Director's Note

December is almost here! We have a busy month of programs lined up, including three programs made possible by a grant from the Association for Rural & Small Libraries through the generosity of a regional partner foundation: "Ask a Muslim Anything" (11/30), "Korean Lotus Lantern Craft" (12/6), and "The Roots of Black Music in America" (12/20). We're also looking forward to a family sing-along with Steve Blunt, crafts and baking for all ages, and more - read the details below and in the Mosquito each week.

The staff at Gleason wishes everyone a happy and healthy holiday season. We will close at 1 p.m. on Christmas Eve and reopen on Tuesday, December 27th, so be sure to stop by early to stock up or to pick up museum passes for school vacation week. Several museums now offer e-passes that don't require picking up a physical pass at the Library; call and ask for Reference if you'd like to check on the details for a specific pass.

-Martha
Currently reading: Black Cake, by Charmaine Wilkerson

Maintenance Work At The Library In December

The Gleason Public Library is planning scheduled improvements to the HVAC ventilation system in upcoming weeks. Some areas of the second and third floors of the Library may be unavailable at times for patron safety during construction. The updated equipment will be more energy-efficient and use sensors to respond to fresh air ventilation needs in the building.

Library Closings For December

The December holiday hours for the Gleason Library are as follows:

- Saturday, December 24: 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Monday, December 26: Closed
- Saturday, December 31: 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Monday, January 2: Closed

Children

If you have questions about any of these events, please email [email protected].

Gingerbread House Workshop (Virtual)
Friday, December 9 | 3:30 p.m.
Friday, December 9 | 5:30 p.m.
Create your own gingerbread house with help from crafter extraordinaire Mandy Roberge in one of two live online workshops on Friday, December 9th, at 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Pick up a kit at the Library that will have everything you need to make your own gingerbread house at home, then follow along with Mandy over Zoom as she shows you the finer points of gingerbread construction.

As we have a limited number of kits, we are only allowing one kit per household. Please register only once. So that more families may participate in the gingerbread fun, we have booked two sessions of this Gingerbread House workshop. Please make sure to be aware of which of the two sessions you are registering for (links above under event title).

This fun annual event is made possible by our wonderful Friends of Gleason Public Library.

Winter Holiday Sing-Along With Steve Blunt
Thursday, December 15 | 6 p.m.
Join us for a Winter Holiday Sing-Along with Steve Blunt! Let's celebrate the winter holidays together in this fun family concert. If you're able, drop by the Children's Room earlier in the week to decorate your own holiday hand bells that we will use during the Winter Holiday Sing-Along! Please register if you plan to attend the concert.

Steve Blunt is a New Hampshire singer/storyteller whose fun, upbeat performances delight audiences throughout New England. 

Rugelach Baking Class For Families (Virtual)
Friday, December 16 | 6 p.m.
The talented cooks from the Kids' Table, based in Chicago, are back for another fun 1-hour cooking class on Zoom. This time, we'll learn how to make delicious rugelach for Hanukkah!

Registration is required in order to receive the Zoom link and a list of the ingredients and baking supplies for the class. Families are welcomed to participate together in this class. When you register, please register under one name as a family.

Take & Make Activity: Create Your Own Apron
Friday, December 2 | 10 a.m.
Let's create our own fabric-stamped apron for holiday baking! Register online for an apron kit and pick it up any time between Friday, December 2nd and Monday, December 5th at 9 p.m. via in-person or curbside pickup. This kit includes a child-size apron, 5 foam stamp daubers, and several containers of fabric paint. You may want to pick up a set of fabric markers to accompany this kit. This craft is for ages 4 and up with help from an adult. Take & Make craft kits are made possible by our wonderful Friends of the Gleason Public Library.

Nature Connection Story Time
Thursday, December 8 | 10:30 a.m.
**Please check the event listing the morning of the event to see where it will take place.** Join The Nature Connection as we explore plants and animals and connect with the world around us in new ways—all through nature-based stories and poems! During this monthly 45-minute program for 3-6-year-olds, we will read a seasonally appropriate story followed by a sensory engagement activity. Registration is required; please register for each session individually. Masks are strongly recommended for ages 2 and up.

Kids' Book Clubs
Come join one of our book clubs for grades 1 through 4 at the Gleason Library. Visit our book clubs page for more information or to register.

