Calendar of Events

JANUARY 2008
Bizarre Creatures in Narragansett Bay with Dave Beutel, fisheries researcher at the University of Rhode Island and former commercial fisherman. Find out about the unusual marine life that exists right here in our own backyard.*	Thursday, January 24 at 6:30 PM
Be an armchair traveler and enjoy a trip to Shanghai with Ken Scigulinsky. Travel to China to see some of the sights of Shanghai, an ultra modern city of 18 million people and over 4,000 skyscrapers, scheduled to host the 2010 World Trade Expo. Learn how teachers differ from their American counterparts. *	Sunday, January 27 at 2 PM
Everyone will enjoy the upbeat foot-tapping performance of the Big Shoe String Band. This acoustic trio consisting of guitar, fiddle, mountain dulcimer and Celtic harp play a variety of musical styles including old-timey, French Canadian, Irish, country blues and a few sea shanties, just to round out the mix.*	Thursday, January 31 at 7 PM
FEBRUARY 2008
"How to Stay Sharp as You Age" with Dr. Laurence M. Hirshberg. Multimedia presentation details the steps individuals can take to protect themselves against the effects of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.	Tuesday, February 26 at 6:30 PM
Rhode Island : Bests, Firsts, Uniques with Roberta Humble. This presentation will explore some of the bests, firsts, and uniques of Rhode Island, including the uniqueness the author found in writing about the nation’s smallest state. A quiz will be given to the audience to see how much they already know. Participation is requested in routing out more superlatives and stories about Little Rhody. The audience will reminisce, learn, and gather sufficient ammunition to combat those confused out-of-staters who believe Rhode Island is a part of New York.	Thursday, February 28 at 6:30 PM
MARCH 2008
First meeting of the Library Book Group. Please join the library staff in a discussion of Random Harvest by James Hilton. Readers may bring their own copy or place a hold on a library item. Refreshments will be served.	Tuesday, March 25 at 6:30 PM
APRIL 2008
Library Book Group Meeting. Please join the library staff in a discussion of Feed by M. T. Anderson. In this chilling novel, Anderson imagines a society dominated by the feed, a next-generation Internet/television hybrid that is directly hardwired into the brain. M. T. Anderson has created a not-so-brave new world — and a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now. Readers may bring their own copy or place a hold on a library item. Refreshments will be served.	Tuesday, April 22 at 6:30 PM
MAY 2008
Library Book Group Meeting. Please join the library staff in a discussion of The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Setterfield's debut novel is an intriguing look at an unusual family. Readers may bring their own copy or place a hold on a library item. Refreshments will be served.	Tuesday, May 20 at 6:45 PM

OCTOBER 2008
All Hallows Eve Tea with Rita Parisi performing as Mrs. Gordon. Join Mrs. Gordon for a ghostly tea party perfect for the haunting season. Be chilled and thrilled as she recounts some of her own uncanny experiences with the supernatural. Mrs. Gordon will also discuss 1908 Halloween traditions and spiritualism including her recent attendance of a seance. *	Thursday, October 9 at 7 PM
NOVEMBER 2008
The Seventh Rhode Island Infantry in the Civil War with author Robert Grandchamp. The Seventh RI Infantry participated in some of the fiercest battles of the Civil War and suffered a casualty rate of more than 80 percent. This gripping account gathered from primary sources will enthrall history buffs. The book will be available for purchase and signing by the author.	Thursday, November 20 at 7 PM

All events will be held at the Portsmouth Free Public Library. Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Please call the library at 683-9457 for more information or to register for any of the programs.