Are you interested in learning about your house? Ever wonder who owned your home or how old it might be? This workshop will provide basic information to get you started in developing a history of your house. Local resident and museum curator John Mayer provides an introduction to resources you can use to explore the history of your house including deeds, maps, newspapers, and online sources maps, as well as resources available locally in Portsmouth, NH. About the Presenter John Mayer has over 30 years’ experience in the museum field and has worked in a variety of positions in history museums of all types. He has expertise in non-profit administration, exhibit development, curatorial routines, care of artifact collections, and preservation of historic structures. John lives in Portsmouth, NH with his wife Debora, in a two-hundred-year-old brick house. Give the library feedback and enter to win a library book bag! This helps us make decisions about library programming and advertising. Fill out a brief Event Feedback Form here: https://forms.gle/uLaj2MrLtenEZmvH7 Want to learn about more upcoming events at the library? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/newsletter

The eruption of Mount Tambora in the spring of 1815 was the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history. Exploding with a force of 25,000 nuclear bombs, the eruption ejected enough material into the atmosphere to darken the skies for months and caused a global cooling event that has come to be known as The Year Without a Summer. We'll learn about the many impacts of the eruption here and abroad, from the immediate destruction of the Tambora culture in Sumbawa, Indonesia, to the vast crop failures, famines, pandemics, and freak weather events across the Northern Hemisphere, to the numerous societal influences on literature, science, art, and public health. Tambora continues to inform us today, as we grapple with a slower but no less disruptive assault on the global climate system. Tambora may be history, but its lessons shed light on how quickly the world can change forever. About the Presenter Will Broussard is the former Outreach Coordinator for the Mount Washington Observatory where he developed virtual and in-person educational programming around Mount Washington's unique cultural, scientific, and ecological history. Currently, he serves on the board of the Tin Mountain Conservation Center and is program coordinator for the Mid-Coast Audubon Society of Maine. When not pursuing his environmental conservation interests, he harvests and ships mushrooms for North Spore Mushroom Company in Portland, Maine. Give the library feedback and enter to win a library book bag! This helps us make decisions about library programming and advertising. Fill out a brief Event Feedback Form here: https://forms.gle/uLaj2MrLtenEZmvH7 Want to learn about more upcoming events at the library? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/newsletter

Exploring the Green Book: A Lifeline for African Americans Traveling During Segregation There were many variations of the Green Books that were used as tools by African Americans, particularly those who desired to travel and enjoy themselves without concerns of experiencing racism. In this presentation, you will hear the stories of the Seacoast locals whose homes and businesses served as vacation spots for African American travelers wanting to find safe places and avoid the humiliation often experienced that could, without warning, prohibit Black people from entering the same spaces as whites. About the Presenter Nur Shoop leads the Green Book Tour and the Thirst for Freedom Tour which focuses on Portsmouth's slave economy through the civil rights movement. She is a Sankofa Scholar and lead tour guide with the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. She has been with BHTNH for 8 years. An experienced tour guide, Nur has developed key strategies for sharing and interpreting conflicting histories, and is certified as a guide by the National Association for Interpretation. Give the library feedback and enter to win a library book bag! This helps us make decisions about library programming and advertising. Fill out a brief Event Feedback Form here: https://forms.gle/uLaj2MrLtenEZmvH7 Want to learn about more upcoming events at the library? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/newsletter

Learn HOW to be better organized, and WHY being more organized can transform your life in so many ways, with Abbe Hardiman, Professional Organizer, Life Management Educator, and owner of Your ABstract Assistant. Want to learn about more upcoming events at the library? Sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/newsletter