Off the Shelf: January events at Maxwell Library
by Rena Brower
Maxwell Library
Art exhibit
Women’s Suffrage in New York State
Jan. 3 through 31 (dates subject to change; please check Maxwell’s website for updates)
This traveling exhibit commemorating the centennial of women’s suffrage in New York State comes to Maxwell for the month of January. It includes five freestanding posters, each one highlighting a specific theme. The exhibit has been professionally curated and designed in coordination with the Central New York Library Resources Council and the South Central Regional Library Council, with support from a Humanities New York Action Grant.
Thursdays @ Maxwell
Jan. 4, 11, 18, and 25. Times and topics vary.
Get ready to love your Thursdays! Each week, we’ll offer a new and exciting class, craft, or program for people of all ages. Check our calendar to see what we have planned, and stop in or sign up. Let us know what things you want to know more about, and we’ll do our best to add those. This month’s programs are:
Jan. 4, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Drop-In Puppet Fun. Free. Registration preferred. For all ages.
Drop in between 4:30 and 7 PM and play with some puppets. After you play a bit, make a paper bag puppet craft. All puppets and supplies provided.
Jan. 11, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. NASA’s Voyager Missions. Free. Registration preferred. For tweens through adults.
Forty years ago, NASA sent twin spacecraft to visit Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The information and images returned to earth have been phenomenal, especially considering that today’s cell phones are more powerful than the crafts’ computers. Learn more about the mission and see images and video footage from the Voyagers’ communication with Earth.
Jan. 18, 5 to 7 p.m. Drop-In Family Fun. Free. Registration not required. All ages.
Unwind after work and school with family and friends! Do a puzzle, color, or play some small table games. Everything is provided. Stop by at Maxwell between 5 and 7 p.m. on Jan. 18.
Jan. 25, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Public Internet Safety. Free. Registration preferred. For teens through adults.
This month’s tech program at Maxwell will introduce various tools, techniques, and practices for maintaining digital safety when using mobile devices at public locations.
Peer-Based Suicide Support Group
Jan. 4, 10, 18, 24, and 31, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Free. No registration.
Two Brothers’ Light is a non-profit organization that promotes suicide prevention and awareness. It holds peer-based support groups for individuals affected by suicide and other mental health issues. These meetings are free and open to anyone seeking information on suicide prevention and awareness, alternatives to suicide, or grief support for those affected by suicide. For more information, contact Natalie at 315-632-1996, or go to twobrotherslight.org.
Maxwell Matinee (for adults)
Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2 p.m. Free. Registration preferred. Call for title.
Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk. (2017; PG-13; 112 minutes). Licensing laws prevent us from publicizing certain details, but you may call the library or go to our website for the title. Seating is limited, so please reserve your place online or by calling 315-672-3661.
Unraveling Yarns Book Club (for adults)
Thursday, Jan. 11, 10:30 to noon. Free. No registration.
All book selections have a mystery or suspense theme. Bring your needlework and unravel a different plot each month. Stop in at Maxwell for a copy of this month’s book, C.J. Box’s “Stone Cold” and a reading guide. Non-knitters are also welcome.
Maxwell Family Movie
Saturday, Jan. 13, noon. Call for title. Free. No registration.
After meeting his long-lost twin brother Dru, could former supervillain Gru be lured back to his despicable ways? (2017; PG; 90 minutes) Licensing laws prevent us from publicizing certain details, but you may call the library or go to our website for the title. Seating is limited, so come early. Bring a bag lunch.
Ready or Not: Preparing for the Unexpected
Tuesday, Jan. 16, 6 to 7 p.m. Free. Registration required.
Life is full of surprises. Join Sean Byrne, financial adviser with Edward Jones, to discover how to put yourself in a better position to keep your financial strategy from veering off course. You’ll learn about risks you may not be aware of, strategies or tools for assessing those risks, and life changes that may require you to review your strategy.
Between the Lines Book Club (for adults)
Monday, Jan. 22, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Free. No registration.
The group reads a variety of genres, from literary fiction to suspenseful bestsellers. Copies of this month’s selection, Hannah Rothschild’s “The Improbability of Love” and reading guides are available at the desk. Everyone is welcome.
Maxwell Library Board Meeting and Annual Meeting
Monday, Jan. 22, 6 p.m..
The Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of each month unless stated otherwise. The public is welcome to attend. If you would like to address the board or request a topic to be put on the agenda, please contact director Amanda Perrine at [email protected] at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda is posted online one week before.
