Tag classes and events

The photograph shows a wooden table with an assortment of 500- and 1000-piece puzzles in boxes on top. A puzzle with a rainy street view of Paris, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, is put together on the table surface. A wooden giraffe also stands on the table.

Puzzle and Board Game Swap

emilyhcls Leave a comment
The photograph shows a wooden table with an assortment of 500- and 1000-piece puzzles in boxes on top. A puzzle with a rainy street view of Paris, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, is put together on the table surface. A wooden giraffe also stands on the table.
Photo by Simon Hurry on Unsplash.

by Emily B.

Over the last few years, there’s been a growing interest in board games and puzzles. This likely started due to the stay-at-home orders at the beginning of the pandemic. In the years following, their popularity has continued. Board games provide an engaging experience with friends and family, shared through competition or collaboration, while puzzles also offer solo and group fun. Working on a puzzle can be meditative, and it provides a great way to de-stress while engaging the mind. Ever since completing my first 1,000-piece puzzle a few years ago, puzzles have been my favorite way to unwind after work.

If you’re a puzzle or board game fanatic, you won’t want to miss the Community Puzzle & Board Game Swap happening at HCLS Central Branch on Sunday, January 29 from 1:30 – 3:30 pm. The swap is the perfect time to trade any games or puzzles that you no longer need for something new to you. Puzzles and games need to include all their pieces.

To participate, bring any gently used board games or puzzles that you would like to swap. When you arrive, you can trade your items with other attendees or with any donated items. Feel free to share your best gaming and puzzling tips with other attendees and learn about upcoming puzzle- and game-related events at HCLS. In addition to swapping, you can learn about all of the free eResources available through HCLS that you can use while puzzling and gaming.

Donations of gently used board games and puzzles will be accepted if you are not interested in swapping anything. You may bring donations to HCLS Central Branch. These donations will be available for swappers on January 29.  

Click here for the full details on the event. 

We hope to see you there!  

Emily is an Instructor & Research Specialist at the Central Branch. She enjoys puzzling, reading, listening to music, and re-watching old seasons of Survivor. 

The photograph depicts a woman in traditional Indian clothing of red, black, white, holding a microphone with arm outstretched as if belting out a song. She stands in two spotlights shining on her from above, and in front of a representation of the globe with the words "World Language Karaoke" surrounding the globe in yellow. All of this is against a backdrop of twinkling stars against in the darkness of outer space.

World Language Karaoke

madammommy Leave a comment
The photograph depicts a woman in traditional Indian clothing of red, black, white, holding a microphone with arm outstretched as if belting out a song. She stands in two spotlights shining on her from above, and in front of a representation of the globe with the words "World Language Karaoke" surrounding the globe in yellow. All of this is against a backdrop of twinkling stars against in the darkness of outer space.

by Piyali C.

“Reading is not really my thing. I don’t come to the library.” My customer told me this as he waited for me to find a book that he needed for his school project. He was honest with me about his preferences. He was only at the library because his teacher made him come.

“Do you like music?” I asked him.

“Oh yes. I love music.” He replied enthusiastically.

“Did you know that we are having a class called World Language Karaoke ” I asked him.

“WHAT? You can do karaoke in a library?” He was incredulous.

The idea of library being a quiet place filled with books is a thing of the past. To quote Paula Poundstone, libraries have truly become, “raucous clubhouses for free speech, controversy, and community.” And we love to celebrate our diverse community every chance we get. Our community speaks so many different languages. It makes us smile as we walk around our library and hear the plethora of languages being spoken around us. We thought, why not celebrate all these different languages and bring everyone together for an evening of music? After all, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow did say that “music is the universal language of humanity.”

Join us on Thursday, January 26 at 7 pm for World Language Karaoke at Miller Branch to sing songs in the language that you prefer, INCLUDING ENGLISH.

When you register, please tell us the song or songs that you are going to sing in the ‘Special Notes’ field, so we can create a playlist before the class and keep it ready for you to belt it out!

Register for the class here.

Piyali is an instructor and research specialist at HCLS Miller Branch, where she co-facilitates Global Reads and facilitates Light But Not Fluffy (starting in March 2023!) and keeps the hope alive that someday she will reach the bottom of her to-read list.

You see to feet, one in a chunky boot and one in a black sneaker, crossed toward each other with a deck below.

ELEVATE your relationship!

Holly Leave a comment
You see to feet, one in a chunky boot and one in a black sneaker, crossed toward each other with a deck be

by Holly L.

UPDATE: SERIES CANCELED – MAY BE RESCHEDULED.

Are you looking to take your relationship to the next level? Or searching for a new twist on date night?

You can hone your skills for maintaining a stable marriage or committed partnership through upcoming classes using material from ELEVATE. Developed in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Georgia and at Auburn University, the program blends practical skills with an understanding of the physiology of human interaction to enhance healthy adult relationships.

Join us at Miller Branch on three Tuesdays, October 4, 11 and 18 from 6:30 – 8 pm, to participate in these free sessions, presented in partnership with the University of Maryland Extension. Registration required.

The Elevate logo has a green heart that contains an upward pointing arrow above the

The two core components of ELEVATE are (1) practical strategies and tools and (2) the inclusion of mindfulness practice activities that help couples manage intense emotions by learning to regulate their heart-brain response to stressful triggers. Couples leave equipped with tools to communicate (and argue) more effectively, resolve conflict, and strengthen their relationship.

University of Maryland Family and Consumer Sciences Specialist Dr. Alexander Chan leads this inclusive and LGBTQ+ friendly class. This series is designed primarily for couples who are currently in a committed relationship. Individuals may attend without a partner, but couples attending together receive the most benefit.

Holly is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the Miller Branch. She enjoys knitting, preferably with a strong cup of tea and Downton Abbey in the queue.

The cartoon image says "Year of the Tiger" in a variety of languages, with a smiling tiger extending his paw towards the viewer, with three gold lanterns hanging above him against a red backdrop.

Lunar New Year Celebrations

juliefitzreader Leave a comment
The cartoon image says "Year of the Tiger" in a variety of languages, with a smiling tiger extending his paw towards the viewer, with three gold lanterns hanging above him against a red backdrop.

Welcome to the Year of the Tiger! The Lunar New Year is the most important social and economic holiday for billions of people around the world. Tied to the lunar-solar Chinese calendar, the holiday was originally observed as a time to honor household and heavenly deities and ancestors. Today, Lunar New Year brings friends and family together for feasting and festivities in China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Mongolia, and other countries all over the world.

This website, recommended by our presenters, offers a helpful guide where you can discover more about everything from food and drink to clothing and decorations for Lunar New Year celebrations. In addition, we have an assortment of books and other materials available at HCLS to help families learn and celebrate.

In recognition of this significant holiday, HCLS is celebrating with an online class, Learn About the Lunar New Year Celebration, in partnership with Howard County Chinese School. A panel of middle and high school students and parents share the histories and traditions of the Lunar New Year celebration in a variety of Asian American Pacific Islander sub-communities. Join us on Saturday, Feb 5 for a combination of short presentations, Q&A, and interactive educational games with prizes.

Additional upcoming children’s classes with Lunar New Year-themed sessions include:

Please join us!

Don’t Underestimate a Good Craft

Peter N. Leave a comment
The photo shows a shadowbox format of birch tree branches and falling yellow and orange leaves against a pale background in a white frame, with a brown and a tan stone in the foreground. All are placed on a wooden tabletop.
Join fellow crafters at Tezukuri Crafternoon on Wednesday, November 10 to create this delightful fall display!

By Peter N.

First of all, a well-deserved welcome back to all of our customers! We have so enjoyed seeing your faces (or at least, half of them) in our branches once again, particularly for in-person classes and events like the one we’re sharing here.

Were you one of the regular participants in Create by Music at the Miller Branch in the pre-pandemic times? Well, good news! We are back but we have re-branded. Create by Music is now Tezukuri Crafternoon. What does that mean? Well, Tezukuri translates to “handmade” in Japanese and Crafternoon…well, that’s just craft combined with afternoon.

The photo shows the word "Tezukuri" in Japanese, followed by "Tezukuri Crafternoon" in English.

Each first Wednesday of the month, join us for a relaxing afternoon hour of crafts and conversation. No artistic talent required! And if you’re looking for a selection of titles from our collection to check out about handmade crafting, please enjoy this list of items from our catalog.

Register for our next Tezukuri Crafternoon on November 10th at 2 pm here. Ages 19+.

Peter is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the Miller Branch and LIVES for the upcoming sweater weather.

The new van, decorated with colorful circles and photos of Library events, with its awning extended.

On the Road with the New Pop-Up Library

Kristen B. 1 Comment
The new van, decorated with colorful circles and photos of Library events, with its awning extended.
PopUp Library at HCLS East Columbia branch.

HCLS is excited to have a new way to bring books and services into our community. The new mobile unit is primarily designed to bring preschool classes and learning resources to children of families who do not have easy access to the Library’s six branches. Classes and services will primarily be delivered to children, birth through three years of age, and their parents/caregivers from asset limited and income constrained families in communities that have also been directly affected by the pandemic. 

  • The vehicle will be outfitted with a collection of library materials in a variety of formats, including books, activity kits, and toys, as well as Chromebooks and mobile hotspots. 
  • It also functions as a mobile hotspot providing Internet access to the nearby community during each stop. HCLS staff will provide information on library classes and events and about community resources.
  • When not visiting preschools and daycare facilities, the Pop-Up Library will visit festivals, events, and other gatherings throughout Howard County. 
  • Visit hclibrary.org/pop-up to see where the van will be and to request it for your neighborhood. You can find us at Words on the Street at Colorburst Park in Columbia on September 9 & 23.
  • The mobile unit was funded by a Rise to the Challenge Grant from Howard County Government, Friends & Foundation of Howard County Library System, M&T Bank, PNC Foundation, and HoCo Balt Book Club.