Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/tag/watertown-library/page/35/)
The following information was provided by the Watertown Free Public Library:
The Watertown Library will host a free self-defense class on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 12:30 p.m. in the Watertown Savings Bank Room. The class is and open to the public. Registration required. We’ll cover some basic self-defense skills, how to lower your victim profile and increase your situational awareness.
The latest Watertown Free Public Library’s Democracy Talks event focuses on becoming a United States Citizen. The free event will be held on Sept. 18, 2018 at 7 p.m.
The Watertown Library sent out the following information:
Democracy Talks
What Does it Take to Become a U.S. Citizen? WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.
WHAT: All are welcome at this open forum about the naturalization process, featuring Project Literacy citizenship instructor Anne Benaquist and a panel of new Americans.
The following announcement came from the Watertown Free Public Library:
The Watertown Free Public Library is pleased to announce the 5th Annual 5k fundraiser! Join us Saturday, September 15, 2018 for a family friendly community event! Together we’ll run through Watertown’s beautiful neighborhoods. This family-friendly event promotes healthy habits and community fitness, and helps support Watertown Free Public Library programs throughout the year. Participants of all ability levels are encouraged to take part.
The Assyrian American Association of Massachusetts will host a lecture about the conflict in the Middle East with Boston College professor Peter Krause at the Watertown Free Public Library.
The AAAM sent out the following information:
Conflict and Instability in the Middle East: The impact on ethnic and religious minorities
WHERE: Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St., Watertown
WHEN: Wednesday, May 9 at 7 p.m.
WHAT: The Middle East is torn by numerous civil wars, regional power shifts, demographic shifts within and across international borders. Is there an end in sight for these conflicts? What impact do they have on minority groups in the region, including Assyrians and Armenians? If and when the violence subsides, what is the future for ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East? This talk will begin to provide answers by combining a look back at relevant history, a rigorous assessment of the present, and some cautious predictions of the future.
Award-winning local author Kathleen Spivack, who lives in Watertown, will read from her debut novel Unspeakable Things, which uses magical realism to tell the stories of refugees fleeing the Holocaust and relocating in New York City. Spivack has had many books of poetry and has published short stories, but her first novel was published in 2016. She spoke with Watertown News about her book and said that it is based on her family’s experience as refugees moving to America (read more here). The book is now available in paperback. The reading will take place 0n Sunday, March 18, 2018 – 3:00 p.m. in the Watertown Savings Bank Room at Watertown Free Public Library.
(The following event was snowed out on March 13 and has been rescheduled)
A celebration of the crafts, food, music and dance of Uzbekistan will be held at the Watertown Free Public Library to mark the Uzbek national holiday of Navruz or New Day.
The free event is being organized by Zilola Ashurova, who is originally from Uzbekistan and wanted to introduce the people of the Boston area to the Uzbek culture. The event, which will be held Friday, March 23 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Watertown Library, 123 Main St., Watertown. During the event there will be an exhibition of handmade embroidery and a workshops on needle-work. There will also be Uzbek music and dance and attendees can sample Uzbek food. There will also be travel videos showing highlights of Uzbekistan.
The Watertown Free Public Library is being recognized for improving access for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community, library officials announced. The library will be presented with an Outstanding Organization of the Year Award during the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Constituents’ Day at the State House on March 8, 2018. The award was announced on February 15 by the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH). The library was nominated for advancements towards becoming accessible for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. In particular, the library has worked to improve access through installing a looping system in the Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room, which allows people with t-coil hearing aids to have a better auditory experience during public events like lectures, concerts, movies, and presentations.
Each year, the Watertown Free Public Library chooses a book, encourages everyone in the community to read it along with us, and hosts a variety of programs related to the book, its setting, and its themes. This community reading program is known as One Book, One Watertown.
The Watertown Free Public Library put out the following annoucement:
This year, Refuge by Dina Nayeri is our One Book, One Watertown selection for 2018. Refuge charts the deeply moving lifetime relationship between a father and a daughter, seen through the prism of global immigration. We have chosen Refuge in this time of uncertainty for immigrants in our country and around the world. The staff of the WFPL invites you to join us in celebrating the refugee (and broader immigrant) experience—the bravery and perseverance needed to overcome the obstacles of language, culture, and bureaucracy, while striving to find a feeling of belonging and home. This year, we’re also including a “read-along” title for younger readers and English language learners: It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas.