Library Events
Youth Take & Makes
11:00 AMBlast Off Book Club Pick-up
11:00 AMTeen Take and Makes
11:00 AMTeen Advisory Board Meeting
7:00 PM
News & Announcements

Organic Gardening Course Begins April 8!
March 22, 2021
A comprehensive organic gardening course presented by an experienced teacher and commer...
Read MoreBrowse the Library Starting Monday April 5!
March 12, 2021
Beginning Monday April 5, Portsmouth Public Library will bring back in-person browsing!...
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AARP Tax Aide No-Contact Through April 11
February 10, 2021
AARP Tax Help will be drop-off only this year. This service runs until April 11. ...
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The Birds & The Bees: Sex Ed for Adults begins Thursday April 29!
March 22, 2021
Our new monthly series kicks off with bestselling author Emily Nagoski! Free and open t...
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NY Times Bestsellers
Check Out Past Library Events on our YouTube page!

Genealogy Workshop: Voting Records
March 26, 2021Voting Records: Genealogy’s Best Kept Secret with Pamela Vestal was presented on Sunday, March 21 2021 as part of the library's Genealogy Workshop series. This recording will be available until April 26 (one month from posting). Looking for a date of birth or death? When and where your ancestor became a citizen? Where he disappeared to or where he came from? Voting records may have the answer. These often-overlooked gems can be packed with genealogical information, and you won't believe what they can tell us about our ancestors! Explore the many types of voting records created in the United States, where to find them, and what they have to offer. We'll also consider who was allowed to vote and who was excluded. After all, where there is controversy, there are records! Pam Vestal is a professional genealogist and lecturer from Oregon whose research extends far beyond the Pacific Northwest, with clients all over the U.S. and research that reaches beyond our borders. After 20 years as a professional writer, Pam turned her full attention to her longtime love of genealogy. Since then, her articles have appeared in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly and FGS's Forum magazine, and her lectures take her from coast to coast. Give us 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

Local History Panel: The Elvis Room
March 4, 2021Warning: this recorded program contains some profanity. Portsmouth has always had its music scene, but the 90s stand out as a special time. And that period cannot be remembered without the Elvis Room Coffeebar. What started as a quirky coffeehouse, catering to those looking for something different, quickly became a mecca for music as well – local, national, and international. What CBGB was to NYC, The Elvis Room was to Portsmouth. Learn more and reminisce with this panel discussion will include Barbara Steinbach née Becht, Curt Schulz, Bob Halperin, and Gabe Steinbach. 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 European Home Front During World War II
March 4, 2021L. Annette Binder, author of The Vanishing Sky, and Sandell Morse, author of The Spiral Shell, will deliver a presentation on life on the European home front during World War II. The Vanishing Sky, a work of fiction based on events in the author's family history, explores the situation of a rural family in Germany in 1945 as the war winds down. The Spiral Shell, a work of non-fiction based on the stories of people who lived the history, chronicles the resistance efforts of a small village in Vichy France against the German occupiers. Together, both authors will present an engaging look at the lives of ordinary people living in the most challenging circumstances. 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

Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy
March 4, 2021Dr. Penny Walters discusses what ethics and morality mean in terms of genealogy. Ethical dilemmas in genealogy came to the forefront after law enforcement utilized information from GEDMatch to apprehend a suspected serial killer. What will you do if you discover secrets and lies or unexpected DNA results? If you were adopted, would you try and trace your biological mother? What information is appropriate on your public family tree program? Many people struggle through ethical dilemmas on their own, but researchers can benefit from considering ethical issues with more empathy and sensitivity. Portsmouth Public Library's Genealogy Workshops are hosted in conjunction with the Ranger Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). 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

Indigenous Stories: Decolonial Organizing and Collaboration in NH
February 16, 2021A collaboration among University of New Hampshire faculty and staff; Indigenous UNH staff, faculty, and students; student volunteers and interns; community volunteers and activists; and Tribal leaders of NH, the Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective is a long-term project with the purpose of reframing New Hampshire’s history from an Indigenous perspective. In this presentation, Dr. Svetlana Peshkova, along with Hunter Stetz, Emily Olivier, and Catherine Stewart, discuss the work and philosophy of the INHCC. Give us 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 Visit the INHCC online at https://indigenousnh.com/, or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/indigenousnewhampshire.