Summer Reading Storytime and Craft
2023-08-05 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Alexander Findley Community Library
Coming soon!

Arts & Crafts for Adults
2023-08-10 15:00 - 17:00
Pots from our first go-round in May.
We’re going to découpage terra cotta pots again—but smaller ones this time. They’re going to be so cute! All supplies are provided, so come visit us, have some fun, make a bit of a mess!

Author Talk: Destiny Kinal
2023-08-17 17:00 - 18:00

Book Club
2023-08-17 18:00 - 19:00
Meet us in the library at 6pm for discussion of July’s book, Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout. As part of Summer Reading, this is the follow-up book to Olive Kitteridge that we read in June.
Summary:
Prickly, wry, resistant to change yet ruthlessly honest and deeply empathetic, Olive Kitteridge is “a compelling life force” (San Francisco Chronicle). The New Yorker has said that Elizabeth Strout “animates the ordinary with an astonishing force,” and she has never done so more clearly than in these pages, where the iconic Olive struggles to understand not only herself and her own life but the lives of those around her in the town of Crosby, Maine. Whether with a teenager coming to terms with the loss of her father, a young woman about to give birth during a hilariously inopportune moment, a nurse who confesses a secret high school crush, or a lawyer who struggles with an inheritance she does not want to accept, the unforgettable Olive will continue to startle us, to move us, and to inspire us—in Strout’s words—“to bear the burden of the mystery with as much grace as we can.” (via goodreads)

Summer Reading Storytime and Craft!
2023-08-19 11:00 - 12:00

Garden Club
2023-08-26 11:00 - 12:00
Show off your Nature Journal and check in on the garden!

Book Club
2023-09-21 18:00 - 19:00
Join us in the library for a discussion of September’s book, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.
Summary:
Four mothers, four daughters, four families, whose histories shift with the four winds depending on who’s telling the stories. In 1949, four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, meet weekly to play mahjong and tell stories of what they left behind in China. United in loss and new hope for their daughters’ futures, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Their daughters, who have never heard these stories, think their mothers’ advice is irrelevant to their modern American lives – until their own inner crises reveal how much they’ve unknowingly inherited of their mothers’ pasts.
With wit and sensitivity, Amy Tan examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connection between mothers and daughters. As each woman reveals her secrets, trying to unravel the truth about her life, the strings become more tangled, more entwined. Mothers boast or despair over daughters, and daughters roll their eyes even as they feel the inextricable tightening of their matriarchal ties. Tan is an astute storyteller, enticing readers to immerse themselves into these lives of complexity and mystery. (via goodreads)

Arts & Crafts for Grownups!
2023-10-12 15:00 - 17:00
This month we’ll be making a cute Halloween Monster Bunting. Stop by and say boo! All supplies are provided.

Book Club
2023-10-19 18:00 - 19:00
Join us for a discussion of the month’s book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.
Summary:
Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Her life story is told in the documentary film And Still I Rise, as seen on PBS’s American Masters.
Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide.
Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.
Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read. (via goodreads)

Spooky Halloween Shindig!
2023-10-28 11:00 - 13:00

Arts & Crafts for Grownups!
2023-11-09 15:00 - 17:00
This month, we’ll be making Christmas/Winter cards with special guest Barb Cooper! This program is free and all supplies are provided.

Book Club
2023-11-16 18:00 - 19:00
Join us for a discussion of November’s book, The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman.
Summary:
“It’s the following Thursday.
Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He’s made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life.
As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn’t that be a bonus?
But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can The Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them?” (via goodreads)

Christmas Party & Storytime with Mrs. Claus!
2023-12-16 11:00 - 13:00

Book Club
2023-12-21 18:00 - 19:00
Join us in the library for a discussion of this month’s book, The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict.
Summary:
“In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection.
But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.
The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths to which she must go—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.” (via goodreads)

Arts & Crafts for Grownups!
2024-01-11 15:00 - 17:00
This month, we’ll be learning how to make a simple accordion book!
Our craft classes are free and all supplies are provided (unless otherwise noted). For more info call 716-769-6568 or email manager@findleylibrary.org

Take Your Child to the Library Day 2024!
2024-02-03
Saturday, February 3rd is Take Your Child to the Library Day! Stop and see what the library has to offer! Take a tour, peruse our large collection of books for kids of all ages, or just stay and play for a while!
We’ll have crafts, LEGO, snacks, toys + games, and book giveaways and so much FUN!

Arts & Crafts for Grownups!
2024-02-08 15:00 - 17:00
We’ll be playing with watercolor techniques to make cool patterns! All supplies are provided.

Book Club
2024-02-15 18:00 - 19:00
Join us in the library for a discussion of February’s book, And the Dark Sacred Night by Julia Glass.
Summary:
“Kit Noonan’s life is stalled: unemployed, twins to help support, a mortgage to pay—and a frustrated wife, who is certain that more than anything else, Kit needs to solve the mystery of his father’s identity. He begins with a visit to his former stepfather, Jasper, a take-no-prisoners Vermont outdoorsman. But it is another person who has kept the secret: Lucinda Burns, wife of a revered senior statesman and mother of Malachy (the journalist who died of AIDS in Glass’s first novel, Three Junes). She and her husband are the only ones who know the full story of an accident whose repercussions spread even further when Jasper introduces Lucinda to Kit. Immersing readers in a panorama that stretches from Vermont to the tip of Cape Cod, Glass weaves together the lives of Kit, Jasper, Lucinda and ultimately, Fenno McLeod, the beloved protagonist of Three Junes (now in his sixties). An unforgettable novel about the youthful choices that steer our destinies, the necessity of forgiveness, and the surprisingly mutable meaning of family.” (via goodreads)

Dr. Seuss Storytime!
2024-03-02 11:00 - 13:00
Read Across America Week, which takes place from March 2nd-6th, aims to promote reading and to educate people about the benefits of reading through Storytimes, activities, and crafts. The celebration kicks off on Saturday, March 2nd, which is Dr. Seuss’ Birthday. Join us in the library for a special Dr. Seuss Storytime at 11am, where we will have fun with all things silly and Seussical! Come for a story (or two or three), and stay for a bunch of fun activities!

Arts & Crafts for Grownups
2024-03-14 15:00 - 17:00
We will be decorating Easter/Springtime Baskets with fabric, ribbon, and flowers. We have an assortment of baskets to choose from (but you can bring your own basket if you really want).

Book Club
2024-03-21 18:00 - 19:00
Join us for a discussion of March’s book, A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley.
Summary:
“Aging Larry Cook announces his intention to turn over his 1,000-acre farm—one of the largest in Zebulon County, Iowa—to his three daughters, Caroline, Ginny, and Rose. A man of harsh sensibilities, he carves Caroline out of the deal because she has the nerve to be less than enthusiastic about her father’s generosity. While Larry Cook deteriorates into a pathetic drunk, his daughters are left to cope with the often grim realities of life on a family farm—from battering husbands to cutthroat lenders. In this winner of the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Smiley captures the essence of such a life with stark, painful detail.” (via goodreads)

Agricultural Literacy Week Storytime: I Love Strawberries!
2024-03-23 11:00 - 12:00
March 18th-22nd is Agricultural Literacy Week. Volunteers will read an agricultural book to kids across Chautauqua County in an effort to increase agricultural education. Ag. Lit. week is a celebration of our county’s legacy and the hard work of those who produce healthy, local food, 365 days a year! Join in the learning and fun as Josie from the Cornell Cooperative Extension comes for a special Storytime. She will read I Love Strawberries by Shannon Anderson. Come for the story, and stay for a craft and activities.

