Book Discussions and Author Visits
Join us for monthly book discussions and special author visits! See the schedule.
St. Mary’s County Library Anime Club
If you need special accommodations for any Library event or program, please submit our Accommodations Request form as soon as possible. Register with an email address to receive the link to a trivia game and test your knowledge! The game is multiple choice questions and speed matters! Registration for each week ends at 5 p.m. on Mondays. After 5 p.m., registrants will be emailed a link to that week's trivia. You will have until Thursday at 5 p.m. to complete the game, then you'll receive an email with the full results. Trivia uses Kahoot, accessible through any internet browser, no account needed. Representatives from SMC Recreation & Parks will be in the lobby with information about their programs, facilities, services, and events, as well as to answer any questions you may have. St. Mary's County Recreation & Parks strives to provide an enriched quality of life for the community through preservation of natural, cultural and historical resources, enhancement of parks and outdoor spaces, and promotion of a variety of leisure experiences. Come talk to them about their current events, programs, parks, trails, and more! Do you like anime or manga? Join us for this month’s anime club meeting. We will watch a movie, then have a brief discussion after. Refreshments will be provided. Ages 16+; under 16 permitted with parent or guardian. Celebrate the beginning of summer reading with a fun art project highlighting this year's theme of Color Our World! You can create a colorful window decoration, color some summer scenes, and participate in a community art project! Find the right combination of foods and feeders to turn your yard into a beautiful bird sanctuary this summer! We have several birds in Southern Maryland that will need food because of our changing environment. Learn who these visitors are and how you can be a good host to them. Barb Whipkey, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Lexington Park and LaPlata, MD leads this virtual presentation and answers all of your bird feeding questions! You will receive a Zoom invitation link via email the day before the event. Library services on the Mobile Library include Wi-Fi access, library card services, crafts to go, and materials for checkout! While the Mobile Library collection is unavailable for holds, staff are able to assist with requests for books and materials from other Library locations. The Mobile Library can accept returns from any location, and materials checked out from the vehicle may be returned to any location. 20331 Point Lookout Rd., Great Mills, MD 20634 Library services on the Mobile Library include Wi-Fi access, library card services, crafts to go, and materials for checkout! While the Mobile Library collection is unavailable for holds, staff are able to assist with requests for books and materials from other Library locations. The Mobile Library can accept returns from any location, and materials checked out from the vehicle may be returned to any location. 21895 Pegg Rd, Lexington Park, MD 20653 Library services on the Mobile Library include Wi-Fi access, library card services, crafts to go, and materials for checkout! While the Mobile Library collection is unavailable for holds, staff are able to assist with requests for books and materials from other Library locations. The Mobile Library can accept returns from any location, and materials checked out from the vehicle may be returned to any location. Sprayed and decorated book edges have quickly come back into fashion for readers this year. New books are sporting everything from swirls to dragons to roses and much more. Using basic acrylic paint and stencils, we will add some flare to some book edges and "Color Our World" through books. Participants should bring a personal book of their choosing to use. We recommend bringing one that you are okay with messing up just incase it doesn't end up being perfect on your first endeavor into this new way of decorating your personal library. Enjoy a memorable day filled with laughter, art, and historical discovery with demonstrations from the Barony of Dun Carraig, the Southern Maryland chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism! "The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to hands-on study of the Middle Ages and Renaissance (roughly 600 to 1600 C.E.) SCA members learn about history not just by studying, but also by doing." via www.duncarraig.net Registration recommended for follow up email information on the various crafts and the presenters from the SCA. Walk-in's Welcome! Join us as we celebrate the rich history of local alumni chapters of Black fraternities and sororities.
