Library News: December 26th, 2024

The library has several new nonfiction books to help you go beyond the headlines to better understand a very complex and culturally rich part of the world:

Mapping the Holy Land: An Illustrated Atlas by Neal Asbury and Jean-Pierre Isbouts. A stunning journey through the Holy Land, as told by the rare maps and prints that have long inspired Jewish, Christian, and Muslim pilgrimages. From the earliest days of the Roman Empire to the current war between Israel and Hamas, mapping the Holy Land has been a never-ending source of high aspirations and bitter conflict. Illustrated with rare, hand-colored maps and engravings throughout and riveting scene-setting history, this remarkable volume shows how the faithful overcame impossible odds to reach the Holy Land, and dives deep into the historical understanding of these elusive lands from Roman times up to the modern Israeli-Arab conflict. 

Daybreak in Gaza: Stories of Palestinian Lives and Culture by Mahmoud Muna and Matthew Teller, with Juliette Touma and Jayyab Abusafia. This was Gaza. A place of humanity and creativity, rich in culture and industry. A place now pulverized and devastated, its entire population displaced by a seemingly endless onslaught. Today, as its heritage is being destroyed, Gaza's survivors preserve their culture through literature, music, stories and memories. Daybreak in Gaza is a record of that heritage, revealing an extraordinary place and people. Vignettes of artists, acrobats, doctors, students, shopkeepers and teachers across the generations offer stories of love, life, loss and survival. 

Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After Its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled Its Founders' Dreams? By Daniel Gordis. As the country marks its seventy-fifth anniversary, Gordis asks: Has Israel fulfilled the dreams of its founders? Using the country's Declaration of Independence as his measure, he provides a thorough, balanced perspective on the ways in which the Israel of today exceeds the country's original aspirations and also how it has fallen short. In a deft and multifaceted assessment, he discusses the often-overlooked reasons for Israel's creation, the flourishing of Jewish and Israeli culture, Israel's economy and its transformative tech sector, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the distinctly Israeli form of Judaism that has emerged in the Jewish state, Israel's complex relationship with the Diaspora, and much more. Gordis offers new angles of thinking about Israel that bring moderation and clarity to the prevailing discourse. And through weighing Israel's successes, critiquing its failures, and acknowledging its inherent contradictions, he ultimately suggests that-in ways its founders could not have foreseen-the Jewish state is a success far beyond anything they could have imagined

Tuesdays:

Noon Year’s Eve, December 31st - Countdown at NOON! Join us for a glow party, with games, music, snacks and more to celebrate exceeding our community reading goal & ring in the new year! 

Creative Social Circle, Tuesdays at 5 PM. Bring your own crafts or work with our craft supplies. We will have a sample project each week if you need inspiration on what to make.  Enjoy coffee, tea, and the company of other adults as you work.  Ages 15 and up are invited to attend.

Yoga with Dave Sivley, Tuesdays at 6 PM, January 14-February 18th. Bring a yoga mat, water bottle, & a towel. $5 per class payable to Dave.

Wednesdays:

Support Group for Parents of Challenging Kids, the 2nd Wednesday of every month— January 8th at 9 AM Parenting isn’t easy. If you are feeling overwhelmed, join others to gain valuable support coping strategies and information about community resources.

Preschool Story Hour, Wednesdays at 11 AM. Join us for music, movement, stories & crafts intended for ages 0-5 and their parents/caregivers. (No story hour while we’re closed on December 25th and January 1st.)

Thursdays:

First Thursday Book Club, January 2nd, 12 NOON-1 PM. Join others to chat about what you have been reading or to get suggestions from others.

Community Read: The Star in the Sycamore, January 16th at 6 PM. Author, Tom Springer will be at the library in person to present on his book and answer questions. Contact the library to borrow a copy to read in advance!

Fridays:

Lego at the Library, Fridays 3:00-4:30 PM. Build & create with our Lego & Duplo collections!  All ages are welcome!

Saturdays:

Tech Time, select Saturdays, January 4th, 11th, 18th, From 10AM-1PM. Are you struggling with your phone? Do you have trouble navigating the internet? Do you need help with mel.org, the Libby App or the Marcellus Library Catalog? Drop in the library to ask Justin your IT related questions and learn to navigate your device or our computers!