Milton Public Library April schedule (pending open status)

There are many enjoyable and educational events happening in April at the Milton Public Library, and they are all suitable for adults and their families. 

On Wednesday, 4/1 at 7 PM, Library Director Will Adamczyk will hold a book discussion in celebration of Earth Day about the book Walden Warming: Climate Change Come to Thoreau’s Woods by Professor Richard Primack.  This author will also be at the Library to talk more about his work and research on 4/13, as you will see below.  These two programs are a collaboration between the MPL and the Wakefield Estate in honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. 

The ongoing Milton Knitting Group will meet on Thursday, 4/2 at 7 PM, and on Saturday, 4/18 at 10 AM, in the Conference Room, so please stop by with your project to meet other knitters, share ideas, and make new friends as no signup is required.  

On Monday, 4/6 at 7 PM, there will be an event called “Stories in Stone: The Art of the New England Gravestone” with Milton resident Joseph Mudugno.  Mr. Mudugno will use photographs and historic images to present an overview of the artistic and cultural significance of early New England burial grounds.  The speaker will include stories from the old section of Milton Cemetery, and will share many photos. He recently retired from North Shore Community College where he taught American Literature, Writing and Environmental Humanities courses for the last 35 years and has a strong interest in local history and American Studies.  This program is jointly sponsored by the Milton Cemetery and the Friends of the MPL.

On Tuesday, 4/7 at 7 PM, photographer Barry Pell returns for a look at “Cuba After Castro – A Country in Transition.”  Cuba is a nation of paradoxes – a leader in health and education, but with shortages of basic foods and consumer goods; among the highest literacy rates in Latin America, but with constraints on free speech; and beautiful colonial buildings side by side with crumbling apartment buildings.  Kept in a time warp for decades, this country is now embracing private businesses, private property ownership, and public internet access. Please attend this fascinating presentation to learn more and enjoy some cool images of Cuba.

The Celebrity Book Club with Sally and Sara will happen on Thursday, 4/9 at 7 PM in the Conference Room. This is a fun, relaxed discussion of books suggested by popular celebrities and the book to be read in advance is Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay, recommended by Stephen King.  Call the Library to pick up your copy today!

On Monday, 4/13 at 7 PM, Prof. Richard Primack will give a talk about his book called Walden Warming.. as described above, to celebrate the anniversary of Earth Day, in collaboration with the Wakefield Estate.  Henry David Thoreau was a climate change scientist! For the past 17 years, Prof. Primack and his team have been using Thoreau’s research from the 1850s and other Massachusetts sources to document topics important to the environment and the climate.  A prolific writer, Richard is a Professor of Biology at Boston University with a specialization in plant ecology, conservation biology, tropical rain forest ecology, and climate change. More details about this excellent program may be found at our website: www.miltonlibrary.org  Please join us.

Our “Wednesday Night at the Movies” pick is called Gifted” and it will be shown on 4/15 starting promptly at 6:30 PM.  This film stars Chris Evans, McKenna Grace, and Octavia Spencer, and tells the story of Frank Adler, a single man dedicated to raising his spirited young niece, Mary, a child prodigy.   But Frank and Mary’s happy life is threatened when her mathematical abilities come to the attention of her overbearing grandmother. You will love every minute of this “deeply satisfying film.”  It is rated PG-13 and the running time is 101 minutes. Please come and check out a free movie at the Library!

Then on Thursday, 4/16 at 7 PM, in the Conference Room, Tech Librarian Regan Mulcahy will hold her “Drop-in Device Help” in the Conference Room.  No sign-up is required, so just come by with your electronic device to get answers to questions about how to download library materials such as Ebooks, films, music, and audiobooks using your Milton library card. Regan has all the answers!

The final concert in our Spring series will take place on Saturday, 4/25 at 2 PM, and it will be a family event called “Appreciating Indian Classical Music.”  This diverse musical program will feature traditional East Indian instruments and several students who will perform with their instructor, Shuchita Rao. This is a beautiful and unique style of music, and we encourage you to attend to enjoy not only the fun repertoire and unusual instruments, but also some tasty refreshments provided by the group for our audience. Please join us for a wonderful afternoon!

And last but not least, on Tuesday, 4/28 at 7 PM, gardening expert Betty Sanders will give a talk called “Life Cycle Gardening.”  Have you lived with the same plantings for many years and now found they don’t fit the way you want to be anymore? Gardens should never be a burden to us.  What we want in our 20’s and 30’s is not the same as we want in later years. Reconfiguring our garden for new uses as your family grows and your life and interests change makes sense, and maybe less work than you thought.  Betty will teach you how to keep your gardens to match those changes, as it’s a matter of plant selection and design to enhance your enjoyment for years. Ms. Sanders is a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Gardener Association and for more details about the program, go to the entry at our website.  If you love your garden, you do not want to miss this program!

All of these offerings are kindly sponsored by the Friends of the MPL and are free and open to the public.  They are held in the Keys Community Room unless otherwise specified here, and for more information, go to www.miltonlibrary.org and click on “events” or call Jean Hlady at the Reference Dept. (617-698-5757, x. 3).