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. 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. This book discussion series is tailored for veterans and their families. Service members of all eras, their spouses, and adult children are welcome. We will read and discuss four books written in a very different style but connected by themes of war, courage, honor, and trauma. Meetings will be held the first Saturday of the month 2-4 p.m. at Lexington Park library and online via ZOOM. Participants should plan to attend all sessions. Materials provided. Book descriptions are from Amazon unless otherwise noted. The Veterans Book Group is coordinated statewide by Maryland Humanities and is presented locally in partnership with St. Mary’s County Library. It is supported in part by Lockheed Martin, David Bruce Smith, and the Wawa Foundation. February 04: The Fifth Act: America’s End in Afghanistan by Elliott Ackerman Wayne’s Note: Ackerman, a former Marine, spent five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. The reading group has previously discussed Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning by Ackerman. March 04: Her Privates We by Frederic Manning April 01: Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl May 06: Dust Child by Nguyen Phan Que Mai Wayne’s Note: The author’s new novel (the group read The Mountains Sing by her last year) centers on what the Vietnamese call the “dust of life,” the children (now adults) of American servicemen and Vietnamese women, a group shunned and persecuted in Vietnam. The book’s release date is March 14th, 2023. I will be hosting the author, live and on zoom at the College of Southern Maryland on March 29, and she will be at St. Mary’s College on March 30th. The Veterans’ Book Group is invited to both appearances. June 03: Memorial Days: Vietnam Stories, 1973-2022 by Wayne Karlin (in Longfellow room) 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. Do you like anime or manga? Join us for this month’s anime club meeting. We will watch the first episode of three different shows, then have a brief discussion after. Refreshments will be provided. Children under 16 permitted with an adult. Join us for this introductory class to learn how to use emails. If you are interested in learning how to set up an email, in addition to sending, receiving, formatting, and understanding how to attach documents, cc people, and organize your emails, this session will introduce the basics of email, including Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook. Join us for this introductory class to learn how to use Microsoft: Word. If you are interested in learning how to use Microsoft: Word, this class will cover the basics including what Microsoft: Word is, how to create, save, and format documents, in addition to how to use Microsoft: Word at the Library. Seedco Navigators will be on site to educate and assist those who are uninsured as well as those currently insured through Maryland Health Connection. Navigators will be providing information on new lower premiums, access to financial assistance for those who qualify, as well as scheduling appointments for application and enrollment in health coverage. Seedco is a non-profit organization under a grant funded contract with the state of Maryland, through the Maryland Health Exchange. We work to educate and assist Maryland residents, free of charge, in understanding their health coverage options, potential for financial assistance, and how to select the best plan within the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange marketplace that suits their needs. Additionally, we work to provide resources and other options for those who do not qualify or are unable to get the coverage they need. Job seekers can stop by to get job counseling and resume help,search for jobs, and get registered with the Maryland Workforce Exchange. LifeStyles’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides free federal and state tax preparation services for households whose total household income is $60,000 or less. Tax services are provided by IRS-certified tax preparers. Tax service is for Charles, Prince George’s, St Mary’s and Calvert County residents, and is only for Federal and Maryland State tax returns (No D.C. or other state returns). Prior tax returns from the last four years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) can be completed, but a separate appointment must be made for each tax year that’s needed. Appointments are available on Thursdays, February 2 - April 13 at the Lexington Park Library and are scheduled to be 45 minutes long. Registration is required, and walk-ins will not be accepted. Registration for each Thursday will become available three weeks in advance. Please read all the information on the registration page as it includes a list of required paperwork and important safety measures. Three Oaks Center staff will be in the lobby to answer questions about homelessness resources and intake for services. Three Oaks Center’s Street Outreach identifies and engages people living in unsheltered locations, such as in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, encampments, and on the streets and plays critical roles within systems for ending homelessness. Effective street outreach reaches people who might not otherwise seek assistance or come to the attention of the homelessness service system and ensures that people’s basic needs are met while supporting them along pathways toward housing stability. 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! Unlock your crafting potential by learning how to use the Cricut cutting machine to make your own vinyl embellished cloth bag! Have you heard of the Cricut craze and you want to find out what it’s all about? Join us for this introductory, in-person class in the Leonardtown Makerspace where you’ll learn the basics of how the Cricut cutter works as well the use of Cricut Design Space. You’ll create your own heat transfer vinyl design to apply to a cloth bag to take with you! After learning the basics, you'll be able to return to the Makerspace during open hours to use the Cricut on your own to create whatever you can imagine! Visit the Makerspace website to see open hours and learn about all it has to offer! No experience needed and all materials are provided. Learn the basics of Microsoft Office’s computer spreadsheet application in this introductory class.
Excel is most often used to make lists or calculate columns of numbers. We will get you started with the basics like creating, saving, and formatting the spreadsheets. The Library is closed in observance of Easter Sunday. 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. Come learn more about the library's Cricut Maker and practice cutting felt flowers to embellish a wreath to take home! This introductory, in-person class will cover how to use an electronic die-cutting machine called the Cricut Maker to create felt flowers to apply to a grapevine wreath. 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. Job seekers can stop by to get job counseling and resume help, search for jobs, and get registered with the Maryland Workforce Exchange. Representatives will be here to educate and assist those who are seeking new insurance or employment/career opportunities. SeedCo Navigators will be on site to educate and assist those who are uninsured, as well as those currently insured through Maryland Health Connection. The Department of Labor's Workforce Development Group will be on site to provide information on job counseling, resume help, searching for jobs, career training opportunities, Veteran services, and workforce re-entry. 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. Le invitamos a esta presentación virtual para aprender los requisitos de elegibilidad de medicare, los períodos de inscripción, el proceso de solicitud y los recursos. 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. Programs provide monthly income to seniors, workers with a disability, children with disabilities, and families in which a spouse or parent has died. We invite you to this virtual presentation to learn about Medicare eligibility requirements, enrollment periods, the application process, and resources. Presentation by Diana Varela, Public Affairs Specialist for the Social Security Administration followed by Q&A. This event will not be recorded. April 11th is National Pet Day! Bring in a picture of your pet to have it made into a button that you can wear to celebrate your furry, scaly, or feathery companion. Images should be circular and around 1.5 inches in diameter. You will want to print the picture(s) onto standard paper for best button quality. For more information on our Button Maker, please visit the Makerspace page on our website. 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 and Makerspace. Whether you have been stitching for years, or you just want to learn, join fellow crafters who love all things fabric and fiber. Meet in person or online! 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, or tips. Basic supplies available, if needed. All skill levels welcome. Registration is required to receive an email with a link to join us online via Zoom. St. Mary’s County Library makes every effort to make events and programs accessible and inclusive. More information about how we do this is provided on our website’s Event Accessibility page. Get started using email today! Technology can be intimidating but once you learn the basics of email you’ll be able to use it more confidently. Join us for this in-person computer class to learn how to send and receive email, navigate your inbox, and practice downloading and attaching files. We will be using Gmail in this class. If you already have a Gmail account, please bring with you the Gmail address and password so you can login. Don’t have a Gmail account? No problem! We’ll help you set one up in class. LifeStyles’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides free federal and state tax preparation services for households whose total household income is $60,000 or less. Tax services are provided by IRS-certified tax preparers. Tax service is for Charles, Prince George’s, St Mary’s and Calvert County residents, and is only for Federal and Maryland State tax returns (No D.C. or other state returns). Prior tax returns from the last four years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) can be completed, but a separate appointment must be made for each tax year that’s needed. Appointments are available on Thursdays, February 2 - April 13 at the Lexington Park Library and are scheduled to be 45 minutes long. Registration is required, and walk-ins will not be accepted. Registration for each Thursday will become available three weeks in advance. Please read all the information on the registration page as it includes a list of required paperwork and important safety measures. Three Oaks Center staff will be in the lobby to answer questions about homelessness resources and intake for services. Three Oaks Center’s Street Outreach identifies and engages people living in unsheltered locations, such as in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, encampments, and on the streets and plays critical roles within systems for ending homelessness. Effective street outreach reaches people who might not otherwise seek assistance or come to the attention of the homelessness service system and ensures that people’s basic needs are met while supporting them along pathways toward housing stability. 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! Each month we will discuss a different fantasy or science fiction novel. All books will be available on Hoopla. April's Title is Sunshine by Robin McKinley Listen to the audiobook on Hoopla Read the eBook on Hoopla Find great reads at great prices! The Friends of the St. Mary's County Library Annual Spring Book Sale offers thousands of gently used books at amazing prices! Cash, check, credit cards accepted. Friday, April 14 is Members Only Day. Not a member? Join today! Or join at the door! Join us to learn about and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander culture. There will be dancing, food, art projects, games and more. Enjoy performances and exhibits representing multiple cultures such as Korean, Hawaiian, Filipino, Chinese, Indian and Thai. Hints: Partners AARP Maryland, Calvert County Parks & Recreation, Calvert Library, Charles County Public Library, St. Mary's County Library, Kona Ice Find great reads at great prices! The Friends of the St. Mary's County Library Annual Spring Book Sale offers thousands of gently used books at amazing prices! Cash, check, credit cards accepted. Join us as Chris Pax, designer of Leonardtown Library’s Front Yard, shares strategies for using native plants at home to create pollinator friendly yards from spring to fall. If you’re thinking about beautifying your yard, learn how to incorporate native plants that will benefit the birds, butterflies and bees that depend on them. Chris is the owner of Annapolis Native Landscape Design in Annapolis, MD. Since the very beginning of her design career, she’s been passionate about gardening with native plants, and is in demand as a speaker for Master Gardener and Garden Club groups throughout Maryland. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about gardening for a healthier environment. Find great reads at great prices! The Friends of the St. Mary's County Library Annual Spring Book Sale offers thousands of gently used books at amazing prices! Cash, check, credit cards accepted. Join us at Charlotte Hall Library to complete a fun arts and crafts project! This event is intended for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities as well as their friends, family, and caregivers. You Belong at the Library meets on the third Monday of the month. Please register each person who will be attending. 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. Come brighten your day with a little "art therapy," and use creativity as your outlet for stress! Experiment with art supplies, and make a project to take home. Materials provided. Learn how to protect yourself and your information online! Topics include using strong passwords and two-factor authentication, avoiding internet scams, and using freely available tools to limit the information that's collected and shared when you browse the web. The U.S. Federal Census has been conducted every 10 years since 1790. These federal and state census records contain valuable information about your ancestors. Join us online to learn about locating census records, what information was collected, and how you can use the information to make a timeline for your ancestors. A Zoom link will go out to participants the day before the program. Interested in attending more genealogy programs? Overlooked No More! Carol Simon Levin, storyteller and author of "Remembering The Ladies: From Patriots in Petticoats to Presidential Candidates," tells the story of the long fight for women’s rights emphasizing the overlooked role played by women of color. She shares the stories of Phillis Wheatley, the enslaved woman who wrote a poem in honor of George Washington, noted abolitionists and women’s rights speakers Maria W. Stewart, Sojourner Truth and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, organizers and suffrage activists Ida Bell Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrill, Native American activists Zitkala-Ša and Marie Loiuse Bottineau Baldwin, migrant rights advocate Dolores Huerta and many more women of all colors and creeds who fought for women’s rights and women’s lives. A Q & A session will follow this presentation. Register to receive the link to the Zoom meeting. Each month we will discuss a different romance novel. All books will be available in both eBook and audiobook format on Hoopla. April's Title is Devil's Bride. Listen to the audiobook on Hoopla Read the eBook on Hoopla Three Oaks Center staff will be in the lobby to answer questions about homelessness resources and intake for services. Three Oaks Center’s Street Outreach identifies and engages people living in unsheltered locations, such as in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, encampments, and on the streets and plays critical roles within systems for ending homelessness. Effective street outreach reaches people who might not otherwise seek assistance or come to the attention of the homelessness service system and ensures that people’s basic needs are met while supporting them along pathways toward housing stability. 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! 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. The book for this month is Pushing Up Daisies (2016) by M. C. Beaton, which is part of the Agatha Raisin series. In order to celebrate April being National Garden Month, we will be holding this month’s discussion in the Library’s beautiful new front garden, weather permitting. The book follows private detective Agatha Raisin as she investigates the murder of the wealthy Lord Bellington who recently made waves by announcing his plans to turn the community garden into a housing estate. Everyone is relieved to hear that his son has no interest in continuing the development plans. Unfortunately, he is then declared the prime suspect in his father’s murder and then another body turns up. Agatha is on a mission to discover the truth and save the community garden if she can. Search for copies in the catalog; or download a digital copy on Hoopla. Please be aware that this book does contain some minor adult themes, content, and language. Parental discretion is advised for anyone under the age of 18. For more questions, please email bthorne@stmalib.org 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. This presentation will examine the archaeology of former flue curing barns in Southern Maryland, which were used to dry out tobacco leaves. Beginning with initial European settlement in the 17th century and continuing until the early years of the 21st, Maryland tobacco farmers air-cured their harvests in barns with hinged siding. Several farmers, however—among the wealthiest—experimented with flue-curing in weather-tight barns. One invented and patented a jacketed furnace manufactured by the Bibb Company of Baltimore in the 1860s. This illustrated talk examines a surviving Bibb Tobacco Flue Furnace recovered from a barn in Calvert County and suggests other possible examples of former flue curing barns in Calvert and Charles counties. Register with an email address to receive the Zoom link the day before the event. Supported Employment Program The Cornerstone Southern Maryland (formerly Southern Maryland Community Network) Supported Employment Program is designed to help people who suffer from serious behavioral disorders to obtain and maintain competitive employment of their personal choice in the community. Supported Employment works with various community partners to include Division of Rehabilitation (DORS) to assist individuals with reaching their fullest potential, whether it's to go back to school, obtaining your driver's license, benefits counseling or to receive on the job skills. You can work and still receive social security disability and medical assistance! Whether you have been stitching for years, or you just want to learn, join fellow crafters who love all things fabric and fiber. Meet in person or online! 