APRIL NEWS | 2023

BOOKSTOCK

Bookstock

Memphis Area Authors' Festival takes place on April 29 at the Benjamin L Hooks Central Library as we celebrate local authors in our community.

This free family event showcases 60+ local author exhibits, Virtual Reality Empathy Lab, Professional Photography, culture dance performances, choirs, live music, food trucks, African Dance Class, and more. This year we have three keynote speakers, including

• Sam White, the six-year-old Memphian whose video #YouCanBeABCs went viral on YouTube
• Dr. G. Scott Morris, MD, a leading voice in faith and health, is the founder and chief executive officer of Church Health and will discuss his book, Care: How People of Faith Can Respond To Our Broken Health System, and
• Tara Stringfellow, New York Times Bestselling author of the book Memphis: A Novel, will join us to discuss her debut novel and its success.

Would you like to spend more time with Ms. Stringfellow? The Memphis Library Foundation will also hold a special fundraiser, "An Evening with Tara Stringfellow," with heavy hors d'oeuvres, an open bar, and intimate conversation with the NYTimes Bestselling author of Memphis. Here is the link to get tickets. 

FEATURED EVENTS

Five Fridays of Jazz

Five Fridays of Jazz continues in April. The Gritty City Bang Bang featuring Hope Clayburn & Gerald Stephens on April 14 and Memphis Jazz Workshop wrap up this year's program on April 21, 2023.

Paul Brock Band Performs at Memphis and Bartlett libraries

The Paul Brock Band presents "High Powered Music from Ireland"! The band has worked with Grammy award winner Ricky Skaggs. The "traditional Irish band of the Decade" will play at noon at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library and at 3 PM at the Bartlett Public Library.

SPRING BOOK SALE

Spring Book Sale

Spring is here, so it's time for the Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale. We have thousands of adult and children's books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, and vinyl records at bargain prices. The sale will kick off on April 20 at the preview event for Friends of the Library members. It opens to the public on April 21, and ends on Sunday. You can get a bag of books for one low price. All money raised at the book sale goes back to MPL programming and events.

Get Out & Garden

Are you ready to start planting? MPL can help you improve your green thumb, from garden clubs to gardening programs. We have created a special garden section on our website to connect you to our programs. And if you need FREE seeds, check out our Seed Library at Benjamin L Hooks Central Library. 

Earth Day Events

Celebrate Earth Day with MPL! From container gardening to a Plants and Paint program where you decorate a pot and go home with a plant, check out our Earth Day weekend activities at branches in your community.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Continuing Education

Do you want to learn website design, vegan cooking, natural haircare techniques, photography, sign language, or a new language like French or Spanish? Then sign up for our Adult Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning classes. We are offering sixteen different courses in April and May. Each course runs four weeks and is FREE to the public.

FEATURED EVENTS

901 Personal Finance

Do you want to learn methods to improve your finances? Then don't miss 901 Personal Finance Week April 10 – 14, 2023. We are partnering with Simmons Bank to present five virtual and in-person programs. Budgeting, credit, savings, homeownership, and small businesses are the topics discussed. 

Sharpen Your Skills

Would you like a refresher when it comes to your computer? Do you have a new phone or device you need help understanding how it works? Every month MPL offers programs to help you up your technological skill set. Whether it's class on Microsoft word, using Google Chrome, or Excel. 

START HERE VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Start Here Volunteer Leadership Conference

Save the Date! The Start Here Volunteer Leadership Conference is a FREE conference designed to engage and educate nonprofit and civic leaders on ways to develop their organization's volunteer program. This 2-day conference will consist of a welcome reception and nine educational sessions. If you are involved in nonprofit work or manage volunteers, this is one event you will want to attend. 

Memphis Library Foundation Survey

The Memphis Library Foundation wants to hear from you! From now until April 30, MLF is surveying to learn more about how you engage with the libraries and how we can continue to support our community through library programs. Please take the survey and be entered to win a brand new iPad Series 10 or one of our Visa gift card prizes! https://memphislibraryfoundation.org/survey

Libration

Support Memphis Public Libraries and join us for the 2nd annual Libration on April 2 from 2 PM to 5 PM at Wise Acre on Broad. Libration is a family-friendly fundraiser for the Memphis Library Foundation fundraiser. There will be activities for kids, trivia, and entertainment. Click on the link for more information about the event and to purchase tickets.

TURN THE PAGE TO MAY

Comic Con

Get ready for the first Memphis Libraries Comic Con, coming May 6! Join noted comic creators John Ostrander and Mike Norton at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library lobby. We will have cosplay contests, a trivia contest, crafts for kids, and much more! 

Explore Memphis

Get ready for Memphis Public Libraries' Summer Reading program. Memphians of all ages are encouraged to sign up to read, attend programs, and Explore Memphis!