HEAP Outreach for Seniors
Friday, Jan. 26, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Free. No registration.
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federally funded program that assists people with their electric and heating bills. If you are at least 62 years old and meet the income guidelines (one-person household, $2318/month; two-person household, $3031/month), stop by at Maxwell Library between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 26 and complete an application. No appointment is necessary.
To complete your application, please bring the following:
Utility bill
Driver’s license or non-driver’s ID
Social security card
A copy of award letters for proof of income, such as social security/supplemental security income (SSI), veteran’s benefits, pensions, and worker’s compensation/disability
Call Megan Coon, Neighborhood Advisor with the Salvation Army, at 315-479-3607 with questions.
Coming soon to Maxwell: 1000 Books Before Kindergarten
To promote reading to newborns, infants, and toddlers as well as to encourage parent and child bonding through reading, the 1000 Books Foundation has issued a challenge to parents to read 1000 books to their children before kindergarten. Maxwell will join this endeavor in February, with book recommendations, reading logs, incentives, and more.
AARP will not conduct tax return preparation at Maxwell Library this year. The library will have limited state and federal forms, as they are received, available for free. Forms will not arrive before mid-February. Many forms are now available only online; those forms may be printed from the library’s public computers for 25 cents per page. AARP representatives will be available for individual tax return preparation, by appointment only, at the Camillus Senior Center, starting Feb. 1. You may call the Center at 315-672-3163 or 315-672-5820 for more information.
Ongoing programs for kids and teens (all free; no registration unless otherwise noted):
Sally’s Story Time, for preschoolers ages 3 to 5.
Tuesdays, Jan. 9, 16, 23, and 30 (not 2), 10:30 to 11 a.m.
Stories with Sally, for the under-3 crowd and a participating adult.
Mondays and Wednesdays, Jan. 8, 10, 17, 22, 24, 29, and 31 (not 1, 3, and 15), 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.
Family Fun Times with Ms. Melissa; held on the second Saturday of the month.
Saturday, Jan. 13, 10 to 2 p.m. For all ages.
Drop in to read, play board games, practice your mini golf, put on a puppet show, and more. Be sure to check out the Maxwell Family Movie at noon.
Monday Fundays
Mondays, Jan. 8, 22, and 29, 5 to 5:45 p.m. Free. Registration preferred. For children ages 5 to 12.
What’s this week’s creative craft? Check online, or be surprised!
Terrific Tuesdays
Tuesdays, Jan. 9, 16, 23, and 30, 4 to 7:30 p.m. Free. Registration not required. For children of all ages and their families.
Drop in for some quality family fun time. Read, play games, make new friends, and more.
Teen Zone
Wednesdays, Jan. 10, 17, 24, and 31, 5 to 5:45 p.m. Free. Registration preferred. For ages 13 to 18.
Activities will include craft projects, movies, games, open mic, or you may suggest an upcoming activity.
Preschool Book Club
Thursdays, Jan. 11, 18, and 25, 10:30 to 11 a.m. Free. Registration preferred. For children ages 3 to 5 with a parent or guardian.
Children, adults, and Ms. Melissa will read a book together and then talk about it. Check our website for the weekly selection.
Go Digital:
With OverDrive and Hoopla, great entertainment is only a click away on your computer or mobile device. We have ebooks, audiobooks, music and videos, with new titles added daily. It’s easy, fun, and free! Call to set up a help session.
Get tech savvy by attending Tech Librarian Pete’s monthly classes. Catch up on what you missed with Handouts and Other Resources through the Digital tab on our website.
Your library card is the key to amazing free online encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, archives, tutorials, and courses. Go to the Digital tab on our website, or to onlib.org/research/databases.
We have a variety of devices for you to use or borrow, including ereaders, Google Cardboard virtual reality viewers, iPads, Kindle Fire HD, Microsoft Surface, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Android FamTab, and the AWE children’s computer.
Stay Connected:
Sign up for our monthly online library newsletter. Submit your name and email address at the library or via email to [email protected], with “Maxwell newsletter” typed in the subject box. The newsletter can also be found on the “News and Events” tab on our website. See upcoming events and register as needed by clicking on the calendar icon on the homepage. Provide your email address and get an automatic reminder before the event. You can support your library online through the PayPal Donate feature on our website.
Being a Friend of Maxwell is a great way to support the library. The group sponsors library programs and fundraising events. Click the Friends tab on maxwellmemoriallibrary.org for news and updates of meetings and special events.
