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The Statue of Liberty reading her book, with text: Freadom, Celebrate the right to read.

National Library Week: Right to Read Day

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Ready, set, library! It’s National Library Week, and we encourage everyone to explore all the library has to offer. 

Libraries give us a green light to experience something truly special: a place to connect with others, learn new skills, and pursue our passions through book clubs, classes for children, activities for teens, author events, and more. At Howard County Library System, we also offer art, tools, a makerspace, and a wealth of online resources. 

No matter where you find yourself on the roadmap through life’s journey—preparing for a new career, launching a business, raising a family, or settling into retirement—we have the resources and support you need and an inclusive and supportive community where you will feel welcome. 

That includes making sure our collection has something for everyone. We have seen a national movement to censor library materials according to the standards of only a section of a community, and penalize or even criminalize the work of library staff. While the overwhelming majority of the public oppose censorship, organizations are working across the country and in Maryland to censor and ban books. That is why we are thrilled that the Freedom to Read Act passed the Maryland General Assembly and is now on its way to Governor Moore for his signature. This legislation reaffirms the constitutional principle that library materials, services, and resources exist and should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all persons.  

Maryland’s libraries have long been recognized as national leaders in developing successful, high-quality services and collections. The Freedom to Read Act provides a framework for how a library should serve, protects the unique quality of each library and its staff, and recognizes the professionalism of library staff. We thank our Howard County delegation for their support of this critical piece of legislation. 

So, no matter who you are, what you want to read, or what you want to do, get ready to explore, become inspired, and connect with others this National Library Week. We are there for you and with you, all the way to the finish line. 

Spring Break with HiTech

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Teens working together to test their simple robot.

HiTech is the library’s award-winning STEAM program for teens. Using advanced teaching tools and technology, our instructors encourage and inspire the next generation of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) professionals. Held year-round, our classes foster free expression while teaching critical skills and exciting STEAM concepts.

All spring break classes take place at Savage Branch from March 25 – 28 for middle and high school students. Registration and more information available here.

Origami Engineering
10 – 11 am, Savage Studio
Get hands-on experience in the ancient art of paper folding. Use origami to create structures like solar panels, bridges, and packing materials. Look at tessellating polygons and how these amazing structures
can be used by scientists and engineers.

Wonders of Chemical Reactions 1
10 – 11 am, Carver Lab
Explore chemistry in a fun and colorful environment. Conduct experiments that range from the physical and chemical properties of matter to Thermodynamics and Thermochemistry, and even Acid-Base Chemistry.

Acoustic Science
12 – 1 pm, Savage Studio
Learn about the science of acoustics as you explore the engineering of basic PA systems and small studio setups. Topics include sound, frequencies, dynamic microphones vs condenser microphones, and how to build a speaker/monitor.

STEM Heroes
12 – 1 pm, Carver Lab
Did you know that Mae Jemison made history as the first Black female astronaut? She is also an engineer, a physician, a professor, and an entrepreneur. Explore people throughout history and today who have contributed to the sciences.

Forensic Science: Biology
2 – 3 pm, Carver Lab
Have you ever wondered what goes on during a crime scene investigation? Learn the techniques forensic scientists use, such as fingerprinting, footprinting, and DNA analysis.

Movie Magic: Chroma Key
2 – 3 pm, AV Studio
Dive into the world of video special effects as you create your own reality. Record and edit video as you learn about the chroma key technique and how it evolved over time.

Audio Video Technology Workshop
4 – 5 pm, AV Studio
Record and mix music or create videos in the sound booth and with other equipment.

Cosmology
4 – 5 pm, Carver Lab
Do you watch The Big Bang Theory and want to know more about the Big Bang? Study the origin and development of the universe, and learn how to identify stars, constellations, and planets in the night sky.

Change Inspired, Courage Ignited in white against cloudy purple, on the diagonal.

