Listed below are upcoming events sponsored by the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library. For a complete list of library events and activities, click here.

BIG BOOK CLUB: Every spring and fall, the Big Book Club discusses a great work of literature from the world written throughout history. After selecting a book, a scholar or expert on the author or the work presents a lecture, and the discussion continues during subsequent meetings.

This spring, the Big Book Club is reading The Charterhouse of Parma by Stendhal, published in 1837. Admired by writers as diverse as Tolstoy and Hemingway, the novel takes place during the Napoleonic era and tells the life story of Fabrice del Longo. Wounded at Waterloo, Fabrice returns to Italy and eventually lands in Parma. There he becomes involved in the intrigues of his cousin Gina and her lover Count Mosca.

Discussion for the spring kicked off with a lecture on March 25 with a lecture by Dr. Hannah Wegmann of the University of Maryland. There will be one remaining discussion of the work on May 6 (discussion of chapters 21 through 28). The library has copies of a translation of the novel by Richard Howard.

In the fall, the Big Book Club will read The Way We Live Now, by Anthony Trollope. First published in monthly installments beginning in 1874, Trollope’s novel satirizes 1870s English politics and the pursuit of wealth. In The Way We Live Now, the protagonist, Augustus Melmotte, a financier of unknown origin, sweeps into London with the intent to solicit investors for a Mexican railroad. While this is the main plotline in the novel, Trollope adds several other subplots that increase the reader’s understanding of late Victorian English society.

The fall discussion will kick off with a lecture on September 23, followed by subsequent discussions on September 30, October 14, and October 28.

Lectures and discussions will take place in the Program Room of the library, and begin at 7:30. To receive announcements about the Big Book Club, send an email to ftpmlbookgroup@gmail.com.

SPRING BOOK SALE: The Friends of the Library’s Spring Book Sale will be Saturday, May 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the library, 101 Philadelphia Ave.  We are currently accepting donations of gently-used books. We are especially interested in children’s books and recent adult fiction and nonfiction. Please bring your donated books in boxes, so they can be stacked. There is limited space for storage. You can bring your donated books to the library during regular library hours, Monday-Thursday, 10 am to 8 pm, Friday-Sunday, 12 pm to 6 pm. If you have books to donate, please bring them to the library by Monday, May 4. Our volunteers need time to sort the books before the sale.

FRIENDS BOOK GROUP: The Friends Book Group will next read Julia by Sandra Newman and discuss the work on Monday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the Program Room of the library. This novel represents the author’s take on a character in George Orwell’s novel, 1984. Copies of the novel are available for borrowing at the library. To get on the list for Friends Book Group alerts, contact ftpmlbookgroup@gmail.com.

FIXIT CLINIC: The Next Fixit Clinic will be Saturday, May 23, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the Takoma Park Library, in the program room. Due to our limited resources, you can register for only one appointment per clinic and bring only one item for repair per appointment. The clinic is free, but you must register so that we can prepare for your repair! Here is the registration link: https://tinyurl.com/bpa76ph4. 

The Fixit Clinic provides you with an opportunity to repair your broken small appliances, computers/devices, lamps, bikes, clothing/sewing, beaded jewelry, dull knives, broken furniture, etc, and keep it out of the landfill. At the clinic, our skilled volunteers will diagnose your item’s issue and work with you to make the repair.

Questions? Email them to: Fixittakoma@gmail.com.

FTPML Board Meetings: The board of the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library generally meets every 4th Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Takoma Park Library. If you are a member of the Friends of the Library, you are welcome to join the meeting. Our schedule sometimes changes, so if you are interested in attending a meeting, contact us first.

Recurring Events sponsored or organized by FTPML

As we come out of the pandemic, there is a mix of online, in-person, and hybrid programs. To register for these events, go to the library’s events page here: https://engagedpatrons.org/Events.cfm?SiteID=3728

SPANISH CIRCLE TIME: Thursday mornings at 10:30 – Señora Geiza leads a rousing half-hour program of Spanish songs and rhymes. Great for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and their grown-ups. This event is once again held live at the library, after taking place online since the start of the COVID pandemic. Sponsored by Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library.

JUMPSTART WITH THE ARTS WORLD AROUND MUSIC: Monthly concert series for preschoolers and caregivers, Sponsored by Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library in partnership with Carpe Diem Arts. First Tuesday of the month at 10:30 AM, at the library’s temporary location.

DÍA DE LOS NIÑOS/DÍA DE LOS LIBROS: An annual American Library Association celebration of children, families, and reading, featuring artistic performances and information about programs and services from the library and its community partners. Sponsored by Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library.