Around Town

Free T-Shirt Days at the Watertown Library

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The Watertown Library will be giving away T-shirts in April. (Courtesy of the Watertown Library)

The Watertown Free Public Library will be giving away T-shirts. Find out more information in the announcement provided by the Library, below. On April 12 and April 13, 2024, the first 100 children and first 100 teens & adults to stop by our table in front of the Library will receive a free T-shirt. Come and meet Library Director Kim Hewitt, pick up a free button, sticker, or T-shirt (while supplies last) and learn about everything your library has to offer.

Around Town

Award-Winning Documentary Screening to be Hosted by Pigsgusset Initiative

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The following announcement was provided by the Pigsgusset Initiative:

Community members are invited to attend the Watertown debut of Stonebreakers, an award winning documentary, that will be showing at the Watertown Free Public Library on April 11, 2024 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.  

Stonebreakers chronicles the conflicts around monuments that arose in the United States during the George Floyd protests and the 2020 presidential election. As statues of Columbus, Confederates and Founding Fathers fall from their pedestals, the nation’s triumphalist myths are called into question. By exploring the shifting landscapes of American monumentality, the film interrogates the link between history and political action in a nation that must confront its past now more urgently than ever. 

Discussion will follow the film facilitated by Dr. Mishy Lesser, Watertown resident, co-founder of the Watertown-based Pigsgusset Initiative and Co-President and Learning Director for Upstander Project. The free showing of this film represents a collaboration between the Watertown Free Public Library and the Pigsgusset Initiative, a working group of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment.  Light refreshments will be served. For further information contact: Jennifer Wolfrum at jenniferwolfrum13@gmail.com

Around Town

Novelist Celeste Ng discusses Writing & Democracy at Event Hosted by Watertown Library

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Author Celeste Ng spoke about her book, “Our Missing Hearts,” at the Watertown Free Public Library. The novel is the library’s 2024 selection for its One Book, One Watertown program. (Courtesy of the Watertown Library)

Bestselling author Celeste Ng, whose most recent novel explored dystopian fears increasingly echoed by real-life headlines, told library patrons in Watertown on March 21 that she holds hope for the future and a belief in the possibilities of art. Ng, who lives in Cambridge, came to Watertown Free Public Library to discuss her novel “Our Missing Hearts,” the library’s 2024 selection for its One Book, One Watertown program. Each year, the library suggests a book for city residents to read, and hosts programs to foster a community-wide discussion around the book’s themes.

Around Town

Watertown Library Will Host Eclipse Viewing Party & Free “Space Week” Events

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The Watertown Library announced a series of events leading up to the April 8th solar eclipse. The following information was provided by the Library:

April 1–8 is Space Week at the Watertown Free Public Library! Are you ready for the solar eclipse? Yes or no, you are invited to discover fun and educational library events, for all ages, in the first week of April. After learning all about space, join WFPL staff as we safely watch the Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8th in Saltonstall Park! 

Need eclipse glasses?

Around Town

Watertown Library Hosting Legislative Breakfast

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Watertown LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. The Watertown Free Public Library announced it will host local elected officials during an upcoming Legislative Breakfast. The Library sent out the following announcement:

You are cordially invited to Watertown’s Library Legislative Breakfast on March 22, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. Breakfast pastries and beverages will be available at 8:30 a.m. The guest of honor is State Sen. Will Brownsberger. Our program begins at 9 a.m. We will offer a tour of the Bookmobile and building afterwards, at approximately 9:30 a.m.

Attending legislative breakfasts is a great way to show your support for libraries and speak with local elected officials. We would love to see you.

Around Town

Watertown Library & Wayside Youth Offering Workshops for Communicating with Your Teen

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Library:

All parents can, on occasion, use help in communicating with their children, especially with teens. Wayside Youth and the Teen Department of the Watertown Free Public Library will be offering a free series for parents who sometimes get stymied when they try to talk about the difficulties, high expectations, and other stressors their teens experience during adolescence. The workshops will be held March 7, April 4, and May 2 at 6:00 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library. Discussion topics on these evenings include how and why there are such difficulties communicating, how parents can deal with their stress when they talk to their teens, and what resources in Watertown are available to assist them. One evening, there will be a panel of teens who will talk about their perspective and about the barriers they experience when talking to their parents.

Around Town

Watertown Library Gives Teens a Chance to Learn Weaving, Metalworking & Mural Making

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Library:

The Watertown Free Public Library Teen Department is offering a five-part art series for area teens during the months of February, March, and April. Beyond our Experience: a Free Art Series for Teens is funded in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Through this funding, those in grades 6–12 will have the opportunity to experience kinds of art not normally a part of the typical school curriculum. The series kicks off on February 29th with a weaving program. Participants will get the opportunity to try out weaving on multiple types of looms. On March 7th, a drawing bootcamp will include warm-ups and the ability to try out different drawing methods including how to draw portraits.

Entertainment

Bestselling Author Appearing at Library, See How to Attend

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Library:

On Thursday, March 21, The Watertown Free Public Library will welcome New York Times bestselling author Celeste Ng for a conversation about her novel Our Missing Hearts, the importance of libraries, and the present-day fight for the right to read. This event is free and open to all, with registration opening on March 1. ASL and CART services will be provided, courtesy of the Watertown Commission on Disability. Ng’s visit marks the 16th year of One Book, One Watertown, a community-wide event organized by the Watertown Free Public Library (WFPL). In January, the Library announced Ng’s Our Missing Hearts as the 2024 selection and made extra copies available for patrons.