The goal of the program is to promote a love of reading in kids and teens, to expose them to titles and authors that they might not encounter otherwise, to encourage them to think of their local public library as a resource for entertainment and to inspire teamwork and good sportsmanship in an atmosphere of friendly competition.

The program began in 2014 thanks to Liz Anastasi, and is planned and executed by the
Westchester Library System Battle of the Books Planning Committee.   The Somers Record has a great article about the battle, and I encourage everyone to read it.

* FOR ALL adult programs, click on the Online Calendar to register, or call the library at 914-232-5717. Please register each person separately for events. Current events are listed below; check our Online Calendar for upcoming events. All programs take place at the Somers Library unless otherwise noted. Registration required for most programs.

 

Exhibit: Susan Oliverio Photographs. November 1 - December 31, during library hours Most of her Susan Oliverio's  work comes from travels with her husband and her most loved location, New York City.  With the photographic image, she tries to capture an essence of an emotion, a unique perspective or tell a story.  She has shown in various galleries in New York, Westchester and Long Island. She appreciates the opportunity to share her world with you at the Somers Library.  She can be reached for questions or comments at [email protected].

Linda Spear's Writers workshop Open Mic. Saturday, December 1, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm. The Writer's Workshop, under the guidance of Linda Spear, has been meeting for four months, working together and giving each other feedback for their work. Now, as the workshop is ending, come and hear the results of the members' hard work as they read their stories, essays and more! Register online at www.somerslibrary.org or call 914-232-5717.

Community Opioid Overdose Training. Tuesday, December 4th, 6:00-7:30 pm. The Westchester County Department of Health in conjunction with the Somers Police Department will offer a FREE training for the public on how to respond to an opioid overdose using Naloxone (Narcan). Space is limited, pre-registration is required; register online for this event at www.westchestergov.com/health or call the Division of Health Promotion at 914-995-6584. The event will be held at the Somers Library at Rt 139 & Reis Park in Somers . Sponsored by Somers Partners in Prevention.

Web Design for Beginners. Wednesday, December 5, 6:15 - 7:30pm. Every wonder how the internet works? Nowadays, having your own website puts you ahead in the world. Participants will learn how to design the look and logic behind a basic website and experience being a web developer using freely available software. This program is for adults. We will be using the public computers for this class, but please let us know if you can bring your own laptop to use in class. Space is limited to 12,  registration is required.

December TED Talks. Friday, December 7, 1:00 - 2:30 pm. TED talks are back! Join host Eugene Ritchie in discussion after viewing two TED talk speakers each session who will speak on a specific topic. Each program consists of diverse speakers with short presentations of 10 and 21 minutes long. Each talk will be followed by light refreshment. The topic and speakers for December are: Technology: 

Dystopia or Utopia?: Kashmir Hill and Surya Mattis - "What Your Smart Devices Know (and Share) About You." Once your smart devices can talk to you, who else are they talking to? Kashmir Hill and Surya Mattu wanted to find out, so they outfitted Hill's apartment with 18 different internet-connected devices and built a special router to track how often they contacted their servers to see what they were reporting back. The results were surprising.  

Zeynep Tufecki - "We're Building a Dystopia Just to Make People Click on Ads." We're building an artificial intelligence-powered dystopia, one click at a time, says techno-sociologist Zeynep Tufekci. In an eye-opening talk, she details how the same algorithms companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon use to get you to click on ads are also used to organize your access to political and social information. The machines aren't even the real threat. What we need to understand is how the powerful might use AI to control us and what we can do in response.

Seasonal Floral Design - Winter. Saturday, December 8, 10:30 - 11:30. This is a beginners friendly hands-on course. Instructor Wendy Podell will show you how to achieve and create beautiful floral arrangements using basic techniques and tools. Easy and fun, you'll learn floral tricks for keeping flowers alive and healthy even if you don't have a green thumb. Arrangements will be seasonal. Flowers and containers will be provided for one floral design per student. Feel free to bring your own flowers. Please bring floral clippers to each class. Flowers make every day special! Other seasonal classes will be offered: Spring - April 6, 2019 & Summer - June 1, 2019. Learn something new in each class. Classes are limited to 12 people. Please register by November 30 on our online calendar at www.somerslibrary.org or call 914-232-5717.

Reception for Susan Oliverio's Photograph Exhibition. Saturday, December 8, 12:00 - 2:00 pm. Come and celebrate Susan Oliverio's vibrant photographs with the artist! Most of her Susan Oliverio's work comes from travels with her husband and her most loved location, New York City.  With the photographic image, she tries to capture an essence of an emotion, a unique perspective or tell a story. She has shown at various galleries in New York, Westchester and Long Island. Refreshments will be served; all are welcome! No registration required.

Holiday Sing-Along with John Fiscella & Friends. Sunday, December 9, 2:00 - 4:00 pm. Brighten the holiday season with a concert of seasonal favorites! Join guitarist John Fiscella in a program of holiday songs and rock standards. Come and sing along! No registration is necessary.

Winter Art Drop-In. Mondays, 12/10, 17; 1/7, 14 & 28, 10:30 - 12:30. Usher in the winter months with a relaxing drop-in art class. Take a break on Monday mornings and pack your bag with your favorite art supplies: watercolors,acrylic paints, colored pencils, pens, paints and brushes. Quiet music will accompany you while you relax and create art with other enthusiastic art lovers! There is a $30.00 fee; checks should be made out to Judika Lieberman. Space is limited.

Race Amity Day Discussion Group, Part 3. Sunday, December 16, 2:00 - 4:00 pm. Join us to view and discuss the third part of the PBS series "Race: the Power of an Illusion: The House We Live In." All are welcome to attend, registration is not required.