What's Happening at the Library in December?

Every month the Sachem Public Library brings the community a myriad of fun, interesting and free entertainment. December brings movies, authors and a handful of other intriguing opportunities.

Check out some of the top events here:

Holiday Brass Concert: Dec. 12, 2 p.m.: Get swept into the spirit of the season with traditional holiday classics performed by the South Shore Brass Guild led by Ken Mahoney. The rich sounds of these elegant instruments are a perfect tribute to the season.

Author Visit: Dec. 13, 7-8:30 p.m.: Memoirists Nancy Bachrach (The Center of the Universe), Alice Eve Cohen (What I Thought I Knew), and Julie Metz (Perfection) have written compelling, highly praised books, each memoir about a different, critical time in a woman's life, with plotlines so unbelievable that they have to be true. Meet the authors and find out how they found humor in the unimaginable and meaning in chaos. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Journey to the Philippines: Myth, Music and Dane: Dec.19, 2 p.m.: Kinding Sindaw (www.kindingsindaw.org), a New York-based troupe whose name means "Dance of Light," express traditional myths and legends through music, dance, chants, and martial arts. The dances of Kinding Sindaw originate from the royal court dances of the Maranao Sultanate- a repertory of the sacred, classic, and secular. Dancers sway delicately using colorful fans and scarves, imitating the graceful movements of birds, fish, butterflies, rivers, streams, and boats. The musical accompaniment is performed on a variety of percussion instruments, including the kulintang, a tuned bronze kettle drum set, known more commonly in the West as gamelan, a variety of hanging gongs which include the bossed agong and the unbossed gandingan and bababdir, and the dabakan, or cylindrical drums. Leave your passport at home for this wondrous holiday journey to the Philippines. All are welcome at this free event.

Sisters in Crime present... The Scoop, with Hank Philippi Ryan: December 4, 2 p.m.: Emmy- (and double Agatha-) winning investigative reporter Hank Philippi Ryan will teach you the secrets of television news, and explain how those same skills can help you develop the mystery novel you've always wanted to write. Ryan is on the air at Boston's NBC affiliate. Her work has resulted in new laws, people sent to prison, homes removed from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in restitution. Along with her 26 EMMYs, Ms. Ryan has won dozens of other journalism honors. She's been a radio reporter, a legislative aide in the United States Senate and an editorial assistant at Rolling Stone Magazine.

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

Film Discussion: Reel Rebels, Dec. 7, 6 p.m.: Intriguing, informative, sometimes controversial but always thought provoking, this monthly series combines the best in film and discussion. This month's selection takes a look at the underground art scene and deflates the hype and myths surrounding graffiti artists like Banksy and Shephard Fairey.

Opera & Art Film Series: Un Ballo in Maschera: Dec. 8, 1:30 and 6 p.m.: Luciano Pavarotti stars as Riccardo in the Metropolitan Opera Company's 1980 production of Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera, set in Boston on the verge of the Revolutionary War.

Foreign Film: December 11 2 p.m.: A Christmas Tale: When the Vuillard family matriarch needs an organ transplant, the whole dysfunctional clan is forced to come together, emotional baggage and all, just in time for Christmas.

Thursday Movies: For R-rated movies, those under 17 must be accompanied by an adult.

Date Night: Dec. 2, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: A case of mistaken identity turns a bored married couple's romantic evening into something thrilling and dangerous.

Robin Hood: Dec. 9, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: He fought for justice and fair rule for the people of England. This is the story of how the man became legend.

Letters to Juliet: Dec. 16, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: In the city where Romeo met Juliet, Sophie found a letter lost in time. Now she will begin a journey to reunite lovers and find love.

Disney's A Christmas Carol: Dec. 23, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: An animated retelling of Charles Dickens' classic tale, presented as you've never seen it before.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time: Dec. 30, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.: A fugitive prince must safely transport a magic dagger to a sacred temple before it is used to destroy the world.