What's On Tap For Third Week of West Roxbury Reads 2011 Series

On the heels of a successful free demonstration class for Tai Chi wannabes, enters its third week of events related to its book choice, The Widower’s Tale, by National Book Award-winning author Julia Glass.

On Friday evening, 25 readers interested in sampling the Tai Chi discipline crowded into the local ’s 1980 Centre Street holistic health building for a free class introducing Tai Chi fundamentals. The instructor was Kathleen Ahern, who practices at Brookline Tai Chi and the Y, and who was trained by a recent West Roxbury Reads guest, Dr. Fuzhong Li, a Tai Chi master from the Oregon Research Institute who studies and endorses the benefits of regular Tai Chi practice for the very elderly (older than 85) and those with physical problems. Ahern is currently teaching two units of Tai Chi at the Y in programs for this population sponsored by the Y, AgeWell West Roxbury and Faulkner Hospital.

On Friday evening, the participants were more diverse, ranging from the young to the elderly, tall, short, male and female. At the end of the class, participants plied Ahern and her assistant, Y trainer Linda Ozier, about when future Tai Chi classes would be offered.

This week West Roxbury Reads will continue to address themes of change and literacy in its ancillary events. On Wednesday, March 23 at 5 p.m. Tom Blake, head of the Boston Public Library (BPL) Digital Lab will offer a free tour of that lab where rarely seen archived documents and maps are converted to digital form for greater public access. Blake’s tour follows an introductory lecture last week by web technician and librarian Jennifer Koerber, who previewed the ways in which technology is changing the reach of the BPL.

Private transportation and pre-registration is required for Blake’s tour, which will last about an hour. Register at tblake@bpl.org. Meet Blake at the information desk of the entrance to the “new wing” or Johnson Building of the BPL on Boylston Street in downtown Boston.

On Thursday, March 24 at 6 p.m. West Roxbury Reads 2011 will sponsor a panel discussion on the health benefits of regular exercise for cancer survivors by two prominent Boston oncologists and two YMCA trainers certified to work with cancer patients in treatment and in recovery. Dr. Glenn Bubley, an oncologist at Beth Israel Deaconness Hospital and Geoffrey K. Sherwood, M.D., chief of oncology at Faulkner Hospital (Partners) will join YMCA trainers Janice O’Connor and Allayne Sullivan to discuss fitness as a tool for fighting cancer and aiding recovery.

Two events -- a tour and a lecture — at two separate locations will occur on Saturday, March 26. At 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. that Saturday, retired Widener librarian Barbara Burg will conduct private tours of Harvard University’s prestigious Widener Library featured in The Widower’s Tale. There is limited availability for each of these tours and private transportation to the Harvard Yard is required. Pre-register at baburg@verizon.net or in person at the West Roxbury Branch Library’s circulation desk.

At 3 p.m. that Saturday, at the West Roxbury Branch Library, Thomas Perls, MD, MPH,

Boston University geriatrician, discusses findings of the New England Centenarian Study on which he is the lead investigator. Why do some people live past age 100 in good health?  Dr. Perls, whose work has been followed in the national news media and on Oprah, discusses his findings and the implications for the rest of us.  He appears in the West Roxbury Reads series through the generosity of AgeWell West Roxbury and Ethos.

West Roxbury Reads 2011 continues through Thursday, April 7, when author Julia Glass will discuss The Widower’s Tale AT 7 p.m., following a 6:30 p.m. reception for Friends members. A full schedule of events is available on the Friends website. Unless otherwise indicated, all events take place at the local library at 1961 Centre St., West Roxbury. 617-325-3147.

West Roxbury Reads 2011 is sponsored by the Friends of the West Roxbury Branch Library and its community partners, including AgeWell West Roxbury, Ethos, the West Roxbury Historical Society, West Roxbury Saves Energy, the West Roxbury YMCA, and the staff of the West Roxbury Branch Library.