Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani American author, essayist and interfaith activist. She writes the children’s early reader series Yasmin published by Capstone and other books for children, including middle grade novels “A Place At The Table” (HMH/Clarion 2020) co-written with Laura Shovan, and “A Thousand Questions” (Harper Collins 2020). She has also written “Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage from Pakistan” a short story collection for adults and teens.

Saadia is editor-in-chief of Blue Minaret, a magazine for Muslim art, poetry and prose, and was featured in Oprah Magazine in 2017 as a woman making a difference in her community. She resides in Houston, TX with her husband and children.

Join Saadia as she discusses her journey as an author, gives some writing tips, and reads from one of her works. She will also take a few questions.

This program will be held on Zoom. Head to our website to sign up for the talk and reserve one of the author's books! You may also call 978-373-1586, x608 to register.

Nic Stone was born and raised in a suburb of Atlanta, GA, and the only thing she loves more than an adventure is a good story about one. After graduating from Spelman College, she worked extensively in teen mentoring and lived in Israel for a few years before returning to the US to write full-time. Growing up with a wide range of cultures, religions, and backgrounds, Stone strives to bring these diverse voices and stories to her work.

Join Ms. Stone as she discusses her work, her process, and takes a few questions.

This program will be held on Zoom. Head to our website to sign up for the talk and reserve one of the author's books! You may also call 978-373-1586, x608 to register.

UTEC's team will join us to discuss their nationally recognized model which begins with intensive street outreach, correctional facility in-reach, and gang peacemaking, engaging our most disconnected young adults by meeting them “where they’re at.”

Their wraparound program is designed to never give up on young adults as they overcome personal, health, and institutional barriers to improving their lives. The team will also share some of the ways they are innovating with the State and the Department of Corrections to make real, meaningful changes at a systemic level and how you can support.

Register through Zoom. Memorial Hall Library will be running the Zoom meeting. Please click on the link to register.

UTEC’s mission and promise is to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disconnected young people to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success. Today we serve Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill, MA and are nationally recognized as a model agency serving justice-involved young adults.

UTEC is a family. We assume goodness behind everyone’s actions. We show madd love, unconditionally accepting each person. We offer everyone a clean slate, never giving up. We carry out respectful curiosity, always seeking out moments to connect. We are sponges, actively seeking feedback. We embody contagious passion in all we do.

UTEC is a catalyst. We think big about what we can achieve. We continually chip away, demonstrating relentlessness in our pursuit of positive change. We plant seeds of peace and cultivate trust. We see beyond the mask, knowing there’s always more beneath the surface. We ignite social justice. And we spark sustainability – for our young people, our enterprises, and our physical environment.

UTEC was founded in 1999 as the result of an organizing movement driven by young people to develop their own teen center in response to gang violence in Lowell. Originally known as “United Teen Equality Center,” today their name is simply UTEC, Inc.

This program is a collaboration between Courageous Conversations, Memorial Hall Library, and HPL. The program will be held on Zoom, and Memorial Hall Library will be running the Zoom meeting. Please click here to register through Zoom, or call 978-373-1586, x608 to register over the phone.

Climate change is the number one existential threat to humanity and the planet, but some communities are more vulnerable than others. Where does social justice and climate change overlap? How does identity (race, gender, age, etc.) influence the way a person will be impacted by climate change? And how can we, as concerned community members, fight climate change in a way that is just and equitable for all?

Join Nia Keith, Mass Audubon’s Climate Change Education Manager, in an interactive lecture on climate justice. Join fellow community members as we make space for questions, conversations, and, most importantly, climate action.

Presenter Bio:

Nia Keith is a science educator with more than 15 years' experience working in nonprofits, schools, and cultural institutions. Dedicated to cultivating equity and justice in all environments, Nia has spent her career motivating people to address environmental, social, and economic issues. Her current role as the statewide Climate Change Education Manager for Mass Audubon, allows her to work in many settings, including classrooms, nature reserves, and online. She designs and delivers interactive lessons for all ages, to help people understand and take action to fight climate change. Nia holds a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England.

Are you new to Zoom? Would you like to host a meeting on there, but aren't sure where to start? Join us for this brief course, which will cover the basics of hosting a meeting. We'll go over how to start the meeting as well as features you may use while running the meeting.

This program will be held on Zoom. Please visit haverhillpl.org or call 978-373-1586, x608 to register. We will send an email with the Zoom link on the day of the program.

Place a succulent plant in a mason jar and decorate! Register here to reserve your kit, pick up your kit from the library, and go to our website to follow an instructional video made by HPL staff to put it all together!

You can pick-up your kit starting Monday, April 26th. The last day to pick up is Friday, April 30th. Please call the library at 978-373-1586, x608 to arrange a curbside pick-up.