1st & 2nd Grade
Wednesday, December 7 | 4 p.m.
Have your first- or second-grader join us at the Gleason Library's 1st & 2nd Grade Book Club! Each month we'll meet in person at the Library to talk about our book of the month. After discussion, we will do a craft, activity or game. This month's book is Even Robots Can Be Thankful! by Jan Thomas and copies will be available to check out at the library's circulation desk downstairs. Registration is required; participants only need to register once for the entire school year. If you have any questions about the book club or would like to register your child, please contact Jenn at [email protected] or call 978-369-4898 and ask for the Children's Desk.

3rd & 4th Grade
Thursday, December 8 | 4 p.m.
Have your third- or fourth-grader join us at the Gleason Library's 3rd & 4th Grade Book Club! Each month we'll meet in person at the Library to talk about our book of the month. After discussion, we will do a craft or activity. This month's book is The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements and copies will be available to check out at the circulation desk. Registration is required; participants only need to register once for the entire school year. Your child can join at any time. If you have any questions about the book club or would like to register your child, please contact Tahleen Shamlian or call 978-369-4898 and ask for the Children's Desk.

Teens

Teen Advisory Board
Thursday, December 1 | 7 p.m.
Use your voice and help the Gleason Library become even better! The Teen Advisory Board will meet once a month over Zoom to discuss the library, what you think would be most helpful to you as teens, and to talk with your peers about school, what you're reading and/or watching, and life in general. Registration is required in order to receive the Zoom link. This group is for students in grades 9 through 12 and will provide participants with community service hours. If you have any questions, reach out to Tahleen, the Teen Services Librarian.

Middle School Take & Make: Tea Light Snowmen
Friday, December 9 | 10 a.m.
Make a little snowman out of an electric tea light. Each kit will have enough supplies for you to make two. Register to reserve your kit and pick it up anytime between Friday, December 9 and Monday, December 12. For grades 5-8.

Take & Make kits are generously sponsored by the Friends of the Gleason Public Library.

Teen Weekend Reading Kit
Friday, December 16 | 10 a.m
Grab a kit that has everything you need for a book-lover's weekend. Each kit will include a random YA novel for you to keep (genres and reading/maturity levels will vary), a craft or activity, a snack, a little bookish accessory, and a hot or iced beverage to make at home. Registration is required to reserve your kit, and pickup will be Friday, December 16 through Monday, December 19. These kits are for grades 7-12. Please email Tahleen, the Teen Services Librarian, with any questions.

Teen Weekend Reading Kits are sponsored by the Friends of the Gleason Public Library.

Korean Lotus Lantern Craft (Virtual)
Tuesday, December 6 | 6:30 p.m.
Celebrate diversity and create a traditional Korean lotus lantern. This craft will be led virtually on Zoom by a representative from the Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project. The presentation will teach participants how to create a beautiful Korean lantern using colorful paper and wire frames. All materials will be provided ahead of time and will be available for pickup from the library so you can participate from home. Recommended for age 10 through adult. Register to reserve your kit and receive the Zoom link. After the lanterns are completed, a short documentary film about Korea will be shown. 

This project is made possible by a grant from the Association for Rural & Small Libraries through the generosity of a regional partner foundation.

Adults

Piecing It Together: Discovering A Family Secret, A Massachusetts Case Study
Wednesday, November 30 | 10 a.m.
Find out how to link generations when vital records are missing. We’ll go through a case study and show how to piece together and correlate clues from other records to identify a child’s father, using various Massachusetts records. This case revealed a family secret that had been hidden for over one hundred years.

With local genealogist Claire Smith. This free class will be held over Zoom. Please register to receive the log-in link. 

Ask A Muslim Anything
Wednesday, November 30 | 7 p.m.
Join Robert Azzi in the Hollis Room for "Ask a Muslim Anything," a conversation about being a practicing Muslim in small-town New England. Mr. Azzi finds that most people—even those critical of Islam and Muslims—when engaged in small scale or in one-one-one conversation, are willing to listen and engage with Muslims if that engagement occurs in what are perceived to be safe places: houses of worship, libraries, schools, civic organizations, etc. You can register for this conversation here.

Azzi, an Exeter, NH resident, speaks not as a scholar or academic but as a neighbor, fellow citizen and person of faith.

Nothing, except disrespect, is off the table.

Korean Lotus Lantern Craft (Virtual)
Tuesday, December 6 | 6:30 p.m.
Celebrate diversity and create a traditional Korean lotus lantern. This craft will be led virtually on Zoom by a representative from the Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project. The presentation will teach participants how to create a beautiful Korean lantern using colorful paper and wire frames. All materials will be provided ahead of time and will be available for pickup from the library so you can participate from home. Recommended for age 10 through adult. Register to reserve your kit and receive the Zoom link.

