What's Happening at the Library in April?

Here's a look at what's going on at the Sachem Public Library in April: 

Get out and Vote! Tuesday, April 5, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.: Vote for the library budget and trustee election. Every vote counts!

Summer Flowering Bulbs & Tubers: Monday, April 11, 6:30 p.m.: Learn about different types of bulbs from Long Island's "Garden Wizard" John Miller. Discover the best way to plant, feed, and store them, and how to keep them in bloom all summer long.

Meet Peter Godwin: Wednesday, April 13, 7 p.m.: In The Fear: Robert Mugabe and the Martyrdom of Zimbabwe, Peter Godwin recounts his return to his home country during a period in which dictator Robert Mugabe, refusing to concede power after losing an election, waged a campaign of terror against his own people. The Fear is a book about the astonishing courage and resilience of a people, armed with nothing but a desire to be free. It is also the deeply personal and ultimately uplifting story of a man trying to make sense of the country he can no longer recognize as home. 

Garden Thyme: Spring has Sprung!: Monday, April 18, 7 p.m.: Carol Zambraski will introduce great new products to make your garden chores a snap. Learn about spring ground covers and easy-care long-blooming color for the garden. 

Introduction to Geocaching: Tuesday, April 19, 7 p.m.: Lynne Kennedy, Head of Reference Services at the Sachem Public Library, will introduce you to the "sport" of geocaching, in which adventure-seekers use a Global Positioning System (GPS) to play a vast, worldwide game of hide and seek. There are more than one million geocaches in over one hundred countries on all seven continents, including Antarctica. There's even a geocache in Inside/Out, Sachem Library's garden! Each cache contains a logbook and other gift items left by previous visitors. Join the high-tech treasure hunt! 

Finding Your Balance: Eastern Serenity Meets Western Activity: Wednesday, April 20, 7 p.m.: Using Zen stories, music, and poetry, artist and poet Mankh will teach you how to find a peaceful balance in your busy life by fusing the philosophies of East and West. 

Lawn Maintenance 101: Monday, April 25 6:30 p.m.: Get tips on lawn maintenance from John Miller, including care and feeding of turf grass, and the different types of cool weather grasses. Find out how to choose the correct fertilizer, as well as how to deal with insects and diseases. 

Intro to Feng Shui: Wednesday, April 27 10 a.m.: Maureen Calamia will explore the concept of ch'i (energy) and show you how to analyze the ch'i of your home to create a more supportive environment. 

Intellectual Resistance During the Holocaust: Escape Through Books, Reading and Storytelling, A lecture by Miriam Intrator, Thursday, April 28, 7 p.m.: During the Second World War, a prisoner-run library was established in the ghetto concentration camp Theresienstadt. The "Ghettozentralbucherei" (Ghetto Central Library) opened in November of 1942 and remained in operation, offering prisoners vital means of escape and solace, until liberation in May of 1945. Its staff worked creatively and diligently to provide access to the available reading materials.

They invented a bookmobile system, created branch libraries throughout the camp, oversaw the cataloging of Hebrew and Judaica volumes, worked to ensure the preservation and survival of rare and valuable works, and encouraged reading aloud so that each book could reach as many people as possible. Through its very normalcy as an institution of leisure and learning, the library existed as an instrument of resistance, representing an organized system of life, all the more inspirational and strengthening as it thrived within the much larger system of death. 

April Films at Sachem Public Library 

Celebrate Earth Day with Special Film Presentations: Wednesday, April 20 

*Oceans – 1 p.m.: Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, this film features an exhilarating look under the sea, highlighting state-of-the-art underwater filmmaking that will take your breath away. Migrate with whales, swim alongside a great white shark, and race with dolphins at play. 

*Earth - 2:30 p.m.: Narrated by James Earl Jones, this is the remarkable story of three animal families--  polar bears, elephants, and humpback whales-- on a journey across our planet. A heartwarming adventure filled with suspense and humor, this film features rare footage of nature's wildest and most elusive animals. 

*Winged Migration – 4 p.m.:This Academy Award-nominated film, which required three years of shooting by five teams, follows bird migrations over the seven continents. Follow these remarkable creatures from pole to pole on their torturous journeys across the planet. 

Sunday, April 3, 2:30 p.m.: The Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island will present a revue of hilarious and unforgettable songs, from favorites including The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, and HMS Pinafore. The show will open with Gilbert & Sullivan's witty one-act Trial by Jury, a gem of wit, sentiment, and charm. 

Sunday, April 17, 2 p.m.: Like other popular vocal groups from the golden era of rock n' roll, The Precisions began their performing career on the streets of Brooklyn. They have entertained audiences coast-to-coast with their rich, smooth harmonies and foot-stomping rhythms. Selections for this concert will include hits from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. 

Film Discussion: Reel Rebels: Tuesday, April 5, 6 p.m.: Catfish: Intriguing, informative, sometimes controversial, but always thought provoking, this monthly series combines the best in film and discussion. This month's selection is a riveting documentary that follows a Facebook relationship from its innocent beginnings to its unexpected conclusion. Simultaneously moving, disturbing and suspenseful, this film is a totally unique cinematic experience. 

Foreign Film: Saturday, April 2, 2 p.m.: Easy Virtue: When a young Englishman brings his new wife home to meet the parents, the bride faces disapproval from her mother-in-law over her free-spirited American ways. Based on the play by Noel Coward. 

Opera & Art Film Series: Ansel Adams: Wednesday, April 13, 1:30 p.m. and Wednesday, April 2, 7 p.m.: Written and directed by Ric Burns, this documentary portrays the life of a great photographer and ardent environmentalist for whom life and art, photography and wilderness, and creativity and communication were inextricably connected 

Thursday Movies

Secretariat: April 7, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: Based on the remarkable true story, "Secretariat" chronicles the spectacular journey of the 1973 Triple Crown winner.

The Switch: April 14, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: Seven years after being artificially inseminated, Kassie Larson finds out that her best friend replaced the preferred donor sample with his own.

Toy Story 3: April 21, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.:The toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center right before Andy leaves for college, and it's up to Woody to convince the other toys to return home.

Red: April 28, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: When his idyllic life is threatened by a high-tech assassin, former black-ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team in a last-ditch effort to survive.