Register to receive an event reminder! They will share their stories, accomplishments, and dedication to service within our community. Engage with them in a Q&A session to strengthen bonds within our Southern Maryland community. Don't miss this unique opportunity to connect with members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and discover the profound impact they have made in Southern Maryland! Community health advocates will be in the lobby to talk about health and wellness services through the hospital. Learn about ways that AccessHealth can help with overcoming barriers such as transportation, housing, food insecurity, insurance, benefit applications, and more! Do you enjoy doing arts & crafts, playing board games, and making new friends? Connect and Converse might be the event for you! We meet on the second Monday of the month to make a craft, play a game, and listen to music. Our activities for this month are paper collage-making and bingo. This event is intended for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities as well as their friends, family, and caregivers. Please register with an email address to receive a reminder email about this event. Walk-ins are welcome. Job seekers can stop by to get job counseling and resume help,search for jobs, and get registered with the Maryland Workforce Exchange. Administración del Seguro Social provee protección para los trabajadores y sus familias. El programa provee ingreso mensual a las personas mayores de edad, los trabajadores que sufren de una incapacidad, niños con incapacidades y las familias en las que fallece un cónyuge o padre. En este foro abierto, los residentes de la comunidad tendrán la oportunidad de hacer preguntas sobre los beneficios del Seguro Social. Presentado por Diana Varela, Especialista en Relaciones Publicas, Administración del Seguro Social. Preguntas y respuestas después de la presentación. Este evento no será grabado. The Social Security Administration provides protection for workers and their families. SSA Programs provide monthly income to seniors, workers with a disability, children with disabilities, and families in which a spouse or parent has died. In this open forum, community residents will have the opportunity to ask questions about any aspect of Social Security benefits. Have your questions answered by our Social Security Administration outreach specialist, Diana Varela. You will receive a Zoom link to join this virtual presentation a day or two before the program date. Library services on the Mobile Library include Wi-Fi access, library card services, crafts to go, and materials for checkout! While the Mobile Library collection is unavailable for holds, staff are able to assist with requests for books and materials from other Library locations. The Mobile Library can accept returns from any location, and materials checked out from the vehicle may be returned to any location. Maritime Building Have you ever wanted something 3D printed at the library, but weren't sure how? Now is your chance to learn! This introductory course will cover the basics of how a 3D printer works and how to use PrusaSlicer software. Learn how to find ready-to-print files online and submit them to the Library for printing. No prior experience is needed. This is an in-person class held in the Computer Lab Makerspace. Whether you have been creating for years or just started on your journey, join fellow crafters who love all things fabric and fiber. Open to knitters, crocheters, quilters, embroiderers, cross-stitchers, and any other kind of needleworkers. Bring your current project, mingle with like-minded makers, and swap patterns, ideas, and tips. Basic supplies available, if needed. All skill levels welcome. No registration required. Library services on the Mobile Library include Wi-Fi access, library card services, crafts to go, and materials for checkout! While the Mobile Library collection is unavailable for holds, staff are able to assist with requests for books and materials from other Library locations. The Mobile Library can accept returns from any location, and materials checked out from the vehicle may be returned to any location. 24400 Mervell Dean Rd, Hollywood, MD 20636 Library services on the Mobile Library include Wi-Fi access, library card services, crafts to go, and materials for checkout! While the Mobile Library collection is unavailable for holds, staff are able to assist with requests for books and materials from other Library locations. The Mobile Library can accept returns from any location, and materials checked out from the vehicle may be returned to any location. 23154 Wetstone Ln., California, MD 20619 Karen Stone, Division Manager of the St. Mary's County Museums, will give a special seminar highlighting the role of the Potomac River and lighthouses during the American Civil War. The Potomac River has always been busy, but in the 19th century, it got considerably busier and more hazardous with the introduction of steamships. The River was also full of dangerous shoals and narrow turns, making it necessary to install aids to navigation, including lighthouses and light vessels. About the Presenter: Karen Stone has been the Museum Division Manager for St. Mary’s County since 2017. She did her undergraduate work at Gettysburg College and obtained her master’s degree at Penn State University. She got her first museum job while still in middle school and has been working in the museum field ever since. Stone has published many articles and has been a frequent