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April Events At The Library

March may have come in like a proverbial lion, beloved patrons, but it seems to be preparing to go out like a lamb.  The added sunshine to the day is making everything a little brighter, and we know many of you have begun to look forward to real, honest, Spring.  So, in the spirit of looking ahead, we wanted to highlight a few of the programs taking place at the Main Library and Branches in April to help you plan and prepare.   You can register for these events at our website, or by calling the hosting library directly.  And check out our full calendar to see all the great programs we have in store in the coming months!

And don’t forget–if there are any events, programs, or classes you would like to see at the Library, please let us know!  We always aim to bring you the best programming we can, and your feedback is critical to that goal.  And now, without further ado, here are some of the great events we have planned for April!

At the Main Library: 

Sean Gaskell: West African Kora Performance
Wednesday, April 4: 7:00 – 8:00pm

Sean Gaskell will give a performance and educational demonstration on the kora, an ancient 21-stringed harp from West Africa.  He will feature traditional songs that are the heart and soul of the kora’s musical repertoire in addition to some of his own personal compositions.  The Kora is native to the Mande peoples who live within the countries of Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau. The music is traditionally played by oral and musical historians known as Griots (Gree-ohs). The Kora is a melodic and seemingly peaceful instrument, which is somewhat contrary to its musical repertoire. Many songs tell ancient stories of war and hardship, while others praise people of high political status and those who helped expand the Mande Empire. While the Kora is only 300 years old, some commonly played songs can be traced back 800 years to the Mande empires’ founding. Gaskell has been featured at numerous festivals in the US, Gambia, and Senegal.

 This program is generously funded by the Friends of the Peabody Institute Libraries

At the Main Library: 

Raining Poetry Painting Day
Monday, April 9: 3:30 – 5:30pm

Cloudy with a chance of poetry? Yes! This spring it will be ‘Raining Poetry’ in Peabody! The Peabody Institute Library is pleased to invite people to participate in the creation of a temporary art installation called ‘Raining Poetry.” Participants will meet in the courtyard of the Main Library.  Using stencils created with the library’s laser cutter, participants will transfer poems to Peabody sidewalks. We’ll treat the stencils with a solution, so that poems appear up and down Main Street when it rains. The spray used to write the poems is invisible; when the surrounding pavement is darkened by rain, the dry words emerge and treat pedestrians to the secret poems that quietly wait to be read.

Launched in honor of National Poetry Month, ‘Raining Poetry’ was begun by Seattle resident Peregrine Church and this particular art-instillation is brought to you by Mass Poetry, the Peabody Cultural Council, Peabody Institute Library, the Friends of the Peabody Institute Libraries, and a mother-daughter team of locals: Jennifer and Chloe Jean.

This event is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Peabody Institute Libraries

At the West Branch

Basic Gardening with Dan Tremblay
Saturday, April 14: 10:00 – 11:00am

Dan, who is also the filmmaker from Heritage Films, who many of you may remember, is bringing an informational gardening program to the West Branch! Dan will cover soil prep, planting, maintenance, fertilizing, and harvest. This session and the one in April will cover the same topics.
Note: This is the same presentation that is being offered in March.

At the Creativity Lab

Coding for the Web
Tuesday, April 10: 6:30 – 8:30pm
Eight Part Class

If you want to build your own website or web app, this course is the place to start. This eight-session course will teach attendees how to use the essential coding languages of the Web, from laying out web pages using HTML and CSS to programming your site’s behavior with JavaScript.  For ages 13+. Space is limited; sign up is required. Signing up for the first class session automatically registers you for the full eight-session class.

 

Happy Spring, dear readers!