2024 MET Gala – A Garden of Time and Sleeping Beauties
Borrowed from English writer J.G. Ballard’s 1962 short story, the night’s sartorial theme got its name from the story about a count who, to stave off an angry mob nearing his castle, cuts a rose from his garden to slow down time until there are no flowers remaining. The Met Gala 2024’s “Garden of Time” theme worked in conjunction with the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” Called “fashion’s biggest night,” the Met Gala is also a benefit for the Costume Institute, serving as the primary source of funding for the department. This year’s event did not disappoint. It was a glorious evening of glitz, glamour, beauty and art. We saw a red carpet filled with everything from romantic florals to techno-inspired fashion. There was even a Sleeping Beauty reference or two.
Want to learn more about fashion and the fascinating history of costuming? Visit our display on the second floor near the Art and Music Rooms. We have a fine collection of books devoted to fashion designers, high fashion, costuming and the history of dressing and clothing.
If you love Bridgerton and Pride and Prejudice, check out this month’s romance display! Right now, the Manchester City Library is displaying Regency Period romance novels. The Regency romances are set 1811 and 1820. These novels often feature opulent balls, carriage rides, trips to the opera, courting, fake engagements, and aristocracy. There is something for everyone in these stories. Come take a peek!
We are very excited to announce that this year, the Manchester City Library will be continuing our tradition of an Adult Summer Reading program! The Adult Summer Reading Program is open to anyone 18+. Participants earn points for reading, attending programs, and completing missions and can use those points to purchase raffle tickets for 8 different raffles, to be drawn weekly. Mark your calendars! The program will run from June 17 – August 10. Signup starts June 1.
The Manchester City Library and the Manchester West Branch Library will be closing at 3:00 PM on Thursday, May 2nd, for the “world’s largest taco tour”. For more information about the taco tour and for the taco tour map please visit the official website here.
Ever wonder what it’s like to make a photographic print without a camera? To make a handmade, colorful and vibrant print of your own? Well, look no further! This project will show you how to create a Cyanotype print, which is a blue-toned print created with the power of the sun! This technique is a beginner-friendly one and comes with an easy step by step process. Traditionally and most simply, the process is performed outside using sunlight.
We are offering a limited number of adult take and make craft kits at the West Branch Library. Pop on in for a free Cyanotype Print Making craft kit. These kits contain cyan dye that can stain clothing and furniture, so they are intended for adults only. For more information, please contact Yvonne at [email protected] or call the West Branch Information Desk at 603-624-6560 ext. 7691.
The Manchester City Library will be opening at 11:00 AM on Friday April 19th, as staff participate in a special staff training workshop. We thank you for your patience as we strive to improve our services.
There’s something so enticing about a profession where people are the absolute best at what they do. The best assassins are not just deadly weapons, but also masters of disguise, improvisation, and slight-of-hand. Their world is brutal and beautiful, and only the very best survive. Their stories are rich, tragic, and compelling, as are the moral choices they face during every job.
Take a look at this month’s Fantasy book recommendations for stories about these versatile ki**ers for hire!
Thanks to a generous donation from Lowes, we have new seeds in the Seed Library! As we process these donations into smaller envelopes, we’ll be re-stocking the Seed Library weekly!
Did you know that today is National Pet Day? A recent survey conducted by PetMD (Chewy), The 8 Most Popular Pets in 2023, found that most Americans–not surprisingly–favor dogs and cats, with dogs edging out cats 65.1% to 46.5%. A distant third place goes to freshwater fish, coming in at 11.1%. What about you? Are you more of a dog person or a cat person? Or something else? Myself, I love dogs. I thought it would be fun to create a Periodic Table of Dogs and Cats, following the same idea as the Periodic Table of Elements in chemistry. Like the original table there are rows and columns, with categories like popular names, smartest breeds, fictional dogs and cats from children’s books, comics/cartoons and Disney, National Dog Show Groups and different breeds. Come check out our National Pet Day display at the library, and see if your dog or cat breed is the smartest or has a popular name. Did your favorite fictionalized furry friend make it on the table, come find out? We hope to see you soon.
