The 2021 Winter/Spring Session of Lifetime Learning at Snow Library continues with new courses exploring mythology, literature and science. On Tuesday, March 30 from 10:30 a.m. to noon, Peggy Kelleher returns to present the first class in her popular three-part course “Murder and Mayhem in the Ancient World (And You Think Your Family Was Dysfunctional?).” Experience the family chaos and carnage caused by curses, oracles, and prophecies as depicted in the works Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and others. The first class explores the House of Atreus: the curse that started it all….

The eighth week of the 2021 Winter-Spring Session of Lifetime Learning at Snow Library includes the following new and ongoing courses.

On Tuesday, March 23 from 10:30 a.m. to noon, art historian Beth Stein presents a one-class course titled “Henry Matisse, the Master of Color.” Beth will examine many of Matisse’s most important works from his early years, through his rivalry with Picasso, to his final form of artistic expression, the cut-outs, all of which have become synonymous with the name Matisse. …

On Tuesday, March 16 from 10:30 a.m. to noon, former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger presents "A Performance Review: Democracy in America Under the Stress of Recent Challenges." In this one-class course, Scott discusses the institutions, norms and values of democracy and the rule of law as they responded to the challenges of 2020 - the pandemic, the election and the Trump presidency.

Also on Tuesday, as week seven of the Friends of Snow Library’s 2021 winter-spring session continues…

The sixth week of the 2021 winter-spring session of Lifetime Learning at Snow Library includes the following new and ongoing courses.

On Tuesday, March 9, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, Joseph Auciello presents the final class in his five-part series titled "Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses." Joe will conclude his discussion on this major literary work and its social, religious and cultural references. Later on Tuesday, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Richard Finnegan presents the third part of his four-class course that explores what happened to the optimism and dreams that today’s baby boomers held in the 1960s. …

Come to the library and pick up a “Take and Make” craft kit. This month’s crafts include a rainbow made from an egg carton and a colorful bunny made using contact paper. Directions and most supplies are included in each kit.

Leigh and David Fisher return with their “Reel Time” course on “Great Movies from Great Directors” (cancelled last year due to COVID-19) as Lifetime Learning continues online at Snow Library in March. The Reel Time class begins at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3, with a screening and discussion of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Dial M For Murder,” starring Grace Kelly, Ray Milland and Robert Cummings. The series continues with a different movie every Wednesday through March 31….

In next week’s round of Lifetime Learning classes, political scientist Richard Finnegan leads a course exploring what happened to the ideals and optimism of the baby boomer generation. The four-part course begins at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Finnegan will look at how four institutions — the Supreme Court, Congress, the presidency and the media — affected the trajectory of baby boomer aspirations, beginning with the Supreme Court.. …

The third week of the winter-spring session of Lifetime Learning at Snow Library features a new course on the history of jazz and brings back lecturers on Salman Rushdie, World War I, “super musicals” and more. Most classes are recorded and can be viewed at your convenience.

On Monday, Feb. 15 from 1:30 to 3 p.m., George Scharr launches his two-part course on the history of jazz. From Afro-American spirituals and the formative elements of jazz, through the Harlem Renaissance to George Gershwin and the concert hall, you’ll hear behind-the-scenes stories and see video clips of jazz greats….

The second week of the Winter/Spring Session of Lifetime Learning at Snow Library includes an array of new and ongoing courses. Most classes are recorded and can be viewed at your convenience.

On Tuesday, Feb. 9 from 10:30 a.m. to noon, Joseph Auciello launches a five-part course on Salman Rushdie and "The Satanic Verses," leading the class through this major literary work and discussing its social, religious and cultural references. Also on Tuesday, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Russ Leng presents the second class in a three-part series on "World War I: Its Causes and Consequences,” focusing on Woodrow Wilson and the Great War. …

The 2021 Winter/Spring Session of Lifetime Learning will begin on Feb. 1 and run through April 30. There are 24 courses to choose from. You will have the opportunity to enjoy some of your favorite presenters and also meet some exciting new ones, all of whom planned courses especially for you. You might find it hard to choose, and it will hopefully help you get through the winter as we eagerly anticipate the end of the pandemic. As in the fall, all courses will still be held via Zoom. Most courses will be recorded.