lecturer on U.S., Maryland, and local history. She recently wrote her first book: Shipwreck on the Potomac: Disaster in pursuit of Lincoln’s Killer. Have you ever heard of Book of the Month or Stitch Fix? This is a personalized package like those, but for Library books! Similar to our teen Lit Kit program, the Adult Lit Kit is a customized surprise for any adult (18+) who loves to read that comes with two Adult Library books that we will choose specifically for you. When you are finished with the books, just return them to the nearest library! Fill out the registration and interest form between the 1st and 8th of the month (or until all registration spots are full). Please answer honestly in order to help our staff select a book that suits your literary tastes. You will then be notified on the 12th of the month that your Adult Lit Kit package is ready for pickup at the Leonardtown Library. Please note that the Adult Lit Kit has now moved to every-other-month to match our Teen Lit Kits. Looking for the Teen Lit Kit? Please click here. The St. Mary's Health Department Outreach Team will be in the lobby of the Charlotte Hall Library to provide resources and information - Fun promotional items too! The St. Mary's Health Department will be providing community members with a variety of health department resources for programs, such as information about our tobacco cessation programs, as well as our free colon cancer screenings, colonoscopies, and mammograms programs, health insurance/medicaid information, and information about our asthma programs and so much more. We will also provide community members with COVID-19 resources and will also offer on site registration for COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for anyone who is interested/eligible. Fun promotional items will be provided, too! Library services on the Mobile Library include Wi-Fi access, library card services, crafts to go, and materials for checkout! While the Mobile Library collection is unavailable for holds, staff are able to assist with requests for books and materials from other Library locations. The Mobile Library can accept returns from any location, and materials checked out from the vehicle may be returned to any location. 21905 Chancellors Run Rd., Great Mills, MD 20634 The Maryland Food Bank’s Mobile Market is coming to visit! Stop by to shop from our “grocery store on wheels” and receive free nonperishable food items, fresh produce, and other non-food necessities while supplies last. The Three Oaks Center will connect those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to resources in the tri county that can help them with benefits, mental health, substance abuse, housing, and more. They will also be completing referrals for service on site and collecting paperwork to enroll in their programs and/or offer shelter if available. Join us as we participate in this global holiday where fiber artists decorate our community outside of the Leonardtown Library! Fiber artists of all kinds and experience levels are encouraged to attend. In the spirit of Summer Reading, help us "Color Our World" by crocheting, knitting, or macraméing around benches, trees, and other structures! If you'd like to donate any of your surplus or unused yarn, donations can be dropped off at the Leonardtown Library. Library services on the Mobile Library include Wi-Fi access, library card services, crafts to go, and materials for checkout! While the Mobile Library collection is unavailable for holds, staff are able to assist with requests for books and materials from other Library locations. The Mobile Library can accept returns from any location, and materials checked out from the vehicle may be returned to any location. 22611 Franklin Delano Roosevelt Blvd., Lexington Park, MD 20653 Each month we will discuss a different fantasy or science fiction novel. June's book is Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
Find it in the Catalog Come learn more about the library's Cricut Maker and practice cutting iron-on vinyl (also called heat transfer vinyl or HTV) to embellish a tote bag to take home! This introductory, in-person class will cover how to use the Cricut Maker 3, an electronic die-cutting machine, to create an iron-on decal using heat transfer vinyl (HTV) and how to apply that decal to a cloth tote bag using the Cricut Easy Press. Participants will also learn the basics of Cricut Design Space, the software used to create endlessly customizable designs. No experience necessary, all materials provided. Everyone is welcome to visit the Leonardtown Library Makerspace during open hours to use the Cricut to create whatever you can imagine! Customers need to have their own Cricut Design Space online account and bring their own material, but we have all the equipment and tools you'll need! Visit the Makerspace webpage to see open hours and learn about all the Makerspace has to offer. Note for minors: Teenagers are welcome in our Makerspace classes! Customers aged 14+ can use the Makerspace without a guardian present; younger customers need an adult present at all times while visiting the Makerspace. Waivers are no longer required. An all-ages chess social hang-out! Drop in and out to play as needed, no experience required. Staff will be available to assist those who haven't played before. Small chess guides will be available for each player for reference. Chess boards will be provided by the library, but feel free to bring your favorite set. A book discussion series for veterans led by