Library Lectures for CREW Climate Prep Week

This year the Falmouth Public Library will be participating in CREW’s Climate Preparedness Week (Sept. 26-30) with two lectures: one via Zoom, and one in person.

Tuesday September 27, 6-7pm (Zoom)
The Planet’s Health and Yours: Facing the Invisible Impacts of Climate Change
Richard Delaney, Executive Director of the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative (CCCC)
Register to receive the Zoom Link.

This webinar will provide an overview of climate change impacts we see, experience, and know on Cape, including economic, environmental justice, physical and mental health, and ecosystem impacts. Delaney will also discuss what you can do and share information about the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative.

This program is co-sponsored by CLAMS libraries: Aquinnah Public Library, Brewster Ladies’ Library, Centerville Public Library, Eastham Public Library, Falmouth Public Library, Eldredge Public Library, Mashpee Public Library, Provincetown Public Library, Sturgis Library, Truro Public Library, Provincetown, Wellfleet Public Library, Yarmouth Town Libraries, Yarmouth Port Library.

Wednesday, September 28, 6:30-8pm, Hermann Meeting Room
Climate Crisis: How Do I Live With This?
Dr. Heather Goldstone, Woodwell Climate Research Center
Please register to attend this in-person talk.

Humanity faces an unprecedented situation; greenhouse gas levels and global temperatures are higher than they have been at any time in human history. Increasingly severe heat waves, droughts, floods, and fires are impacting communities around the world, and coastal communities like Cape Cod face additional threats from sea level rise and ocean warming and acidification. Confronting this reality can be difficult, but understanding both the risks and opportunities before us can be a source of determination and optimism. And some of our most powerful solutions lie in connecting with nature and community. 

Dr. Heather Goldstone oversees Woodwell Climate Research Center’s communications activities, bringing the rich stories of Woodwell scientists to diverse public audiences. She has extensive experience as both a scientist and a journalist, and she is passionate about melding data and narrative in climate change stories that build awareness and inspire action.

 

Mimi Schlichter Author Talk & Art Exhibit

Stop on by the library to see Mimi’s art and then come hear her speak about her 54-day project!

Author Talk, Demonstration and Book Signing

The Falmouth Public Library is delighted to host local artist and writer Mimi Schlichter for an author talk and book signing on Saturday, September 17th from 4pm-5pm in the library’s Hermann meeting room.  Mimi will be discussing her most recent book The 54 and Then Some: The 54 Falmouth Beach Paintings in 54 Days Project Expanded Edition with The Other 46, as well as offering a demonstration of her alla prima oil technique used during the project.  This author talk, demonstration and book signing event is free to the public and registration is required.  To register, click here or call the library at 508-457-2555 extension 7.  (Photo Credit: Milt Williamson)

Mimi explains the genesis of the project on the back cover of the book, “On April 1, 2020 the Town of Falmouth closed its beach parking lots as a proactive measure to reduce Covid 19 viral spread.  It meant I lost the option of painting beach scenes from the front seat of my car.  They remained closed until May 24th.  A total of 54 days.  One year later, March, 2021, I found myself sitting in my car in a beach parking lost, painting and wondering “why didn’t I do this more often last year?”  Then I remembered.  I couldn’t get there.  The idea came to me to celebrate how life is different this year.  So on April 1, 2021, I began a series of 54 paintings of the Falmouth beaches.  My personal commitment was to complete the paintings in 54 days, one a day, every day, by May 24.  You hold in your hands the result of that commitment.  In this new expanded version, I include The Other 46, the paintings completed in the 46 days following the completion of the 54 project.  They take the alla prima “a painting a day” run to a full 100 days.”

“The Beaches and Beyond Art Exhibit”

Concurrently, “The Beaches and Beyond Art Exhibit” by Mimi Schlichter will be on display in the Adult Collections Room of the Falmouth Public Library for the entire month of September.  Mimi describes the show as a gradual exhibit.  Her intention is to begin with a representative group of paintings form the original 54-day project, while each week adding newly created, sometime still wet, oil paintings she plans to complete during the month of September.  The art exhibit will be on display from September 2nd through September 30th.  This art exhibit is free to view and no registration is required.  Just stop on by the Adult Collections Room during the library hours.

