Fireside Reading Series continues through the month

The Hamline Midway Library, 1558 West Minnehaha Ave., is your neighborhood connection with your community. Enjoy great programs, access the Internet, and stock up on books, CDs, and DVDs, all free with your library card.

This month, you’re invited to join your neighbors by sharing words and drawings about nature that will inspire a community mosaic for the library. This project, Nature in the

Urban World, is a collaboration between the Hamline Midway Coalition and the Hamline Midway Library. After Lori Greene of Mosaic on a Stick designs the mosaic, community members will have the opportunity to complete the mosaic in late March. Pick up a form at the library and submit your ideas to the library through Feb. 24.

The library will be offering Chair Yoga with Nancy Giguere on Thursdays, Feb. 8, 15, and 22 from 10:30-11:30am. All movement is done while seated or using the chair for balance. This program co-presented by the library and the Hamline Midway Elders Association.

Preschool Storytimes in English happen Fridays, 10:30-11am, with upcoming events on Feb. 9, 16, and 23 and Mar. 2 and 9. Storytimes feature stories, songs, puppets, and more. They’re a great way for caregivers to bond with children and build social skills, listening comprehension, and letter and number recognition while creating a solid foundation for lifelong learning. Children of all activity levels are welcome!

The library is also offering Evening Storytimes on Tuesdays from 6 -6:30pm, with upcoming storytimes on Feb. 13, 20, and 27.

Sat., Feb. 10, 1:30-3pm, the library presents the popular Science Saturdays program, where school-aged participants and their families can enjoy fun, hands-on science, and art activities. No preregistration necessary—just come by when you can. The theme will be Mirrors and Symmetry. Come print a symmetrical image for Valentine’s Day! On Sat., Mar. 10, also 1:30-3pm the theme will be Wind and Air Experiments.

Word and Sound Lab continues at the library on Tuesday afternoons from 4:30-6pm, with upcoming sessions on Feb. 13, 20, and 27 and Mar. 6, 13, and 20. Poet Becca Barniskis and musician Nick Jaffe are offering this open studio workshop for youth grades 5-8. Explore the intersection of poetry, sound, and video, and experiment with making your own creations on iPads and other tech, to be provided. Participants can also bring their phone, laptop, tablet, or notebook. This activity, provided by a grant from the State Arts Board, is free and does not require advance registration—just show up!

The library will be offering Book Art, a great hands-on activity for adults, on Mon., Feb. 12, 6-7:30pm. Participants can learn how to fold books to create eye-catching sculptures.

The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library’s popular, long-running Fireside Reading Series will also continue bringing some of Minnesota’s most accomplished writers to the Hamline Midway Library in February. With cookies in one hand and coffee in the other, you can cozy up next to the library’s fireplace and experience great literature right here in our neighborhood.

On Wed., Feb. 14, 7-8pm, graphic designer Carolyn Porter reads from “Marcel’s Letters,” the story of her quest to unlock the story behind a bundle of beautifully hand-written letters she found in a Stillwater antique store.

On Wed., Feb. 21, 7-8pm, the featured reader is Jon Lurie, presenting from his book “Canoeing with Jose.” The book is a memoir of journalist Lurie’s relationship with a smart, angry Lakota-Puerto Rican named Jose Perez, telling the story of how the two men embarked on a 2000-mile paddle from Breckenridge, MN to the Hudson Bay.

Continuing with the Fireside Reading Series on Wed., Feb. 28, 7-8pm, Kaethe Schwein reads from her mesmerizing post-apocalyptic debut “The Rending and The Nest.” In Schwein’s novel, 95 percent of the world’s population has vanished without a trace, and the other 5 percent must struggle to survive in a ruined world.

Check the library website at www.sppl.org for information on this series, and plan on coming early to these presentations—seats go fast!

The Novels at Night Book Club meets on Thurs., Feb. 15, 6:30-7:30pm. This book club aimed at adult fiction enthusiasts will discuss “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” by Rachel Joyce.

All St. Paul Libraries will be closed on Feb. 19 in honor of Presidents Day.

The Show and Tell Book Club for grades 1-3 meets on Sat., Feb. 24, 1:30-2:15pm. Come share books and do fun literacy activities!

Also on Sat., Feb. 24, 2:30-3:30, spend time with Colonial Grandmother Flora making colonial crafts, playing games, and eating snacks in a Children’s Colonial Sampler program.

The Start a Series Book Club will meet on Mon., Feb. 26, 4-5pm, and the book under discussion will be “Ghost” by Jason Reynolds. This book club is recommended for grades 6-8, and each month will focus on discussing the first book in a series.

On Wed., Feb. 28, 1-3pm, Jody’s Documentary Film Series will feature “What I Want My Words to Do to You,” directed by Madeleine Gavin, Judith Katz, and Gary Sunshine.

Go inside a women’s writing workshop, where women serving time, mostly for murder, create astonishing writing and tell how they got where they are. Then hear their words turned into a prison performance by actors Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, and Rosie Perez. Enjoy the free film and snacks and stay for the post-film discussion facilitated by Jody. This program is a collaboration of the award-winning POV documentary series and the Hamline Midway Elders Association.

On Sat., Mar. 3, 1-2, the Saints and Sinners Book Club meets to discuss good mysteries. Contact volunteer G. Balter for book lists and more information at gerribalter@gmail.com or 651-224-5570.