After the lanterns are completed, a short documentary film about Korea will be shown.

This project is made possible by a grant from the Association for Rural & Small Libraries through the generosity of a regional partner foundation.

"She's On The Case" – An Evening With An Evening With Mystery Writers Sulari Gentill, Hank Phillippi Ryan, And Eva Jurczyk
Thursday, December 8 | 7 p.m. 
**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom meeting via email. Register directly on Zoom HERE.**  

Join us for an evening with Sulari Gentill, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and Eva Jurczyk moderated by Rachel Raczka of the Boston Globe.

Everything was fine until it wasn’t—a scream in the library, books gone missing the first day on the job, a secret threatening to tear apart a perfect life. We’ll discuss intriguing mysteries with critically acclaimed authors Sulari Gentill, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and Eva Jurczyk.

Best Bike Rides In New England (Virtual)
Wednesday, December 14 | 7 p.m.
Author David Sobel will give a presentation based on his new book, Best Bike Rides in New England, in this Zoom webinar. Sobel will reveal some of his favorite rides, discuss the variables he uses when designing a ride, explain how to design rides using online tools like "Map My Ride" or "Strava," advocate for incorporating bike riding 3-5 times a week into your personal wellness goals, and suggest a great ride in or around your community.

David Sobel is a professor emeritus in the education department at Antioch University New England. He consults and speaks widely on child development and place-based education with schools, environmental organizations, and the National Park Service. He lives in Harrisville, New Hampshire.

Register directly on Zoom HERE. Sponsored by the Friends of Gleason Public Library in cooperation with Tewksbury Public Library and other Massachusetts libraries.

NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 24 hours of the program.

An Introduction To Hanukkah (Virtual)
Thursday, December 15 | 7 p.m.
**Please Note This Is A Virtual Program That Will Take Place Via Zoom. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom meeting via email. Register directly on Zoom HERE.**

Learn about Hanukkah—a fun-filled eight-day festival celebrated by people all around the word who practice the Jewish faith—in this virtual presentation from the Lappin Foundation. 

The Lappin Foundation is a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization that provides exciting programs for children, teens and adults that spark an interest in Jewish living and learning, as well as foster positive relationships through education with individuals of all faiths. The Foundation’s core mission is to enhance Jewish identity across generations.

Sponsored by the Gleason Public Library in collaboration with Tewksbury and other area libraries.

NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 24 hours of the program.

The Roots Of Black Music In America (Virtual)
Tuesday, December 20 | 7 p.m.
Producer, songwriter, teacher, and troubadour, Karlus Trapp presents his delightful, educational and entertaining presentation “The Roots of Black Music in America.” It is a 100-year journey back through time, and offers a fresh perspective through song, story, and history to learn about the music of America’s black musical giants. Hear Scott Joplin during the birth of Ragtime. Dance to the Charleston in the 1920’s. Play air guitar with Chuck Berry or sing along with the Supremes in the 60’s in the motor city. From public libraries and arts centers, to school groups, to senior centers, Karlus has presented this show solo or with ensemble to thousands of people since its inception. During the pandemic, Karlus performed over 60 live virtual shows via Zoom throughout the US, from Southern California to the seacoast of New Hampshire. Warning: Attending this show you may find yourself smiling, humming, or tapping your feet for hours afterward...and you’ll be surprised what you may learn!

Please register to receive the Zoom link for this free virtual program.

This project is made possible by a grant from the Association for Rural & Small Libraries through the generosity of a regional partner foundation. 

Community Book Club
Monday, December 5 | 10:30 a.m.
December title: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
January: Discussion of book choices for 2023
The Community Book Club meets once a month, usually on the first Monday, at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom. Please register to receive the Zoom login information. No commitment required. You don’t even have to have read the book to go to the meetings, but you may come out of the discussion wanting to read it. Sponsored jointly by the CoA and the Gleason Public Library.

Reading Poetry Anew
Tuesday, December 6 | 10 a.m.
Reading Poetry Anew will meet via Zoom. Please note the change in the starting time—the class will now begin at 10 a.m instead of 10:30 a.m. Please register to receive the Zoom invitation and poem packet by email. All are welcome!

Dip or dive into the pleasures of poetry. This informal course, led by Mary Zoll, will include poetry readings and reactions, discussions of the patterns and techniques used in the poems, and perhaps some intellectual understanding of the poems. This class meets one Tuesday a month. Mary Zoll has published a few poems and read a multitude of poems.