We are thrilled to announce the inaugural call for Makers launching the Chester County Library & Hankin Branch Makers-in-Residence program!
What is a Maker? A maker can be an artist, musician, songwriter, crafter, techno-wizard, dancer, and lots more! A maker is a creative who loves the process – not just the end product and wants to share that process with others.
Our ideal Maker is passionate about creating and wants to connect and share their passion with the community. Specifically, we seek creators who:
possess skills to teach and share their work and creative process
love to interact with people from a wide variety of backgrounds
enjoy collaborating with others
are passionate about their craft
The Maker-in-Residence will share activities through open studio hours and workshops that will allow visitors to try a new skill, experience a new craft, and/or participate in a collaborative project.
All interested potential Makers-in-Residence should apply online at https://bit.ly/CCLMaker23 by Tuesday, January 31st, 2023. We will be interviewing and selecting candidates from February 13th – February 24th, with the residency to begin in mid-March 2023.
Our Adult Book Groups are a mix of in person, hybrid, and virtual programs. Please see our January titles and dates below. The online groups are being held via Zoom. We are requiring registration for the book groups in order to send out the Zoom meeting information, if applicable. Click on the date below to register. Information on our adult book groups can also be found on our website: https://bit.ly/chescolibs-bookgroups.
Registration is required for all book groups. Registration will close at least 2 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the book group. A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 2 hours before the book group starts. Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link. You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual book group.
These programs support the PA Forward Civic and Social Literacy Initiative.
The Board of Trustees of the Chester County Library System/Chester County Library are hosting their monthly board meeting as a hybrid offering. If you have always wanted to attend a meeting but haven’t had the time, this is your opportunity. Please click on this link at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 20 to join the Chester County Library System Board Meeting virtually; or attend in person at the Chester County Library, Exton, PA. The Chester County Library Board Meeting will immediately follow. Find the Chester County Library Board Packet here.
If you are a person with a disability and wish to attend this meeting and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation to observe or participate in the proceedings, please call Chester County Library’s Administration Office at 610-344-5600 or email lharshaw@ccls.org to discuss how we may best accommodate your needs.
The holiday season is a busy time of year. Family gatherings and finding the perfect gift for loved ones can be frustrating and stressful. With time being a precious commodity, remember that the library can be your best destination to find all of your family entertainment, holiday de-stressors, and party planning ideas, as well as unique, one-of-a-kind holiday gifts for everyone on your list!
The Chester County Library will be hosting its 11th annual Holiday Craft Show on Saturday, December 10th, from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Vendors will be set up throughout the library (both upstairs and downstairs) to display and sell their crafts just in time for the holidays. We have a great selection of 47 vendors this year! Save some holiday shopping and enjoy browsing local crafter’s tables including makers of personalized ornaments, toys, pottery, jewelry, paper crafts, photography, knit and fabric crafts, home décor, baked goods, woodworking, and more! The Craft Show is free to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!
Our Adult Book Groups are a mix of in person, hybrid, and virtual programs. Please see our December titles and dates below. The online groups are being held via Zoom. We are requiring registration for the book groups in order to send out the Zoom meeting information, if applicable. Click on the date below to register. Information on our adult book groups can also be found on our website: https://bit.ly/chescolibs-bookgroups.
Registration is required for all book groups. Registration will close at least 2 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the book group. A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 2 hours before the book group starts. Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link. You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual book group.
These programs support the PA Forward Civic and Social Literacy Initiative.
Join us for a magical evening with Sam Sandler, America’s Premier Deaf Illusionist. This program is for everyone who loves magic and is recommended for ages 4 and above.
If a child under eleven (11) attends a program independently, a parent or caregiver must remain in the building as per library policy.
Registration is required for EACH PERSON attending (child, teen, or adult). Registration will close two hours before the event’s scheduled start time. Funding is provided by the Friends of the Henrietta Hankin Branch Library.
The Board of Trustees of the Chester County Library System/Chester County Library are hosting their monthly board meeting as a hybrid offering. If you have always wanted to attend a meeting but haven’t had the time, this is your opportunity. Please click on this link at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 15 to join the Chester County Library System Board Meeting virtually; or attend in person at the Chester County Library, Exton, PA. The Chester County Library Board Meeting will immediately follow. Find the Chester County Library Board Packet here.
If you are a person with a disability and wish to attend this meeting and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation to observe or participate in the proceedings, please call Chester County Library’s Administration Office at 610-344-5600 or email lharshaw@ccls.org to discuss how we may best accommodate your needs.
(CHESTER SPRINGS, PA)—On Monday, November 14th, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., Henrietta Hankin Branch Library is honored to continue its partnership with PBS Books and WETA in presenting a Screener and Discussion of the recently aired PBS documentary The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick & Sarah Botstein. This 3-part documentary explores America’s response to one of the greatest humanitarian crises in history. Americans consider themselves a “nation of immigrants,” but as the catastrophe of the Holocaust unfolded in Europe, the United States proved unwilling to open its doors to more than a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of desperate people seeking refuge. Through riveting firsthand testimony of witnesses and survivors who as children endured persecution, violence, and flight as their families tried to escape Hitler, this series delves deeply into the tragic human consequences of public indifference, bureaucratic red tape, and restrictive quota laws in America. Did the nation fail to live up to its ideals? This is a history to be reckoned with.
Join us as we view selected clips from the documentary and then take part in a conversation with a panel of local experts. We are delighted to have panelists Rabbi Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D., and Jonathan C. Friedman, Ph.D., to lead us in an insightful conversation on core themes raised in the film, such as immigration policy, racism, isolationism, discrimination, and more.
Rabbi Sussman currently serves as the Rabbi Emeritus of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel of Elkins Park, PA after serving as senior rabbi from 2001-2022. Rabbi Sussman, a specialist in American Jewish history, has written several books and numerous articles on the American Jewish experience. Currently, he is working on a television documentary on the history of the Philadelphia Jewish community with History Making Productions. He is also editing a collection of his sermons and essays, “Portrait of an America Rabbi,” and serving as Scholar in Residence at Philadelphia’s Holocaust Awareness Museum (HAMEC).
Jonathan C. Friedman, Ph.D., currently serves as a Professor of History, and Director of Graduate Holocaust and Genocide Studies at West Chester University. Dr. Friedman’s main areas of specialization are modern European, modern German, and modern Jewish history, although since finishing his Ph.D. he has broadened his areas of specialization to include LGBT history and the history of music and film. Dr. Friedman has published numerous books on subjects ranging from the Holocaust to gay and Jewish performances. He is currently working on a monograph entitled Haunted Laughter: Comedic Representations of Adolf Hitler, The Third Reich, and the Holocaust in Film and Television.
Anyone who would like to view the full documentary in advance of the event may stream it for free on WHYY PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsun Smart TV, Chromecast, and VIZIO. PBS station members can view the documentary via PBS Passport as part of a full collection of Ken Burns films. You can also borrow a DVD of the movie through the Chester County Library System.
This Screener and Discussion program will take place virtually via Zoom. To register, please visit https://ccls.libcal.com/calendar/HankinBranchLibrary. This event supports PA Forward Health and Civic and Social Literacies.
The mission of the Chester County and Henrietta Hankin Branch Libraries is to provide informational, educational, and cultural services to the residents of Chester County so that they may be lifelong learners. The Henrietta Hankin Branch Library is located at 215 Windgate Drive, Chester Springs, PA. For hours or more information, visit our website at www.chescolibraries.org.
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