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, or tips. Basic supplies available, if needed. All skill levels welcome. Registration is required to receive an email with a link to join us online via Zoom. St. Mary’s County Library makes every effort to make events and programs accessible and inclusive. More information about how we do this is provided on our website’s Event Accessibility page. Employees from the St. Mary's County Health Department will be available in the lobby to answer your questions about Narcan and Opioid overdose. No appointment necessary. Job seekers can stop by to get job counseling and resume help, search for jobs, and get registered with the Maryland Workforce Exchange. Three Oaks Center staff will be in the lobby to answer questions about homelessness resources and intake for services. Three Oaks Center’s Street Outreach identifies and engages people living in unsheltered locations, such as in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, encampments, and on the streets and plays critical roles within systems for ending homelessness. Effective street outreach reaches people who might not otherwise seek assistance or come to the attention of the homelessness service system and ensures that people’s basic needs are met while supporting them along pathways toward housing stability. 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! Art is all about self-expression, but having some guidance never hurt anyone. Artist Deb McClure will be here, prepped with exercises and guidance, to help you create art that truly speaks to you. This program will focus on color (such as mixing, color theory, or just general usage). Painting supplies, such as canvas, brushes, and paints will be provided by the St. Mary’s Arts Council. Each workshop will feature a still life set up for use, as well as other guided exercises specifically focused on improving your understanding and use of color. Deb will be on hand to offer advice, guidance, or just friendly artistic conversation. Feel free to come in and stop by for however long you would like, just be ready to make some art! Join the Lexington Park Library in learning about boating safety, security, navigation, and much more! The seminar is for boaters with little to no background or training in boating safety as well as a refresher for more experienced boaters. It covers the most critical components of boating safety a new boater needs to know immediately. The seminar includes the importance of life jackets, fire extinguishers and their use, how to get a free boat safety check, navigating on the water, navigation rules, safe fueling, anchoring and knots. This is a classroom seminar presented by a certified USCG Auxiliary instructor. It is not an on-the-water course. It covers the things that you should know but does not give you actual underway experience.
Veterans Book Group
If you need special accommodations for any Library event or program, please submit our Accommodations Request form as soon as possible.Trivia Mondays
Anime Club: Cooking Shows
This month's we are watching the following shows:
Computer Class - Email Basics: @ the Lexington Park Library
Computer Class - Microsoft Word: @ the Lexington Park Library
Seedco Navigators: Connecting Families to Health Care
Southern Maryland JobSource Mobile Career Center
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program: LifeStyles, Inc.
Three Oaks Center Homelessness Services Outreach
AccessHealth at St. Mary's Hospital
Cricut Crafts: Custom Bag: Using Heat Transfer Vinyl
Intro to Microsoft Excel
This class does not come with a MS certificate.
Computer Skills needed for this class: Mouse and keyboard
Register to reserve your spot and receive a reminder email. Walk-ins welcome as space allows. Library Closed
Trivia Mondays
Cricut Crafts: Felt Flower Wreath
Southern Maryland JobSource Mobile Career Center
SeedCo Navigators & Dept. of Labor Lobby Visit: Family Healthcare & Workforce Development
Administración del Seguro Social: Medicare: (also in English from 1-2 pm)
Social Security Administration: Medicare: (tambien en Espanol de 12-1 pm)
National Pet Day Buttons
Introduction to 3D Printing
Common Thread
Email Basics at Leonardtown Library
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program: LifeStyles, Inc.
Three Oaks Center Homelessness Services Outreach
AccessHealth at St. Mary's Hospital
Virtual Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Club: Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Friends of the St. Mary's County Library Annual Book Sale: Members Only Day
Asian American Pacific Islander Cultural Festival
Friends of the St. Mary's County Library Annual Book Sale
Plant for Pollinators in Your Home Garden
Friends of the St. Mary's County Library Annual Book Sale
You Belong at the Library
Trivia Mondays
Art On Your Own Terms
Protect Yourself: Online Security and Privacy
Genealogy Series - Using Census Records: The U.S. Federal Census and State Census Records
Our Rights Too! : Overlooked Women of Color in the Fight for Women's Rights
Virtual Romance Book Club: Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens
Three Oaks Center Homelessness Services Outreach
AccessHealth at St. Mary's Hospital
Cozy Mystery Book Club
Trivia Mondays
The Bibb Tobacco Flue: A Southern Maryland Experiment
Cornerstone Southern Maryland
Common Thread
St. Mary's County Health Department
Southern Maryland JobSource Mobile Career Center
Three Oaks Center Homelessness Services Outreach
AccessHealth at St. Mary's Hospital
Open Art Workshop: Color Your Way
Introduction to Boating Safety: @ the Lexington Park Library
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.
