Manchester Public Library, 1041 Main St, Manchester, CT, 06040

Our November selection is "The Serviceberry" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Copies of the book are available at both library buildings for check out. For more information, call the Reference Desk.
About the book, from <a href="https://www.goodreads.com:" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">goodreads.com:</a>&nbsp;
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world. As Indigenous scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests Serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the Serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of interconnectedness and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth—its abundance of sweet, juicy berries—to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution ensures its own survival. As Kimmerer explains, “Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, rather than accumulation, where wealth and security come from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency.” As Elizabeth Gilbert writes, Robin Wall Kimmerer is “a great teacher, and her words are a hymn of love to the world.”&nbsp;The Serviceberry is an antidote to the broken relationships and misguided goals of our times and a reminder that “Hoarding won’t save us. . . . All flourishing is mutual.”

Local Event: Check 'Em Out Book Club- November 2026

Hartford County

Manchester

Connecticut

Check 'Em Out Book Club- November 2026

Our November selection is "The Serviceberry" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Copies of the book are available at both library buildings...

Recycling can seem confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. Find out how recycling actually works, what happens to recycling after the cart is empties, and why only specific items are allowed. Celebrate America Recycles Day at the Manchester Library with returning speaker Sherill Baldwin, Environmental Analyst Sustainable Materials Management, CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. No registration required for this free program for adults.

Local Event: Recycling in CT: What's In and What's Out

Recycling in CT: What's In and What's Out

Recycling can seem confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. Find out how recycling actually works, what happens to recycling after...

Manchester Public Library

In the Take a Walk Together Book Club, attendees will take a two mile walk in the vicinity of the library, making stops for discussion. Meetings are typically held on the last Thursday afternoon of the month. Our November book is “You Are Here” by David Nicholls. Copies of each month’s book are available at both library buildings. This is a free book discussion program and no registration is required.

Local Event: Take a Walk Together Book Club - November 2026

Take a Walk Together Book Club - November 2026

In the Take a Walk Together Book Club, attendees will take a two mile walk in the vicinity of the library, making stops for...

Travel (vicariously) to the city of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada in our latest Wanderlust Book Club pick!
In the Wanderlust Book Club, participants “travel” through reading a variety of atmospheric books that transport readers to locations around the world. Titles are primarily fiction, with an occasional non-fiction or memoir selection. Meetings are typically held on the third Thursday evening of the month. Our November book is “Small Ceremonies” by Kyle Edwards. Copies of each month’s book are available at both library buildings. This is a free book discussion program and no registration is required.

Local Event: Wanderlust Book Club - November 2026

Wanderlust Book Club - November 2026

Travel (vicariously) to the city of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada in our latest Wanderlust Book Club pick!
In the Wanderlust...

This group is aimed at (but not limited to) adults who are between the ages 18 -35 who love young adult literature. We read across many genres including historical fiction, fantasy, dystopian, paranormal, horror and realistic fiction.
In the real world, Bugz is a shy and self-conscious Indigenous teen who faces the stresses of teenage angst and reserve life. But in the virtual world, her alter ego is not just confident but dominant in a massively multiplayer video game universe. Feng is a teen boy who has been sent from China to live with his aunt, a doctor on the reserve, after his online activity suggests he may be developing extremist sympathies. Meeting each other in real life, as well as in the virtual world, Bugz and Feng immediately relate to each other as outsiders and as avid gamers. And as their connection is strengthened through their virtual adventures, they find that they have much in common in the real world, too: both must decide what to do in the face of temptations and pitfalls, and both must grapple with the impact of family and community trauma. But betrayal threatens everything Bugz has built in the virtual world, as well as her relationships in the real world, and it will take all her newfound strength to restore her friendship with Feng and reconcile the parallel aspects of her life: the traditional and the mainstream, the east and the west, the real and the virtual. Copies of the book are available at both library buildings. No Registration Required.

Local Event: Not So “YA” Book Club – Walking in Two Worlds by Wab Kinew

Not So “YA” Book Club – Walking in Two Worlds...

This group is aimed at (but not limited to) adults who are between the ages 18 -35 who love young adult literature. We read...

Not So “YA” Book Club – Walking in Two Worlds by Wab Kinew

Is your book club in a rut, reading the same types of books over and over again? Do you find that you’re reading the same books everyone else is reading and want to change it up? Join Lynn (Reader’s Advisor) and Jenn (Head of Reference and Adult Services Librarian) as they discuss the books they are most excited about for book clubs. They will chat about the top 20 books that they would recommend. No registration required for this free program for adults.

Local Event: Book Club Book Chat- Winter Edition

Book Club Book Chat- Winter Edition

Is your book club in a rut, reading the same types of books over and over again? Do you find that you’re reading the same books...

