The Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library is a not-for-profit organization of people who love libraries. Friends donations are used to support Rochester Public Library programs and services which could not otherwise be obtained through public library funding. The Friends & Foundation sponsor many programs each year that encourage an interest in the library and enrich our cultural community.
Books Sandwiched-In programs are free, lunchtime book reviews by exciting local experts and celebrities that are offered in the Fall and Spring.
Tuesday Topics programs are free, lunchtime presentations about a wide variety of current issues of interest and concern presented by professionals in those areas.
Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library Announce Their Spring 2013 Programs
The Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library are pleased to announce their spring programs. In addition to the eight weekly Books Sandwiched-In programs, there are two special author programs, the 4th Annual Edible Books Festival & Competition and an appearance by actor Greg Kenney as Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong.
All Tuesday noon programs are held in the Kate Gleason Auditorium of the Central Library at 115 South Avenue, Downtown. Each program begins at 12:12 and ends at 12:52 pm.
A listing of the spring programs follows.
Special Author Appearances
Gather at the Table
Thursday, March 14
12:12 to 1:00pm
Rundel Auditorium
Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County
115 South Ave.
Rochester, NY 14604
Gather at the Table: The Healing Journey of a Daughter of Slavery and a Son of the Slave Trade
By Thomas De Wolf and Sharon Leslie Morgan
A black woman who is a descendent of slaves on both sides of her family and a white man from rural Oregon who descends from the largest slave-trading dynasty in US history confront the legacy of slavery and racism head-on.
We are fortunate to have authors Sharon Leslie Morgan and Thomas De Wolf here to share their experiences.
Speakers: Sharon Leslie Morgan and Thomas De Wolf
The Circles God Draws: Memoirs of Ruth Holland Scott
Tuesday, May 28
12:12 to 12:52pm
Kate Gleason Auditorium
The Honorable Ruth Scott will share highlights from her recently published memoir, The Circles God Draws. Ms. Scott was the first woman and African American to head the 19th Ward Neighborhood Association and was the first African American woman elected to the Rochester City Council.
For more information contact: Linda Rock 428-8350, linda.rock@libraryweb.org, at the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library.
Books Sandwiched-In Series
March 19
Geva Theatre Center’s Bob
Bob traces the highly unusual life of Bob, born on Valentine’s Day in the bathroom of a White Castle Restaurant. The ensuing rags-to-riches-to-fame-to-legacy-to-the-love of-living life tale follows Bob on the funny, poignant and epic pursuit of his dream.
Presenters: Members of the cast will speak about the play
March 26
The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail — but Some Don't
By Nate Silver
Influential political forecaster Nate Silver examines the world of prediction, investigating how we can distinguish a true signal from a universe of noisy data.
Reviewer: David Birken, Director of Business Analytics & Development, Senior Manager at ICF International
April 2
The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson
By Robert A. Caro
The fourth volume of Caro's Pulitzer-winning multivolume biography is a riveting account of Johnson’s vice-presidency in the Kennedy administration and early presidency through 1964.
Reviewers: Jim Kraus, retired Rochester City School District English teacher and political activist, and Malik Evans, a vice president of M&T Bank and president of the Rochester Board of Education
April 9
Shakespeare’s Tremor and Orwell’s Cough: The Medical Lives of Famous Writers
By John J. Ross
Physician and Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor John J. Ross suggests fresh medical diagnoses to explain the impact of disease on the lives and work of some of the finest writers in the English language.
Reviewer: Ed Scutt, Retired Hilton High School Language Arts Teacher
April 16
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
By Paul Tough
In How Children Succeed, Paul Tough argues that the qualities in childhood that matter most for adult success have more to do with character: perseverance, curiosity, conscientiousness, optimism and self-control.
Reviewer: Elaine Spaull, Executive Director, Center for Youth and City of Rochester East District City Council Member
April 23
Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948
By Madeleine Albright
Albright draws on her memory, her parent’s written reflections, interviews with contemporaries, and newly-available documents to tell the tale of the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia the Battle of Britain, the attempted destruction of European Jewry, the Allied victory in World War II, the rise of communism, and the onset of the Cold War.
Reviewer: Sandra Frankel, former Brighton Town Supervisor
April 30
Ike’s Bluff: President Eisenhower’s Secret Battle to Save the World
By Evan Thomas
Journalist and author Evan Thomas proposes that behind Eisenhower’s bland smile and apparent simplemindedness was a brilliant tactician. Thomas uses Eisenhower’s skill at poker to show the reader how he faced down the Soviet Union, China, and his own generals (some of whom believed a first strike was the only means of survival), and saved the world.
Reviewer: Glenn Kist, Dean Emeritus of the College of Liberal Arts, Rochester Institute of Technology
May 7
Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong
Join us as actor Gregory Gibson Kenney becomes American icon Louis Armstrong, known by the beloved nickname “Satchmo.” The program will take you from Armstrong’s childhood in Storyville Louisiana, (present day New Orleans), to his development into one of the greatest horn players and entertainers of our time.
Presenter: Actor Gregory Gibson Kenney, from Educate Us Productions
May 21
Geva Theatre Center’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A quartet of mismatched lovers and a band of bumbling rustics cross paths with the feuding fairy king and queen in a magical moonlit forest on a midsummer night. Weaving three stories of love, magic and perception, Shakespeare’s most popular comedy has been an audience favorite for centuries. An enchanting celebration of love, innocence and imagination!
Presenters: Director and members of the cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will speak about the play
Edible Books Festival and Competition 2013
Are you a baker who loves to read, or are you someone who occasionally has to eat your words? Perhaps you simply enjoy the unexpected? In any case, the 4rd Annual Edible Books Festival and Competition! will be held at the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County on Sunday, April 7, 2013. Click here for more information, and for registration forms.
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| Edible Books Festival and Competition 2012 |
Sokol High School Literary Awards
Since 1958, the Friends of the Rochester Public Library has sponsored a creative writing contest for Monroe County high school students in grades 9-12 offering the opportunity to have their work judged by professional writers.
In 1985, Eli and Mildred Sokol established an endowment through the Rochester Area Community Foundation that awards cash prizes to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in both prose and poetry categories. Through their foresight and generosity, the Friends & Foundation of the RPL will be able to encourage young writers for generations to come.
For information on the 2013 Sokol Contest click here for details.
2013 judges and winners
Ralph Black, poetry judge; Diamond Cotton; Erin Graham; Grace Shi; Amelia Carter; Melissa Gerwitz; Katie Seeger and Kristen Gentry, prose judge
View the 2013 Sokol Image Gallery
Sokol Winners 2013:
Poetry:
First place -- Time Signatures, Amelia Carter, SOTA, 11
Second place -- This Is How You Lose Yourself, Grace Shi, Pittsford Mendon HS, 11
Third place -- So to Speak, Diamond Cotton, Vanguard Collegiate HS, 11
Prose
First place -- The Easiest Choice You'll Ever Make, Katie Seeger, Our Lady of Mercy HS, 11
Second -- Yellow, Erin Graham, Webster Schroeder HS, 10
Third -- A Creative Retelling of Sodom and Gomorrah, or: Why Michael Wants to Quit His Day Job, Melissa Gerwitz,
Our Lady of Mercy HS, 12
This year’s final judge for prose was Kristen Gentry, associate English professor at SUNY Geneseo. Professor Gentry teaches creative writing and courses in contemporary literature. Her short stories have been featured in journals like Crab Orchard Review, The Citron Review, and The Meadowland Review. She has also published poetry in the A Cocoon for the Pages: A Matrix Anthology of Literary and Visual Arts: Vol. 2.
The final judge for poetry was Ralph Black. Professor Black is the author of a book of poems, Turning Over the Earth, and a chapbook, The Apple Psalms. He teaches English and creative writing at SUNY Brockport, where he co-directs the Brockport Writers Forum.
Sokol Winners 2012:
Poetry:
First place -- For Charlie, Taylor Rugg, SOTA 11
Second --The Surrender, Clara Ng, Brighton High School 12
Third -- The Scarecrow, Madeleine Feldman, School of the Arts 11
Prose:
First place -- Amalgam, Madeleine Feldman, School of the Arts 11
Second -- The Curious Case of the Boy in the Bedroom, Rachel Brill, Pittsford Mendon High School 12
Third --Etta Endicott, Madeleine Laitz, The Harley School 12
The judges for 2012 were James Longenbach for poetry and Joanna Scott for prose. Mr. Longenbach is a poet and critic who teaches Modernism, poetry, and creative writing at the University of Rochester. Ms. Scott is an author who teaches modern and contemporary fiction and the art of imaginative writing, also at the University of Rochester.
Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library Announce Their Winter 2013 Programs
The Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library are pleased to announce their winter programs. In addition to the eight weekly Tuesday Topics programs, there are two Sunday author programs, three evening programs, and a continuation of the Conversations on Race series.
The season begins with author Joseph Vogel discussing his book Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson on Sunday, January 13. The Tuesday Topics series will begin on Tuesday, January 15, and will continue through March 5.
All Tuesday noon programs are held in the Kate Gleason Auditorium of the Central Library at 115 South Avenue. Each program begins at 12:12 and ends at 12:52 pm.
Local Author Series
Joseph Vogel
Sunday, January 13
2 to 3 pm
Kate Gleason Auditorium
Joseph Vogel writes about music, popular culture, and politics for The Huffington Post. His work has also appeared in The Atlantic and PopMatters, among other publications. Vogel is the author of three books, including the recently published Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson; Free Speech 101: The Utah Valley Uproar over Michael Moore; and The Obama Movement: Why Barack Obama Speaks to America’s Youth. An instructor in the University of Rochester’s writing program, Vogel is a fourth-year doctoral candidate studying 20th century American literature, popular music and culture, and romanticism.
A book signing of Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson will follow the program.
For a copy of the program poster click here.
Elizabeth Osta
Sunday, March 3
2 to 3 pm
Kate Gleason Auditorium
Elizabeth Osta was born in Buffalo, raised in Syracuse, and graduated from Nazareth College in Rochester. She taught children with special needs, was a school principal, and became a training specialist for the New York State Education Department. Osta first began writing as a preteen on a used Smith-Corona and has received numerous awards for her work, including the Democrat and Chronicle Golden Pen Award. Jeremiah’s Hunger is her first novel. As President of the Rochester Chapter of the Irish American Cultural Institute, she continues to learn about the legend and lore of Ireland and makes frequent trips to the Emerald Isle. It was there that the seed for Jeremiah’s Hunger first took root.
A special addition to the reading will be an Irish song performed by Rochesterian Kitty Forbush, an oncology nurse at Pluta Cancer Center.
Tuesday Topics Series
January 15
Geva Theatre Center’s Next to Normal
A soaring, modern musical about a family coping with mental illness and life in suburbia, Next to Normal was the toast of the 2010 Broadway season, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and numerous Tony Awards.
Presenters: The cast of Next to Normal
January 22
Celebrating the Season for Nonviolence: How Nonviolent Principles and Practices Can Enhance Your Work and Community Life
The ability to trust, to speak with care and with honesty, and to become progressively less fearful are skills that every one of us can develop and are all abilities that can be used in support of the causes that we care about. Join Gandhi Institute Director Kit Miller as she shares some ideas and experiences about ways to develop these capacities in yourself and for the benefit of the community overall.
Presenter: Kit Miller, Executive Director, M. K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence
January 29
Wall\Therapy in Rochester: The Visual Intervention of Public Art
The Wall\Therapy project commissions artists to create large-scale murals that aim to inspire and rehabilitate a community. To date, artists from Africa, Asia, Europe, and across the United States have produced murals on buildings around the city of Rochester. Our speaker will discuss planning and executing the project, what the future holds, and the impact of public art.
Speaker: Dr. Ian Wilson, Assistant Professor, Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center; Curator of Wall\Therapy; and co-founder of the Synthesis Collaborative
February 5
The Science and Business of Treating Wastewater with Algae: An RIT Scientist and Startup Company Take on the Task of Cleaning the World’s Water
Use algae to clean wastewater? Associate Professor Jeffrey Lodge will describe how a master’s student’s suggestion to use algae to create biodiesel fuel led to the discovery that algae can effectively clean wastewater. We’ll also hear about the role Environmental Energy Technologies may be playing to help clean water in other parts of the world.
Speaker: Jeffrey Lodge, PhD., Associate Professor, Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology
February 12
Foodlink Responds to Hunger in Our Community
Hunger in Monroe County doesn’t end at the city limits. Food pantries are being organized in even the wealthiest of our suburban communities. Our speaker will share what he has observed firsthand in the community during his work at Foodlink and talk about the work Foodlink is doing to end hunger. We will also hear local residents’ experiences with hunger from Foodlink’s ‘story bank’ and learn of the many ways that we can help end hunger in our community.
Speaker: Jerome Nathaniel, University of Rochester alumnus and Americorps VISTA member serving as Foodlink’s Hunger Advocate
February 19
Ghosts of the Rundel Library Building
The Ghost Hunters episode that aired on the SyFy channel this past November tried to prove what many who work at Central Library have suspected all along the Rundel Building is haunted. Members of Monroe County Paranormal Investigations will talk about their experiences and answer questions about the paranormal.
There will be a tour of the Rundel Building’s ‘hot spots’ after the program. Space is limited · For more information and to register for the tour, call 585.428.8350.
Speakers: Sally Snow, Assistant Library Director and members of Monroe County Paranormal Investigations
February 26
Health Insurance Exchanges
Health Insurance Exchanges are a major provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as ObamaCare, and must be fully certified and operational by January 1, 2014. However, confusion still exists about how Health Insurance Exchanges will work, as well as how the exchanges will impact individuals and businesses. Our panel will discuss the creation and potential results of Health Insurance Exchanges.
Speakers: Sandy Parker, President and CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance; Lynn Scalzo, Vice President, Business Strategy and Health Care Reform at Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield; Wade Norwood, a member of New York State’s Health Benefit Exchange Regional Advisory Committee for the Finger Lakes and Central New York region
March 5
Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God
By Elizabeth A. Johnson
“God is alive.” “God is dead.” “I don’t know.”
Sister of St. Joseph Elizabeth Johnson’s book is a multifaceted treatise on new developments in approaches to God. While written in 2007 and primarily used as a college text, Quest for the Living God recently gained public prominence after the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops issued a critique of the book.
Speaker: Sr. Beth LeValley, active in community service
Race: The Power of an Illusion
This three-part series will feature the PBS films, followed by a discussion facilitated by Professor Timothy Weider, who teaches graduate Education and graduate Sociology at Nazareth College, and undergraduate Sociology at Monroe Community College’s urban campus.
This series is a partnership with Monroe Community College’s Democracy Commitment.
Part One: The Difference Between Us, Thursday, January 24 · 5 to 7 pm
Part Two: The Story We Tell, Thursday, January 31 · 5 to 7 pm
Part Three: The House We Live In, Thursday, February 7 · 5 to 7 pm
All programs will be held in the Kate Gleason Auditorium, Central Library, 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604.
Conversations on Race
A Process of Discovery
To raise awareness about the impact of race in our everyday lives, building upon the YWCA’s National Stand Against Racism and Facing Race, Embracing Equity: Rochester’s Racial Equity Initiative, with support from NCBI Rochester.
Chili Public Library
3333 Chili Ave.
Rochester, NY 14624
Thursday, January 17, 2013 · 6 to 8pm
Phillis Wheatley Community Library
33 Dr. Samuel McCree Way
Rochester, NY 14608
Wednesday, January 23, 2013 · 5 to 7pm
Greece Public Library
2 Vince Tofany Boulevard
Greece, NY 14612
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 · 6 to 8pm
Brighton Memorial Library
2300 Elmwood Avenue
Rochester, NY 14618
Monday, February 11, 2013 · 6 to 8pm
Winton Branch Library
611 Winton Road North
Rochester, NY 14609
Wednesday, February 27, 2013 · 6 to 8pm
Lincoln Branch Library
851 Joseph Avenue
Rochester, NY 14621
Wednesday, March 6, 2013 · 5 to 7pm
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT: Linda Rock, 585.428.8350 or email linda.rock@libraryweb.org
Friends-to-Friends Grants
Since 1995, Friends of the Rochester Public Library has offered a unique grant program for schools, community agencies, and libraries. Friends-to-Friends Grants are awarded annually to individual projects that foster the love of books, reading, and lifelong learning in children and encourage the establishment of linkages with public libraries.
2013-2014 Request for proposals - application instructions and assessment guidelines.
2012-2013 Friends to Friends Grant Recipients:
Monroe Branch Library and Teen City, Award amount: $600.00
Arnett Block Association, Award amount: $600.00
Lakeside Child & Family Center, Award amount: $544.00
One Village, Award amount: $600.00
Lyell Branch Library, Award amount: $600.00
If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Friends & Foundation Office at 428-8350.
The Friends & Foundation accept gifts and bequests to benefit the library and to create innovative programming.
Now, more than ever, Libraries Need Your Support!
Please print and mail this form to help support the Central Library.
Or contact:
Ned Davis, Executive Director
585.428.8321 ~ ned.davis@libraryweb.org
Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library
115 South Avenue, Rochester NY 14604