Important Library & Community Resources |
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Although our buildings are closed, our friendly staff are available
by phone at the Easton and St. Michaels branches
Easton: 410-822-1626 | St. Michaels: 410-745-5877
Monday and Thursday: 10 a.m. – noon & 3 – 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 9 a.m. - noon & 2 – 5 p.m.
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Talbot County COVID-19 Update
Below the library has included vaccine information from the Talbot County COVID-19 site. The information highlighted in blue includes a presentation by Dr. Maria Maguire, acting health officer, to the Talbot County Council on the vaccine program. Other information on the vaccine program is also included.
VACCINE STATUS: Talbot has expanded vaccine eligibility to phase 1B.
For a list of the occupations and populations included in this phase of the state’s vaccine plan, visit the Maryland covidLINK website.
There has been a very strong response to receiving the vaccine from the Talbot County community. This is great news for our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, demand exceeds supply. The Talbot County Health Department receives a vaccine allocation from the state each week from which to schedule appointments. They stand ready to vaccinate more people as the supply increases.
If you work as emergency personnel or a licensed medical professional in Talbot County and have not yet scheduled your vaccination appointment, use this healthcare form to sign up now.
Phase 1B includes Talbot County residents aged 75 and older.
The next phase will be 1C. The Talbot County Health Department will announce when they are planning to enter Phase 1C for adults age 65-74.
HEALTH OFFICER UPDATES from Dr. Maria Maguire, acting health officer:
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and fourth Tuesday of each month at noon to get the latest COVID-19
updates for business.
Call: 415-655-0002
Code: 471 585 551
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Sharing Our Memories
2nd & 4th Mondays, 10:30 a.m. – noon
Begins February 8, 2021 (ongoing)
If you have been thinking about writing your memoirs but don't know how or where to get started, this Zoom class is for you! During sessions, each participant will share their 500-word essay assigned during the prior session. Writing takes place at home, and stories will be read and discussed during class time. This ongoing course meets the second and fourth Monday of the month, 10:30 a.m. - noon, beginning February 8. To register, call the library at 410-822-1626 by January 31. Upon registration you will receive a Zoom invitation and the first writing assignment which will be read and discussed during the first session on February 8.
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The New Shade Garden: Strategies for Sustainable Landscapes
in the Age of Climate Change
January 26, 11 a.m.
The Talbot County Garden Club will host Ken Druse, author, photographer and lecturer, who will cover The New Shade Garden: Strategies for Sustainable Landscapes in the Age of Climate Change. Register for this virtual event here. For more info call 301-237-3197 or email rmassoc@aol.com.
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Mastering the Elevator Pitch and Interview
January 27, 7 p.m.
A Howard County Library System Program
Learn communication strategies to effectively market yourself in an interview or while networking. We discuss how to present achievements during an interview, what to expect, and how to answer behavioral questions. Making the best impression helps you get the job you want! Presented by Rachel Bachman, M.Ed. - Rachel has over six years of career counseling and coaching experience in higher education. She currently serves as a Career Specialist in the Career Center at UMBC.
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The Day the Music Died: The Stars, the Tours, the Crash & the Aftermath
February 3, 7 p.m.
On February 3, 1959, rock & roll legends, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and “The Big Bopper” died violently in a frozen Iowa field. The event was the first tragedy of the rock & roll era and was later called “The Day the Music Died.” Learn about the final, fatal tour of the three stars and the fateful conditions, events and decisions that led to the tragedy. Hear about the surprising back story and curious facts about the Winter Dance Party Tour of 1959 and the musical legacies of the three stars. This behind-the-scenes look at “The Day the Music Died” tragedy will provide answers to many questions. What caused the tragedy? How did a half-dollar decide life or death? Why was Buddy Holly’s concert tour called “the tour from hell?” What controversy arose 50 years after the crash? What joking comment haunted a survivor for years? What future star received his big career opportunity as a result of the tragedy?
Joe Koper has been a fan of rock & roll since his youth and remembers, as a boy, hearing the news reports about “The Day the Music Died.” After serving in the U.S. Army and earning degrees from Gannon College and George Washington University, Joe’s career was in human resources management, followed by post-retirement “careers” as a landscape designer and crew member on the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry.
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Library Guy Bill Peak to Offer Zoom Tutorial
February 5, 2 p.m.
If you have a computer with a camera, you can use Zoom to hold meetings, speak with friends, and get together with family – all face-to-face on-camera – from the safety of your home or office and without any risk from COVID. On Friday afternoon, February 5, 2 p.m., Bill Peak, Talbot County’s Library Guy, will again offer his popular session on how to use Zoom. Join Peak for this 20-minute interactive lesson for beginners by clicking on the link below and typing in the passcode 778760. https://marylandlibraries.zoom.us/j/92350361739
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Love, Jane Austen
February 14, 2 p.m.
A Calvert Library Event
Valentine's Day during the time of Covid is much like a Jane Austen novel. As we lead our quiet, domestic lives, we inquire regularly on each other's health and we take brisk walks followed by a cup of tea! Sound familiar? If you are a Jane Austen fan, or want to be, join in for a fun discussion of her works and her lasting impact. Book and movie recommendations will be included. Register here: https://calvertlibrary.libnet.info/event/4777750
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February 25, 5 p.m.
A Talbot County Master Gardener Program
Join Talbot County Master Gardener volunteer Mikaela Boley for a free virtual screening of SEED: The Untold Story as we explore the importance of seeds, preservation of biodiversity, and the impacts on our environment. The film will be followed by discussion and participant Q&A as we discuss highlights from the film.
Brief synopsis: "Few things on Earth are as miraculous and vital as seeds. Worshipped and treasured since the dawn of humankind. In the last century, 94% of our seed varieties have disappeared. SEED: The Untold Story follows passionate seed keepers protecting our 12,000 year-old food legacy."
Mikeala will also answer questions regarding the Talbot County Free Seed Library, a community resource in partnership with the Talbot County Free Library. Through our seed library, we offer additional programs, information, and a free source of seeds for home gardens.
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
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John Shields Warm, Winter Cooking Demo
Thursday, February 25, 7 p.m.
A Harford County Public Library Event
Join us for a warm, winter Cooking Demo with Chef John, an absolute Harford County favorite, chef, author, television personality, and owner of the celebrated Gertrude's Restaurant at the Baltimore Museum of Art. He'll prepare two dishes - Alva Crockett's Tangier Island 50 Clam Chowder (from Chesapeake Bay Cooking with John Shields) and an Apple Crepe Cake (from The New Chesapeake Kitchen). John is often called "The Culinary Ambassador of the Chesapeake Bay," and he has written four popular cookbooks on the cuisine of the region. You won't want to miss out on this fun and engaging evening! Recipes for this FREE event will be included in the registration confirmation email.
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Last Chance to Join the
Winter Reading Challenge - Ends January 31
For all Ages!
Participate in Beanstack’s Fourth Annual Winter Read Challenge: Books Like Us, sponsored by Simon & Schuster - a celebration of diversity, harnessing the transformative power of seeing oneself reflected in a book.
- Read at least three hours during the month of January.
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Keep track of your reading on the Beanstack site at tcfl.beanstack.org, or through the free mobile app which can be downloaded to your device.
- Grand prize winner will receive a $50 gift card of their choice from either Flying Cloud Booksellers or Amazon.
- For more details on the Winter Reading Challenge, or to order books through our
- Books-to-Go Service, visit tcfl.org, email askus@tcfl.org, or call 410-822-1626.
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Story Time
Tuesday, January 26, 5 – 10 a.m.
Thursday, January 28 – 10 a.m.
Stories, songs and rhymes for families with young children.
Teen Journaling via Zoom
Wednesday, February 3 and 17, 1 p.m.
Want to try journaling, but not sure how to start? Join Ms. Laura for talking and writing fun! Inspired by the book, Journal Sparks by Emily Neuburger.
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Mindful Start Kids Yoga
February 4th, 10 a.m. (1st Thursday of the month)
Mindful movement for young children. Recommended for families with children under age 5. Past programs can be found here!
