The North Manchester Public Library offers a great mix of in-person and online programming!  We provide a range of programming for small children to senior citizens (and everyone in between).  Take a look at our calendar to see the literary, culinary, artistic, cultural, and educational activities we have going on each month!  

Virtual programs can be accessed live on Facebook or Zoom.  Recordings are permanently available on the Library's Facebook page or temporarily on our Online Programming Archive Page.  Take home kits for many programs are available for free at the front desk and enrich the virtual experience.  In-person programming is held outdoors or indoors with social distancing requirements closely followed (masks are required).  Supplies for the various activities are made available at each of our in-house programs.

We look forward to getting to know you as we explore the world around us!

ONLINE ADULT PROGRAMMING EVENTS

NMPL SUMMER READING PROGRAM
June 1st - July 23rd
We can't wait for another summer of reading, fun, programs and sunshine! This year, we want to celebrate North Manchester and all the wonderful places that make this town home! Many summer reading events will take place at some of the popular places around town, and several of the prizes are donated by or purchased from some of our favorite local businesses! We ❤ this town, and we want to spend the summer celebrating it.. with YOU!
Click the following links for more information on any of our Summer Reading Programs:
COOKIES & CANVAS: SEA BREEZE
Monday, July 19th @ 6pm at the library
Hobby painters and beginners will love our Cookies and Canvas series! Step-by-step instructions and lightly sketched outlines take participants on a journey towards a beautiful masterpiece. The fun themes are perfect for porch hangings, mantel decorations, and special gifts for family and friends. Love painting but in a dry spell? Let us provide the inspiration for your next piece. Are you a watercolor fiend or an oil painting master? Why not give acrylics a whirl!? Not too confident in your art skills? Give C & C a try - you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results (plus, there will be cookies!).

This class is for teens and adults ages 13+ and requires registration. Class size is limited so painting reservations are first-come, first-serve. A materials fee of $8 per person will be due at registration. These fees are non-refundable. Register at the front desk. ​
OVERBOOKED BOOK CLUB: 'THE BEANTOWN GIRLS'
Wednesday, July 28th @ 7pm on Zoom
Pick up our July book club book, The Beantown Girls by Jane Healey, then join us via Zoom to discuss the book and to meet new friends!

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 851 5917 7223
Passcode: 783621

"A novel of love, courage, and danger unfolds as World War II’s brightest heroines—the best of friends—take on the front lines.

1944: Fiona Denning has her entire future planned out. She’ll work in city hall, marry her fiancé when he returns from the war, and settle down in the Boston suburbs. But when her fiancé is reported missing after being shot down in Germany, Fiona’s long-held plans are shattered.

Determined to learn her fiancé’s fate, Fiona leaves Boston to volunteer overseas as a Red Cross Clubmobile girl, recruiting her two best friends to come along. There’s the outspoken Viviana, who is more than happy to quit her secretarial job for a taste of adventure. Then there’s Dottie, a shy music teacher whose melodious talents are sure to bring heart and hope to the boys on the front lines.