Recipe Readers Cookbook Club – 
The Savory Baker by The America’s Test Kitchen
This club meets monthly on Saturday afternoons from 12:30 to 2:30. Each month a theme, author or cookbook will be chosen.Participants are asked to pick one recipe from the book and come to the program with dish in hand on the date posted ready to discuss their experience.Dishes should arrive fully prepared and ready to share.
 To register for this free event please call our Reference Desk at 860-647-4614.Registration is required.&nbsp;<a href="https://manchesterpubliclibraryct.events.mylibrary.digital/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">manchesterpubliclibraryct.events.mylibrary.digital/</a>

Local Event: Recipe Readers Cookbook Club –   The Savory Baker by The America’s Test Kitchen

Recipe Readers Cookbook Club –   The Savory...

Recipe Readers Cookbook Club – 
The Savory Baker by The America’s Test Kitchen
This club meets monthly on Saturday afternoons...

Recipe Readers Cookbook Club –   The Savory Baker by The America’s Test Kitchen

Lecturer John Mills is a trained Genealogist, descendant of the enslaved and President of the Alex Breanne Corporation, a Connecticut-based non-profit. The Alex Breanne Corporation focuses on research, interrogation and presentation of lesser known stories of the American enslaved. John unearths little known people, with intent to inject them into the landscape of the communities where they lived, worked or died. He then finds current-day descendants and gives them back their history.
Mills’ research led him to the Lathrop family of Norwich, CT, whose patriarch, Primus, was captured as a child from his home in Africa. While enslaved to Ebenezer Lathrop, Primus married a woman named Venus and together they had a son named Job. Job would go on to fight in the Revolutionary War, only to return and remain enslaved. Mills will share details about the Lathrop family’s journey for freedom and their long-lasting patriotic legacy. Mills’ research was published earlier this year in a new book, The Narrative of Primus: A Lineage Woven into American History, available for purchase and signing at the event.

Local Event: Stories of Connecticut's Black Patriots

Stories of Connecticut's Black Patriots

Lecturer John Mills is a trained Genealogist, descendant of the enslaved and President of the Alex Breanne Corporation, a...

Come get ready for the holidays as we decorate ornaments and sip hot chocolate together. Wear your favorite holiday sweater!
All materials provided for this free event for adults. Limited to 16 adults and registration starts 11/24/2026 through our online Program Calendar or calling our Reference Room. This program will be repeated on 12/21/2026 if you cannot make this one.

Local Event: Ornament Decorating

Ornament Decorating

Come get ready for the holidays as we decorate ornaments and sip hot chocolate together. Wear your favorite holiday...

Staff member Valerie will lead you in making a decoration by weaving fabric strips into a star design. All materials will be supplied. Registration will be required and limited to the first 15 people – visit our website’s program calendar at <a href="https://manchesterpubliclibraryct.events.mylibrary.digital/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://manchesterpubliclibraryct.events.mylibrary.digital/</a> to reserve your spot or call 860-647-4614 on Tuesday, November 24th to register and for more information. Free program for adults.

Local Event: Create a Woven Fabric Star

Create a Woven Fabric Star

Staff member Valerie will lead you in making a decoration by weaving fabric strips into a star design. All materials will be...

Manchester Public Library, 1041 Main St, Manchester, CT, 06040. 1st Floor Meeting Room

Six summers to fall in love. One summer to change everything. 
 
Liv and Finn meet six summers ago working in a bar on the rugged Cornish coastline, their futures full of promise. When a night of passion ends in devastating tragedy they are bound together inextricably. But Finn’s life is in LA with his band, and Liv’s is in Cornwall with her family—so they make a promise. Finn will return every year, and if they are single, they will spend the summer together. 
 
This summer Liv crosses paths with Tom—a mysterious new arrival in her hometown. As the wildflowers and heather come into bloom, they find themselves falling for one another. For the first time Liv can imagine a world where her heart isn’t broken every autumn. Now Liv must make an impossible choice. And when she discovers the shocking reason that Tom has left home, she’ll need to trust her heart even more . . .
Copies of the book are available at both library buildings. This is a free book discussion program and no registration is required. For more information call Reference and Adult Services at 860-647-4614. https://manchesterct.gov/library

Local Event: Happily Ever After Book Club

Happily Ever After Book Club

Six summers to fall in love. One summer to change everything. 
 
Liv and Finn meet six summers ago working in a bar on the...