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Dial-a-Story Available
Are you missing storytime? Call our Dial-A-Story number
(888-964-2686) to hear a children's book read by a librarian!
The stories are updated every week on Wednesday and will be read by librarians from across Maryland's Eastern Shore. Visit our library's website to check out all of the other programs you can enjoy from home.
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2021 Literacy Activity Calendar Available
The Maryland Day by Day Family Literacy Activity Calendar provides your family with daily activities to do together to develop a love of reading and learning. The calendar was created by the Maryland State Library with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Click here to get started!
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NoveList Debuts 2021 Book Challenge
Are you game to try NoveList's first Book Challenge? Below you’ll find 24 categories in two tiers: 12 for readers who are dipping their toes into the reading challenge world and 12 for readers who thrive on challenge and just can’t get enough. Click on the image below to download a PDF for printing. If you need a starting point, check out The Secret Language of Books, where you can dive into the way books are described in NoveList. And if you want some help selecting books, below are several resources to get you started in your searching:
Above all, the goal is to help you find books that will enhance and enrich your reading life, so if you only do a few categories, that’s fine, too. Happy reading!
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Live Chess Tutoring Available on BrainFuse
Do you want to improve your cognitive skills? Perhaps you are looking for a new pastime? Brainfuse now offers live chess tutoring and resources from expert chess players. Click here to get started; scroll down to the A-Z list and select Brainfuse. From the Brainfuse homepage, you will see it as the last item under the Expert Help column.
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Actor Ethan Hawke Touts the Importance of Libraries
Actor, director, writer, and all-around renaissance man, Ethan Hawke, took time out of his busy schedule to share this important message about the value of libraries, "one of the most beautiful institutions that mankind has ever created." View Hawke's recorded remarks here. His latest novel, A Bright Ray of Darkness, will be published in February. The first novel in nearly twenty years from the acclaimed actor/writer/director is a book about art and love, fame and heartbreak - a blistering story of a young man making his Broadway debut in Henry IV just as his marriage implodes. A bracing meditation on fame and celebrity, and the redemptive, healing power of art; a portrait of the ravages of disappointment and divorce; a poignant consideration of the rites of fatherhood and manhood; a novel soaked in rage and sex, longing and despair; and a passionate love letter to the world of theater, A Bright Ray of Darkness showcases Ethan Hawke’s gifts as a novelist as never before. A Bright Ray of Darkness will be available on February from Penguin Random House.
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No In-Person Tax Appointments at Library Branches
Mid-Shore AARP Tax-Aide Suspends in-Person Tax Preparation
The Mid-Shore branch of the AARP Tax-Aide program, which provides free Federal and State tax-preparation services to taxpayers in Kent, Queen Anne, Talbot, and Caroline Counties, announced that it is suspending in-person tax services for the 2020 tax season, which begins on February 1, 2021.
“We are greatly saddened to take this step,” said District Coordinator Jeff Haertlein of Easton. “We know how much taxpayers on the Mid-Shore have come to rely on our services; but the current state of the Covid-19 pandemic simply will not allow us to open our tax preparation sites safely for our clients and our volunteers.”
“We wanted to make this announcement early enough that taxpayers can find other means of preparing their taxes,” Haertlein said. “AARP is still committed to providing tax-preparation assistance, but that aid will have to be online and virtual.”
Haertlein explained that there will be two forms of assistance available through the AARP website, www.aarp.org. Both methods, Contactless and Self Preparation, will be free to the taxpayer and will be available beginning in early February 2021. It is suggested you check www.aarp.org for updates on the other forms of assistance at that time.
Contactless: Taxpayers interact with Tax-Aid’s IRS-certified tax counselors online or by phone and exchange documents electronically.
Self-preparation: Tax-Aide provides taxpayers with free access to software so they can prepare their own taxes. Taxpayers can also request help from an IRS- certified counselor to coach them through the process by phone or through computer screen-sharing.
As to the future, Haertlein said that “if conditions permit a return to in-person tax preparation this year, AARP Tax-Aide will announce how and where assistance will be available and we certainly hope to be back in full swing a year from now for the 2021 tax season.”
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