Category: Community

Great Decisions 2026

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

Get Ready

Great Decisions, America’s largest civic discussion program on world affairs, is coming back to Falmouth Public Library in 2026!  This program highlights the most thought-provoking foreign policy challenges facing Americans and works to engage citizens by learning about and discussing one of eight critical global issues identified by the Foreign Policy Association in a non-partisan, open environment.

Starts March 2026

This program will run for eight consecutive weeks starting the first week of March 2026 and ending the fourth week of April.  All participants will read the relevant chapter in the Great Decisions Briefing Book and watch the corresponding Master Class on DVD or streaming, which will be provided by the library for free to registered participants prior to each topic discussion.

2 Sessions To Pick From

There will be two sessions to choose from.  Tuesday night’s from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm or Thursday’s afternoon’s from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm.  Pick which session works best for your schedule.

Registration opens on January 1, 2026

Registration is required for each of the eight topic discussions and will be limited to 15 participants.  Participants are encouraged to attend all eight sessions but you may choose to attend only certain topics.  Starting on January 1, 2026, you will be able to register online using our library event calendar. 

Great Decisions 2026 Topics

America and the World: Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy by G. John Ikenberry
“Trump’s return has marked a break from 80 years of U.S. foreign policy leadership, embracing an “America First” approach. This chapter explores the risks of isolation and diminished influence in relation to Trump 2.0 foreign policy.”

Trump Tariffs and the Future of the World Economy by Michael Mastanduno
“Trump’s aggressive trade and tariff policies have shaken global economic norms. What’s the rationale behind this radical shift in economic policy, and what are the implications for multilateral trade and geopolitics?”

U.S.-China Relations by Oriana Mastro
“Relations with China remain tense, with tariffs, military modernization, and pressure on Taiwan. Does Trump have a coherent China policy, and will his tariffs on Rare Earth minerals be effective? What are America’s strategic options?”

Ruptured Alliances and the Risk of Nuclear Proliferation by Gideon Rose
“U.S. alliance skepticism may drive countries like Japan and South Korea to reconsider nuclear options. What are the implications of the Trump administration’s rethinking of the U.S. alliance system for regional and global security? Will this new uncertainty alter the way allies and rivals in various regions make decisions about security and nuclear weapons?”

Ukraine and the Future of European Security by Thomas Wright
“With reduced U.S. support for NATO and Ukraine, Europe faces strategic uncertainty. The Trump administration has signaled an intention to reduce its security role in Europe. What are America’s stakes in NATO and Europe’s strategic dilemmas, and how might Europe respond?”

Multilateral Institutions in a Changing World Order by Scott Bessent (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
“Can multilateralism survive amid shifting global power and rising nationalism? This chapter examines the future of global cooperation across trade, health, and finance.”

U.S. Engagement of Africa by Jendayi E. Frazer
“Africa’s geopolitical role is growing. What lessons can the U.S. learn from China’s presence there, and how might it strengthen ties, especially with leading nations like Nigeria? What tools of statecraft might the U.S. bring to its engagement with Africa?”

The Future of Human Rights and International Law by Jose Enrique Alvarez
“As democracy and human rights retreat globally—and the U.S. pulls back—how can civil society and legal norms remain effective in a divided world? What is the role and force of international law in this era of impunity?”

Questions

If you have any questions about this program, please email us at info@falmouthpubliclibrary.org or call the Adult Service’s desk at 508-457-2555 x7 and ask for Jessica.  We look forward to seeing you in 2026 for some great civic discussions!

 

House of Diggs with Dr. Marion Orr

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

The Falmouth Public Library is excited to welcome for the very first time, Dr. Marion Orr, political scientist and the inaugural Fredrick Lippitt Professor of Public Policy at Brown University for a reading, author talk and book signing for his newest Book, House of Diggs, on Tuesday, November 4th at 6:30pm in the library’s Hermann room.

House of Diggs is the first biography of Congressman Charles C. Diggs Jr., one of the most consequential Black federal legislators in US history whose unfortunate downfall punctuated his distinguished career and pushed him and his historic accomplishments out of sight. Come hear award-winning author Dr. Orr speak about how his biography, House of Diggs: The Rise and Fall of America’s Most Consequential Black Congressman, Charles C. Diggs Jr., restores Congressman Diggs to his much-deserved place in the history of American politics.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event by Eight Cousins Books. All are welcome! To register to attend this free public event, CLICK HERE or visit/call the Adult Services desk at 508-457-2555 x7.

Secret Mall Apartment – Documentary Screening

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

“Let’s All Live At The Mall.”

Join us in the Falmouth Public Library’s Hermann Room on Tuesday, October 7th at 6:30pm for a documentary screening of The Secret Apartment (2024) from Executive Producer Jesse Eisenberg and acclaimed Director Jeremy Workman! This documentary screening is free to the public and is supported by the Library Board of Trustees. To register to attend as seating is limited, CLICK HERE or call us at 508-457-2555 x7.

WINNER OF NINE FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS OFFICIAL SELECTION SXSW, HOTDOCS, IFFBoston, Cleveland Film Festival, Melbourne Film Festival, Vancouver Film Festival

“In 2003, eight young Rhode Islanders created a secret apartment in a hidden space inside the Providence Place Mall and lived in it for four years, filming everything along the way. They snuck in furniture, tapped into the mall’s electricity, and even secretly constructed a brick wall with a locking door, smuggling in over 2 tons of cinderblock. Far more than just a wild prank, the secret apartment became a deeply meaningful place for all its inhabitants – a personal expression of defiance against local gentrification, a boundary-pushing work of public/private art, and finally, a 750 square foot space that sticks it to the man! Featuring never-before-seen footage of the space and revealing the identities of all the participants for the first time, Secret Mall Apartment is more than just a bonkers true story.”

The Secret Apartment is rated Not Rated and has a running time of 1 hour and 31 minutes. English subtitles will be used if available.

Reviews

“A hugely entertaining and insightful doc about issues/art that will force you to think while you laugh.” –Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns

“Secret Mall Apartment unspools a wild story full of relatable wish fulfillment and social commentary, making for a highly entertaining treatise on artistic expression.” RottenTomatoes “Critic Consensus”+

“Deliriously entertaining and moving… Watching Secret Mall Apartment, I was reminded at times of Man On Wire.”” –Bilge Ebiri, Vulture 

“Can an apartment be art? Yes, the movie suggests — if you understand art to be fused with life, a way of existing rather than just something you make and sell.” -Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times

“Unexpectedly inspirational” –Los Angeles Times

“Delightful… Moving…   Issues of urban renewal, the value of public art, the difficulty of being married to an obsessive artist and lots more run through Workman’s film. It’s consistently, thoughtfully engaging. And, yes, often very funny in its open-hearted embrace of the DIY spirit, legal or otherwise” -Michael Philips, Chicago Tribune

“Secret Mall Apartment is a true tall tale.” –Film Inquiry

“Fascinating.. A delightful, thought-provoking movie that’s about a lot of things at the same time. It’ll make you see the world with fresh eyes.” –Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com

 

NASA’s Cosmic Dawn Documentary Screening

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

Cosmic Dawn is the incredible true story of the James Webb Space Telescope – humanity’s largest and most powerful space telescope – on a mission to unveil the early universe, against all odds.

On Tuesday, September 23rd at 6:30pm in the library’s Hermann Room, come join us as we watch this NASA+ documentary that brings viewers on an unprecedented journey through Webb’s delicate assembly, rigorous testing, and triumphant launch, showcasing the sheer complexity and breathtaking risks involved in creating a telescope capable of peering billions of years into the past. Follow the telescope from an idea developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center all the way to the launchpad in French Guiana, with never-before-seen footage captured by the Webb film crew offering intimate access to the challenges and triumphs along the way. 

This documentary screening is free to the public and all are welcome!

Cosmic Dawn is Not Rated and has a running time of 1 hour and 36 minutes.  To register to attend, CLICK HERE or visit/call the Adult Service Desk at 508-457-2555 x7.

Mah Jongg in the Fall

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

Are you new to the game Mah Jongg?  Has it been a long time since you played and you need to practice?  Come join our Fall open play sessions on Monday afternoons!

September 8th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
September 15th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
September 22nd: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Rm
September 29th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Rm
October 6th: 1pm-3pm in the Bay Room
October 20th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
October 27th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
November 3rd: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
November 10th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room
November 17th: 1pm-3pm in the Hermann Room

These sessions are intended for players who are familiar with the rules of American Mah Jongg and are looking for a casual and supportive space to practice and improve their mahjong skills by playing with other beginner players.  No formal play instruction will be provided.

Players must provide their own Mah Jongg sets and National Mah Jongg League cards.  We’ll provide the tables and chairs!

Laura Wool’s Beach Reads

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

 

Laura Wool, our Homebound Librarian who provides library materials to residents of Falmouth who are unable to travel to the library, has complied a list of her favorite beach reads this summer.  Check out her reading list below!

 

 

This Summer will be Different by Carley Fortune

“When her best friend flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy follows her Prince Edward Island to help her through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to, but his flirty quips have been replaced with something new, making her wonder if her heart is still safe.”


One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

“Charlie was 19 when Alice took his photo near her Nan’s cottage in Barry’s Bay, but now he’s a grown-up flirt who makes Alice feel seventeen again—warm nights on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but she begins to worry for her heart.”



The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose

“It’s been eleven years since high-powered attorney Sarah Morgan defended her husband, Adam, against the charge of murdering his mistress. Sarah has long since moved on, starting a family with her new husband, Bob Miller, and changing careers. After discovering Bob engaged in a one-night stand, Sarah wastes no time filing for divorce. However, amid their ugly separation, new DNA evidence is uncovered in the case against Adam, forcing the police to reopen the investigation and putting Sarah right back in the spotlight.”

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

“Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. As a named partner at her firm, life is going exactly how she planned. The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He’s a struggling writer who has had little success in his career and out at the couple’s lake house, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers. When Kelly is found brutally stabbed to death, Sarah must take on her hardest case yet, defending her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress”

A Novel Summer by Jamie Brenner

“In her return to Provincetown after a best-selling novel exposes local secrets, an author returns to her idyllic Cape Cod hometown to face her betrayal but rediscovers her passion and community through a summer managing a friend’s bookstore.”



Beach Vibes by Susan Malley

“Beth’s idyllic life running her Malibu beach shop unravels when she discovers her brother’s infidelity and must make a moral decision threatening her newfound happiness and forcing her to choose between love and loyalty.” 



The Summer that Changed Everything by Brenda Novak

“It’s been fifteen years since Lucy Sinclair sat in a courtroom and watched her father be sentenced to life in prison. He murdered three victims–all people she knew–which ruined her life at just seventeen. But now she’s back in Virginia to talk to him, wondering if there’s more to the story of what happened that fateful night.  Problem is, there are plenty of those in this small coastal town who would prefer things stay quiet . . .”

Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey

“When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town. Charlotte and Iris find solace but when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all.” 

PBS America250 Reading List

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

Stories That Shaped A Nation

PBS Books has curated a literary journey that celebrates the path to American freedom and commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  This special reading list brings together compelling titles across three distinct genres—nonfiction, historical fiction, and children’s literature—to illuminate the courage, complexity, and conviction behind America’s founding.

Nonfiction

“Dive into meticulously researched works that provide powerful insights into the Revolution and the broader context of American independence that are written in a novelist style. These books reveal untold stories and broaden our understanding of the era—from George Washington’s leadership and the complexities of Indigenous and African American experiences, to the moral struggles that defined the fight for liberty.”

You Never Forget Your First by Alexis Coe
Poor Richard’s Women by Nancy Rubin Stuart
Liberty Is Sweet by Woody Holton
Independence by John Ferling
Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts
Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution by Claire Bellerjeau, Tiffany Yecke Brooks, and Vanessa Williams
American Inheritance by Edward J. Larson
1776 by David McCullough
Founding Mothers and Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts
African Founders by David Hackett Fischer
The First Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson
The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff
Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick
The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson
The Fate of the Day by Rick Atkinson
The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk
Independence Lost by Kathleen DuVal

Historical Fiction

“Experience the era of revolution through the eyes of unforgettable characters brought to life by gifted storytellers. These novels blend fact with fiction, immersing readers in personal dramas set against the backdrop of historical transformation. Whether following the bold disguise of a woman soldier or the trials of Eliza Hamilton, these stories add human depth to our nation’s founding.”

A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon
My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
The Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki
America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon
The Hamilton Affair by Elizabeth Cobbs

Children’s Books

“Inspire the next generation with accessible, engaging, and age-appropriate books that bring the American Revolution to life. These titles are packed with colorful illustrations, fascinating facts, and heroic figures—from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to the everyday kids and families who shaped history.”

