Tag connection

The book cover has an arrow spiraling from the word "Seek" down to the circled world, "Curiosity," indicating a connection between the two. There is also an image of a globe off to the right of the title.

Curiosity as a Force for Connection

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The book cover has an arrow spiraling from the word "Seek" down to the circled world, "Curiosity," indicating a connection between the two. There is also an image of a globe off to the right of the title.

Required Reading: Texts for Change
Mon, Nov 10 | 7 – 8:30 pm
online
Reading: Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World by Scott Shigeoka
For adults. Registration required.
This quarterly book club of the HCLS Equity Resource Center & Collection is designed for people who are curious and committed to equity. The club explores three nonfiction books each year plus a summer fiction title. Together, we’ll engage with texts that challenge assumptions, introduce new frameworks, and spark deeper reflection about equity. This isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about reading with intention, sitting with complexity, and learning together in community.

Author Scott Shigeoka sits on a sofa with his head propped on his closed hand, laughing at the camera. There's a plant and a window behind hime.

Meet the Author: Scott Shigeoka

Mon, Nov 17 | 6:30 – 7:30 pm
HCLS Miller Branch
For adults. Registration encouraged.

On a road trip across the United States, Scott Shigeoka spent a year traveling to small towns, political rallies, and churches. He encountered people whose beliefs and backgrounds differed greatly from his own. He did so to practice curiosity.

Rather than leading with assumptions or judgment, he asked questions, listened to stories, and shared his own experiences. In a space where he seemed (at first) to have little in common with those around him, he discovered points of connection. That is the nature of curiosity: it has the power to bring people together, turn differences into bridges of understanding, and create moments of meaningful connection.
An internationally recognized curiosity expert, Scott joins us for an evening dedicated to discovering how curiosity can transform the way we relate to each other—and ourselves. Speaking about his book Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World, he shares stories from his travels, introduces practical, research-based strategies for deepening curiosity, and guides participants through exercises.

Scott Shigeoka is a Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. His work blends science, storytelling, and lived experience to help people strengthen relationships, foster understanding, and build well-being. His popular TED Talk received a standing ovation, and he has been featured on the Today Show, PBS, the Harvard Business Review, and The New York Times.

Our next chapter starts soon when the blog moves to the newly redesigned hclibrary.org. All the same great reviews and news, plus more library information!

The photographs shows a little boy wearing traditional clothing carrying a drum.

Global Neighbors Africa: Experience the Continent 

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The photograph depicts a dance troupe wearing traditional clothing, posing in rows in front of a school bulletin board.

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. 

The photographs shows a little boy wearing traditional clothing carrying a drum.

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.

Children and their caregivers play on the floor of Savage Branch, with bright toys around them.

National Library Week 2025

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A woman wearing headphones works at a table surrounded by library shelves full of books.
A smiling group of six people stand inside the library.
Children and their caregivers play on the floor of Savage Branch, with bright toys around them.
A top down photo of four older women playing mah-jongg.
A young boy sits in a large chair intently reading a book.
A customer wearing a headscarf has a conversation with library staff at the desk.

During National Library Week we celebrate the many roles libraries play in their communities. We are hubs for preschoolers attending classes and learning skills to prepare for kindergarten, teens working on homework and looking for places to belong, new Americans learning English, immigrants studying to take the U.S. Citizenship exam, parents and seniors looking for connections, veterans working through trauma, and community members seeking to broaden their perspectives. 

This year’s National Library Week is more poignant than ever. With the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, many libraries who depend on federal funding will be forced to shut their doors. In Maryland, federal grants fund statewide programming, innovative training, librarian certifications, operating costs, and other expenses. Libraries use federal funds to provide access to the internet, create new and novel programs for a range of interests, and train staff.  

In Howard County, we are fortunate that our community places a high value on libraries. While the portions of our budget that will be affected are still uncertain, we remain committed to the three key focus areas identified in our strategic plan released last year: 

  • All children enter school ready to learn, with emphasis on ages birth to 3; 
  • Teens and young adults feel a sense of agency and belonging, and 
  • An inclusive, connected community where everyone feels they belong.  

Through community meetings, surveys, and interviews, you told us these were important, and we intend to continue addressing them no matter what happens at the federal level. 

For 85 years we have enjoyed broad support from you, our community. And with your continued support, we will be here for another 85 years – and more! 

We look forward to seeing you in our branches this week as we celebrate National Library Week and the critical work we do with our community. 

Sincerely, 

Tonya Aikens
President & CEO
Howard County Library System

Finding Community and Connection at the Library

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An older woman in a striped shirt helps a younger woman start a crochet project with yellow yarn.
Participants gather at HCLS Central Branch for an ongoing class focusing on knitting and needlepoint.

by Emily B.

These days, it seems more difficult than ever to find your community and make genuine connections. Over the past four years, the pandemic has re-shaped our lives. The way that we live, communicate, and connect has changed. These rapid changes led U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy to issue an advisory on the “epidemic of loneliness and isolation” in 2023.

Dr. Murthy remarked, “We’re seeing more forces that take us away from one another and fewer of the forces that used to bring us together.” Adjusting to this new social landscape is tough, especially for older Americans. It can be even more daunting without the built-in social opportunities found at work and school. Read the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on social connection at http://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/connection.

Part of the framework to address the loneliness epidemic calls for a strengthening of social infrastructure, which includes public libraries and senior centers. These types of physical community spaces, known as “third places,” are any social space separate from your home (first place) or work (second place).

Howard County Library System’s classes and events are a great way to connect and find a community. Here’s a sampling of some of our ongoing offerings:

If you love to read, try The Unbook Reading Group. Meeting monthly at Backwater Books in Old Ellicott City, it offers an opportunity for readers to connect and chat without the pressure of assigned reading.

Get crafty with a range of creative classes for adults at various HCLS branches. Connect and make a new craft in a supportive, friendly environment with Craft Works. Pins and Needles meets every Thursday, alternating between HCLS Central and Miller Branches. Converse with other adults
as you work on your knitting, crochet, embroidery, or sewing project.

Give Mah Jongg a try at HCLS Miller Branch. Mah Jongg Meet Up occurs twice a month, welcoming players of all experience levels. Looking to stay active? Start your Mondays off on the right foot Walking with East Columbia Branch and 50+ Center.

You can find and register for even more classes and events for adults at hclibrary.org. Enter the class name into the search bar.

  • Craft Works @ Central Branch | Dates and times vary between one Tuesday evening and one Thursday afternoon every month.
  • Walking with East Columbia & 50+ Center | Mondays; 9:30 – 10:30 am
  • Pins & Needles | Every Thursday; 10 am – 12 pm with 1st and 3rd Thursdays @ Central and 2nd and 4th & 5th Thursdays @ Miller
  • UnBook Reading Group @ Backwater Books | Wednesdays, 6:30 – 7:30 pm May 15, Jun 12
  • Mah Jongg Meetup @ Miller | 2nd and last Tuesday evenings; 6:30 – 8 pm
  • Bingo Social | Thu May 16 2 – 4 pm at Glenwood & Thu Jun 27 2 – 4 pm East Columbia