Jul
27
Wed
Learn the Ukulele with Julie Stepanek!
Jul 27 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

This session is for teens and adults. Registration is required. In-person with a max of 24 participants. Click here to register.

Julie will be teaching campfire songs on the ukulele! No experience necessary. She’ll teach participants how to hold, strum, fret and read chord diagrams – everything one needs to know in order to play the ukulele. Bring your own ukulele or use one of Julie’s.

This program was funded in part by Emily’s Friends of the Library.

Aug
3
Wed
Crimson Canary Concert on the Lawn!
Aug 3 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Crimson Canary Concert on the Lawn!

Crimson Canary is BACK and playing a lovely evening concert for us on the Library lawn. They will be performing classic vocals from the 40s, 50s and 60s in several languages. Bring a blanket or chair, relax, and let the music move you! (Rain date Friday, August 5th, 6-7pm)

Crimson Canary consists of guitarist/vocalist David Chu and vocalist Lonnie Chu, known for their vintage music sung in various languages. They also perform and educate about flamenco music.

David Chu began his music career as a teen playing piano and percussion, but soon switched to guitar. An accomplished soloist, he provides accompaniment and is the group’s arranger and composer. He delights audiences with the variety of genres he plays on either guitar, including flamenco, jazz, blues, Brazilian, and even Beatles.

Lonnie Chu, manager and singer, has also played folk guitar and bluegrass mandolin and enjoys singing in various languages and genres. A retired professor of Spanish, she delights in teaching audiences how to participate in flamenco’s rhythmic hand-clapping (palmas).

Read more about Crimson Canary on their website at crimsoncanary.com

This program was funded in part by Emily’s Friends of the Library.

Aug
23
Tue
“Know Your Sheriff” with the ACLU
Aug 23 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

An educational presentation from the ACLU of Massachusetts, in partnership with Decarcerate Western Mass. Learn more about the roles that MA Sheriff’s play and what decision-making powers the job holds. This program does not endorse any candidate and is presented for educational purposes only. Representatives from the ACLU will share the presentation and answer questions from attendees. Please register to receive a Zoom link to the program.

From the ACLU:

Sheriffs have the power to make our communities safer and more just for all—but most Massachusetts voters don’t even know who their sheriff is.
It’s time to change that. It’s time to Know Your Sheriff. 

Know Your Sheriff is a public education campaign by the ACLU of Massachusetts to build voter awareness about the life-changing decisions that sheriffs make. Polling shows that many voters are not familiar with sheriffs—but when they learn more, they are more likely cast a ballot for sheriff in the next election.  Knowing your sheriff means knowing that YOU have the power to demand safer communities and a more just criminal legal system.

 

Sep
26
Mon
Climate Change 101: What You Need To Know
Sep 26 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

The first in a virtual 3 part series, Saving Us! – Working Toward Climate Resilience (Part 2 on 10/3 and Part 3 on 10/17). Please register in advance, choosing the dates you would like to attend: https://tinyurl.com/cpw-saving-us

Presenter: Carsten Braun, PhD, Professor of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability Department at Westfield State University, Westfield, MA

Climate change does not have to be complicated or intimidating. In this presentation you will review the science of climate change, discuss the impacts of climate change, and then explore the practical solutions to climate change that are available right here, right now. Suitable for adults and older teens.

This series is hosted by the Emily Williston Memorial Library, a member of the Pioneer Valley Library Collaborative, in partnership with Voices for Climate. This program is funded in part by Emily’s Friends of the Library.

Oct
3
Mon
What Will Drive Our Climate Future?
Oct 3 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

The second in a virtual 3 part series, Saving Us! – Working Toward Climate Resilience (Part 3 on 10/17). Please register in advance, choosing the dates you would like to attend: https://tinyurl.com/cpw-saving-us

Presenter: Dr. Gary Yohe, PhD, Huffington Foundation Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT; Senior member, U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

This session will open a conversation about the limitations of what we know and don’t know about climate change, and how we can still make proactive decisions to “abate” or “adapt”. We will make it clear, though, that the third option will always be to “suffer” the consequences of inaction. Therefore, the emphasis of the discussion will be on organizing our thoughts about how to respond to the climate system and humanity. Ample time will be available for discussion and Q & A.

This series is hosted by the Emily Williston Memorial Library, a member of the Pioneer Valley Library Collaborative, in partnership with Voices for Climate. This program is funded in part by Emily’s Friends of the Library.

Oct
13
Thu
Raising Humans in a Digital World: For Parents of Children from 0-11
Oct 13 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Easthampton Public Schools, Easthampton Healthy Youth Coalition, Emily Williston Memorial Library and the Easthampton PTO present a FREE ZOOM webinar: Raising Humans in a Digital World 

For Parents of Children from 0-11 October 13, 6:30 p.m. EST 

This is a virtual program and will be presented via Zoom.

Our digital media world can be a scary, dangerous place, especially for children. Digital Literacy educator, advocate, and frequent contributor to Psychology Today Diana Graber will share with us how parents and caregivers can help our kids navigate this environment and build a healthy relationship with technology.

