Upcoming Adult Programs
Author Evan Friss Discusses "The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore"
Monday, September 9th | 7:00 PM (Virtual)
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Who among us hasn't spent time in a bookstore just meandering around and finding hidden treasures? As we love all things books, we can't wait to chat with author Evan Friss about "The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore" - an affectionate and engaging history of the American bookstore and its central place in American cultural life, from department stores to indies, from highbrow dealers trading in first editions to sidewalk vendors, and from chains to special-interest community destinations. We hope all of our book lovin' friends will join us for this special conversation!
REGISTER to receive the Zoom webinar link from Ashland Public Library. This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
Presented in partnership with Ashland Public Library. Sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.
Adult Workshop: Managing Anxiety and Stress
Thursday, September 12th | 7:00 PM (In-person)
In this workshop for adults, we will discuss how anxiety/stress impact us and how it can affect us (including physically, mentally, and behaviorally). We will go over some basic coping skills that can be used to help adults manage their stress and anxiety. This will include mindfulness/grounding techniques such as deep breathing, 54321, progressive muscle relaxation, thinking in categories, etc. We will end by touching upon the importanace of self-care as a preventative measure for keeping anxiety in check.
Marci daCamara, LMHC is the Executive Director and Founder of both Be Inspired Counseling, LLC (a mental health therapy group practice) and Be Inspired Together, Inc (a nonprofit whose mission is to ensure equality in mental health care regardless of financial means). Marci received her Undergraduate degree from Brandeis University and her Masters in Counseling, with a Specialization in Addictions from Antioch New Hampshire. She has worked in a variety of settings including outpatient, home-based, and residential settings. Marci’s successes include the development of the state-wide curriculum for the Adolescent Substance Abuse Day Treatment Program and working with high-risk youth in the Department of Youth Services.
In 2017, Marci opened Be Inspired Counseling and since then, the practice has grown from a solo-operation to having over 19 clinicians serving our local communities in two physical locations as well as telehealth services. Marci’s speaking engagements include being a part of the Mental Health Speaker Series at the Sharon Public Library, guest speaker for the Randolph SEPAC, panel member for Easton Wings of Hope, a featured presenter for the ISI District 1 Skating Seminar, speaker for Stoughton Public Schools, and a guest on the podcast Supply the Why. She was also featured on the Channel 5 Morning News discussing both Back to School Anxiety and the Why behind Be Inspired Together.
Marci hopes to increase awareness of the increased need for mental health services and to decrease the struggles to find the best care possible. She resides in Massachusetts with her husband and two children. She loves to spend time with her family and friends, relax at the beach, craft, travel, and shop. REGISTER beginning September 1.
This program is funded by the Friends of the Sharon Public Library.
Body Positivity in Romance Books: Author Panel
Saturday, September 14th | 10:00 AM (Virtual)
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We are so excited to chat with fantastic romance authors Olivia Dade, Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone, and Denise Williams on the topic of Body Positivity in romance genre books (or, how it should be in every genre!). We hope you can join us for this very important, fascinating, and fun conversation with some of the very best romance authors advocating the message that every BODY is deserving of love and respect.
REGISTER to receive the Zoom webinar link from Ashland Public Library. This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
Presented in partnership with Ashland Public Library. Sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.
Planning for Medicare: Countdown to 65
Thursday, September 19th | 6:30 PM (In-Person)
Join us for a presentation and discussion led by Sue Flanagan of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. This program is geared towards individuals approaching Medicare eligibility. Topics covered include health insurance information outside of employer sponsored coverage including an explanation of Medicare, the Medicare enrollment timeline, Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans, programs available to early retirees, and COBRA.
Sue Flanagan is a Senior Plan Consultant for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. She has more than 20 years' experience in the Health Insurance Industry with a focus on Medicare products, and speaks to many audiences each year on Medicare and related products.
REGISTER beginning September 1.
Author Heather Wolf Discusses: Find & Identify More Birds: How to Pick a Patch
Monday, September 23rd | 7:00 PM (Virtual)
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Heather Wolf, author of "Find More Birds: 111 Surprising Ways to Spot Birds Wherever You Are," will be discussing how to find and identify more birds by picking a "patch," a place close to home where you can watch birds often. She'll be giving tips on how to pick a patch and how to use it not only as a "classroom" to become a better birder, but also as a way to connect more deeply with the nature that surrounds you.
REGISTER to receive the Zoom webinar link from Ashland Public Library. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
Presented in partnership with Ashland Public Library. Sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.
Great Boston Fires with Author and Historian David Kruh
Monday, September 30th | 7:00 PM (Virtual)
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A look at the devastating fires and their impact on Boston, from the many "great" fires of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries (including the truly Great Fire of 1872,) the Cocoanut Grove tragedy of 1942 (which killed 492,) and the Hotel Vendome fire of 1972 (which resulted in the deaths of nine fire fighters.) How did these fires happen? What was learned from these events? What, if anything, was done to try and prevent similar catastrophes? David's newest slide show, filled with images from these events, answers these and other questions.
