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In this issue: Adult Programs - Virtual Films at Fowler - Special Collections Programs - Teen Programs - Children's Programs - Highlights from Special Collections
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King Lear with Stephen Collins and Poornima Kirby
Thursday, March 14, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. (New Date)
Goodwin Forum, Main Library
Join actors Stephen Collins and Poornima Kirby for this haunting, darkly funny adaptation of Shakespeare’s timeless classic. This one-hour production draws directly from Shakespeare’s text, with Stephen Collins as the mercurial King Lear, and Poornima Kirby as his devoted, clear-eye fool, who narrates the action, and flows fluidly between Lear’s daughters, friends, enemies. This performance is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library. [Register for King Lear Performance]
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Seed Packing Party at Fowler (All Ages)
Saturday, March 16, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Meeting Room, Fowler Branch
It is nearly time to get your seeds started indoors - Join us at Fowler to restock our Concord Seed Lending Library for its 11th year. We will package a variety of seeds, some saved from the last year and some donated and/or purchased thanks to the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library. [Register for Seed Packing]
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Special Collections Program | |
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Author Talk: James Marcus - Glad to the Brink of Fear: A Portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thursday, March 21, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Goodwin Forum, Main Library
This talk features the author and Editor James Marcus, whose new book Glad to the Brink of Fear, A Portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson will be released by Princeton University Press in March 2024. In this new evaluation of the importance of Emerson, we will get a modern writer’s perspective and a deeply personal reflection on how Emerson’s writing has mattered to a great contemporary writer speaking with the voice of our time. Marcus’ other books include Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot-Com Juggernaut and seven translations from the Italian, including Giacomo Casanova’s The Duel. He is the former editor of Harper’s Magazine. He has contributed to The New Yorker, The Times Literary Supplement, The Atlantic, The American Scholar, VQR, The Guardian, The Nation, and Best American Essays. He also edited and introduced Second Read: Writers Look Back at Classic Works of Reportage.
[Register for James Marcus Talk]
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Teen Magic Hour
Tuesday, March 12, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.
Teen Lounge, Main Library
Ok, technically "Magic 90 minutes" but this sounded better. Join our pod of Magic the Gathering collectible card game players. Bring your own deck, or, try out one of our pre-built decks. All skill levels and formats are welcome. No registration required.
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Teen Dungeons and Dragons
Wednesday, March 13, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Teen Lounge, Main Library
Try your hand at tabletop heroics in our new and ongoing game. Build a character, choose your weapon and lay waste to nasty critters with a roll of the dice. Please note space is limited. Please contact Erick at egordy@minlib.net prior to attending.
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Teens Vs. Librarians: Boomerang Fu
Thursday, March 14, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Teen Lounge, Main Library
After the absolute shutout victory (including two with his eyes closed) from the last TvL, Teen Librarian Erick figured he would lob teens a softball. Boomerang Fu is a quick, easy, multi player party game that, fortunately for you, he has barely played. Skill Vs. skill. No registration required.
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Children's Programs at the Main Library | |
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Winter Storytime Schedule
All storytimes are drop-in unless otherwise noted.
Mondays: Musical Monday at 10:30 a.m.
Tuesdays: Crafty Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
Wednesdays: Toddler Time at 10:30 a.m. & Baby Snugglebugs Storytime at 11:30 a.m.
Thursdays: Storytime at 10:30 and Sensory-Friendly Storytime at 11:30 a.m.
Fridays: Alphabet Storytime at 10:30 a.m.
Saturdays: Yoga & Movement storytime at 10:30 a.m.
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Musical Monday: Rockabye Beats
Monday, March 11, 10:30 - 11:15 a.m.
Goodwin Forum, Main Library
Rockabye Beats is a fun, family group whose music is reminiscent of founder Marcos Valles’s Puerto Rico. Enjoy movement, dancing, counting, singing and a little bit of Spanish vocabulary. This program is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library. No registration required.
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Make-it! Club
Wednesday, March 13, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
The Workshop, Main Library
Join us every Wednesday afternoon for an awesome craft, art project or engineering puzzle. No Registration Required.
For more Children's programs at the Main Library, visit here.
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Fowler Branch Children's Programs | |
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Talk Yoga at Fowler (Ages 3-5)
Friday, March 15, 1:00 - 1:45 p.m.
Meeting Room, Fowler Branch
Join Jen for Talk Yoga at Fowler. Talk Yoga classes incorporate movement, mindfulness, games and music to boost language, articulation and sensory awareness. Benefitting children of all abilities, these classes help students connect their minds and body and gain acceptance, confidence and self-awareness. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library. [Register for Talk Yoga]
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Literacy and Littles at Fowler
Saturday, March 16, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Meeting Room, Fowler Branch
Join Concord Family Network, the Concord Children's Center and library staff to celebrate and support early literacy. We will start with storytime and then invite children to make nature journals. Caregivers will have time to hear from our panel of teachers and librarians about ways to support the children on their reading journey. [Register]
For more Children's programs at Fowler, visit here.
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Highlights from Special Collections: The Damon Family Papers | |
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In 1854, a young Edward Carver Damon (1836-1901), then barely eighteen years of age, inherited a textile mill from his father. Damon and his workers produced a popular cotton and wool flannel known as domet (domett) cloth and they contributed textile for Union Army uniforms during the Civil War.
The Damon Mill was one of the most significant employers in 19th century West Concord, and then called Westvale. The imposing brick complex still sits on the banks of the Assabet River. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it bears witness to Concord’s industrial past, a past that ties the town to the larger, complex, and fraught history of cotton harvesting and textile production in the United States.
Throughout his long career at the helm of the mill, Edward saw highs and lows, many of which are recorded in his day journals. Nineteen years’ worth of meticulous daily entries are part of the Damon Family Papers at the William Munroe Special Collections. When the original wooden mill building from
1808 burned down on June 19, 1862, Damon wrote: “It is a heavy loss but am not cast down. I have health and loved ones left.”
Edward’s journals provide a fascinating window into 19th century Concordian life. Among the many topics covered in his short but thorough entries are his mill, farm, and family; news of local and national interest; civic involvement (Edward and his wife Anne served on countless committees and clubs); and
his readings. We know, for instance, that he was reading Little Women on the rainy evening of August 28, 1869.
Thanks to several donations over time by Damon descendants, the William Munroe Special Collections holds valuable documentation of the Damon Mill and of the Damon family more broadly. In addition to Edward’s journals, the Damon Family Papers (1819-1992) include account books, deeds, and photographs, among other materials. The donations have now all been processed and are open to researchers.
(In Picture: This photograph of Edward Carver Damon was used to illustrate his biography by Henry F. Smith in the Fourth Series of Memoirs of Members of the Social Circle in Concord (1909)” Edward Damon Assumes Control, 1854. Diary entries for June 18-20, 1862, around the time of the devastating mill fire.)
Upcoming Programs:
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