Mimi Schlichter moved from Pennsylvania to Cape Cod in 1997 to pursue painting in an environment of light and beauty, with nature as her inspiration.  She paints mostly in oils, while also enjoying the flexibility and spontaneity of watercolor pencils paired with ink.  It is her goal to bring to life scenes and visions that inspire, soothe, and bring joy, be they tiny minis at 2’x2′ or massive multi panel installations.

Estate Planning: Preserving Your Falmouth Home

We Love Our Falmouth Home. But Will Our Children? Should we Preserve the Legacy, and How?

Second homes are often the most valuable asset in your estate and require specialized planning to ensure the home stays in the family. Leaving your valuable family home in equal shares to heirs without a master plan is often a recipe for disaster.
 
Join estate planning attorney Tim Borchers, Esq., who will share successful approaches for your home’s protection, succession and preservation. He’ll be speaking in the Hermann Meeting Room on Wednesday Sept. 14 at 6:30pm; please register to attend. We will also be streaming the talk via Zoom, so even if you would like to attend remotely, please register to receive the Zoom link.
 
Tim’s speaking engagements have included radio shows, podcasts, lectures at MA and NY law associations and other Cape Cod community events.  He has CTFA, EPLS™ and AEP® accreditations and is an estate planner with Borchers Trust Law. He is also a co-author of Second Home Savvy.

Contribute Your Memories of the Falmouth Road Race

This year on August 21 Falmouth will host the 50th running of the Falmouth Road Race. As thousands of runners race from the starting line, in front of the Captain Kidd on Water Street in Woods Hole, they wind past Nobska Light, up Surf Drive, around Falmouth Harbor, to the finish line in Falmouth Heights.

At the Falmouth Public Library we have large collections of postcards of local landmarks along the path of the Road Race. We’ve created a Map so you can follow the runners’ route, with a glimpse at past views of the buildings and seashores they’ll see as they run.

Many Falmouth residents and visitors have run the Road Race over the years. The Falmouth Road Race web site has a wonderful year-by-year recap of the 49 races to date. Does it spark memories in you?

We’re building a digital archive of Road Race Memories at the library, and we’d love to hear your story.

Dig out your old photos, or take a picture of your collection of mugs and t-shirts, and write us a few lines about the years you ran, or watched, or got stuck in traffic! Library Director Linda Collins shared the following memory:

In 1999 race day was complete with torrential rains. Waiting at the the start,  I remember seeing runners with plastic bags taped over their shoes in an attempt to stay dry. As we came out of the woods along the beach we were running through ankle deep puddles. I wondered how the plastic bags were holding up. I turned to the runner next to me and he had the biggest smile on his face. We agreed, we were doing all the things our mothers taught us not to. We were running in the middle of the road, soaked to the skin, jumping in puddles, and talking to strangers. It doesn’t get any better.

She also found a page in her scrapbook about that year! You can see how wet it was even at the finish.

You can upload an image or type in a story without an image attached at our Contribution Link. Be sure you include your name and email address, and give us permission to publish your contribution at our web site. If you don’t have computer access, please feel free to stop by the Reference Desk and we can take down your story or snap a digital image of your old-fashioned paper photograph!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Library Lawn Games on Mondays

COME GET YOUR GAME ON!

From July 11th through August 29th, stop by the Falmouth Public Library lawn on Mondays from 1pm to 3pm (weather permitting) to play some of our new, fun, outdoor games!

We’ll have Cornhole, Giant Checkers, Giant 4-In-A-Row, Giant Jenga, Giant Left Center Right, Giant Yard Dice, Kan Jam and Spikeball!  

Library Lawn Games are fun for all ages and everyone is welcome to come and play!  For more information about the Library Lawn Games and how to play, click here.

Webb Space Telescope Community Events

The Falmouth Public Library will be hosting two Webb Telescope Community Events for NASA’s release of the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JSWT) first full-color images!  
 
Stop by on Tuesday, July 12th between 10:30am-1:30pm  for an open house with NASA Solar System Ambassador Marie Zahn in the YA room.  Everyone is welcome to join us for some fun activities as we view the first JWST images together!  Marie will also help answer your space questions and will talk about the Webb Telescope. 
 
Then join us on Saturday, July 16th from 3:30pm-4:30pm in the Hermann meeting room as we stream an online expert panel of Webb scientists!  They will answer audience questions and examine and explain the first images from JWST.
 