Change Inspired, Courage Ignited Mini-Conference

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Change Inspired, Courage Ignited in white against cloudy purple, on the diagonal.

by Katie DiSalvo-Thronson

HCLS is proud to partner with the Columbia Association and Howard Community College on Change Inspired, Courage Ignited, a free mini-conference on March 5, 3:30 – 7 pm at the college’s Horowitz Center.

The main goals of Change Inspired, Courage Ignited are to connect people who care about our community, to spark conversation, and to develop skills related to community engagement and service. This year’s mini-conference is focused on the important topics of mindful community engagement, youth empowerment, and racial and social justice.

Smiling, bearded man wearing a dark jacket over a grey Tshirt, with greenery behind him.

We are thrilled to be hosting a national – and hometown! – racial equity hero, Andres Gonzalez, one of the co-founders of the Holistic Life Foundation and one of the co-authors of Let Your Light Shine: How Mindfulness Can Empower Children and Rebuild Communities. He will discuss how to sustain community engagement and action in the midst of challenging times and trauma, as well as the foundation’s nationally renowned methods for replacing student suspension with mindfulness, yoga, and breathwork.

We hope you’ll join us for an inspiring keynote from Mr. Gonzalez, participate in a breakout session, then build some skills in a workshop that he facilitates.

If you’d like to learn more, please check out some short videos about the Holistic Life Foundation produced by CNN and NBC. Or check out their book!

We hope you join the conversation and inspiration. Register today!

Katie is the Community Engagement and Partnerships Manager for HCLS. She loves people, the big questions, the woods, and chocolate.

An illustrated children's book cover shows a young woman in a small crown and earrings leaning casually against the title. The background is full of brightly colored fabric and pillows.

Meet the Author: Leah Rachel Berkowitz

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An illustrated children's book cover shows a young woman in a small crown and earrings leaning casually against the title. The background is full of brightly colored fabric and pillows.

Sunday, Mar 3
2:30 – 3:30 pm
HCLS Miller Branch
Families. 60 min. Registration required.

Rabbi Leah Rachel Berkowitz shares her fun Purim story about Queen Vashti’s Comfy Pants. Purim is a Jewish celebration and includes retelling the story with plays and skits, wearing costumes, and eating and drinking – especially Hamentashen, triangular cookies said to represent the hat, ears, or pockets of Haman, the main villain of the story.

This story humorously imagines what it might have been like for a queen to stand up for herself against a string of high-handed demands. In doing so, children learn the value of understanding the worth of their own needs and desires.

Berkowitz is a graduate of Brandeis University, spiritual leader of Congregation Kol Ami in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, and faculty member of the Creative Writing Program at URJ Six Points Creative Arts Academy.

Receive a copy, with advanced registration, while supplies last. Additional titles available for purchase and signing. In partnership with the Jewish Federation of Howard County and PJ Library in Howard County.

Adam Davidson wears a pink button down shirt and has his arms crossed. He stands in front of a large yellow smiley face.

AI and the Future of Work and Business with Adam Davidson

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Adam Davidson wears a pink button down shirt and has his arms crossed. He stands in front of a large yellow smiley face.
Adam Davidson

Wed, Jan 24 | 7 – 8 pm online
For adults. Register here.

Adam Davidson is an expert at demystifying complex topics, and he applies these skills to the most crucial issue of our time: the rise of AI. This talk is geared towards curious laypeople—from college students to business decision-makers—who know that AI is likely to transform their careers and business and need a clear framework to understand this new revolutionary technology. AI, he explains, will create massive new winners and, yes, a bunch of losers, as it rewrites our economic rules.

Davidson is the co-founder of NPR’s Planet Money podcast and a staff writer at The New Yorker, where he covers economics and business. Previously he was an economics writer for The New York Times Magazine. He has won many of journalism’s most prestigious awards, including a Peabody for his coverage of the financial crisis. All of his work has been focused on making the complex, confusing, sometimes depressing news about the economy it clear to a broad audience.

His work has appeared in The Atlantic, Harper’s, GQ, Rolling Stone, and other publications. He has served as a technical consultant in Hollywood, including to Adam McKay, co-writer and director of the Academy Award-winning film The Big Short.

Career Success Month
Jan 22 – Feb 23, 2024
Find a full listing of events here.
Maryland public libraries launch a new year with a month of programs on entrepreneurship and job advancement. During this month, classes focus on financial skill building and digital knowledge to navigate our rapidly changing work environment. These impactful, results-driven classes and programs occur in a mixture of in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats.
Hosted at library branches throughout Maryland and sponsored by the Maryland State Library Agency, these programs provide information from subject-matter experts.

Examples include:

  • Design thinking for entrepreneurs
  • How to work the gig economy
  • The joy of owning a small business in retirement
  • Learning Canva
  • Mindfulness at work
  • Speed mentoring
  • Resume building and interview preparation


A woman and her small white dog sit atop a VW camper/bus, with a lake behind them.

2023 is in the books!

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Thank you! 2023 was Chapter Chats’ best year yet, with more than 25,000 views – not exactly Taylor Swift numbers, but we have still plenty of anti-heroes for you to root for (Booth by Karen Joy Fowler, for one).

We shared a wide variety of reviews and library news with you, including an entire week for National Library Week in April. The blog spent the year promoting all the library has to offer.

Booker owl in a hot air balloon, which is striped white and green with the Hi circle in blue.

Here are some of the most-viewed posts of the year for classes and events:

And here were the most-viewed book reviews:

A Black woman with natural hair holds her arms apart in front her her with red glowing around the top and a blue around the bottom, against a dark background.

Maybe you missed these recommendations:

And still, the most viewed post since Chapter Chats began in 2020: How to Bypass the News Paywall with Your Library Card.

We hope you’ll stick with us as we head into 2024! Happy New Year!

A blue gloved hand holds a small knitted heart in bright red.

The Giving Season

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A blue gloved hand holds a small knitted heart in bright red.

As the holiday season continues, here are ways you can give back to the library that gives all year to our community. Whether you are in a position to give time or money, and sometimes both, consider contributing to Howard County Library System:

If you have time to volunteer at your local branch, we need great volunteers for our shelf maintenance, makerspaces, literacy and ESL projects, and technology help. The first step is to complete our online volunteer application. After your application is reviewed, someone from your local branch will connect with you to review the volunteer opportunities that match your availability. 

Want to volunteer, but you don’t have a ton of time? Consider volunteering for one of our signature events. We can always use the extra help.

If you have a few extra dollars to give, consider purchasing one of our keepsake ornaments, available now at your local branch, for in-person purchase at $5 each. Or, you may make a monetary donation. Donations are tax deductible.

If you are blessed with a fuller wallet, consider purchasing an engraved paver to commemorate the remembrance of a family member or loved one. We have a limited number of legacy pavers featured in the Enchanted Garden at our Miller branch for you to purchase.

Another fun opportunity that supports the library’s initiatives, you can save the date for our annual gala fundraiser: A Flower-full Evening in the Stacks, happening February 24 at East Columbia Branch. Tickets go on sale January 10 for $100, and prices increase in February. Dance the night away to the music of DJ Bugatti. Get your eat and drink on with catering by Rouge and The Wine Bin & Sobar.

The photo shows string bean plants dappled with sunlight through their leaves, with a tree, a fence, and hills in the distance.

Meet the Authors: Growing an Edible Landscape

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Several photographs of lush gardens surround title, "Growing an Edible Landcape."

Monday, Dec 4 | 7 – 8:15 pm
Elkridge
For adults. Register here.

Authors Gary Pilarchik of @therustedgarden and Dr. Chiara D’Amore discuss their new collaborative book, Growing an Edible Landscape: How to Transform Your Outdoor Space into a Food Garden. Plan for the spring ahead and learn how you can convert your lawn and landscape areas into fruitful edible gardens with this practical guide overflowing with ideas, plans, designs, and know-how.

Gary Pilarchik has been gardening for most of his life. His grandfather taught him about vegetable gardening in first grade, and it ignited a passion that has been with him ever since. Gary started his YouTube channel, The Rusted Garden, in 2011 as a way to enjoy himself and teach others about gardening. He has since grown his following of dedicated subscribers, and he started a second channel, My First Vegetable Garden, a few years later to cater to first-time vegetable growers. His belief is that a garden wants to give, vegetables want to grow, and everyone can have a successful garden.

Chiara D’Amore is the Executive Director of the Community Ecology Institute, a non-profit organization working to cultivate communities in which people and nature thrive together. She holds a Ph.D. in Sustainability Education and a Masters in Environmental Science and Engineering and teaches courses related to climate change, civic ecology, experiential education, and research design.

3 sets of dried stems and seeds are shown in clear plastic containers against a blue backdrop.
Seeds from the 1st Annual Howard County Seed Share held at HCLS Miller Branch in January 2023.

Save the date: 2nd Annual Seed Share at HCLS Miller Branch, Saturday, January 20, 2024, 2-4 pm
A seed exchange is a great opportunity to acquire new varieties, save money, and reduce seed waste, while learning and sharing with fellow gardeners and community volunteers. Free demonstrations and information will also be available.
If you would like to share seeds, please drop them at one of three locations, from January 1 – 18:

  • HCLS Miller Branch | 9421 Frederick Rd, Ellicott City
  • HCLS Elkridge Branch | 6540 Washington Blvd, Elkridge
  • Community Ecology Institute | 8000 Harriet Tubman Ln, Columbia


A snowy border overlays a plate and utensils tied with a bow, surrounded by pinecones.

Author Works: Wendy Eckel

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A snowy border overlays a plate and utensils tied with a bow, surrounded by pinecones.

Saturday, Dec 2 
2 – 3 pm  
Miller Branch
For adults. Register.

In Killer in a Winter Wonderland, the much-anticipated holiday-themed fourth book in the Rosalie Hart cozy mystery series, Wendy Sand Eckel once again brings the fictional town of Cardigan, Maryland to life. With delectable menus, high stakes sleuthing, and the rich atmospheric scenes only the holiday season can provide, Killer in a Winter Wonderland is a cornucopia of delicious fare, compelling new and returning characters, and a fast-paced tale that keeps one riveted to the last page.

Eckel studied criminology and earned a Masters in Social Work. Before becoming a writer she worked as a psychotherapist, helping families and adolescents. Her mystery series has been awarded “Best Cozy” by Suspense magazine, and Mystery at Windswept Farm, the third book in the series, made the humorous novel bestseller list on Amazon. A trained life coach, Wendy writes the advice column for the Maryland Writers’ Association newsletter and enjoys mentoring aspiring authors.

Black woman seatedo on a porch holding a tuba.

Visions: Tuba with Spoken Word

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A Black woman stands in a studio apartment, on a patterned rug, with her hand resting on bell-down tuba.

Sunday, Nov 12 
2 – 3 pm  
Miller Branch

For adults. Register.

The arts are, at their core, about telling stories. Jasmine Pigott, tuba player, is exploring multiple art forms in her program “Visions,” which combines spoken word with composition for solo tuba.
Each of the pieces in this 45 minute program tells a story-stories with themes of overcoming adversity, fighting inner-demons in mental health battles, and navigating this world as a Black woman in America.

Jasmine “Jazzie” Pigott is a tuba player, composer, podcaster, and writer based in Baltimore, MD. Believing in the power of representation, Jasmine is a solo performer on a mission to empower the next generation of musicians of color. She has placed in numerous solo competitions, including first place in Peabody’s Yale Gordon Competition and bronze in the Leonard Falcone Tuba Student Competition, and she released her EP, Revolution, in July 2022.

Jasmine is a co-founder and member of the Chromatic Brass Collective. Outside of music, Jasmine ran a podcast Harmony and Healing, centered around health and wellness for musicians from July 2021 to September 2022. She holds degrees from Ithaca College (B.M.) and Michigan State University (M.M.) and is working on her DMA in tuba performance at the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins.