Sunday, October 5 2 – 4 pm HCLS Miller Branch Registration encouraged, as space may be limited.
The Global Neighbors team invites you to join in a heartfelt celebration of the traditions, stories, and values that bind us together across generations at our upcoming Global Neighbors Africa: Experience the Continent event on Sunday, October 5 from 2 – 4 pm at HCLS Miller Branch! This special program invites our community to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of Africa through storytelling, music, dance, and food. Connect with your neighbors to share in the wisdom of the past and the promise of the future.
An interactive and personal experience, Global Neighbors Africa showcases performances and demonstrations that highlight the continent’s regional richness. The event features art displays and offers additional layers of connection and inspiration. Intentionally inter-generational, this is about feeling, remembering, and being part of something bigger. It’s a reminder that the best lessons in life are often shared through the moments we create together.
Guests can enjoy the opportunity to sample regional African food (as long as supplies last) and take home a door prize (also as long as supplies last). Celebrate connection, joy, and cultural discovery. Everyone is welcome – bring your family, friends, and curiosity as we travel the continent together, right here at the library.
Piyali is an instructor and research specialist at HCLS Miller Branch, where she facilitates two book discussion groups: Light But Not Fluffy and Global Reads. She keeps the hope alive that someday she will reach the bottom of her to-read list.
One of the best parts of working at the library is getting to talk about books. So, naturally, I was excited to be asked to co-facilitate the virtual book club Eclectic Evenings a few years ago. I quickly discovered how much we learn, not only from the books, but from each other. Piyali, facilitator of the Global Reads and Light but Not Fluffy book groups at our Miller Branch, sums up the magic of book clubs well: “It always amazes me to see how book clubs become a safe space for sharing life’s experiences… Although we meet once a month, it always seems like a reunion of friends. It is a beautiful feeling.” In our modern world where thousands of books are immediately available (thanks to apps like Libby), perhaps it feels a little radical to join a book club. Sure, it can seem like a time commitment — but think of it more as a commitment to lifelong learning, broadening literary horizons, and connecting with fellow readers. One book club member comments, “books are great learning opportunities for me. They open up my world.”
The opportunity to read outside your comfort zone is often fruitful. Shana says, “One of my favorite things about this book club [Books on Tap] is that it has introduced me to books and authors I probably would not have found on my own.” Even if every book isn’t your cup of tea, it can lead to compelling discussions or a new perspective. Sahana, who facilitates Between the Lines: An Intersectional Book Club, comments that one of their favorite aspects of book groups is hearing the refrain “I wouldn’t have read this if not for book club, and I really liked it!”
At HCLS, book clubs come in all shapes and sizes. Some meet in-person at the library or in the community, others virtually. Many feature a wide array of genres and topics while others carve out their own niche, focusing on graphic novels, music, or sci-fi and fantasy. There’s something for every reader. For those who want to connect with other readers without the worry of assigned reading, consider Miller’s What’s on your Shelf?. Julie, one of the facilitators, says, “even though we’re not all reading the same book each month, we always learn so much and have a fabulous time.”
In our busy, stressful lives a book club can be a respite from the chaos, and a chance to reflect and grow in a supportive environment. A member of a handful of HCLS book discussion groups, Ellen remarks, “It’s amazing how deep a conversation you can have with people you only see once a month and with whom your primary shared interest is reading.”
Members of HCLS staff-led book clubs recommend some of their favorite reads:
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: The book club opened my eyes to the fun of reading dystopian novels, fantasy, and other genres that I would never have selected myself.
This Tender Landby William Kent Krueger: It’s a heartbreaking yet heartwarming story of four runaway orphans.
The Mountains Singby Nguyen Phan Que Mai: This is an historical fiction set in Vietnam. I learned about the history and culture of Vietnam as it follows the Tran family.
Trustby Hernan Diaz: I’ve never read a book like it before. It features four distinct books within a book, lots of twists and reveals that build on each other.
Visit the HCLS classes and events calendar to learn more about book club discussion opportunities at any branch and out in the community!
Emily is an Instructor & Research Specialist at HCLS Central Branch. When she’s not reading, she enjoys puzzling, listening to music, and re-watching old seasons of Survivor.
The Longest Table returns outdoors with renewed purpose: to spark curiosity, foster empathy, and build bridges across different backgrounds and perspectives. Join us for an evening of food and meaningful dialogue, kicking off a year-round initiative that empowers community members to host their own gatherings using free HCLS conversation kits.
Together, we can build a more connected Howard County — one conversation at a time. Everyone is welcome.
Weather permitting, we will dine outdoors with seating on the lawn. Please wear appropriate footwear and dress for the season. Dinner is served family style. While we try to accommodate most dietary needs, if you have strict restrictions, you are welcome to provide your own meal.
Gold Sponsors: Columbia Association, Friends & Foundation of HCLS Silver Sponsors: AARP Maryland, Howard Hughes Corporation In-Kind Sponsor: Howard Community College Media Sponsors: Baltimore Banner, WMAR-TV
DONATIONS NEEDED: NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS FOR Vivian C. “Millie” and William Harrison Bailey Food Pantry
Canned vegetables (No/Low salt option, tomato products, mushrooms, olives) Grains (Instant oatmeal packets (lower sugar preferred) & cereal with under 11g of added sugar (whole grain as first ingredient preferred) Proteins (Low sodium beans, dried lentils) Mixed dishes (Ready made meals, lower sodium soups) Beverages (Shelf-stable dairy alternatives, tea, coffee) Healthy snacks (Plain dried fruits and nuts in small packages; popcorn, pretzels, and chips in small packages) Cooking needs (spices and seasonings, cooking oils, can openers) Gluten-free products Personal care (Bodywash, shampoo, and conditioner; lotion, thick maxi pads) Cleaning and laundry supplies
Author Works: The Dark Maestro by Brendan Slocumb For adults. Register at bit.ly/Author-Slocumb Tue Sep 16 5:30 – 6:30 pm Book Signing 6:30 – 7:30 pm Author Event East Columbia 50+ Center 6610 Cradlerock Way, Columbia (adjacent to library)
His cello made him famous. His father made him a target.
Curtis Wilson is a cello prodigy, growing up in the Southeast DC projects with a drug dealer for a father. But through determination and talent, and the loving support of his father’s girlfriend, Larissa, Curtis claws his way out of his challenging circumstances and rises to unimagined heights in the classical music world — even soloing with the New York Philharmonic.
And then, suddenly, his life disintegrates. His father, Zippy, turns state evidence, implicating his old bosses to the FBI. Now the family, Curtis included, must enter the witness protection program if they want to survive. This means Curtis must give up the very thing he loves most: sharing his extraordinary musical talents with the world. When Zippy’s bosses prove too elusive for law enforcement to convict them, Curtis, Zippy, and Larissa realize that their only chance of survival is to take on the cartel themselves. They must create new identities and draw on their unique talents, including Curtis’s musical ability, to go after the people who want them dead. But will it be enough to keep Curtis and his family alive?
A propulsive and moving story about sacrifice, loyalty, and the indomitable human spirit, The Dark Maestro is Slocumb at the height of his powers.
Brendan Nicholaus Slocumb was raised in Fayetteville, NC, and holds a degree in music education (with concentrations in violin and viola) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. For more than twenty years he has been a public and private school music educator and has performed with orchestras throughout northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. He is currently based in DC.
Author Works: The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel For adults. Register at bit.ly/Author-Finkel Wed Sep 17 7 – 8 pm online: register to receive a link
Stéphane Bréitwieser is the most prolific art thief of all time. He pulled off more than 200 heists, often in crowded museums in broad daylight. His girlfriend served as his accomplice, and his collection was worth an estimated $2 billion… but he never sold a piece, and instead displayed his stolen art in his attic bedroom.
He felt like a king. Until everything came to a shocking end.
The Art Thief, a spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, Michael Finkel gives us one of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of our times, a riveting story of art, theft, love, and an insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.
Bauder Adult Battle of the Books is a new Friends & Foundation of HCLS fundraiser event launching as part of the Library’s 85th birthday celebration. It’s an adults-only reading competition where teams of 3–5 people read six preselected books and compete in a trivia challenge held at local restaurants. Proceeds will support some of your favorite Friends’ sponsored initiatives, such as author events, summer reading, Project Literacy graduation, and the youth Battle of the Books.
Celebrate 85 years of excellence with a journey back to where it all began.
This year marks a major milestone in the life of Howard County Library System: 85 years of history, community, and connection. As we look back, it’s not just the number that amazes us—it’s the journey, the people, and the purpose that have brought us to where we are today.
As part of our birthday celebration, we invite you to a very special class:
Howard County Library: The Origin Story – Honoring 85 Years of History, Community, and Connection
Discover how it all started — the visionaries who helped shape it and those who carried it forward — making Howard County Library System one of the top-rated libraries in the country. This program has been lovingly curated and will be presented by several of our dedicated library retirees. These individuals, who spent years serving the library and its customers, have poured their passion and time into uncovering the roots of our library system. They’ve scoured archives, tracked down milestones, and rediscovered library stories.
Their commitment has turned this event into more than just a presentation. It’s a heartfelt tribute to what we’ve built together.
From a small lending library in a Highland store run by Lillian and Ada Disney in the 1930s to the opening of the Central Library in Columbia in 1981 and beyond, our story is one of continuous growth and innovation. We’ve evolved from rented rooms and bookmobiles to vibrant branches offering world-class resources, classes, events, and services. We’ve embraced technology, expanded access, and reimagined what a library can be. But through every decade, one thing has remained constant: you—our community.
Learn more about the early days of the Library when it was a storefront on Main Street Ellicott City led by Lenna Baker Burgess. Hear how the library grew from one location to a system of six modern branches over the following decades, under the leadership of Marvin Thomas. Learn about the contributions of Norma Hill, how Valerie Gross built on past successes to become a nationally ranked library, and about Tonya Aikens’ strategic vision for the future.
Were you around before the Miller Branch was built? Do you remember the excitement of the Central Library’s grand opening in Columbia? Did you visit the storefront libraries in Long Reach or Lisbon? Did a librarian change your life, or did a story from our shelves shape your path? Did a book or program from the library help set your future in motion?
Join us to reminisce, reflect, and reconnect. Bring your memories, old library cards, photographs, or mementos, and share them with us as we fill in the story of the last 85 years from the community’s perspective. Let’s celebrate not only the institution, but the people—customers, staff, volunteers, and supporters—who made this journey possible.
Here’s to 85 years of learning, growing, and connecting—and to the many more stories yet to be written. Thank you for being part of our history. We can’t wait to celebrate with you.
Teens and their adults enjoy a Beyond Words class at HCLS Miller Branch.
by Megan B.
You may already know and love Beyond Words, our monthly program that kicked off in January 2024 at HCLS Miller Branch, created especially for adults and teens with developmental and intellectual disabilities. As Peg Prentice, the visionary behind the program and Instructor and Research Specialist at Miller, puts it: “Beyond Words is not just a class; it’s an invitation to celebrate the joy of discovery and the magic of shared experiences while creating personal connection and growth.” And clearly, the community agrees! Thanks to amazing support and lots of happy participants, Beyond Words now runs monthly at the East Columbia, Central, and Savage branches too.
After seeing the joy and connection that Beyond Words has brought to adults and teens, and recognizing a real need for similar inclusive fun for younger kids, Peg and the awesome Miller team got to work on something extra special.
Introducing…Beyond Words Junior! This exciting new class is just for children ages 6–11 with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Each month will bring a fresh, engaging theme to spark imaginations and create lasting memories. Beyond Words Junior is all about fun, friendship, and celebrating every child for exactly who they are.
Fantasy & Fairy Tales! Wednesday, September 3 | 6 – 7 pm HCLS Miller Branch Explore a world of whimsical wonder…think castles, dragons, magical creatures, and maybe even a sprinkle of fairy dust. Ages 6-11 with adult.
Mark your calendars and get ready for an unforgettable adventure! Register here.
Megan B. is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS Miller Branch. She is constantly curious and loves to learn new things.
Why does the United States celebrates Labor Day on the first Monday of September? As a child, I never gave it much consideration. Any importance was overshadowed by having the day off from school. The answer lies in the checkered history of the American labor movement, which is as much about setbacks as it is about resilience. Workers fighting for their rights, from the railroads to the streets of Chicago, were often met with violent resistance. Nonetheless, those hard-won victories have shaped the experience of modern workers to this very day.
American labor is by its nature intersectional, with roots in the economic and social divides that culminated in the Civil War and shaped the centuries to follow. It is a history where the shop floor, Sunday service, and the union hall shared the same spaces. The advancement of technologies, from railroads to steel drills, brought both opportunity and exploitation. These emerging conditions forced workers to organize, not just for wages but for dignity. As these struggles unfolded, they drew upon the power and potential of immigrant communities, civil rights groups, preachers, and artists alike.
Music has been a constant companion of the laborer, carrying meaning and messages farther than words alone. From the plantations and fields came spirituals like Go Down, Moses, which turned suffering into a promise of deliverance. John Henry commemorates the toil of railroad laborers and transforms it into a ballad of defiance. Folksingers gave voice to the dignity of ordinary folk, whose effort and struggle sustain the very functioning of our society. Later artists like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie would carry this tradition forward, inspiring generations of protest music.
If you’re interested in learning more about the labor movement in the United States, check out this list of resources available at HCLS.
From Factories to Folksongs For adults. Register here. Celebrate Labor Day through the exploration of the music, industrial advancements, and struggles that define this long history. Fri, Sep 5 | 11:30 am – 1 pm HCLS East Columbia Branch
Ian Lyness-Fernandez is not quite used to being an Instructor at HCLS East Columbia Branch. He hopes his passion for learning can somehow translate into a skill for teaching.
Music has been an integral part of my life, and I consider it almost like a second language full of nuance and strange etymology. From cello and bass lessons in middle and high school, exploring other strings and voice in college, to finding a new prog band, music has always been a mainstay for me. Making a habit of falling down musical “rabbit holes” exposes me to all kinds of new musical vocab, including some really inventive genre bends and blends. Fun stuff like modern metal mixed with Japanese instrumentation , or EDM with classical samples. Much like how books can transport you to another place and time and travel abroad can expose you to more of humanity, I think that a widely cast net of musical experiences can benefit the listener in similar ways.
The universal nature of music is one of the many facets that we will explore in Musical Mondays, HCLS’ new music-centric book club. If you’ve ever had a song give you goosebumps, wondered how music affects the brain, or thought about expanding your own musical vocabulary, then come to Musical Mondays! Whether you are a professional musician, avid car singer, or just enraptured by music like so many of us are, I can’t wait to hear your experiences. Bring song recommendations as well!
Musical Mondays meets the second Monday of each month, from 6-7 pm at HCLS Miller Branch. We will read both nonfiction and fiction titles, the first of which is How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy. Tweedy is best known as the lead singer/songwriter of Wilco and has written several books about music and the creative process. You can pick up copies of the book at the branch.
Sep 8: How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy, lead singer and songwriter of hit band Wilco Oct 13: The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb Nov 10: Anatomy of a Song by Marc Myers
Tony is an Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS Miller Branch. He has a degree in history, started playing cello in third grade, and enjoys reading science fiction and fantasy.
The Noontime Book Club is the longest running book club in the HCLS system. They gather at HCLS Central Branch.
by Wendy C.
As Howard County Library System (HCLS) celebrates its 85th birthday this year, I’ve found myself flipping through a mental scrapbook—page after page of memories and moments since I first started in 2010. It’s been a rich and satisfying journey, filled with more book recommendations than I could count and some of the most passionate readers and coworkers one could hope to know. When I became an Instructor and Research Specialist at the Central Branch, I landed in a dream team of literary champions affectionately known as the Fictionistas. These were (and still are!) some of the most brilliant book minds around. They mentored me, encouraged me, and perhaps most importantly, welcomed me into their bookish fold.
One of the most meaningful invitations came early on when I was asked to help facilitate Noontime Book Club, lovingly known as Noontime Books. This wasn’t just any club. It was founded in 1993 as Noontime With Books by Marge Trautman, a true trailblazer and the OG Fictionista. Community members were encouraged to come on their lunch breaks, eat, and talk about books. Marge had retired by the time I came on the scene, but her influence lingered in every discussion circle and on every dog-eared reading list.
Marge recently passed away at the age of 81. While we are saddened by her loss, we are comforted knowing that her spirit is alive and well in the very club she started. Month after month, rain or shine, in-person or virtual, some members have been showing up for over a decade, testament to the powerful sense of community and curiosity Marge helped spark. There’s something incredibly special about gathering midday to unpack a story together, be it mystery, memoir, or modern classic. Noontime Books isn’t just about reading. It’s about connecting, questioning, and sharing a slice of life over lunch and literature.
So as we celebrate HCLS’s incredible 85-year journey, I tip my hat to the Fictionistas, to Marge, and to every reader who ever leaned in a little closer during book club to say, “Wait, did anyone else notice that part?
Click for a listing of all the HCLS book clubs that have meetings soon, and many more return in September.
Wendy Camassar is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the HCLS Central Branch and facilitates Noontime Books discussion group. In her spare time, she enjoys reading fiction, thrifting, and volunteering for Success In Style at Savage Mill.
Kids and parents attend a Kindergarten, Here We Come class at HCLS Elkridge Branch.
It’s hard to believe, but the back to school season is right around the corner. For our youngest students, though, there’s no “back” involved … they are going to school for the first time! Every year, the library offers multiple sessions of Kindergarten, Here We Come! at all our branches. With a goal to generate excitement, library staff ease any anxieties or worries with fun stories and activities. Then, students get to practice getting on and off a real school bus, taking some very big steps for little legs.
All classes are for children entering kindergarten in the fall. 45 – 60 minute class. Register for July classes. Register for August classes.
Sponsored by Friends & Foundation of HCLS and Howard County Public School System
CENTRAL BRANCH Registration begins July 30 for all sessions. Wed, August 13 | 10 am & 6:30 pm Thu, August 14 | 3 pm Sat, August 16 | 1 & 3 pm
EAST COLUMBIA BRANCH Registration begins July 16 for all sessions. Wed, July 30 | 6:30 pm Wed, August 6 | 6:30 pm Fri, August 8 | 11 am
ELKRIDGE BRANCH Registration begins July 26 for all sessions. Sat, August 9 | 2 pm Mon, August 11 | 4 & 7 pm Tue, August 12 | 11 am & 2 pm
GLENWOOD BRANCH Registration begins July 12 for all sessions. Sat, July 26 | 2 pm Mon, July 28 | 2 & 7 pm
MILLER BRANCH Registration begins July 21 for all sessions. Mon, August 4 | 11 am Tue, August 5 | 11 am & 2 pm Wed, August 6 | 2 & 6:30 pm Thu, August 7 | 6:30 pm Sat, August 9 | 11 am
SAVAGE BRANCH Thu, August 14 | 2 & 6:30 pm Sat, August 16 | 11:45 am Mon, August 18 | 10:15 am
Bilingual (Spanish/English) Bilingüe (español/inglés) HCLS GLENWOOD BRANCH | SEDE GLENWOOD Tue, July 29 | 11 am Mar, 29 julio | 11 am Registration begins July 12 for all sessions. La inscripción comienza el 12 de julio para todas las sesiones.
en español | SEDE ELKRIDGE Se requiere inscripción a hclibrary.org. Sabado, 16 agosto | 2 pm
CHAPTER CHATS 