Vietnam veteran Wayne Karlin. Registration required; space is limited. For more information contact Kimberlé Fields at 301-863-8188 or kfields@stmalib.org. Monthly Reading List Book descriptions from Amazon unless otherwise noted February 01 - Uncertain Ground by Phil Klay From the National Book Award-winning author of Redeployment and Missionaries, an astonishing fever graph of the effects of twenty years of war in a brutally divided America. When Phil Klay left the Marines a decade ago after serving as an officer in Iraq, he found himself a part of the community of veterans who have no choice but to grapple with the meaning of their wartime experiences—for themselves and for the country. American identity has always been bound up in war—from the revolutionary war of our founding, to the civil war that ended slavery, to the two world wars that launched America as a superpower. What did the current wars say about who we are as a country, and how should we respond as citizens? Unlike in previous eras of war, relatively few Americans have had to do any real grappling with the endless, invisible conflicts of the post-9/11 world; in fact, increasingly few people are even aware they are still going on. It is as if these wars are a dark star with a strong gravitational force that draws a relatively small number of soldiers and their families into its orbit while remaining inconspicuous to most other Americans. In the meantime, the consequences of American military action abroad may be out of sight and out of mind, but they are very real indeed. This chasm between the military and the civilian in American life, and the moral blind spot it has created, is one of the great themes of Uncertain Ground, Phil Klay’s powerful series of reckonings with some of our country’s thorniest concerns, written in essay form over the past ten years. In the name of what do we ask young Americans to kill, and to die? In the name of what does this country hang together? As we see at every turn in these pages, those two questions have a great deal to do with each another, and how we answer them will go a long way toward deciding where our troubled country goes from here. March 01 - The Women by Kristin Hannah From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women―at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided. Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets―and becomes one of―the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam. The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era. April 05 - The Genizah by Wayne Karlin In the novel The Genizah, Wayne Karlin enters its pages as a character in his own novel, reimagining his family's lives―and fate―if they had not come to America but stayed in his mother's village in Poland where the rest of her extended family were murdered by the Nazis in 1941. Karlin commemorates and mourns that unutterable loss by making it present, in the spirit of the words from the Passover Seder, which asks those at the table to recount the story of oppression as if they had lived it. It is a phrase that calls upon the people at the table to feel, not just to know, what happened, as good fiction calls us to do. How can anyone who had not been through the Holocaust share even a little part of such experiences? How can anyone who has not felt some of that horror reverberate in their own bones try to understand the terrible massacres of our own days, sparked by hatred of the Other, in Syria, in Myanmar, in Israel, in Gaza, in Charleston, and in Pittsburgh―in so many other places, they overwhelm our ability to empathize. Karlin's answer to that question is to personalize the impersonal, to imagine what could have happened if his grandparents, and mother, and her brothers and sisters and his father and his family, had not torn themselves away from a place they and their ancestors had lived for hundreds of years, in a town and on a continent where they had always been unwelcome guests. May 03 - For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway Ernest Hemingway's masterpiece on war, love, loyalty, and honor tells the story of Robert Jordan, an antifascist American fighting in the Spanish Civil War. In 1937 Ernest Hemingway traveled to Spain to cover the civil war there for the North American Newspaper Alliance. Three years later he completed the greatest novel to emerge from “the good fight” and one of the foremost classics of war literature. For Whom the Bell Tolls tells of loyalty and courage, love and defeat, and the tragic death of an ideal. Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades, is attached to an antifascist guerilla unit in the mountains of Spain. In his portrayal of Jordan’s love for the beautiful Maria and his superb account of a guerilla leader’s last stand, Hemingway creates a work at once rare and beautiful, strong and brutal, compassionate, moving, and wise. Greater in power, broader in scope, and more intensely emotional than any of the author’s previous works, For Whom the Bell Tolls stands as one of the best war novels ever written. June 14 - The Heart That Fed by Carl Sciacchitano A brilliant graphic memoir debut, this is a loving son’s exploration of his tumultuous relationship with his father, told through the lens of the Vietnam War and its lasting effects long after returning home. As a college dropout amidst the tumult of the 1960s and the Vietnam War, David Sciacchitano enlisted in the Air Force and volunteered to be sent overseas. An aircraft mechanic away from the front lines, David nevertheless experienced the chaos of war during the Tet Offensive and the 1975 evacuation. But although David returned home from the war with no physical injuries, it would be as if a part of him was forever left behind. Set against one of the most tumultuous events of the 20th century, The Heart That Fed is a beautifully illustrated and moving story of trauma and love—told by a son seeking to understand a father forever changed by PTSD and the horrors of war. Have you ever wanted something 3D printed at the library, but weren't sure how? Now is your chance to learn! This introductory course will cover the basics of how a 3D printer works and how to use PrusaSlicer software. Learn how to find ready-to-print files online and submit them to the Library for printing. No prior experience is needed. This is an in-person class held in the Computer Lab Makerspace. Learn more about the library's Cricut Maker and practice cutting cardstock to create a printed bookmark to save your spot in your latest juicy read! This introductory, hands-on class will cover how to use an electronic die-cutting machine called the Cricut Maker to use the "print then cut" feature to create a printed cardstock bookmark! Participants will also learn the basics of Cricut Design Space, the software used to create endlessly customizable designs compatible with Cricut cutting machines. No experience necessary, all materials provided. NOTE: This program will be repeated later in the evening on the same day at 5:30pm. Please register for only the afternoon session or the evening session. Register with an email address to receive the link to a trivia game and test your knowledge! The game is multiple choice questions and speed matters! Registration for each week ends at 5 p.m. on Mondays. After 5 p.m., registrants will be emailed a link to that week's trivia. You will have until Thursday at 5 p.m. to complete the game, then you'll receive an email with the full results. Trivia uses Kahoot, accessible through any internet browser, no account needed. Learn more about the library's Cricut Maker and practice cutting cardstock to create a printed bookmark to save your spot in your latest juicy read! This introductory, hands-on class will cover how to use an electronic die-cutting machine called the Cricut Maker to use the "print then cut" feature to create a printed cardstock bookmark! Participants will also learn the basics of Cricut Design Space, the software used to create endlessly customizable designs compatible with Cricut cutting machines. No experience necessary, all materials provided. NOTE: This program is a repeat of the same event earlier in the afternoon the same day at 1:30pm. Please register for only the afternoon session or the evening session. Our panel of industry experts are here to answer your most important questions about preparing your home for sale and overcoming the challenges of selling your home. Attend in-person or online. With over a decade of real estate experience in three States as well as two decades of business ownership and community volunteerism, your host Amy Scott, Broker/Owner of OE Realty is proud to announce a panel filled with knowledgeable experts in the fields that will directly impact the sale of your home. Each of our panelists bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will help you navigate common pitfalls, discover problems before they become emergent, conduct general repairs to make your home more appealing to buyers thus assisting you in getting top dollar for your home. Selling your home can be a challenging and emotional time. Let us help you navigate those choppy waters with ease. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link if attending online. Want to try out a new hobby but not sure if it's for you? Come to Hobby Trials! This week we will try out cross stitching with a simple bookmark project. MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital Community Health Advocates will be in the lobby to talk about health and wellness services throughout the hospital, and to provide blood pressure and other screenings. They will also provide information about ways that Access Health can help with overcoming barriers such as transportation, housing, food insecurity, insurance, benefit applications, and more. CareFirst will have information on Medicaid, including how to sign up for Medicaid in Maryland, helpful resources, and free giveaway items. Beacon of Hope Recovery Community Center team members will be on site to exchange positivity and engage on everyday wellness fun facts. Upon request, team members will happily offer recovery information and resources for those who might be recovery-curious or recovery-ready. The St. Mary’s County Circuit Court offers a free Family Law Self Help Legal Clinic to provide legal assistance/advice regarding family law.
Come for a one-on-one session with an attorney to discuss matters such as custody, visitation, divorce, child support, name change, guardianship, and domestic violence. First Come First Serve. No appointments - walk-ins only. Contact Person: Claire Langeluttig, Family Services Coordinator Email: claire.langeluttig@mdcourts.gov NOTE: Dates are subject to change without prior notice. Please contact Claire Langeluttig to confirm dates. We recommend getting to the library by 5:30pm to sign in. Please note that the attorney must leave by 7:30pm The Library is closed in observance of Juneteenth. Have you ever wanted to try watercolor painting, but didn't know where to start?
Come join us as we explore the art of watercolor through the tutorials of Art Influencer, Andrea Nelson. With supplies provided by the library, participants will have the chance to experiment with at least three different art projects inspired by Nelson's online videos. Please wear clothing that can get messy. Smocks will not be provided. This program is intended for adults, teens and children ages six and up if accompanied by an adult. BTS are together again! Show off your love of K-pop at our K-pop Party! Make bias buttons, try some popular Korean snacks, dance to K-pop music, and decorate your photocards. Plus, to celebrate BTS coming back together, test your knowledge about them to see if you're a true ARMY! Therapy animals from Pets on Wheels are visiting the library! Friends of all ages are invited to practice reading with a furry friend, or just enjoy some pets and snuggles. The Three Oaks Center will connect those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to resources in the tri county that can help them with benefits, mental health, substance abuse, housing, and more. They will also be completing referrals for service on site and collecting paperwork to enroll in their programs and/or offer shelter if available. Have you ever wanted to play a table-top roleplaying game, but are not sure where to start? Maybe you have a new campaign coming up and want to try something new! Join us for a night of painting, stories, and heroics! Participants will receive a mini-figure for tabletop games that they will get to paint! In addition to painting supplies, we have blank character sheets, rulebooks, and dice for both Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder so that you can flesh out your character concept. Job seekers can stop by to get job counseling and resume help,search for jobs, and get registered with the Maryland Workforce Exchange. A representative of the Maryland Dept. of Labor will be in the lobby to connect veterans and the general public to employment services. Learn about connections to employers, connections to the DVA, health services, veterans resources, assistance for homeless veterans, and more! Library services on the Mobile Library include Wi-Fi access, library card services, crafts to go, and materials for checkout! While the Mobile Library collection is unavailable for holds, staff are able to assist with requests for books and materials from other Library locations. The Mobile Library can accept returns from any location, and materials checked out from the vehicle may be returned to any location. 13723 Point Lookout Rd., Lexington Park, MD 20653 Library services on the Mobile Library include Wi-Fi access, library card services, crafts to go, and materials for checkout! While the Mobile Library collection is unavailable for holds, staff are able to assist with requests for books and materials from other Library locations. The Mobile Library can accept returns from any location, and materials checked out from the vehicle may be returned to any location. 47720 College Dr., St. Mary's City, MD 20686 Beacon of Hope Recovery Community Center team members will be on site to exchange positivity and engage on everyday wellness fun facts. Upon request, team members will happily offer recovery information and resources for those who might be recovery-curious or recovery-ready. The St. Mary’s County Circuit Court offers a free Family Law Self Help Legal Clinic to provide legal assistance/advice regarding family law.
Come for a one-on-one session with an attorney to discuss matters such as custody, visitation, divorce, child support, name change, guardianship, and domestic violence. First Come First Serve. No appointments - walk-ins only. Contact Person: Claire Langeluttig, Family Services Coordinator Email: claire.langeluttig@mdcourts.gov NOTE: Dates are subject to change without prior notice. Please contact Claire Langeluttig to confirm dates. We recommend getting to the library by 5:30pm to sign in. Please note that the attorney must leave by 7:30pm Healthy yards filled with native plants attract, feed, and shelter local pollinators. Learn how you can join Leonardtown's Butterfly Trail by planting a butterfly stopover in your yard. Leonardtown’s Butterfly Trail is a growing effort to support pollinators (especially birds, bees, and butterflies) by creating a landscape corridor of habitat and nutrition for them from the library to the wharf and across surrounding neighborhoods. Amy Henderson is a member of the St. Mary’s County Garden Club and Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay. She volunteers regularly at the Leonardtown Library’s Front Yard Garden and has become a passionate advocate for native plants and pollinator-friendly ecosystems. With the help of other local native plant enthusiasts, she’s helping to establish and expand the Butterfly Trail in Leonardtown. Maryland Coalition of Families is a statewide nonprofit organization that provides support, guidance, and hope to families who have a child with a mental health challenge. Come meet a member of the team and discover how we can support your family’s journey. Our free family peer support services help parents and caregivers connect to resources and navigate complex systems to ensure their child is receiving all the support they need. All our Family Peer Support Specialists are here because they've been there too. Their lived experience is a welcome resource for parents and caregivers who need help with their child's 504 or IEP plans. We offer several evidence-based interventions and programs to help families feel less isolated and more connected to others in similar situations We will be providing resources and answer any questions you may have. The Three Oaks Center will connect those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to resources in the tri county that can help them with benefits, mental health, substance abuse, housing, and more. They will also be completing referrals for service on site and collecting paperwork to enroll in their programs and/or offer shelter if available. Join us to discuss a different cozy mystery