Library Programs - Portsmouth Public Library

For the library's complete Events Calendar, click here.

Ongoing Programs at the Portsmouth Public Library

2009-2010 Adult Book Discussion Group
(Lists of books we've discussed in the past two years are listed below.)

House at
Sugar Beach
- No meetings in December and January.
- February 8th: House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper
- March 15th: Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
- April 12th: Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
- May 10th: Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
- June 7th: The Good Thief : A Novel by Hannah Tinti

Featured Programs at the Portsmouth Public Library

"Handmade Nation" Portsmouth Premier, 2:00pm, Sat. Dec. 5th

Goodwill Industries of Northern New England and the Portsmouth Public Library invite you to a 2:00pm FREE SCREENING of the underground hit documentary on the rise of DIY art, craft & design. Stay after the screening and mix and mingle with Seacoast area artists & crafters. Browse a curated display of vintage and new art/craft/design books from the library collection. Coffee and cupcakes will be served.

Click here to look at the book on which the movie is based in the library catalog.

"Music From the Tradition" Series

All performances in the series begin at 2pm in the Levenson Room.

Sunday, September 13th: The Kossoy Sisters

Known for their clear bell-like harmonies, the sisters, Irene and Ellen, are noted for their version of "I'll Fly Away" in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou? The sisters most recently released album is Hop on Pretty Girls.

Sunday, October 11th: Noteworthy Duo

Flutist Lisa Schroeder and guitarist Michael Anthon Nigro join their musical talents in a program featuring prominent and less-known Latin American composers. They aim to reach the non-classical audience as well as inspire the classical listener.

Sunday, November 22nd: Too Human

With vocals, guitar and percussion, Ellen Schwartz and Roger Bruno make "good music with a lot of heart." From Jazz and blues to pop and R&B, their fresh interpretation brings new life to classics from the American Songbook.

Browse their CD in the library catalog.

Sunday, April 11, 2010: Two Old Friends

Mac McHale and Emery Hutchins return to the Library to delight audiences young and old with a combination of Irish and American music. With banjo, guitar, mandolin, bodran, octave mandolin and heart-warming harmonies, Two Old Friends engages the audience. Be prepared to sing along.

Sunday, May 16, 2010: Strathspey and Reel Society of NH

Founded in 1988, The Strathspey and Reel Society of New Hampshire seeks to preserve and promote Scottish culture through the playing of traditional Scottish music. This concert will feature a variety of performers from the society playing on a multitude of indigenous instruments.

Sunday, June 12, 2010: Matthew Abelson

An accomplished and innovative hammered dulcimer player, Matthew Abelson will perform a variety of music from American roots to traditional Irish tunes to classical to Renaissance and Jazz. His performances are multi-faceted, weaving together humorous anecdotes, poetry and dramatic stories.

Download the series poster here.

Fall Flicks - Thursday Nights

Our Thursday night fall movie series starts up again on September 24th. All movies begin at 7PM in the Levenson Room.

September 24th: Trouble the Water - 93 minutes
Unrated. See the effects of Hurricane Katrina (2005) on New Orleans residents who could not escape the city. This documentary intersperses gritty footage by an amateur videographer and live news reports. Nominated for an Academy Award.

October 8th: I Love You Man - 105 minutes
Rated R. Starring Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones and Jason Segel. Need a best man for your wedding but don’t have any friends? Nicknamed a ‘Bromance’, Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) hilariously searches for a friend via ‘man-dates’ to the amusement of his fiancée. Laugh out loud, fall off your seat funny.

October 22nd: Doubt - 104 minutes
Rated PG13. Starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. Set in 1964, Doubt centers on a nun who confronts a priest after suspecting him of abusing a black student. Nominated for 5 Academy Awards.

November 12th: Frozen River - 97 minutes
Rated R. The setting is upstate New York on the Canadian border where two women form an unlikely partnership to illegally smuggle aliens into the States. A gripping performance by Melissa Leo as the flawed mother of two struggling to make a better life for her children. Nominated for 2 Academy Awards.

December 10th: Star Trek - 127 minutes
Rated PG13. Go back in science fiction time. A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members . Stunning special effects. Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy.