News

04 22, 2017

Thrity Umrigar discusses parenting, turbulence & Bob Dylan

By admin|2017-04-22T06:00:44-04:00April 22, 2017|

Thrity Umrigar is a delight.

She visited our library recently to talk about her newest tale and first children’s book, When I Carried You in my Belly.

Then she graciously stayed afterward to answer a few of our questions.

We learned:

how a bout of turbulence inspired When I Carried You in my Belly.
her core tenets for parenting and why it’s important to not just love but respect your kids.
the role that connection and isolation play in her writing.
her reaction to Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. (Umrigar is a big Dylan fan.)
about her affection for Dav Pilkey, the creator of Captain Underpants.

Umrigar is the first of several authors visiting us this year.

We’re hosting four more phenomenal writers:

All of these talks/readings are free and open to the public. But space is limited so we do ask that you register beforehand. You can RSVP by calling us at (440) 255-8811 ext. 216.

04 13, 2017

MPL Talks: Life after World War II

By admin|2017-04-13T06:00:30-04:00April 13, 2017|

It’s always momentous when Bob Zonneville comes to Mentor Public Library.

Zonneville is a World War II veteran who received a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.

He—along with local historian Thom Matowitz, who literally wrote the book on Mentor—hosted a special program where they discussed what life was like for veterans when they returned from World War II.

(Please accept our apologies, in advance, if you can’t hear the audience questions. Next time we’ll have to pass around a microphone.)

If you love WWII history, you’ll want to catch our new Major Leaders of World War II series.

The first talk is 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 20, at our Main Branch. The topic will be the life of Hitler. (It will be his birthday, after all.)

The program is free and open to everyone. However, we do ask that you register beforehand. You can sign up online or call us at (440) 255-8811 ext. 216.

For more World War II talks on our YouTube page:

Zonneville shares his experiences on the front line
The rise of National Socialism
Nazism in Power
The Battle of Stalingrad
The Nazi’s Final Solution
The Fall of Berlin

04 3, 2017

MPL Talks: Nazism in Power

By admin|2017-04-03T06:00:01-04:00April 3, 2017|

If Dr. John Foster’s talk on the rise of National Socialism in Germany intrigued you, its sequel will fascinate you.

Recently, Foster—who, in addition to being a librarian, also has a doctorate degree in history—discussed the Nazi Party in power both before and during World War II.

We now share it here, so you may enjoy it—even if you missed the talk initially.

During the program, Foster examines:

how National Socialism’s particular brand of anti-Semitism was especially malevolent. (Not that any form of bigotry is admirable.)
how Adolf Hitler’s Germany gradually dehumanized and then exterminated certain sub-populations of humans.
how the Nazi Party wasn’t organized—and we use that word loosely—as most people expect or assume.
the inherent danger in deciding a group of people “isn’t one of us.”

If you love WWII history and enjoy Foster’s talks, you’ll want to catch his new Major Leaders of World War II series.

The first talk is 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 20, at our Main Branch. The topic will be the life of Hitler. (It will be his birthday, after all.)

The program is free and open to everyone. However, we do ask that you register beforehand. You can sign up online or call us at (440) 255-8811 ext. 216.

Other historical talks by Foster can be watched on our YouTube page, including:

03 4, 2017

Own the music you love for free with Freegal

By admin|2017-03-04T06:00:45-05:00March 4, 2017|

Do you love music but don’t want to spend money on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal or—you know—CDs?

Try Freegal. It lets you download DRM-free mp3s of your favorite songs. Moreover, once you download a song, you can keep the mp3 forever. Put it on your phone, your computer, your iPod–wherever you want. It’s yours. You can download up to five songs a week.

You also get unlimited streaming, if you prefer that.

And it’s free with your library card.

You’re waiting for the catch, there isn’t one. You can get the music you want—right now, for free.

And Freegal’s library is enormous. It includes everything from Carole King to Miles Davis, Willie Nelson to Nas.

In fact, Freegal’s collection is so large that it can be overwhelming. So we’ve created some playlists to help you navigate.

Get listening, and let us know your favorite albums so we can share them.

02 10, 2017

MPL Talks: The Rise of National Socialism in Germany

By admin|2017-02-10T06:00:21-05:00February 10, 2017|

We host a lot of programs at Mentor Public Library and it’s hard to catch them all.

And sometimes you miss one you really wanted to see.

That’s why we’ve started MPL Talks, where we post full programs online for you to watch at your convenience. It’s not quite the same as being there. (For example, you don’t get to ask questions.) But it’s better than missing out.

Recently, our own Dr. John Foster—who, in addition to being a librarian, also has a doctorate degree in history—discussed the Rise of National Socialism in Germany as part of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Foster examined:

Adolf Hitler’s rise to popularity and power
how the instability and failure of the Weimar Republic created fertile ground for National Socialism
the pseudo-scientists who encouraged Germany’s anti-Semitism
what a terrible book Mein Kampf is.

Other historical talks by Foster can be watched on our YouTube page, including:

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