Solar Eclipse Storytime!
2024-04-06 11:00 - 12:00
Join us on Saturday, April 6th at 11am for a Solar Eclipse Storytime! We’ll hear stories about the sun and the moon, do a craft, and learn a bit about the upcoming Solar Eclipse! Plus, we’ll hand out free eclipse glasses (while supplies last)!

Book Club
2024-04-18 18:00 - 19:00
Join us in the library for a discussion of April’s book, My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite.

Summary:
“When Korede’s dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what’s expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This’ll be the third boyfriend Ayoola’s dispatched in, quote, self-defence and the third mess that her lethal little sibling has left Korede to clear away. She should probably go to the police for the good of the menfolk of Nigeria, but she loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede’s long been in love with him, and isn’t prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other…” (via goodreads)

Earth Day Celebration + Plantstravaganza!
2024-04-20 11:00 - 13:00
Join us as we celebrate our favorite planet!
• Check out books on gardening, animals + more
• Do a fun Earth Day Craft (or two)
• Join our Garden Club and help maintain the library pollinator garden
• Snag some seeds from our Seed Library
• Start some seeds to take home
• Take home houseplant cuttings

Garden Club
2024-04-27 11:00 - 12:00
It’s been a long winter, but Garden Club is back! We’ll be giving the garden a spring clean, and will continue working on edging and other goals for the season. Inside, there will be seeds (plants and veggie) for Green Thumbs to try out at home.
Meets the last Saturday of the month at 11 am. Some tools and gloves are provided, but feel free to bring your own favorites, too.
Come when you can, participate as much as you want. Get a garden buddy to make it more fun!

Arts & Crafts for Grownups!
2024-05-09 15:00 - 17:00
Arts & Crafts for Grownups meets the second Thursday of the month at 3pm. In May, Barb Cooper from FLAIR (Findley Lake Artists in Residence) will be teaching us iris folding and paper weaving! All supplies are provided, so just come on down and join the fun.
If you have questions, please call 716-769-6568 or email manager@findleylibrary.org

Book Club
2024-05-16 18:00 - 19:00
Join us in the library for a discussion of May’s book After I’m Gone by Laura Lippman.
Summary:
“Dead is dead. Missing is gone.
When Felix Brewer meets nineteen-year-old Bernadette “Bambi” Gottschalk at a Valentine’s Day dance in 1959, he charms her with wild promises, some of which he actually keeps. Thanks to his lucrative—if not all legal—businesses, she and their three little girls live in luxury. But on the Fourth of July in 1976, Bambi’s comfortable world implodes when Felix, facing prison, vanishes.
Though Bambi has no idea where her husband—or his money—might be, she suspects one woman does: his devoted young mistress, Julie. When Julie disappears ten years to the day after Felix went on the lam, everyone assumes she’s left to join her old lover—until her remains are discovered in a secluded park.
Now, twenty-six years later, Roberto “Sandy” Sanchez, a retired Baltimore detective working cold cases for some extra cash, is investigating her murder. What he discovers is a tangled web of bitterness, jealousy, resentment, greed, and longing stretching over five decades. And at its center is the man who, though long gone, has never been forgotten by the five women who loved him: the enigmatic Felix Brewer.
Felix Brewer left five women behind. Now there are four. Does at least one of them know the truth?” (via goodreads)

Garden Club
2024-05-25 11:00 - 12:00
April’s meeting was a bust due to Cala being sick and all. Let’s try again! We’ll discuss possibly splitting into teams and breaking the garden into sections for easier maintenance.

Garden Storytime: Busy, Buzzy Bees: How Bees (and Other Pollinators) Make Everything Grow
2024-06-08 11:00 - 12:00
Join us on Saturday, June 8th at 11am for a Storytime in the garden as we learn about pollinators, and plant perennials with our friend Susannah, who is learning to be a Master Gardener!
This program may be geared toward kids, but Garden Club folks are encouraged to come as well!
Note: if it rains, we’ll simply move the program inside and plant at a different time.