Chosen for their inner strength and outer charm, the trio isn’t prepared for the daunting challenges of war. But through it all come new friendships and romances, unforeseen dangers, and unexpected dreams. As the three friends begin to understand the real reasons they all came to the front, their courage and camaraderie will see them through some of the best and worst times of their lives."
THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP ON MARKET STREET
​Friday, July 30th from 10am-3pm at the library
Saturday, July 31st from 10am-2pm at the library
The Library is excited to host the Little Bookshop on Market this summer! Browse a wide selection of gently used books under the sun dappled tables along our front walk. We've have titles for children, teen and adult readers all available for $1 a piece! (Funds will go towards supporting library programming)
Summer Reading Program participants of all ages will also be able to earn NMPL bucks for hours read and exchange them at the shop for new-to-them books for their home libraries! ​
PAPIER-MÂCHÉ WORKSHOP: RAINBOW VASE (PART 1 & 2)
Monday, August 2nd @ 2pm and Tuesday, August 3rd @ 2pm at the library
Join us in the Makerspace for a fun and useful papier-mâché project for all ages! (Anyone under 10 must be accompanied by an adult) We'll use newspaper, glue, recyclables and paint to create a unique bud vase. Part 1 of the workshop will include sculpting the rainbow structure out of cardboard and papier-mâché . In Part 2 of the workshop we will paint our vases and add any finishing touches!
This is a free event. You must register for this event by phone or at the main desk. Space is limited. ​
​WATERCOLOR TUTORIAL: OCTOPUS
Tuesday, August 10th @ 2pm on Facebook
Learn to paint this friendly octopus by grabbing a kit, then logging in for a virtual painting tutorial! Program kits will be available (while supplies last) at the library three weeks prior to the event.
​PAINT LIKE BOB ROSS OIL PAINTING CLASS: SUNFLOWER
Saturday, August 14th @ 1pm at the library
Learn the basics of the wet-on-wet floral painting technique developed and trademarked by famous painter and TV personality, Bob Ross. Our Certified Ross Instructor will show you, step-by-step how to paint a beautiful late summer sunflower and you will receive an official Bob Ross class certificate upon completion.
You must be 13 years or older to register. There is a $10 non-refundable deposit at registration. Space is limited. Wear your paint clothes!
​PAPIER-MÂCHÉ WORKSHOP: PRESSED FLOWER LANTERNS
​Monday, August 16th @ 2pm and Tuesday, August 17th @ 2pm at the library
Join us in the Makerspace for a fun and useful paper mache project for all ages! (Anyone under 10 must be accompanied by an adult) We’ll use newspaper, glue, botanicals and recyclables to create a beautiful hanging lantern. Part 1 of the workshop will include sculpting the lantern structure using a latex balloon and paper mache. In part 2 of the workshop we will add flowers and other finishing touches.
This is a free event. You must register for this event by phone or at the main desk. Space is limited.​
​COOKIES & CANVAS: SEA TURTLES
Wednesday, August 18th @ 6pm at the library
Hobby painters and beginners will love our Cookies and Canvas series! Step-by-step instructions and lightly sketched outlines take participants on a journey towards a beautiful masterpiece. The fun themes are perfect for porch hangings, mantel decorations, and special gifts for family and friends. Love painting but in a dry spell? Let us provide the inspiration for your next piece. Are you a watercolor fiend or an oil painting master? Why not give acrylics a whirl!? Not too confident in your art skills? Give C & C a try - you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results (plus, there will be cookies!).
​
This class is for teens and adults ages 13+ and requires registration. Class size is limited so painting reservations are first-come, first-serve. A materials fee of $8 per person will be due at registration. These fees are non-refundable. Register at the front desk.​
PAPIER-MÂCHÉ WORKSHOP: BIRD
Monday, August 23rd @ 2pm at the library
​Join us in the Makerspace for a fun and useful papier-mâché project for all ages! (Anyone under 10 must be accompanied by an adult).
This is a free event. You must register for this event by phone or at the main desk. Space is limited.
​NO SEW TIE DYE PILLOW
​Monday, August 23rd @ 2pm and Tuesday, August 24th @ 2pm at the library
​Join us for two evenings in a row as we tie dye XL t-shirts (Monday) and turn them into comfy, colorful pillows (Tuesday) - no sewing required! All materials will be provided free of charge.
OVERBOOKED BOOK CLUB: THE NIGHT SWIM 
Wednesday, August 25th @ 7pm on Zoom
Pick up our August book club book, The Night Swim by Megan Goldin, then join us via Zoom to discuss the book and to meet new friends!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87121947755...
Meeting ID: 871 2194 7755
Passcode: 140615

"After the first season of her true crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall is now a household name―and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

The small town of Neapolis is being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. The town’s golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping a high school student, the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season Three a success, Rachel throws herself into interviewing and investigating―but the mysterious letters keep showing up in unexpected places. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insists she was murdered―and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody seems to want to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.
​
Electrifying and propulsive, The Night Swim asks: What is the price of a reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of its past? And what really happened to Jenny?"
FOL FALL BOOKSALE
Thursday, August 26th - Saturday, August 28th from 9am to 5pm at the library
The FOL Booksale is returning for the first time since 2019! The FOL Booksale has become a popular shopping spot for both recreational book buyers and book sellers in the area! Purchasing books from the semi-annual book sale is an excellent way of supporting our library. The book sale is a significant fundraiser for FOL, and in turn, supports library programs and updates each year. Find gently used books, DVDs, children's materials, audios, yearbooks and more! You just never know what great book adventure awaits you at the FOL Booksale!
CITIZEN SCIENCE - TEST THE WATERS: WATER FOR LIFE & TEST THE INTESTINES
Friday, August 27th @ 5pm on Facebook
The North Manchester Public Library is one of 500 libraries to receive an exciting new citizen science resource from the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM). The Test the Waters Family Exploration Kit is a fun, accessible, loanable kit which includes four family friendly activities, and all the instructions and materials needed (audio file guides are available in Arabic, Chinese, English, Spanish and Vietnamese). By knowing the facts and becoming aware of the role and importance of water to our lives, users will have the information and resources to keep their family safe and healthy.
The North Manchester Public Library will post a series of virtual programs demonstrating each activity in the kit. The kit will be made available for checkout shortly thereafter.
The first session will cover Water for Life and Test the Intestines. Complete with a Velcro body apron, we’ll discover just how much water our bodies are made of. Water helps our bodies stay cool, helps the organs of our body, breaks down food so our bodies can use it for energy and keeps our bodies working well. Next, we’ll explore the journey of food through the intestines and imagine how water helps this process.
We’re excited to share this incredible resource with our patrons and hope you’ll enjoy watching and learning along with us!
INTENTION BRACELET WORKSHOP WITH ELEVATED CURIOSITIES
Monday, August 30th @ 6pm at the library
“Peace is woven with love, and love of other is woven with love of self; these can not be separated.”
Elevated Curiosities is local jewelry maker specializing in Zodiac & Intentional Gemstone Jewelry. At this Self-Love Workshop, you will learn more about crystals, gemstones, and their emotional healing properties, as well as how to support your journey to Self-Love. You will learn how to create your own healing intentions and transform them into a gemstone bracelet of your own design.
A $10 fee and registration is required. Sign up at the front desk!