What's Happening at the Library this Month?

Film Discussion: Reel Rebels: Marwencol: Tuesday, November 1, 6:00 p.m.: A strange but mesmerizing documentary about one man's personal tragedy, this film raises poignant questions about the nature of art and its potential for self-healing. Intriguing, informative, sometimes controversial, but always thought provoking, this monthly series combines the best in film and discussion.

Senior Seminars: Home Accessibility, Thursday, November 3, 10:30 a.m.: It's important to adapt your home for easy mobility as you age. Discover your options for assessing your current living environment and find out how to keep your home safe and accessible. 

Seminars from the Senior Umbrella Network: Thursday, November 3, 10:30 a.m.: Home Accessibility: It’s important to adapt your home for easy mobility as you age. Discover your options for assessing your current living environment and find out how to keep your home safe and accessible. Hear from representatives from local organizations and businesses, including: United Lifeline Home Services, Independent Lifestyle Designs, Safeway Lifts, Genesis Creations Contracting & Transitions USA.

Houses of the Gilded Age: Monday, November 7, 7 p.m.: Between 1880 and 1930, vast estates with glorious mansions were built all along the North Shore of Long Island. These homes were designed by the most prominent architects of the day for America's newest millionaires, including the Astors, Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Phipps, and Goulds. Stony Brook architect Gary Lawrance, co-author of Houses of the Hamptons, 1880-1930, will discuss the history and current state of the great mansions of the Gold Coast, and the stories behind the people who built them.

SCORE Small Business Workshops: How to Start Your Own Business, Parts I & II, Tuesday, November 8 & 15, 7 p.m.: A representative from SCORE will explain how to bring your business ideas to fruition in this two-session workshop for aspiring entrepreneurs. Topics will include: cultivating ideas, seeking financing, and obtaining legal and accounting advice. There will be handouts, Q&A, and an opportunity to follow up at the local SCORE office. SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to encouraging the formation, growth, and success of small business nationwide through counseling and mentor programs.

Wednesday Matinee: Ladies in Lavender: Wednesday, November 9, 1:30 p.m.: Set in picturesque coastal Cornwall, the peaceful life of two aging sisters in pre-war England is shattered when they take in an injured young Polish violinist they find on the beach. The town is suspicious of any outsiders, and things only get worse when he befriends a young, attractive female visitor.

The Search for Life in the Universe: Wednesday, November 9, 7 p.m.: Are we alone? Humankind has long speculated about the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe. Stony Brook University Physics and Astronomy Professor Alan Calder will discuss the search for extraterrestrial life, and explain how our understanding of life on earth guides our search for life on other planets.

The Orphan Train: Monday, November 14, 7 p.m.: In what is known today as the Orphan Train Movement, an estimated 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children were moved by rail out of American cities between 1854 and 1929. Though some children were exploited as cheap labor, most found new families and safe homes on the farms and in the small towns of America. Tom Riley, the author of two books on the orphan trains, will discuss this fascinating but little-known chapter in American history.

Hiking Long Island, Wednesday, November 16, 7 p.m.: Become acquainted with the beauty of Long Island's woods, fields, pine barrens, and beaches with Lee McAllister, author of Hiking Long Island. The slide show and lecture will encompass the geology, history, flora, fauna, and topographical features that make Long Island a delightful place to hike in any season.

Thursday, November 17, 10:30 a.m., In-Home Care: Learn about professionals in our community who can offer companionship, assistance with activities of daily living, and other services you or your loved one may need in order to remain in your home. Hear from representatives from local organizations and businesses, including: Senior Helpers, Access Home Care, Suffolk County Respite Care, Utopia Health Care, & Dayhaven.

Meet the Filmmaker: Thomas Hoffman, Brother Can You Spare a Dollar?, Monday, November 21, 7 p.m.: Long Island filmmaker Thomas Hoffman will introduce Brother, Can You Spare a Dollar, a nostalgic and poignant new documentary that compares the Great Depression to today's Great Recession. A Q&A will follow the film.

Dead Relatives Club Genealogy Group, Caring for Your Family Archives, Monday, November 28, 7 p.m.: Learn how to preserve your family papers, display and store photographs, and keep heirlooms safe from the elements.

November Films at Sachem Public Library: For the month of November, the following free movies will be offered at the Sachem Public Library:

• The Conspirator: November 3, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: Mary Surratt is the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. As the whole nation turns against her, she is forced to rely on her reluctant lawyer to uncover the truth and save her life.
• Jane Eyre: November 10   1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: Orphan Jane Eyre secures a position as a governess to the ward of Edward Rochester, lord of an English manor house whose halls hide a dark and sinister secret.
• Foreign Film: Under the Sand: Saturday, November 12, 2:00 p.m.: When her husband Jean goes missing at the beach, Marie begins to mentally disintegrate, and her denial of his disappearance becomes delusional.
• Bridesmaids: November 17, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: Chosen as her best friend's maid of honor, lovelorn and broke Annie tries to bluff her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals with an oddball cast of bridesmaids.
• Holiday Matinées: Mars Needs Moms: Friday, November 25, 11:00 a.m.: A young boy gains a deeper appreciation for his mom after she is abducted by Martians. Animated.
• Rio: Friday, November 25, 1:00 p.m.: When Blu, a domesticated macaw from small-town Minnesota, meets the fiercely independent Jewel, he takes off on an adventure to Rio de Janeiro with this bird of his dreams. Animated.