on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Leonardtown Library. Be ready to talk about a genre that puts us all at ease while keeping us on our toes. As we do every 3 months, this meeting will be BYOB - Bring Your Own Book! Come ready to talk about a cozy mystery that you have been reading recently, a go-to favorite/recommendation, or one that you’re excited to read this year! It can be any cozy book, series, or author that you enjoy. Just come prepared to share and get some good recommendations from your peers. Something you suggest may even be selected for a future book club meeting! A list of all the books that we discuss will be sent out after the meeting. Looking for possible books to read and bring to discuss? Try searching for "cozy mysteries" in our catalog or look for digital downloads on Libby! Each month we will discuss a different romance novel. June's title is The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles Find a copy of the book in our catalog Goodr, St. Mary's County Health Department, and St. Mary's County Library are joining forces to bring fresh food to areas of food insecurity in the St. Mary's County area. The Goodr Pop-Up Grocery Store will be stocked with free groceries including meat, fresh produce, milk, eggs, and shelf stable items. Through this initiative, it is our hope to provide St. Mary's residents with delicious, fresh ingredients to feed their families. Individuals must pre-register as there is limited availability. Must arrive during appointment time slot. Goodr is thankful to St. Mary's County Health Department and the St. Mary's County community in their commitment to help us advance our mission to “Feed More. Waste Less”. Join local health and life coach, Shaniqua Cousins, as she demonstrates to families how to assemble healthy snacks. This event is a partnership between Healthy St. Mary's Partner a Division of Community Engagement, St. Mary’s County Health Department and St. Mary's County Library. Curious about the inner workings of your library? Want to learn more about what the library offers? Join us for this comprehensive tour! You'll visit the back room to see how we get your books to you, spend time in our computer lab for an overview of key virtual services, and see a demo of the equipment in our Makerspace! Want to try speed puzzling? Form a team of three or four and see how fast you can put together a 300 piece puzzle! All teams will go head-to-head to see who can complete the 300 piece puzzle first! Puzzles are all the same design and provided by the library. Prizes awarded. Teams are made up of 3-4 people of any age although at least one team member must be over 16 and at least one must be under 16. Team members do not need to be related. Registration will open at 9am on June 14 so check back then to reserve a spot for your team! Only one team member should register for the team. In addition to the competition, we'll have a puzzle swap too! Bring a complete puzzle to give away and find a new one to take home. No registration is required for the puzzle swap, just drop in! An all-ages chess social hangout! Drop in and out to play as needed, no experience required. Staff will be available to assist those who haven't played before. Small chess guides will be available for each player for reference. Chess boards will be provided by the library, but feel free to bring your favorite set! Registration Full Register with an email address to receive the link to a trivia game and test your knowledge! The game is multiple choice questions and speed matters! Registration for each week ends at 5 p.m. on Mondays. After 5 p.m., registrants will be emailed a link to that week's trivia. You will have until Thursday at 5 p.m. to complete the game, then you'll receive an email with the full results. Trivia uses Kahoot, accessible through any internet browser, no account needed. Art doesn't have to be intimidating, or time consuming. Instead, it can be a chance to explore creativity, the ability to make mistakes, and even an opportunity to engage in meditation. Each session will feature a small watercolor or paper craft projects that can be completed in an hour to an hour and a half. Looking to learn more about the American Revolution? Join us for a virtual presentation! Dr. Jim Gibb will discuss the archaeology of the Declaration of Independence, with a focus on Maryland. In this series of presentations, we'll uncover the stories of the American Revolution! From January through June, we will explore the individual actions and events leading to the Continental Congress declaring independence from Great Britain. Living conditions in Colonial Maryland on the eve of the Seven Years War (French & Indian War) provides our starting point. Presentations will include some archaeological findings in Maryland and elsewhere, but most of our discussions will examine specific events and documents, including shots fired at Lexington and Concord, removal of French Canadians from Acadia, paintings of the Anglo-American assault on French Canada, and the Declaration. On August 23, 1775, King George III declared that parts of Britian’s American colonies were in “open & avowed rebellion.” A running battle between British regular troops and Massachusetts militia groups occurred months earlier resulting in significant casualties on both sides. Colonial resolutions of non-importation and polite petitions, and sternly worded Parliamentary acts, became moot. Congress had to organize and equip an army, create and staff foreign embassies, and organize and implement the basic functions of government, including raising money for doing so and without a monarch. This talk explores the initial part of an experiment that continues to this day. This presentation will be held live over Zoom. It will also be recorded and uploaded to the St. Mary's County Library YouTube channel. If you would like to attend this event live and/or watch the recording, please register with an email address to receive the Zoom link the day before the event. The YouTube link to the recording will be emailed to everyone who registers for this program.
