ADULT PROGRAMS
MOBILE LEGAL AID
Fridays, September 6 & 20, October 4 & 18
1:30–3:30pm
In partnership with Lincoln Township Public Library, stop by the Buchanan Library on one of these dates to work with a Michigan Legal Help navigator on wills, tenant's rights, and other general legal issues. No registration required.
SIT & KNIT
Fridays, September 6 & November 1
5:30–6:30pm
Novice and expert knitters welcome! Learn to knit or bring your expert projects with you. Some materials are provided but you are welcome to bring in whatever you are working on. Enjoy conversation with fellow knitters while you work!
GARDEN CLUB MEETING
Tuesday, September 10 at 6pm
For their September meeting, the Buchanan Garden Club will meet at the library for an introductory talk about the Seed Library with LoT Coordinator, Wendy Chapman. Discussion topics will include how to join the Garden Club, Seed Library membership, seed saving and how to volunteer with both. This event is open to the public as well as current Garden Club members. No registration required.
UKULELE CLUB FOR KIDS & ADULTS
Second Wednesdays, Sept 11, Oct 9, Nov 13, Dec 11
at 4:30pm for kids
at 5:30pm for adults
Join Meg for ukulele jam session each month! Both beginners and experienced players are welcome. Watch tutorials and download song sheets on our website before each meeting, then come rock out with us! No registration required.
Ukuleles are available to check out from our Library of Things (only adults may check out LoT items).
September 11 Ukulele Club meeting for adults:
Learn to play ukulele video
How to tune a ukulele video
Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver: Song Sheet, video tutorials Play Through, Chord Transitions
Ho Hey by the Lumineers play along
October 9 Ukulele Club meeting for adults:
Three Little Birds by Bob Marley: Tutorial and Play Along.
Royals by Lorde play along
THERAPY DOGS 101
Thursday, September 12 at 5:30pm
Want to meet some therapy dogs and hear about what they do? Learn the difference between a therapy dog, a service dog, and an emotional support animal. Join us as we welcome Janet Cooper from Best Friends 4H to share the many benefits pet therapy provides to children and adults. No registration required.
GROWN UP GAME NIGHTS
Fridays, September 13 & November 8
5:30–6:30pm
Who says kids get to have all the fun? Come to the Library to enjoy a classic board game night just for grown-ups! This program is for ADULTS ONLY and no registration is required.
VOTER REGISTRATION DAY
Tuesday, September 17, 10am–6pm
Join Buchanan City Clerk, Kalla Langston, and Carlotta Ripley with the League of Women Voters to help you register to vote. No registration required.
ASK AN EXPERT
Friday, September 20 at 5:30pm
Join us for our Ask An Expert series! We’ll invite local experts in a wide variety of fields to share their knowledge and experience in an informal program. Our expert this time is Gene Brown, who has taught automotive technology at Buchanan Community Schools for the past 9 years. Submit questions online here or ask them at the event. No registration required.
TRAVEL CLUB
Thursday, September 19 at 5:30pm
See the world without leaving home! Local friends of the library Brian Murphy and Molly Thornton will share photos and stories of their recent trips to Ireland.
With this ongoing series you get the chance to hear from local travelers to discuss travel tips and destinations, hear about their experiences, and learn about interesting places near and far. No registration is required for this event, and light refreshments will be served.
PUZZLE CLUB
Fridays from 5:30–7:30pm, Sept 27, Oct 25, Nov 22, Dec 20
Get your puzzle on with other enthusiasts! This program is for ADULTS ONLY. No registration is required.
SPEED FRIENDING
Saturday, September 28 from 4—6pm
Join us for another Speed friending event! What is Speed Friending? It’s like speed dating, except you make friends! Each participant will have 2 minutes to chat with another participant, and then we switch! Refreshments will be served. This program is for ADULTS ONLY and registration is required.
GREEN BURIALS
Thursday, October 3 at 5:30pm
Join Gabriele Mayer as she educates us on Green Burial options, including composting, natural burial, and aquamation, as well as the environmental impact and burial grounds around Michigan. For this virtual event, join us in the library's Community Room or from the comfort of your own home. Click here to register for a link to join from home.
IF VINES COULD TALK
Friday, October 4 at 7pm
Learn about the wonderful world of Michigan Wine from Wine ambassador Steve Salisbury. He will share the history of winemaking in southwest Michigan, his current assessment on the international fine wine scene, and bring a few wines for tasting. This program is for ADULTS 21 AND OLDER, and registration is required. Call 269.695.3681 to register.
ADULT CRAFT CLASS
Thursday, Oct 10 and Friday Oct 11
11am & 5:30pm both days
Come make a cute scarecrow fall decor piece with our resident craftmaster, Jen! Registration is required, and due to the popularity of the craft classes, registration will open on October 1. Call the library to register.
MURDER IN THE STACKS
Friday, October 18 at 7pm
You’re the detective in this interactive murder mystery event in partnership with actors from the Tin Shop Theatre! Investigate clues, complete puzzles, and solve the mystery of the murder in the stacks. Enjoy refreshments while you work with fellow participants to figure out who is responsible for the murder. This event is for ADULTS ONLY and registration is required. Call the library at 269.695.3681 to register.
HALLOWEEN MAKEUP
Saturday, October 19 from 11am–1pm
Need help creating perfect scars, bruises, and wounds for your costume? Join Caitlin Harlow from the Niles Scream Park as she teaches the basics of Halloween makeup. Supplies provided. Ages 10 and up. Registration required, call the library at 269.695.3681 to register.
PROPAGATING NATIVE SEEDS
Wednesday, October 23 at 6pm
Join John Brittenham, restoration ecologist with Blue Heron Ministries, as he shares his experience of raising native plants and planting them. If you love the idea of raising your own native plants, but are intimidated to do it yourself, this talk is for you!
A MURDER STORY
WITH THE BERRIEN COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
Thursday, October 24 at 5:30pm
This program explores the story of the 1904 murder of a Benton Township man in Indiana, and of Irving Pearl, the undersheriff who refused to rest until justice was served. Using newspaper accounts and other research, the Berrien County Historical Association explores this forgotten story from Berrien County’s crime annals. This program is recommended for adults. No registration is required.
Adult Beanstack Reading Challenges
The Buchanan District Library wants to encourage everyone to be life-long readers, and to that end we're posting more Beanstack Challenges throughout the year. Visit our Beanstack Challenges page for more details on our current challenges!
BUCHANAN BOOK CLUB
Come join our book discussion! Meets the first Wednesday of the month *at 6:00-7:00pm* at the library. Please email l.hauch@buchananlibrary.org if you'd like to join the club/contact list.
January 3- The Searcher by Tana French
February 7- The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
March 6- The Maid by Nita Prose
April 3- Atlas of a Lost World by Craig Childs
May 1- Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
June 5- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
July 10*- The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (*Not July 3)
August 7- The Power of Babel by John McWhorter
September 4- Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor
October 2- Strangers to Ourselves by Rachel Aviv
November 6- Middlemarch by George Eliot
December 4- The Black Count by Tom Reiss (meeting location TBA)
Don't have the book and the library's copy is checked out? We can get it for you through MeLCat interlibrary loan! Go to www.mel.org or ask at the Front Desk to request it.
Let us know what you think! If you attended one of our programs, please take a moment to give us your feedback using the form below.
ARCHIVED PAST EVENTS
Forever Friends: the Buchanan Girl Scouts with Susan Haedtler Ruth.
Join Susan Haedtler Ruth as she shares stories of eight young Girl Scouts who graced the cover of the library’s 2022 Remembering Buchanan calendar. Susan, a Buchanan native and close relative of two of the women, set out to identify the other six and uncover “the rest of the story” about these eight remarkable women. This event took place at the library on Thursday, June 6, 2024.
Jack Knight Presentation with Patricia Lammersfeld
James H. (Jack) Knight, a former Buchanan resident and Buchanan High School student, flew for the U.S. airmail starting in 1919. Patricia Lammersfeld has collected cherished memorabilia about her famous grandfather, and will offer a slide presentation about his life and place in our country’s aviation history. This event took place at the library on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
Beginning Genealogy with Judy Nimer Muhn
Join Judy Nimer Muhn, writer, speaker, blogger, presenter and researcher for Beginning Genealogy: Effective Strategies & Tools. Millions of people are trying to develop their family tree but how many know the effective, time-tested ways to do this? If you are beginning, learn the fundamental tips that will keep you on track and getting results! Judy has been researching her family tree from the age of 12, specializing in French-Canadian, Acadian, Native American and Michigan research. Beginning as a professional genealogist in Europe in 1993, she has lectured at the National Genealogical Society’s conferences in 1998 and 2000, as well as conferences in Europe and around the United States. She is currently writing a book of the matri-lineal descent of her oldest female ancestor in Normandy, France. Traveling extensively around the world, Judy has visited and researched in the villages and archives of Germany, France, Quebec, and Ontario where her or her husband’s family lived. Program handouts: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yhxX... https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wgqP...
This event took place via Zoom on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 7:00pm. A recording of the is below and on YouTube.
Meet the Author: Susan Ruth
Susan Haedtler Ruth shares stories about five female family members from her new book, Mayflower to Michigan and Beyond: My Family’s Journey. These five women descend from immigrants who arrived in this country between 1620 and 1855. Two of them settled in Chicago; two in Buchanan; and the fifth, Susan’s mother, was a bridge between the two cities. Born in Chicago, she later moved to her family’s 1850s homestead on Portage Prairie. Each story is unique, but they share common themes of adventure, sadness, and joy.
This event took place via Zoom on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, at 7:00pm. A recording of the is below and on YouTube.
Meet the Author: Gabrielle Robinson
On September 24, the Buchanan District Library hosted a special program with South Bend-based author, Gabrielle Robinson. She discussed her latest book, Api’s Berlin Diaries: My Quest to Understand my Grandfather’s Nazi Past, and talked about how you can capture your own family history through writing. Gabrielle tells stories about people that reveal their personal situation within its historical context.One reason for her fascination with the intersection of the personal and historical stems from her own experience. Born in Berlin in 1942, her father’s fighter plane was shot down in 1943. After her family was bombed out twice, they fled Berlin in 1945. After her mother’s death, Gabrielle Robinson found diaries her grandfather had kept while serving as a doctor in Berlin in 1945—only to discover that her beloved Api had been a Nazi. Moving and provocative, Api’s Berlin Diaries offers a first hand and personal perspective on the far reaching aftershocks of the Third Reich and the author’s own inconvenient past. You can learn more about Gabrielle and her writing by visiting her website, https://www.gabriellerobinson.com/.
This event took place via Zoom on Thursday, September 24, 2020, at 7:00pm. A recording of the is below and on YouTube.