Seeds of America Trilogy by Laurie Halse
History Smashers: The American Revolution by Kate Messner
Guts & Glory: The American Revolution by Ben Thompson
Washington, Adams, and Jefferson by C.A. Worman
Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson
The History of the American Revolution by Emma Carlson Berne

Poetry Meets Running: A Warm-Up for the Falmouth Road Race

Posted on by Kristin Nelson

On the eve of the Falmouth Road Race, the Falmouth Public Library is proud to host a special poetry reading with author and scientist Jon Hare on Saturday, August 16 at 2:00 PM in the Hermann Foundation Meeting Room. Hare will present selections from his new collection, Woods Hole Senryu—a poetic tribute to the quirks, contrasts, and character of Woods Hole.

Written in the style of senryu, a short Japanese poetic form similar to haiku, Woods Hole Senryu uses humor and insight to reflect on human nature and local life. Through the lens of a scientist and a runner, Hare offers a uniquely personal and geographic journey that begins and ends in Woods Hole—mirroring the route of the famed Falmouth Road Race.

“Running for me is a time to think—almost meditative,” Hare says. “Many of these poems were shaped while I ran. The order of the poems follows the geography—from Woods Hole, up to Falmouth, and back. The first half is essentially the Road Race course, and my time training for the Road Race deeply influenced this collection.”

Attendees are also invited to write their own senryu or haiku on provided postcards and enjoy light refreshments inspired by race day—think protein bars, reusable water bottles, and other runner-friendly snacks. There will even be a book giveaway!

Join us for an afternoon of thoughtful humor and local insight as Hare shares poems inspired by movement, observation, and the vibrant spirit of the Falmouth community.

Celebrate the power of poetry and place—just in time for race weekend.

This event is free and open to the public. We recommend registering. 

For more information, contact the Falmouth Public Library at (508) 457-2555 or visit www.falmouthpubliclibrary.org.

Cue The Sun!

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

Consider this your invitation to read and discuss narrative nonfiction with us! In the Narrative Nonfiction Book Club we will be reading across the genres of nonfiction, from history to adventure, memoir/biography, and beyond with books that read like a novel.

Join us on Saturday, August 2nd at 11am in the Hermann room as we discuss our latest book pick, 2025 Andrew Carnegie Finalist, Cue The Sun! The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum. 

This book club is free to the public and copies of the book are available at the adult service desk one month prior to our book club meeting.  To register to attend, CLICK HERE.

Cue the Sun! Synopsis:

“The rollicking saga of reality television – an ambitious cultural history of America’s most influential, most divisive artistic phenomenon, from the Pulitzer Prize – winning New Yorker writer.

Who invented reality television, the world’s most dangerous pop-culture genre?  Any why can’t we look away?  In this revelatory, deeply reported account of the rise of “dirty documentary” – from its contentions roots in radio to the ascent of Donald Trump – Emily Nussbaum unearths the origin story of the genre that ate the world, as told through the lively voices of the people who built it.  At once gimlet-eyed and empathetic, Cue the Sun! explores the morally charged, funny, and sometimes tragic consequences of the hunt for something real inside something fake.

A shrewd observer who adores television, Nussbaum is the ideal voice for the first substantive history of the genre that, for better or worse, made America what it is today.”

About the Author:

“Emily Nussbaum is a staff writer at The New Yorker, where she’s worked since 2011, originally as the magazine’s television critic.  In 2016, she won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism.  Previously, she was the culture editor for New York, where she created the Approval Matrix.  She is also the author of I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution, which was a finalist for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay.  She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Clive Thompson, and their two children.”

 

Help Shape the Future of Adult Programs at the Library!

Posted on by Kristin Nelson

At the Falmouth Public Library, we believe the best programs start with you—our community! That’s why we’re inviting you to take a few minutes to complete our Adult Programming Survey.

Whether you’re a regular at our events or haven’t attended one yet, your input is incredibly valuable. We want to know what kinds of topics interest you, what types of experiences are you looking for—educational, creative, or social and what days and times work best for your schedule?

This short survey helps us design programs that reflect the interests, needs, and schedules of our adult community members. From author talks and art workshops to tech help and wellness sessions, your feedback plays a direct role in what we offer next.

👉Link to Survey