Trivia Mondays
St. Mary's County Recreation & Parks
Anime Club
This month's show:Color Our World - Adult Summer Reading Kickoff
Bird Feeding 101
Mobile Library Stop at St. Mary's Caring Soup Kitchen
Mobile Library Stop at Lexington Park Senior Apartments
Mobile Library Stop at Patuxent Cove Apartments
46472 Admiral Lane, Lexington Park, MD 20653DIY Decorative Book Edges
A Renaissance Day Celebration
Join us for a Renaissance-themed celebration filled with fun, creativity, and hands-on learning where kids of all ages will delight in a variety of crafts to celebrate the art and science that was flourishing during this era in Europe!Honoring the Divine Nine: A Southern Maryland Juneteenth Event
Register to receive email or text reminders for the event. Also registrants may receive a followup email with any information the organizations provide.AccessHealth at St. Mary's County Hospital: Lobby Visit
Connect and Converse
Southern Maryland JobSource Mobile Career Center
Administración del Seguro Social: Pregúntele a un experto
Social Security Administration: Ask An Expert
Mobile Library Stop at Piney Point Lighthouse Museum
44720 Lighthouse Rd., Piney Point, MD 20674Intro to 3D Printing
Common Thread
Mobile Library Stop at St. Mary's Adult Medical Daycare
Mobile Library Stop at Wildewood Village Event Center
The Lights are not Safe: Danger on the Potomac during the American Civil War
By the start of the American Civil War, six aids of various types were in use on the Potomac between Alexandria, Virginia and Piney Point, Maryland. All of these aids were targeted by the Confederates at one time or another. Foxhall A. Parker, Commander of the Potomac Flotilla, wrote “while there are so many rebel sympathizers in Maryland and on the eastern shore of Virginia none of the lighthouses there located are safe.”
Join us as we explore the conditions on the Potomac River during the Civil War, especially in reference to the lighthouses and light vessels, and the dangers they faced.Adult Lit Kit
St. Mary's County Health Department Outreach
Mobile Library Stop at Loffler Senior Center
Maryland Food Bank Mobile Market
Three Oaks Center Outreach: Lobby Visit
Yarn Storming Day
Mobile Library Stop at Victory Woods
Virtual Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Club - Nothing to See Here: by Kevin Wilson
Cricut Crafts: Tote Bag with Iron-On Vinyl
Lexington Park Chess Day
Veterans Book Group
Intro to 3D Printing
Cricut Crafts: Magnetic Bookmarks - AFTERNOON SESSION
Trivia Mondays
Cricut Crafts: Magnetic Bookmarks - EVENING SESSION
Selling Your Home - What You Need to Know
Hobby Trials: Cross Stitch
Community Health Advocates - MedStar St. Mary's
CareFirst Community Health Plan MD Medicaid: Lobby Visit
Beacon of Hope Pop Up copy: Lobby Visit
St. Mary's County Court Help Clinic
Phone: 301-475-4200 ext 4110Library Closed
Art for Anyone - Inspired by Andrea Nelson
K-Pop Party
Paws to Read
Three Oaks Center Outreach
Mini Painting "Knight"
Southern Maryland JobSource Mobile Career Center
Veterans' Services: Lobby Visit
Mobile Library Stop at First Saints Community Food Pantry
Mobile Library Stop at St. Mary's College of Maryland
Beacon of Hope Pop Up copy: Lobby Visit
St. Mary's County Court Help Clinic
Phone: 301-475-4200 ext 4110Butterfly Gardens and Pollinator Paths: Beautiful and Beneficial
Maryland Coalition of Families
Three Oaks Center Outreach: Lobby Visit
Cozy Mystery Book Club
Virtual Romance Book Club: The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen
SMCHD and SMCL Present: : The Goodr Pop-up Grocery Store
More to Explore: Preparing Healthy Snacks
Behind the Scenes Library Tour
Puzzlemania! FAMILY EDITION Competition and Puzzle Swap
Community Chess Day
Trivia Mondays
Petite Process Art
Second Continental Congress & Declaration of Independence: On the Eve of the American Revolution - A Series
Please note that library staff may be taking photos of any or all events to use for future library publications. Event participants’ photos may be used without notification or compensation. If you do not feel comfortable having your photo taken, please inform library staff when you arrive to an event.