This presentation is addressed to parents of young children and will cover: a developmentally appropriate introduction to tech, social and emotional skill development, screen time, over-sharenting, alternative phones, parental controls, the games young kids love (Roblox & Minecraft) and more.

This event is sponsored by the Easthampton Learning Foundation.

 

Oct
17
Mon
Taking Action: How We Can Tackle the Climate Crisis
Oct 17 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

The third in a virtual 3 part series, Saving Us! – Working Toward Climate Resilience. Please register in advance, choosing the dates you would like to attend: https://tinyurl.com/cpw-saving-us

Presenters: Voices for Climate (V4C)

Join us for this final session of the series to brainstorm actions each of us can take to turn a looming crisis into a triumph of human ‘can do’ spirit. Through short videos and discussion we’ll explore some of the potential pathways that, individually and collectively, we can tackle the climate crisis head on. Attending the prior 2 sessions in this series is not required but definitely useful. All attendees are asked, in advance of this session, to watch this 7 minute video of David Attenborough’s Nov. ’21 speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6SO0xkr_uI

Voices for Climate (V4C) is a grassroots group, based in Granville, MA, dedicated to creating community conversations regarding climate change.  V4C’s key goals are: non-partisan, science-based public education; community engagement; and advocacy for equitable climate legislation at the state-level.

This series is hosted by the Emily Williston Memorial Library, a member of the Pioneer Valley Library Collaborative, in partnership with Voices for Climate. This program is funded in part by Emily’s Friends of the Library.

Oct
20
Thu
Raising Humans in a Digital World: For Parents of Middle Schoolers and Up
Oct 20 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Easthampton Public Schools, Easthampton Healthy Youth Coalition, Emily Williston Memorial Library and the Easthampton PTO present a FREE ZOOM webinar: Raising Humans in a Digital World 

For Parents of Middle Schoolers and Up

This is a virtual program and will be presented via Zoom.

Our digital media world can be a scary, dangerous place, especially for children. Digital Literacy educator, advocate, and frequent contributor to Psychology Today Diana Graber will share with us how parents and caregivers can help our kids navigate this environment and build a healthy relationship with technology.

This presentation will be addressed to parents of children approximately 12 years of age and up. Topics will include: digital reputation management, screen time and balance, the most popular social media platforms amongst teens (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat), maintaining online privacy, and much more. It overviews other topics in my book and a discussion guide would be sent to you afterwards so attendees may continue to discuss topics after the presentation.

This event is sponsored by the Easthampton Learning Foundation.

 

Feb
7
Tue
Virtual: “Alice’s Ordinary People” Film Talk with Craig Dudnick
Feb 7 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Virtual: "Alice's Ordinary People" Film Talk with Craig Dudnick

Join us on Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88517861163?pwd=SWhMKzJDTmRQdEtnTUVGc0pFZHVkQT09

Meeting ID: 885 1786 1163
Passcode: alice

Alice’s Ordinary People is a documentary film about Alice Tregay – a woman who refused to stand still for injustice. Her remarkable story spans the historic period from the marches of Dr. King to the election of Barack Obama, and her unique contribution in the field of politics is the thread that connects the two.

This hour-long Zoom program is a presentation and discussion with independent filmmaker Craig Dudnick, who brought Alice’s story to life in the documentary. Learn more about Craig and the film at http://imaginevideo.org/

Available for check out at the Library or free through the libraries’ Kanopy streaming service: https://kanopy.com/product/alices-ordinary-people-chicago-freedom-mov

**Attendees are encouraged to watch the film before the Zoom program, but the presentation can be enjoyed whether or not you’ve seen the film.

This program is sponsored in part by Emily’s Friends of the Library.

Mar
1
Wed
Virtual: Climate Justice – Addressing the Disproportionate Impacts of Climate Change
Mar 1 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Register at tinyurl.com/ewml-climate-justice

Climate change – the number one existential threat to humanity and the planet – is often described as a scientific problem with environmental impacts, but it’s more than that. Where do social justice and climate change overlap? How does identity (race, ethnicity, gender, etc.) influence the way a person is impacted by climate change? And how can we, as concerned community members, fight climate change in a way that is just and equitable for all?

Join Nia Keith, social justice educator and climate activist, as we examine the connection between societal inequities and climate impacts. Nia will share some of the most dynamic climate justice initiatives today, led by youth and People of Color around the world. Finally, we’ll discuss ways we can all take climate action in our communities and beyond.

Closed captioning will be available. This Zoom presentation will be recorded for future viewing.

Presenter Bio: Nia Keith is a Social Justice Educator & Consultant with more than 15 years experience working in nonprofits, schools, and cultural institutions. She is also Mass Audubon’s first Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice. Dedicated to cultivating equity and justice in all environments, Nia has spent her career motivating people to address environmental, social, and economic issues. As an educator, she designs and delivers interactive lessons for all ages, to help people understand and take action to fight climate change. Nia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies from The Ohio State University and a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England.

This program was funded in part by Emily’s Friends of the Library.