Classes - Programs

**For sign-ups or questions please call (609) 967-7155**

Special Programs

Children's Programs

Visit our Kids & Teens page for Children's Program list.

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Acting Lecture- How to Make a Living From It

Acting Lecture
How to Make a Living From It
with Tom McCarthy
Thursday, August 9
7 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
Tom will share tips on auditioning & booking jobs and the
difference in craft for TV, stage, and film.

Tom McCarthy is a native Philadelphian who has performed in most of the Equity theatres in the city. McCarthy was president of the Screen Actors Guild in Philadelphia for 30 years and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia in 2003. Productions have included Arden Theatre Company's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Working, All My Sons, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Act II Playhouse's Old Wicked Songs; Walnut Street Theatre's Orphans and Brighton Beach Memoirs; People's Light & Theatre Company’s Glengarry Glen Ross; Wilma Theater's Escape from Happiness and Philadelphia Theatre Company's Minutes from the Blue Route.

In 2005, Tom was inducted into the Wall of Fame for Delaware County. That same year, McCarthy conceived, acted, and produced The Philly Fan, a one-man-show about a frustrated Philly sports fan. The performance sold out at numerous theater venues and continues to be produced throughout the Philadelphia Tri-State area.

         In 1997, Tom received the Barrymore Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman at the Arden Theatre Company. McCarthy's television appearances include the West Wing, Law & Order, Homicide, New York Undercover, Ed and Hack. Past film credits include Random Hearts, Fallen, Up Close & Personal, The Wire and Blow Out. McCarthy also did a looping job for one of the characters in the Vince Papale movie, Invincible. 

         Most recently, he has appeared in the Cloris Leachman 2010 film, The Fields, and The Mighty Macs, the movie released last year about the 1972 Immaculata College Women’s Basketball team and its new head coach.

           

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Acting Workshop - Shakespearean Play

Shakespeare In Depth:
Exploring "Much Ado About Nothing"
with Mark Lang and Alison Murphy
Tuesdays, July 31 and August 7 and 14
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
Ages 13+
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
Avalon property owners may register on June 30.
All others may register on July 14.
This workshop is designed to give participants a chance to focus on a single play. A slightly abridged script of Much Ado About Nothing will be used, focusing on featured scenes for reading and discussion. Lead roles will be rotated and the play will be divided into three parts, one for each class session.

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All Apple Products Users Group

All Apple Products Users Group
with Harry Keyser
Second Monday of the month
6:15 to 7:45 p.m.
Meet with other Mac computer users
to share problems and solutions. 
May 14- Keeping Your Products Up and Running

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Alzheimer's Lecture Series

Alzheimer's Lecture Series
with Carolyn Peterson
the Alzheimer's Association
Delaware Valley Chapter
Thursdays, July 19, 26, and August 2
6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
July 19
Know the 10 Signs: Early Detection Matters
Being prepared
Importance of early detection
Risk factors
Relation of lifestyle and brain health
July 26
Memory Loss, Dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease: The Basics
Age-related changes
What is Dementia?
Alzheimer's Disease
Risk factors
Getting a thorough diagnosis and how to proceed
August 2
Understanding Communications and Behaviors
Cues and Clues, Triggers, Challenges and Tips

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Art Appreciation Lecture Series

Art Appreciation Lecture Series
with Cheryl Crews
1^st Tuesday of each month
October thru May
6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
These lectures will explore art appreciation topics such as exploratory survey of art, subject, form and content, and art historical references. Discussion and slideshow presentation will be included.
April 3- The Element of Texture
Instructor will explore texture throughout art history with discussion and slideshow of paintings and sculpture. 

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Author Lecture- Alice Ozma

Author Lecture
with Alice Ozma
Wednesday, July 25
 7 p.m.
Gymnasium
Alice Ozma is the author of The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Share. In the book, Alice describes her childhood and her father's ritual of reading  aloud to her every night without fail from 4th grade until the day she left for college. Alice approaches her book as a series of vignettes about her relationship with him and the life lessons learned from the books he read to her.
A Q&A and book signing will follow.
To watch video of Alice speaking for ALA 2011 and other past lectures
on YouTube, click here
To visit Alice's website, click here

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Author Lecture- Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway

Author Lecture
with Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway
Thursday, June 28
 7 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway co-authored Lady Vernon and Her Daughter, a vivid and richly developed novel transforming Jane Austen's novella Lady Susan. With wit and warmth reminiscent of Austen's greatest works, this mother-daughter writing team brings to life a time and place where love is hindered by misunderstanding, where marriage can never be entirely isolated from money- yet where romance somehow carries the day. 
A Q&A and book signing will follow.
For more information on the authors, visit their website here
Read the book review on Amazon
Watch the Lady Vernon book trailer (filmed in Cape May)

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Author Lecture- John Bailey

Author Lecture
with John Bailey 
Tuesday, July 24
 7 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
Author John Bailey will visit the library for a lecture to discuss two of his books in the multipurpose room on Tuesday, July 24 at 7 p.m. He will be speaking about Cape Island, The Jewel of the Jersey Shore, a comprehensive, chronological history of the people of the town of Cape May beginning with the Native Americans and ending in 2011. The book contains illustrations of John's watercolors, drawings, photos and postcard collection and focuses on the individuals and personalities of those that explored the Island, those that owned the Island, and those that developed the Island.

Bailey will also talk about Juet's Journal, A Translation,  the story of Henry Hudson and his crew sailing the Half Moon, a ship that explored the east coast of North America, searching for a passage to the Orient in the summer of 1609 under the Dutch flag. Hudson's clerk, Robert Juet, kept a detailed log of the journey, written in archaic English of the time. You can read the original here.
Q&A and book signing to follow lecture.

 

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Author Lecture- Robert Strauss

Author Lecture
with Robert Strauss
Tuesday, July 17
 7 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
Robert Strauss, author of Daddy's Little Goalie: A Father, His Daughters and Sports-
a funny, sentimental memoir about being the dad of girl athletes. It is both a parenting book, spotlighting the little-talked-about dynamic of dads and daughters, and a contrapuntal take on the Tiger Mom way of doing things.
A book sale,signing and Q&A session will follow.
To read a story Robert wrote for the New York Times complimenting the book,
click here
Click here to read a review of the book written by Philadelphia Inquirer's
Hall of Fame columnist Bill Lyon

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Author Lecture- Saloma Furlong

Author Lecture
with Saloma Furlong
Wednesday, July 11
 7 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
Saloma Furlong, author of her memoir, Why I Left the Amish, will be giving
a talk about her book and showing a DVD that features her
and her husband telling their story.
A book sale,signing and Q&A session will follow.
For more information on the author, please visit her website here.

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Ballroom Dancing for Beginners

 Ballroom Dancing for Beginners
Thursdays, June 7 through August 9
6 to 7 p.m.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
Avalon property owners may register on May 7
All others may register on May 21
.Please contact Linda Duffy at 609-967-5900 x3157 to register.

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Baseball Parks Lecture

Baseball Parks Lecture
with Dr. Jerrold Casway
Professor and author of Philadelphia baseball history
Thursday, July 12
7 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
Jerry will present a powerpoint presentation of major league baseball sites in Philadelphia. His talk covers pre-Civil War Philadelphia up to the current ballpark. Pictures will also convey the changing neighborhoods around these sites.

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Bay-Atlantic Symphony Concerts

2012 Symphony By The Sea Series
Bay-Atlantic Symphony
Saturday, July 21
7 p.m.
Elementary School Gymnasium

Russian to the Finnish!
Selections by Tchaikovsky and Sibelius, with 23-year old renowned violin soloist Ryo Goto performing Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47.
Tickets are free of charge and available to the general public at the library two weeks prior. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Saturday, August 18
7 p.m.
Elementary School Gymnasium

Brahms and Friends
Selections by Brahms, Schumann, and Dvorak
Tickets are free of charge and available to the general public at the library two weeks prior. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Visit the Bay-Atlantic Symphony website

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Book Delivery for the Homebound

The library will deliver books to homebound residents of Avalon. Call the library at 967-7155 to learn more.

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Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden Lecture

  Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden Lecture
 with Pat Sutton
Wednesday, May 23
7 p.m.
Multipurpose Room

Pat Sutton, a working naturalist and backyard habitat champion for over 30 years, will share this "eye candy" presentation full of gardens and garden visitors.  She will cover the basic “how to’s” for creating a butterfly & hummingbird-friendly garden and yard.  It is often as simple as planting Sweet Pepperbush over Crape Myrtle or Joe-pye-weed, Purple Coneflower, New England Aster, and Goldenrod rather than Marigolds.    Double the size of your parsley patch and be amazed by all the Black Swallowtails it attracts. Meet all the needs of hummingbirds and be dazzled by them in your gardens from late April through early October.  The obvious, like good nectar sources and their blooming periods, will be covered.  And the not so obvious, like caterpillar food plants butterflies and moths need for egg laying, mud puddling, and the importance of proper cover from wind and weather will also be included. 