“The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.” – NASA

2022 Summer Movies

FPL Wednesday Night Movies (July 6th & July 20th)

The Falmouth Public Library will be showing two summer movie classics in the Hermann room on Wednesday Nights in July, Independence Day from 1996 and Jaws from 1975!   These movie viewings are free to the public and are sponsored by the Friends of the Falmouth Public Library.  Registrations are required and each movie is limited to 60 participants. 

Wednesday, July 6th at 5:30pm in the Hermann room
Independence Day (Rated PG-13; Runtime 2.5 hours)   
“In the epic adventure film “Independence Day,” as these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived; its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.”

Wednesday, July 20th at 6pm in the Hermann room
Jaws (Rated PG; Runtime 2 hours) 


“When a young woman is killed by a shark near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry Vaughn overrules him, fearing that the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the town. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper and grizzled ship captain Quint offer to help Brody capture the killer beast, and the trio engage in an epic battle of man vs. nature.”


FV Movies Under The Stars (July 27th – August 31st)

The Falmouth Village Association will be showing double feature movies on the library lawn every Wednesday at dusk (6pm-10pm) starting July 27th and ending August 31st!  BYO blankets and chairs and join us on the library lawn to enjoy some outdoor family fun with Movies Under the Stars.  These movies are weather dependent and are free to the public.  No registration is required.

Wednesday, July 27th from 6pm-10pm on library lawn
6pm Movie: Star Wars: A New Hope (Rated PG; Runtime 2 hours)
“Young Luke Skywalker leaves his desert home planet to rescue Princess Leia and become a Jedi knight.”      
~ 8pm Movie: Apollo 13 (Rated PG; Runtime 2.3 hours):
“The true story of the Apollo 13 space mission where astronauts are stranded in their crippled spacecraft while the ground crew race against time to bring them home.”


Wednesday, August 3rd
from 6pm-10pm on library lawn
6pm Movie: My Dog Skip (Rated PG; Runtime 1.5 hours)
“Set in Mississippi in the late 1940s and based on Willie Morris’ boyhood memoirs, eight-year-old Willie loses his only friend in the world to the draft until his mother gives him a puppy for his birthday.”

~ 8pm Movie: Dog (Rated PG-13; Runtime 1.6 hours)
“Briggs and his companion Lulu, a Belgian Malinois, haul ass down the Pacific Coast in time to catch their best friend’s and handler’s funeral.” 


Wednesday, August 10th from 6pm-10pm on library lawn
6pm Movie: Sing 2 (Rated PG; Runtime 1.8 hours)
“The ever-optimistic koala, Buster Moon and his all-star cast of performers prepare to launch their most dazzling stage extravaganza yet, all in the glittering entertainment capital of the world.”

~ 8pm Movie: The Greatest Showman (Rated PG; Runtime 1.7 hours)
“An original musical screenplay brings to life the story of P.T. Barnum and his creation of “the greatest show on Earth”.”


Wednesday, August 17th from 6pm-10pm on library lawn
6pm Movie: Coco (Rated PG; Runtime 1.7 hours)
“Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz.  Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events.”

~ 8pm Movie: McFarland, USA (Rated PG; Runtime 2.1 hours)
“Inspired by the 1987 true story, the movie follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White, a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school.”


Wednesday, August 24 from 6pm-10pm on library lawn

6pm Movie: Ratatouille (Rated G; Runtime 1.8 hours)
“A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great chef despite his family’s wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession.”

~ 8pm Movie: Julie and Julia (Rated PG-13; Runtime 2 hours)
“Julie Powell is a frustrated insurance worker who wants to be a writer. Trying to find a challenge in her life, she decides to cook her way through Julia Child’s ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ in one year, and to blog about it.”


Wednesday, August 31st from 6pm-10pm on library lawn
6pm Movie: Ron’s Gone Wrong (Rated PG; Runtime 1.7 hours)
“The story of Barney, a socially awkward middle-schooler, and Ron, his new walking, talking, digitally connected device, which is supposed to be his ‘Best Friend out of the Box.’ Ron’s hilarious malfunctions, set against the backdrop of the social media, age launch them into an action-packed journey in which boy and robot come to terms with the wonderful messiness of true friendship.”

~ 8pm Movie Chistopher Robin (Rated PG; Runtime 1.7 hours)
“The young boy, who loved taking adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood with a gang of spirited and loveable stuffed animals, has grown up and lost his way. Now it is up to his childhood friends to venture into that world and help Christopher Robin remember the loving and playful boy who is still inside.”

 

Friends of the Library Book Sale

The Friends of the Falmouth Public Library will hold their Annual Summer Book Sale from July 1-July 6, 2022 on the lawn of the Main Library at 300 Main Street. It’s open every day from 10 AM-4 PM, except July 6; July 6 hours are 10 AM – Noon.

This beloved annual tradition is back at its usual time this year, and we’re so excited to see the book-lovers browsing for new reads! Books are very modestly priced, and every purchase goes to support the Falmouth Public Library.  The Friends support these library projects that benefit the whole community:

  • Joy of Learning academic classes covering a wide range of subjects
  • Museum Passes for Boston and local area museums
  • Generous funding for Children’s Programs at all three locations throughout the year
  • Contribute to new furniture for the Chill Zone, the Tween area, in the Children’s Room
  • A new Circulation Desk for the East Falmouth Library
  • Provide additional funds for eBooks
  • Support for area book clubs
  • Upgrades to library technology

The Friends are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Are you interested in becoming a member of the Friends of the Library, or making a direct financial donation? Information is available at their web page.

Please note that the Friends are no longer taking donations for this year’s book sale. Donations will resume on Monday, August 15, 2022. Please call during Library hours at 508-457-2555 ext. 2918 to schedule an appointment.

 

Below the Edge of Darkness Book Discussion with Allan Adams: A WHOI & FPL Community Read Event!

Join us on Wednesday, May 25th from 7pm-8pm via Zoom to discuss the 2022 WHOI & FPL Community Read, Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea by Dr. Edith Widder, in a group setting!  We will have a special guest, Allan Adams, joining us.  Allan is an Adjunct Oceanographer at WHOI in the Applies Ocean Physics and Engineering Department. 

This event is free to the public and registration is required.  Register online by clicking here or by calling the library at 508-457-2555 x7.  

Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea  takes readers deep into our planet’s oceans as Widder pursues her questions about one of the most important and widely used forms of communication in nature.  In the process, she reveals hidden worlds and a dazzling menagerie of behaviors and animals, from microbes to leviathans, many never before seen or, like the legendary giant squid, never before filmed in their deep-sea lairs.  Alongside Widder, we experience life-and-death equipment malfunctions and witness breakthroughs in technology and understanding, all set against a growing awareness of the deteriorating health of our largest and least understood ecosystem.   

Come pick up a copy today at the library!  Below the Edge of Darkness is also available for purchase at Eight Cousins and the WHOI Bookstore!  The 2022 WHOI & FPL Community Read is part of Dispatches from an Ocean Planet: A Celebration of Film and Literature presented by the Yawkey Foundation and WHOI.

Falmouth Reads Together: June Events

We’ve got three public events scheduled for Falmouth Reads Together in June – two documentary films and a discussion of the book The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery. Read on for details and registration links.

Documentary film screening of My Octopus Teacher.

Watch as a filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world. “One of the best nature documentaries I have ever seen. Absolutely beautiful and wonderfully narrated and educational–tremendous with its scientific breakthroughs on these amazing creature’s behavior and intelligence.

  • Friday June 10, 2pm.
  • Location: Hermann Meeting Room. 
  • Duration: one hour; appropriate for most ages. Discussion follows (optional). 
  • Register here.

Book Discussion: The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness, by Sy Montgomery.

You’ve probably read the book by now. If not, get in line for a copy. Then join us to discuss! 

  • Friday June 17, 2pm. 
  • Location: Hermann Meeting Room.
  • Duration: one hour; appropriate for adults or teens. 
  • Register here.

Documentary film screening of Octopus: Making Contact

 

Follow an Alaskan professor as he raises and studies a day octopus in his home, making remarkable discoveries about its extraordinary intelligence, personality and skills. 

  • Friday June 24, 2pm. 
  • Location: Hermann Meeting Room.
  • Duration: one hour; appropriate for most ages. Discussion follows (optional). 
  • Register here.