In Great Britain, Christmas crackers are an iconic table decoration that graces many holiday gatherings. Shaped like a large hard candy wrapper, Christmas crackers contain a variety of tiny trinkets and are beautifully decorated. Staff member Valerie will lead you in making your own Christmas cracker to gift or keep. All materials will be supplied. Registration will be required and limited to the first 15 people – visit our website’s program calendar at <a href="https://manchesterpubliclibraryct.events.mylibrary.digital/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://manchesterpubliclibraryct.events.mylibrary.digital/</a> to reserve your spot or call 860-647-4614 on Wednesday, December 2nd to register and for more information. Free program for adults.

Local Event: British Christmas Cracker Craft

British Christmas Cracker Craft

In Great Britain, Christmas crackers are an iconic table decoration that graces many holiday gatherings. Shaped like a large...

Chris Dehnel

Hartford Metropolitan Area

Jay Kenney

South Windsor

Tolland County

Vernon

Glastonbury

Michael Lemanski

Greater Hartford

Rich Kirby

Wethersfield

Windsor Locks-East Windsor

Windsor

Rocky Hill

Tolland

West Hartford

Ethan Allen

Help Make a Child's Holiday That Much Merrier

Local Event: Toys for Tots Donation Location

Toys for Tots Donation Location

Help Make a Child's Holiday That Much Merrier

Wood Memorial Library & Museum

Who gives a hoot? You will! When the sun goes down in Connecticut, a different kind of hunter wakes up. Silent wings, razor-sharp talons, and eyes built for the dark make owls some of the most remarkable creatures in our own backyards.&nbsp;Join us for an up-close look at the owls that share our woods and fields. You’ll discover how they swivel their heads nearly all the way around, glide without a sound, and hear a mouse’s heartbeat beneath the leaves. Then see what a real owl pellet looks like and play wildlife detective. What’s inside? Tiny bones, fur, and clues to what this night hunter had for dinner. You might just piece together a whole skeleton. Finally, learn how you can help owls thrive right here at home. Owl habitat kits will be available for purchase, so you can take the adventure back to your own yard. Help owls do their expert rodent control!&nbsp;&nbsp; Admission is free, donations of $20+ are encouraged. Please pre-register.&nbsp; Fun for the whole family! Best for curious minds from elementary school through adulthood. Co-presented by the CT Audubon Society

Local Event: Exploring Owls and House Building Habitats 

Exploring Owls and House Building Habitats 

Who gives a hoot? You will! When the sun goes down in Connecticut, a different kind of hunter wakes up. Silent wings,...

Experience an afternoon of classical piano music from the Romantic era featuring talented students from The Hartt School. Guest artists Nico Giacalone, Heeju Chae, and Homan Cheung will perform masterworks by Brahms, Czerny, and Chopin in the elegant salon setting of the Wood Memorial Library &amp; Museum.&nbsp; &nbsp;Free, limited seating, donations of $20 encouraged, please pre-register.&nbsp;

Local Event: Live at the Wood: Classical Solo Piano Recital 

Live at the Wood: Classical Solo Piano Recital 

Experience an afternoon of classical piano music from the Romantic era featuring talented students from The Hartt School. Guest...

Nearby Communities

State Edition

National Edition

Posting Activity

Check 'Em Out Book Club- November 2026

NOV

16

6:30 PM

Manchester, CT

Recycling in CT: What's In and What's Out

NOV

17

6:30 PM

Manchester, CT

Take a Walk Together Book Club - November 2026

NOV

19

2:00 PM

Manchester Public Library, 1041 Main St, Manchester, CT

Wanderlust Book Club - November 2026

NOV

19

6:30 PM

Manchester Public Library, 1041 Main St, Manchester, CT

Not So “YA” Book Club – Walking in Two Worlds by Wab Kinew

NOV

19

6:30 PM

Manchester Public Library, 1041 Main St, Manchester, CT

Book Club Book Chat- Winter Edition

NOV

23

6:30 PM

Manchester Public Library, 1041 Main St, Manchester, CT

Recipe Readers Cookbook Club – The Savory Baker by The America’s Test Kitchen

NOV

28

12:30 PM

Manchester Public Library, 1041 Main St, Manchester, CT

Stories of Connecticut's Black Patriots

NOV

30

6:30 PM

Manchester, CT

Ornament Decorating

DEC

1

3:00 PM

Manchester Public Library, 1041 Main St, Manchester, CT

Create a Woven Fabric Star

DEC

2

6:30 PM

Manchester Public Library, 1041 Main St, Manchester, CT

Happily Ever After Book Club

DEC

3

6:30 PM

Manchester, CT

British Christmas Cracker Craft

DEC

9

6:30 PM

Manchester Public Library, 1041 Main St, Manchester, CT

Toys for Tots Donation Location

Exploring Owls and House Building Habitats

Live at the Wood: Classical Solo Piano Recital