use digital collection! There you can find a great selection of eBooks, Audiobooks, movies and TV shows to stream and enjoy along with many other digital resources by using your Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library card.

Morningstar offers access to real-time stock/fund quotes, prices, performance data, analysis, and much more. Morningstar Investment Research Center is a financial services resource that provides beginner or seasoned investors access to even more up-to-date research and online articles and videos to help navigate smart investing, future financial planning, and staying ahead of the market. Use your MBTS library card to access.

MedlinePlus is the National Institutes of Health’s Web site for patients and their families and friends. Produced by the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest medical library, it brings you information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues in language you can understand. MedlinePlus offers reliable, up-to-date health information, anytime, anywhere, for free.

Free legal forms, covering hundreds of subjects and issues. Thousands of free, legal forms available with more forms being added daily. Official, State Specific, Federal, Business, Personal, Real Estate and General forms covering hundreds of legal subjects and issues. Warning: Public users should consult an attorney in their state for serious legal matters.

Manchester Reads 2023: 100 Years of Boston Comedy Reading List

Bob and Ray, Keener Than Most Persons: The Backstayge Story of Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding
By Pollock, David
2013-04 - Applause Books
9781557838308 Check Our Catalog

(Applause Books). By the established comedy conventions of their era, Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding were true game changers. Never playing to the balcony, Bob and Ray instead entertained each other. Because they believed in their nuanced characters and absurd premises, their audience did, too. Their parodies broadcasting about broadcasting existed in their own special universe. A complete absence …More

The League of Extraordinarily Funny Women: 50 Ladies Who Used Comedy to Change the World
By Moeschen, Sheila
Illustrator Bentley, Anne
2019-04 - Running Press Adult
9780762466641 Check Our Catalog

A celebration of the most groundbreaking women in comedy who used humor to shake up the status quo and change perceptions of gender and comedy forever.

The League of Extraordinarily Funny Women celebrates the outstanding contributions of fifty women in comedy past and present. From legends like Lucille Ball, Joan Rivers, and Tina Fey to current comedy heroes like Issa Rae, Lena …More

Sicker in the Head: More Conversations about Life and Comedy
By Apatow, Judd
2022-03 - Random House
9780525509417 Check Our Catalog

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - An all-new collection of honest, hilarious, and enlightening conversations with some of the most exciting names in comedy--from lifelong comedy nerd Judd Apatow.

"When I need to read an interview with a comedian while in the bathroom, I always turn to Judd Apatow for deeply personal insights into the comedic mind. Place one on your toilet …More

The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy
By Nesteroff, Kliph
2015-11 - Grove Press
9780802123985 Check Our Catalog

In The Comedians, comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff brings to life a century of American comedy with real-life characters, forgotten stars, mainstream heroes and counterculture iconoclasts. Based on over two hundred original interviews and extensive archival research, Nesteroff's groundbreaking work is a narrative exploration of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and changed American …More

Much ADO about Me
By Allen, Fred
2018-10 - Franklin Classics
9780343460235 Check Our Catalog

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the  …More

The History of Stand-Up: From Mark Twain to Dave Chapelle
By Federman, Wayne
2021-03 - Independently Published
9798706637026 Check Our Catalog

Today's top stand-up comedians sell out arenas, generate millions of dollars, tour the world, and help shape our social discourse. So, how did this all happen? The History of Stand-Up chronicles the evolution of this American art form - from its earliest pre-vaudeville practitioners like Artemus Ward and Mark Twain to present-day comedians of HBO and Netflix. Drawing on his acclaimed History of …More

Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him
By Henry, David
Author Henry, Joe
2013-11 - Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
9781616200787 Check Our Catalog

Richard Pryor was chain lightning to everything around him. He shocked the world through with human electricity. He blew all our comfortable balance to hell. And Furious Cool captures it brilliantly . . . Part memoir, part biography, part poem, part history, part ballad, it manages to sing a wakesong for an incredible American. Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin. …More

That's Not Funny, That's Sick: The National Lampoon and the Comedy Insurgents Who Captured the Mainstream
By Stein, Ellin
2014-12 - W. W. Norton & Company
9780393350241 Check Our Catalog

The untold story of a revolution in comedy. With unparalleled access to the architects and impresarios of this boom, Stein takes readers behind the jokes to witness the fighting and partying, collaboration and competition of those who led a rebellion of the self-consciously disenchanted. …More

Lose Well
By Gethard, Chris
2018-10 - HarperOne
9780062691415 Check Our Catalog

From the host of "Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People" podcast and creator of The Chris Gethard Show, a self-help narrative for anyone who ever felt like they didn't fit in or couldn't catch a break.

Your parents roll their eyes. Your teachers barely care. Your boss hates all your ideas. Do even your own kids make you feel like you're silly for wanting to …More

I'm Just a Person
By Notaro, Tig
2016-06 - Ecco Press
9780062266637 Check Our Catalog

Star of HBO Max's Tig Notaro: Drawn, Army of the Dead, One Mississippi and Instant Family. As well as the host of the podcasts Don't Ask Tig and Tig and Cheryl: True Story with Cheryl Hines.

One of America's most original comedic voices delivers a darkly funny, wryly observed, and emotionally raw account of her year of death, cancer, and epiphany.

In the span of …More