LIVERPOOL — Patrons will get the opportunity to seriously delve into the topic of women’s suffrage thanks to popular community educator Tom Henry when the Liverpool Public Library starts its edition of a nationwide program.

Let’s Talk About It: Women’s Suffrage kicks off with an introductory session at 6 p.m. Monday, April 4, in the Sargent Meeting Room, and will continue with events on five Thursdays: April 21, May 12 and 26, and June 9 and 23.

The LPL was the only library in the state and one of 25 nationwide to receive the grant for the program in conjunction from the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

LPL programmer Cindy Hibbert said she applied for the grant because Central New York is a natural spot for interest in the women’s suffrage movement, with the Women’s Rights National Historical Park located to the west in Seneca Falls and the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation Museum to the east in Fayetteville. The classes will include visits to both.

Participants should expect a lot from event presenter Tom Henry, Hibbert said.

“This is not what you learned in school. This is a much deeper dive looking at lesser known portions of women’s suffrage,” she said. “For example, the struggle for the vote for Black women and Latinx women and Native American women continued after most white women could vote.”
Henry is excited about the topic.

“This will go beyond the euphoria of the 19th Amendment,” he said. “People aren’t aware of the women of color involved in the movement, and the states still involved. The 19th Amendment was a major step but it did not involve all women equally. We’ll look at a little more of the history.”

Henry said he’ll pull in local ties to his teaching.

“We’ll add local stories, such as in Syracuse, where there was a city council meeting that involved the mayor’s wife …”

Sign up to hear more.

Registration is required at lpl.libcal.com/event/8807803.

Attendance will be limited to 12 for the best atmosphere for learning. Participants are asked to attend all six events. There will be a waiting list if that attendance number is reached.

LTAI: Women’s Suffrage is a humanities discussion project from the American Library Association supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

A new class that sounds otherworldly

LPL Programmer Daniel Perez will kick off his new presentation Worldbuilding Event for Storytellers at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 26, in the Carman Community Room.

Perez intends the series to lift sparks for writers, illustrators and game designers who create new worlds for others to gather in and enjoy. He says fans who like to immerse themselves in fictional universes might enjoy attending as well.

“So many of the things that bring us together — novels, comics, films, video games and tabletop games – take place inside imaginary worlds, and the process of creating those is called Worldbuilding. It’s the part of creative writing that produces immersive and exciting environments that draw in readers, fans and players,” Perez said.

“During these workshops, we look for inspiration in both fiction and nonfiction. We share and refine our ideas with input from different viewpoints. We’re asking questions like: How does a suspense writer make a house feel haunted? What kind of foods and fashions make a wizarding academy feel like it’s sizzling with magic?

“The most important skill for a worldbuilder isn’t writing ability, but curiosity. That’s always something we look to foster at LPL,” he said.

Please register for the event at lpl.libcal.com/event/8802179.