The mystery of a butterfly’s life cycle and where butterflies winter will be explained.  Where hummingbirds go in winter, why they leave us when our gardens are still in bloom, when they return (i.e. when to have your yard ready for them), hummingbird feeder maintenance, and lots of other natural history fun facts will be shared.  The program features wildlife gardens in South Jersey that have successfully transformed typical backyards into dazzling gardens ablaze and alive with butterflies and hummingbirds.
 For more information, please visit Pat's website here patandclaysutton.com

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Computer Classes - MAC

May 9 - iCal, iMail & More
May 16 - CANCELLED
May 23 - iTunes & More
May 30 - iPhoto & More

 

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Computer Classes - PC

May PC Computer Classes 

Thursday,  6:00-7:30pm, May 10 - Creating Marketing Materials with Constant Contact and MS Publisher - Users will see how Constant Contact can help you market your services via email and social networks and will also learn how MS Publisher can be used to create flyers, newsletters and other great promotional material.
Online Class
Register Here

Saturday, 11am-1pm, May 19- Home Network Solutions- Understand how to connect to the Internet and set up a simple wireless network at home. Common troubleshooting techniques to try before calling Comcast or Verizon for Internet support. No networking knowledge needed, just the basics will be discussed.
Regsiter by calling 609-967-7155 or stopping by the circulation desk.

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Creative Writing

Creative Writing
with Jack Miller
First Thursday
5:45 to 7:45pm
3rd Saturday
10am to Noon
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
Class instructor Jack Miller will be providing tips and feedback on poetry, memoirs, short stories, articles, and books. Class participants will also have the opportunity to record their stories as podcasts for listeners to enjoy on our website.

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Digital Camera Users Group

Digital Camera Users Group
with Harry Keyser
4th Monday of each month
6:15 to 7:45pm
Whether you use a Point and Shoot or a DSLR's, if you have an interest in Photography, this Users Group is for you. Come one, Come all, to share your successes and lament your failures.
No May meeting

 

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Documentary on Belize - The Road is Coming

Documentary on Belize
The Road is Coming
with Frank Weiss
Wednesday, August 22
7 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
The Road is Coming is a brief examination of the constant changes in culture in the Central American country of Belize as a result of the continual influence of Western society. Spanning from its colonial period as British Honduras on to modern Belize, the film explores the country's distinctive ecosystems, its indigenous Mayan culture, its developing tourism and petroleum industries, and its volatile political and social climate.
The film was shot on site in Belize in a span of only five days, edited, and produced by Stockton student and "visual adventurer" Frank Weiss. Frank channels his love for nature and humanity into his work, capturing both the stunning beauty and the desperate social problems of the young, undeveloped country.
Filmed and edited by Frank Weiss
Written by Frank Weiss and Scott Stagliano
For more information and to view a promo clip of the film,
visit the director's website here

 

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Documentary, Dinner, and a Side of Discussion

Documentary, Dinner, and a Side of Discussion
Thursday,  May 24
6 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
Kings of Pastry
 
Refreshments will be served
When Chris Hegedus and D A Pennebaker, award-winning filmmakers of The War Room, Startup.com and Don't Look Back, turn their sights on the competition for the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, the country’s Nobel Prize for pastry, you’re in for a treat. In Kings of Pastry, 16 chefs, including Jacquy Pfeiffer, co-founder of Chicago’s French Pastry School, whip up the most gorgeous, delectable, gravity-defying concoctions and edge-of-your-seat drama as they deliver their spun-sugar desserts to the display table. The inevitable disasters and successes prove both poignant and hilarious.
Filmmakers: Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker
 PBS Broadcast: This event is in collaboration with the award-winning documentary series POV (www.pbs.org/pov/)

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eReader/Kindle Workshop

eReader/Kindle Workshop
with Greg Foote
3rd Tuesday of the month
April 17
6:15 to 7:45pm
Bring your Kindle or other eReader. Bring your questions.

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Everything Apple Users Group

Everything Apple
 Users Group
with Harry Keyser
Second Monday of the month
6:15 to 7:45 p.m.
Meet with other iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac computer
users to share problems and solutions. 

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French Language Classes

French Language Classes
with Christine Garnier
Tuesdays and Thursdays
July 10 thru August 23
except August 7 and 9
4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
Avalon property owners may register on June 10
All others may register on June 24
Students will explore the French language through activities involving conversation, vocabulary, listening and grammar. Culture and traveling will also be addressed.
The textbook for this class is Barron's Learn French The Fast and Fun Way, 3rd edition. Some copies are available for checkout by library patrons.

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Great Decisions Foreign Policy

Great Decisions Foreign Policy
with Dr. Conrad Weiler
Tuesdays, May 1 through June 19
5:45 to 7:45 p.m.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
Avalon property owners may register on April 1
All others may register on April 15
Participants may purchase a Great Decisions 2012 book for $20 by visiting
www.fpa.org

Topics:
Middle East Realignment
Promoting Democracy
Mexico
Cybersecurity
Exit from Afghanistan and Iraq
State of the Oceans
Indonesia
Energy Geopolitics

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iPad- Using Your iPad

Using Your iPad
with Harry Keyser
4:30 to 6pm
Please bring your iPad to learn about its features.
4th Tuesday of each month.
May 22- Applications that Work!

 

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Italian Culture Group

Italian Culture Group
The second Wednesday of the month from 3:30 - 4:30 p. m. 
Meet with others interested in reviewing Italian learned in the Italian class and those interested in learning more about Italian art, music, architecture, history, lifestyles.8, 

2012 Dates:
February 8, March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13,
  September 12, October 10, November 14, and December 12

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Italian Language Classes

Italian Language Classes
with Jessica Blakeslee
Tuesdays and Thursdays
July 3 thru July 19
July 31 & 8/2
8/14 thru 8/30
5:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Avalon property owners may register on June 3.
All others may register on June 17.
The textbook for this class is Barron's Learn Italian The Fast and Fun Way, 3rd edition. Some copies are available for checkout by library patrons.

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Kindle/eReader Users Group

eReader/Kindle Users Group
with Greg Foote
Tuesdays
 February 21
March 20
6:15 to 7:45pm
Bring your Kindle or other eReader. Bring your questions.

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Knitting Club

Knitting Club
Mondays at 3:30 p.m.
Learn and share knitting techniques. No sign-ups are necessary;
all levels of knitters are welcome, from beginner to advanced!

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Knitting for Beginners

Knitting for Beginners
with Lainie Gerdelman
Thursdays, July 5 to August 9
6:15 to 7:45pm
Age 16+
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
Avalon property owners may register on June 5
All others may register on June 19
Learn the basics of casting on and off, knit a scarf and learn to purl. Instructor will also include history of knitting, materials and tools used, and a second project for take-home work. Please bring size 8 knitting needles. Yarn will be supplied.

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Lecture and Book Signing- Vince Papale

Author Lecture and Book Signing
with Vince Papale
Wednesday, July 18
7 p.m.
Elementary School Gym
Former Eagle and special teams captain Vince Papale will be guest author and speaker on Wednesday, July 18 at 7 p.m. Vince and his wife, Janet Cantwell-Papale, will be talking about their book, Be Invincible! A Playbook for Reaching Your Full Potential.  The playbook, written by Vince and Janet along with Tim Vandehey, describes invincible moments experienced by Vince, Janet, and others; including athletes, journalist, veterans, family, and friends. No tickets are required for the Papale lecture and the event is open to the public. Seating will be on a first-come-first served basis, beginning at 6 p.m.

Vince and Janet will be available following the lecture to sign books only.

Reviews on Be Invincible! A Playbook for Reaching Your Full Potential

For more information on Vince's amazing career, visit his website.

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Lecture on Disease Prevention

Lecture on Disease Prevention
Nutrition from an Eastern perspective
with Dr. Justin Bean
Thursday, August 23
6:30 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
Learn about habits of the Eastern culture that have developed
over the centuries to improve longevity and quality of life.
Dr. Bean is an Accupuncturist who spoke at the library last year
and is returning this summer by request to lecture on this topic.

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Lecture on Gardening- Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden

Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden Lecture
 with Pat Sutton
Wednesday, May 23
7 p.m.
Multipurpose room

Pat Sutton, a working naturalist and backyard habitat champion for over 30 years, will share this "eye candy" presentation full of gardens and garden visitors.  She will cover the basic “how to’s” for creating a butterfly & hummingbird-friendly garden and yard.  It is often as simple as planting Sweet Pepperbush over Crape Myrtle or Joe-pye-weed, Purple Coneflower, New England Aster, and Goldenrod rather than Marigolds.    Double the size of your parsley patch and be amazed by all the Black Swallowtails it attracts. Meet all the needs of hummingbirds and be dazzled by them in your gardens from late April through early October.  The obvious, like good nectar sources and their blooming periods, will be covered.  And the not so obvious, like caterpillar food plants butterflies and moths need for egg laying, mud puddling, and the importance of proper cover from wind and weather will also be included. 

The mystery of a butterfly’s life cycle and where butterflies winter will be explained.  Where hummingbirds go in winter, why they leave us when our gardens are still in bloom, when they return (i.e. when to have your yard ready for them), hummingbird feeder maintenance, and lots of other natural history fun facts will be shared.  The program features wildlife gardens in South Jersey that have successfully transformed typical backyards into dazzling gardens ablaze and alive with butterflies and hummingbirds.
 For more information, please visit Pat's website here patandclaysutton.com

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Lecture- Self Publishing and Writing as a Career

 Lecture
Self Publishing and Writing as a Career
with author J.B. DiNizo
Wednesday, August 1
7 p.m.
Multipurpose room
Ms. DiNizo is an author and former librarian who writes about New Jersey shore settings. She will be speaking about how she became a self-published author in her retirement years. A Q&A session will follow her talk.
Her books are available on Amazon.com.
 Read synopsis and reviews of her books here.

 

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Magic Workshop

 Magic Workshop
with Magician Joe Fischer
Tuesday, July 10
7 to 7:45 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
Ages 16+
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
AVALON PROPERTY OWNERS MAY REGISTER ON JUNE 10
ALL OTHERS MAY REGISTER ON JUNE 24
Magician Joe Fischer will teach a 45-minute magic workshop by
demonstrating tricks and helping participants practice them. Bags of
tricks will be distributed for participants to take home.

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Musical Performance- Buddy Holly Tribute Band

 Musical Performance
with Rave On!
Stories and Music of Buddy Holly
Tuesday, July 3
7 p.m.
Elementary School Gym
The Rave On! show will feature Buddy Holly's music, along with stories and history of his life, tragically cut short at the age of 22. His music influenced The Beatles, and continues to influence today's artists such as Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and countless others.

Click here to listen to a sample of Rave On! music

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Paddlesports America Course for Canoeists and Kayakers

Paddlesports America Course
with Coast Guard Auxiliary
Flotilla 83
Saturday, June 2
9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Multipurpose Room
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
Avalon property owners may register on May 2
All others may register on May 16
This is a new safety course designed for the novice paddle enthusiast.
Five chapters of safety information will be presented:
Know Your Paddle Craft
Before You Get Underway
Operating Your Boat Safely
The Legal Requirements of Boating
Boating Emergencies
A Coast Guard certificate will be awarded to each participant.
For more information on the course, click here.

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PC Users Group

PC Users Group
with Joe Kash
Third Monday of the month
6:15 to 7:45 p.m.
Meet with other personal computer users
to share problems and solutions.

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Scrabble

Join the “Scrabblers” 
5:45 to 7:45 p.m. 
Second and fourth Monday of every month for word play.

Play dates planned for 2012: 
May 14 & 30*, June 11 & 25, July 9 & 23, August 13 & 27

* Because the library is closed on Memorial Day,
the group will meet Wednesday May 30.

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Smart Phone Users Group

Smart Phone Users Group
with Mike Matthews
1st Monday of each month
5:30 to 7:45 p.m.
Bring your smart phone to this users group and the instructor will help you
learn how to use its features. He will review new app releases, hardware and accessories.
Mike will be lecturing and answering questions on this schedule:
5:30 to 6:30 p.m. -  iPhones
6:45 to 7:45 p.m.- Droid & Windows phones

All smart phone users are welcome to attend during the
above schedule hours or for the entire session.

 

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Spanish Language Classes

Spanish Language Classes
with Jessica Blakeslee
Tuesdays and Thursdays
July 3 thru July 19
July 31 & 8/2
8/14 thru 8/30
4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Avalon property owners may register on June 3.
All others may register on June 17.
The textbook for this class is Barron's Learn Spanish The Fast and Fun Way, 3rd edition. Some copies are available for checkout by library patrons.

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Vince Papale Lecture and Book Signing

Author Lecture and Book Signing
with Vince Papale
Wednesday, July 18
7 p.m.
Elementary School Gym
Former Eagle and special teams captain Vince Papale will be guest author and speaker on Wednesday, July 18 at 7 p.m. Vince and his wife, Janet Cantwell-Papale, will be talking about their book, Be Invincible! A Playbook for Reaching Your Full Potential.  The playbook, written by Vince and Janet along with Tim Vandehey, describes invincible moments experienced by Vince, Janet, and others; including athletes, journalist, veterans, family, and friends. No tickets are required for the Papale lecture and the event is open to the public. Seating will be on a first-come-first served basis, beginning at 6 p.m.

Vince and Janet will be available following the lecture to sign books only.

Reviews on Be Invincible! A Playbook for Reaching Your Full Potential

For more information on Vince's amazing career, visit his website.

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Webinars

Webinars offered by Avalon Library

Stay tuned for June schedule

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