March artists - Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School Students

"Why is learning in the visual arts essential to education in the 21st century?

• To strengthen literacy. The arts are an essential language.
• To develop a globally competitive workforce. The arts develop essential skills for global competitiveness.
• To nurture engaged learners. The arts promote active and complex learning.

Come see the show this month during most of the library's open hours.

NEW! Book to Movie Night

Wednesday, March 11 at 5:30 pm 

Join our monthly “Book to Movie” night. This month’s feature is The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The 2011 movie was inspired by the book These Foolish Things by British author Deborah Moggach. 

The movie depicts Ravi Kapoor, an overworked London doctor who reaches the breaking point with his difficult father-in-law and asks his wife: “Can’t we just send him away somewhere? Somewhere far, far away.” His prayer is seemingly answered when Ravi’s entrepreneurial cousin sets up a retirement home in India, hoping to re-create in Bangalore an elegant lost corner of England. Several retirees are enticed by the promise of indulgent living at a bargain price, but upon arriving, they are dismayed to find that restoration of the once sophisticated  hotel has stalled, and that such amenities as water and electricity are . . . infrequent. But what their new life lacks in luxury, they come to find, it’s plentiful in adventure, stunning beauty, and unexpected love. (Description courtesy of amazon.com)

A second movie entitled The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is due out in theaters March 6, 2015. Come and catch up on the original before seeing this newest release! Feel free to bring snacks or dinner. We’ll provide the popcorn and drinks.

No Irish Need Apply: A History of the Irish in Boston

Saturday, March 14 at 12:00 pm

Come and learn about the many facets of the Irish experience, both in America and more specifically Boston, as lecturer Christopher Daley takes us on a 90-minute historical tour.

Our tour begins in the 1700s, when the Irish were brought over as indentured servants and the first real migration brought the Scots-Irish or “Ulster Irish” in 1718.

The city of Boston attracted Irish Catholic immigrants during the next century. These new and undesired residents suffered a backlash of anti-Irish/Catholic sentiment. Discover the conditions of the new arrivals, the neighborhoods where they settled, how they banded together, the kinds of work they did to survive, and their eventual assimilation into American culture. Their acceptance paved the way for the rise of the Irish in Boston politics, and we’ll take a look at some of the most notable Irish-American politicians who rose to prominence in the city.

Favorite winter visitors: Snowy Owls

Saturday, February 28 at 1:00 pm

For many birders, the Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) is now a familiar sight along Cape Cod’s winter shoreline. How many of us love to spot these beautiful birds of prey as they perch majestically amongst the dunes? Come listen to Ian Ives, Director of MassAudubon’s Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, as he delves into the Snowy Owl’s life cycle and describes how the lemming boom of 2013 affected the owl populations we are encountering today.

 Photo by: Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times

From the Americas to Zanzibar: A History of Spices and their Influence on Cuisine and Culture

Saturday, February 21 at 1:00 pm

Want to add some spice to your life? Consider attending this talk by Lisa Foley, owner of the Spice Mercahnts Cape Cod located in Mashpee Commons. Learn about the fascinating history of spices and explore the role that these culinary treasures can have in our "spiced up" lives of today.

Lisa Foley grew up in Harwich, MA, and has a degree in Art History. For 10 years, she lived in California, but returned to the Cape to call East Sandwich home. Her store Spice Merchants Cape Cod in Mashpee, MA, attracts customers from all over the peninsula who are eager to try out fresh and interesting herbs and spices, as well as teas and other merchandise. Lisa also teaches cooking classes at Highfield Hall in Falmouth, MA.

Storm on the way....

With a winter storm on the way, please check our website or call before venturing out. We may be closed, and the book drop may also be closed to protect materials from water damage. You can renew materials online, and late fees will be waived for any days we may be closed. Stay safe!

Irish Movie Marathon - Fridays from 2:00 - 4:00 until the end of February

Don't miss our winter Irish movie series hosted by Mary Ann Eaton, instructor of Irish literature.
Movie Dates & Titles*
January 9th - The Hanging Gale, Volume 1
January 16th - The Hanging Gale, Volume 2
January 23rd - Breakfast on Pluto
January 30th - Waking Ned Devine
February 6th - In the Name of the Father
February 13th - Stella Days
February 20th - Love and Rage
February 27th - Into the West
*Titles may change due to availability

February artist - Lyn Slade

Throughout the month of February, the needle felt artwork of artist, author, and teacher Lyn Slade will be available to see in the Benjamin and Ruth Muse Meeting Room at Dennis Public Library during most of the library’s open hours. The artist will offer a demonstration of her process on Tuesday, February 3^rd at 7:00 p.m. In this one hour presentation Lyn will show the audience how easy and fun the basic method of this dry felting technique is. Using wool roving and a barbed embedding tool, Lyn “paints” with wool by stabbing the fibers together until they form a permanent bond. Her demonstration will show that until the artist reaches a certain point, he or she can pull the wool off the artwork and start over, making it very forgiving. Once the artist gets used to the handful of techniques, needle felting is surprisingly fast and lots of fun. If the demonstration sparks the creative interest of audience members, Lyn will have copies of her book and some needle felting supplies available for sale.

Lyn Slade is a needle felting artist, teacher, and the author of Creative Needle Felting: wool Art with a Painterly Style. Lyn’s art has been in solo and group exhibits around New England. She leads needle felting workshops across southern New England and at her bed and breakfast, Charlotte’s House B&B in Bolton, MA, Lyn us excited to be teaching in northern California this spring and on trips with Craftours, an international niche travel company where you can “travel your passion.”