DIRECTOR'S NOTE
Greetings! We are excited to share our April programs and events - it's going to be a bustling month. For all ages, we have the return of our Poetry Contest; Carlisle's Route to Sustainability Day; and a living history conversation between Louisa and May Alcott, "Between Us Sisters". For kids and teens, there's an amazing Rube Goldberg machine workshop during April vacation; a preschool story time with author Carrie Finison; our new Nature Connections Explorations program for ages 6+; and a teen roundtable on censorship and book bans.
Read on below for all of the details. We would also love your feedback on two brief surveys, to gather information on how our museum passes and newspaper subscriptions are used. Thank you for your input!
EVERYONE
CARLISLE POETRY CONTEST AND FESTIVAL
The Gleason Public Library is holding its first Poetry Festival, during which a panel of three prominent, local poets will discuss the inner workings of the writing life and their recent publications. The hybrid event will take place in the Hollis Room with refreshments on Saturday, May 13th at 2pm.
This panel is a fresh way to relaunch the library’s annual poetry contest, which will be hosted in celebration of National Poetry Month this April. This year’s theme is “Waking Up.” All ages are welcome. Winners will be selected for the following age groups: ages 8 and younger, ages 9-12, ages 13-17, and ages 18+.
First place winners will receive a $100 cash prize, have their poems printed in the Carlisle Mosquito, and will read their poems (or have their poems read) at the Poetry Festival.
Contest Rules: Contestants may submit one original, unpublished poem. Poems may not exceed 45 lines in length (including title) and must fit on a single 8.5”x11” page. Poems should address the prompt “Waking Up.” in some way. All entries must include a cover sheet with the contestant’s name, age group, and contact information; to facilitate blind judging, names and contact information should not appear on the poem.
Anonymous entries and collaborations are not eligible. Prizes will be issued at the judges’ discretion. Entries will be accepted by email to director@gleasonlibrary.org or in-person at the library. All entries must be received by 2 p.m. on Friday, April 28th. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Carlisle Cultural Council and the Friends of the Gleason Public Library.
CARLISLE'S ROUTE TO SUSTAINABILITY DAY
Saturday, April 22 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
We are delighted to be part of Carlisle's Route to Sustainability Day!
Come join this town event which will include a myriad of displays on environmental sustainability issues, information on steps we can take to affect positive impact and various fun activities for the whole family.
This event will include town departments and committees along with non-profits, local groups, local farms, and individuals, all highlighting environmentally conscious efforts and practices.
Information stations will be linked by a suggested route for participants to walk or bike. When possible, please make a “green” choice and leave your car behind.
For additional information, please visit https://esc-carlisle.weebly.com/earth-day.html
CHILDREN
If you have questions about any of these events, please email childrens@gleasonlibrary.org.
CHAIN REACTIONS: MAKE A RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE WITH JAY MANKITA
Thursday, April 20 | 2 p.m.
In this hands-on, STEAM-focused workshop led by Jay Mankita, participants will explore chain reactions. Children will design, build, test, and play with Rube Goldberg "machines,” plus domino constructions, exploding popsicle-stick snakes, and other awesome engineering explorations. For ages 5 and up. Registration is required.
This workshop is sponsored by the Carlisle Cultural Council, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the Friends of the Gleason Public Library.
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME AND AUTHOR VISIT WITH CARRIE FINISON
Tuesday, February 28 | 10 a.m.
Join us from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for a fun story time and author visit with Carrie Finison. Carrie will read her delightful picture book, Dozens of Doughnuts, followed by a brief Q&A. We will then do a fun doughnut-decorating craft. Masks are strongly recommended for ages 2 and up. Please bring along an old T-shirt for your child to wear as an art smock. Registration is required.
TAKE AND MAKE: RAINBOW MOBILE KIT
Friday, April 7 | 10 a.m.
April showers bring May flowers! Register online for a Rainbow Mobile kit and pick it up any time between Friday, April 7th and Monday, April 10th during library hours via in-person or curbside pickup. This kit includes foam rainbow strips, sticky cloud shapes, sticky-back raindrop circles, and 3 lengths of string.
This craft is for ages 5 and up with help from an adult. Take & Make craft kits are made possible by our wonderful Friends of the Gleason Public Library.
BABY LAPSIT
Fridays, April 7 through May 26 | 10:30 a.m.
Baby Lapsit is a 30-minute interactive story time experience for our youngest library users and their caregivers. Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, and bounces that are developmentally appropriate for children from birth to when they start walking. This Lapsit program is just for you and the baby! Enjoy time together with other caregivers and babies to learn; play; and develop language, early literacy, and motor skills. Come prepared to sit on the floor one-on-one with your baby in your lap. Please bring along your own blanket. This program is designed for newborn through pre-walking babies.
Please register for each session individually. Masks are strongly recommended for grown-ups.
SPRING PRESCHOOL STORY TIME
Tuesdays, April 18–May 23 | 10:30 a.m.
Join us Tuesday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. for a fun story time. This event is chock-full of interactive stories, rhymes, fingerplays, songs and a small craft. Our story time program, designed for children ages 3 to 6, promotes reading readiness and early literacy skills. Our Spring Preschool Story Time will run weekly April 18 through May 23. Please register for each session individually.
NATURE CONNECTION EXPLORATIONS
Tuesday, April 4 | 3:15 p.m.
Join us for this new Nature Connection program for children and families as we explore nature at Center Park! This series will take participants outdoors for a mindful exploration of nature. Listen for birds, make a nature map, become a plant detective, draw a leaf, write a poem about a pebble, count flower petals, imagine a bee's life, tell a seed's story, and wonder about the world.
Participants will become more familiar and build a deeper connection with the nature that surrounds them every day, making it easier for them to access the wild spirit, strength, and dignity of nature no matter where they are. Nature Connection Explorations take place outdoors at Center Park unless there is inclement weather, in which case we will prepare an indoor nature exploration at the Gleason Public Library. For ages 6 and up (with an adult participant). Please register for each session individually.
The Nature Connection provides therapeutic nature programs that utilize radical respectfulness along with sensory exploration of nature to foster well-being for participants of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
The Nature Connection Explorations Series is sponsored by the Susan Zielinski Natural Science Fund.
NATURE CONNECTION STORY TIME
Thursday, April 13 | 10:30 a.m.
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, April 5 | 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 Nate the Great and the Earth Day Robot by Andrew Sharmat 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 childrens@gleasonlibrary.org or call 978-369-4898 and ask for the Children's Desk.
3rd & 4th Grade
Thursday, April 13 | 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 Love That Dog by Sharon Creech 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 ROUNDTABLE: BOOK CHALLENGES AND CENSORSHIP (VIRTUAL)
Friday, April 21 | 3 p.m.
Book challenges and issues surrounding the legality of censorship are affecting readers all around the country. Join Teen Librarians Tahleen Shamlian from the Gleason Library and Cary Stough from the Concord Free Public Library for a Zoom discussion with local middle and high school students about these issues. Submit your questions or discussion topics anonymously here. This program is limited to students in grades 6 through 12. Registration is required in order to receive the Zoom link.
TEEN ADVISORY BOARD
Thursday, April 6 | 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: DIY FLOWER POTS
Friday, April 7 | 10 a.m.
Paint a small flower pot! Kits will include a small terra cotta planter and paint. Reserve your kit by registering for this event. Pickup will be during Library hours Friday, April 7 through Monday, April 10. Any kits not picked up by 9 p.m. on Monday, April 7 will then be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis.
TEEN WEEKEND READING KIT
Friday, April 14 | 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, April 14 through Tuesday, April 18. These kits are for grades 7-12. Please email Tahleen, the Teen Services Librarian, with any questions.
Teen Weekend Reading Kits are generously sponsored by the Friends of the Gleason Public Library.
ADULTS
BETWEEN US SISTERS: A LIVING HISTORY DIALOGUE WITH LOUISA AND MAY ALCOTT
Saturday, April 8 | 2 p.m.
Perhaps some of the most famous sisters of all time are the Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth of Little Women fame, the classic coming-of-age story set in Civil War–era Concord, Massachusetts. Their real-life inspirations were the Alcotts, Louisa, Anna, May, and Lizzie, all deep-spirited personalities who have enchanted readers across the world. But the relationship between Louisa and May remained a largely unexplored mystery—until now.
Concord playwrights Amy Cole and Stefanie Cloutier, staff of the Concord Visitor Center and licensed tour guides, have created an intimate living history performance that brings these two siblings to life. Based on primary sources including letters, journal entries, and books, Cole and Cloutier uncovered innermost details between these beloved Little Women. Their 1.5 hour–long production, “Between Us Sisters,” features period costumes and a close-up conversation between Louisa and May. How did May come to draw the illustrations for the first edition of Little Women? Why did Louisa feel so strongly about women’s rights, and why were they integral to her stories? How were May and Louisa’s parents supportive yet flawed? Cole and Cloutier’s portrayal brings a nuanced portrait of these Little Women to life.
Please join us for this intimate conversation with two storied sisters, presented thanks to the Friends of Gleason Public Library. The event will be held in the Hollis Room of the Gleason Library on Saturday, April 8, at 2 pm. Admission is free and open to all; registration is requested but drop-ins are welcome.
HOW ANTIBIOTICS CREATED MODERN AGRICULTURE & CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD EATS (VIRTUAL)
Monday, April 3 | 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 Webinar via email. Register directly on Zoom HERE.**
Bestselling author Maryn McKenna will give a presentation based on her book, Big Chicken: The Incredible Story of How Antibiotics Created Modern Agriculture and Changed the Way the World Eats, in this ZOOM webinar. Particular attention will be paid to antibiotic abuse, consumer pressure, and the future of eating meat.
Presented in collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library.
NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 24 hours of the program.
BULB GARDENING (VIRTUAL)
Thursday, April 6 | 2 p.m.
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email. Register directly on Zoom HERE.**
Bulbs are nature’s little packages all ready to produce a beautiful flower for you. Find out about the history of common and not-so-common bulbs, and how to bring spring and summer beauty to the garden for years to come. Led by Kathi Gariepy, a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association.
Presented with the support of the Friends of Gleason Public Library in collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library.
NOTE: This program will be NOT be recorded.
GOING ZERO-WASTE AS A FAMILY WITH SARAH ROBERTSON-BARNES (VIRTUAL)
Wednesday, April 12 | 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 Webinar via email. Register directly on Zoom HERE.**
Learn how to manage eco-anxiety and lessen your impact on the planet with easy-to-implement sustainable living tips for busy families. All ages are welcome! Sarah Robertson-Barnes, founder of the Sustainable in the Suburbs blog, is a freelance writer, educator, and consultant. She lives with her husband, two kids, and rescue dog outside of Toronto, Ontario. Sustainable in the Suburbs is a resource for living low-waste with kids in a culture of convenience.
A Note from Sarah: A sustainable lifestyle with kids is not only possible, but critically important for our future and theirs. I hope that by sharing what works for our family, you are inspired to make changes in your daily life too!
This program is sponsored in partnership with the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and other MA libraries.
HUNT FOR THE X-15 ROCKET PLANE (VIRTUAL)
Thursday, April 13 | 12 p.m.
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email. Register directly on Zoom HERE. **
From 1959 to 1968, NASA operated three North American Aviation rocket planes to great effect. In 199 flights they generated, over 700 technical papers on aerodynamics and set altitude and speed records for winged vehicles not exceeded until the space shuttle many years later. In 1993, our presenter, David Ball, organized a search in the Mojave Desert for parts from X-15 #3 which came apart in flight in 1967. Today he will share what made the X-15 the greatest research plane ever built and his theory on why one was lost. Led by David S. Ball, a volunteer educator with NASA. As a Solar System Ambassador with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he presents topics related to American activities in space.
Presented in collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library.
NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 24 hours of the program.
BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS
Wednesday, April 26 | 7 p.m.
Books About Books discusses noteworthy books and the books they have inspired. This month we will be reading Howard's End by E.M. Forester, the beginning of a two-book discussion. The second book in this series, which we will read in May, will be On Beauty by Zadie Smith.
The group will meet the third Wednesday of every month in the Hollis room from 7-8 p.m. Copies of each month's book will be available for checkout at the Circulation Desk. Come read and discuss books and the books written about them, and bring your ideas for pairs of books we could read! Register here.
COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
Monday, April 3 | 10:30 a.m.
April : Exhalation by Ted Chiang
May: The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
The Carlisle Community Book Club welcomes new members anytime. Members take turns suggesting a book, and because the members have different reading habits and suggest a wide range of books, everyone broadens their horizons. We also talk about other books we’ve read or are interested in reading, and usually someone else at the meeting has read it or has something to say about it. If you like to read and are looking for some literary companionship, give the Community Book Club a try.
The Community Book Club meets once a month, usually on the first Monday, at 10:30 AM 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, April 4 | 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.
MUSEUM PASS SURVEY
The Gleason Public Library offers many museum passes that give you access to the area's great museums at discounted prices. Last fiscal year, over 700 people enjoyed the museum passes, and we hope to increase this number further. Please take this short survey to help us serve the community even better!
NEWSPAPER SURVEY
The Gleason Public Library subscribes to many local and national newspapers, both in print and online. Please take this short survey to let us know if and how often you access newspapers through the Library, so that we may better serve the Carlisle community.
LIBRARY CLOSINGS FOR APRIL
The Library will be closed on Monday, April 17 for Patriots' Day.
HAVE YOU TRIED TUMBLEBOOKS?
Carlisle residents have access through the Gleason Library to TumbleBooks: animated, talking picture books that teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love. TumbleBooks are created by taking existing picture books and adding animation, sound, music, and narration to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you.
To log on, visit gleasonlibrary.org and go to “What We Offer” and then “Digital Resources.” The collection includes picture books, easy readers, nonfiction, and a growing selection of books in Spanish and French. Enjoy favorites like Bink & Gollie, Diary of a Fly, and The Paper Bag Princess, or discover new authors and characters.
Please consider donating to the Friends of the Gleason Public Library to help us bring more great programs and services to the Carlisle community.