REGISTER to receive the Zoom webinar link from Ashland Public Library. This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
Presented in partnership with Ashland Public Library. Sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.
Tech with Tim: Password Management 101
Wednesday, October 2nd | 6:00 PM (In-Person)
Curious how to create a strong password? Where to safely store passwords? What to do if a password is compromised? If you can trust Google's Password Manager? And what dual authentication is?
If you've had these questions and more, Tim Lumnah is here to help with the basics and inspire confidence in password protection.
Tim runs his own business that helps people keep up with the fast pace of today's technology. He started professionally helping people with tech by building websites and later became the go-to person for tech assistance when the IT department couldn't resolve an issue before starting his current project, ComputerTutor.
This is a beginners-level course. Registration required.
Elections in Real Time: Current Events in a College Classroom
Monday, October 7th | 2:00 PM (Virtual)
Aren't you curious about what young people are talking about regarding current events and, specifically, this election cycle? If so, join Professors Racheal Cobb and Robert Rosenthal of Suffolk University as they conducts their "“Elections in Real Time” class live for us to view and participate! They and their students will discuss the current events of the day and we can ask questions and make comments. It will be like going to university without the tests and the cafeteria! We hope you can join us for this very unique and timely opportunity.
Rachael V. Cobb, Ph.D. is Chair and Associate Professor of Government at Suffolk University. Cobb specializes in U.S. elections, election administration, electoral politics, civic engagement, and political participation. Robert Rosenthal, PhD is the Associate Professor & Chair, Advertising, Public Relations & Social Media at Suffolk University.
Note: This is the first time we're doing this type of program so we hope that we can all enjoy the format while being respectful and awe-inspired by the perspectives of this new generation of voters. We thank Professor Cobb and her students for bringing this amazing program to our community.
REGISTER to receive the Zoom webinar link from Ashland Public Library. This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
Presented in partnership with Ashland Public Library. Sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.
Ted Reinstein Discusses "Travels Through the Heart and Soul of New England"
Tuesday, October 22nd | 6:30 PM (In-Person)
Join us for an evening with Ted Reinstein, who will discuss his latest book, Travels Through the Heart and Soul of New England: Stories of Struggle, Resilience, and Triumph.
Journalist and author Ted Reinstein has reported all around New England for 25 years, telling the colorful stories of this historic yet ever-changing corner of America. Now, he condenses his countless travels into a single, unique labor of love: a journey through the heart and soul of New England, meeting the most memorable people—and their unlikely stories—all along the way. People whose struggles, toughness, triumphs, and humor not only define the very essence of New England, but represent the timeless best of America as well.
In all six states, in their own words, the stories unfold. From a stalwart surfer on New Hampshire’s tiny seacoast, to Maine’s “Slim” Andrews and his one-man museum, to the Vermonter who builds extraordinary havens in the trees for those without hope of reaching them. Meet a couple in the Berkshire Hills determined to save a place they were told doesn’t exist, and a cartoonist in Rhode Island who found an ingenious way for an entire city to say goodnight to those who need to hear it most.
It's a legendary part of America that’s often caricatured, but rarely caught with such real-life candor and intimacy. Indeed, the Old Mainer in the tired-old joke was wrong: you can get there from here. And along the way, see New England in a whole new light, through the stories of some everyday Americans you’ll never forget.
Following the program, copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
REGISTER beginning September 15.
The Origins and Evolution of Project 2025 with Professor Brian Conley
Wednesday, October 23rd | 7:00 PM (Virtual)
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Project 2025 has been in the news lately but, for some, it seemed to come out of nowhere. Join Professor Brian Conley of Suffolk University, as we delve into the history of this document and it's origins during the Reagan Years. For instance, called, "Mandate for Leadership", Edwin Feulner, who led the Heritage Foundation when it was first written, explains that the idea for such a policy book originated at a 1979 meeting of Heritage's Board. Professor Conley will help us understand the origins of the Mandate which led to the current Project 2025 document. We look forward to having a respectful dialogue about this important subject with an expert in the field.
Brian M. Conley, Ph.D. is a Professor and Chair of the Political Science & Legal Studies Department at Suffolk University. As Program Director of Suffolk's Masters in Applied Politics and MA in Global Public Policy, as he has researched and written "The Rise of the Republican Right: From Goldwater to Reagan". Dr. Conley, an expert in electoral politics, political parties, and political marketing and branding.
REGISTER to receive the Zoom webinar link from Ashland Public Library. This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
Presented in partnership with Ashland Public Library. Sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.
Tech with Tim
Wednesday, December 4th | 6:00 PM (In-Person)
Topic TBD
Tim Lumnah runs his own business that helps people keep up with the fast pace of today's technology. He started professionally helping people with tech by building websites and later became the go-to person for tech assistance when the IT department couldn't resolve an issue before starting his current project, ComputerTutor.
This is a beginners-level course. Registration required.