Brochures have been mailed to Friends of Snow Library members who can begin registering on Jan. 4. On Monday, Jan. 11, registration will be open to the general public. Course information and registration will then be available online at www.friendsofsnowlibrary.org/lifetime-learning-program. Brochures and registration sheets will be available at Snow Library.

As a gesture of appreciation for all the parents and care-givers out there who have been working so hard to keep everything together in these difficult times, the library is handing out free “self-care” packages this week through Thursday (Christmas Eve) at 12:30 p.m. Come by the library to pick up your goodie bag. Each contains a tea bag for a soothing cuppa, some dark chocolate, a recipe for a face mask, a luscious soap from the amazing Anya of Anya’s Herbals, and more! Supplies are limited, so stop by early.

The library will be closed on Friday, Dec. 25 and Saturday, Dec. 26 for the Christmas holiday.

On Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec. 24, we will close early. Our Christmas Eve hours are 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Our New Year’s Eve hours (Thursday, Dec. 31) are also 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The library will be closed on New Year’s Day, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021.

We wish you all a merry and bright (and safe and healthy) holiday season, and a Happy New Year.

Due to the rising cases of COVID-19 both throughout the country and locally, the anticipated increase of coronavirus during the winter holidays, and the expected increase of visitors to the area despite travel warnings and restrictions, Snow Library, in the interest of community health and safety, will be phasing back to providing curbside service only. The library is taking this action in line with other area libraries that have returned to curbside-service-only access in recent days.

As of Saturday, Dec. 12 until further notice, Snow Library will temporarily suspend in-library browsing hours and provide curbside service from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

Book donations will not be accepted at the library until further notice.

Outdoor book sales, which were held throughout the fall, have been suspended until the arrival of more comfortable weather. Once they resume, donations will begin again, most likely by appointment.

The Friends of Snow Library thank you for your continued support of the library. Stay safe and well!

Due to the anticipated influx of out-of-state visitors for the Thanksgiving holiday, in the interest of public safety, limited browsing hours will not be offered on Saturday, Nov. 28. The library will be open for curbside service only on Saturday. Browsing hours are expected to resume on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Thank you from Lifetime Learning. We’ll see you in 2021.

Thank you very much to all of you who went on our Zoom adventure and enjoyed the Fall 2020 Session with us. It was quite a trip. The recordings from most of our courses will be available to you (via the links we provided) through the end of this year. We are grateful that we could bring Lifetime Learning to our community.

We wish you happy holidays and we will see you in 2021. Our 2021 Winter/Spring Session will begin on Feb. 1 and run through April 30. It will be three months and 13 weeks long. The Winter/Spring 2021 Session will again be via Zoom. Course information will be available after the first of the year.

They’re both featured in the final week of the Friends of Snow Library’s fall Lifetime Learning session. On Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to noon, Beth Stein presents presents a course on the life and art of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the painter and printmaker whose immersion in the theatrical life of Belle Epoque Paris enabled him to produce elegant and provocative images of that era.

Beginning Thursday, Nov. 5, the library will open for limited browsing on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Our curbside pickup hours have been adjusted accordingly; please click here for the new schedule.

During browsing hours, we welcome quick, grab-and-go visits to borrow books, DVDs and CDs from our collection. Visits are limited to 30 minutes.

Beginning Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, Snow Library’s hours for curbside service will be as follows:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday: 2:30 to 5 p.m.

Saturday: 2:30 to 4 p.m.

The sixth week of the 2020 Fall Session of Lifetime Learning at Snow Library features an array of new and ongoing online courses, beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 9 with Barbara Semple’s stories of “Women At Sea,” drawn from the journals of Semple’s sea-going great aunt and depicting life aboard a sailing vessel in the late 1800s.