National Library Week is always a special time at the Light Street Branch.  This year, to kick off the festivities, we enlisted the talents of Sac Au Lait, a popular New Orleans jazz band.  Sac Au Lait and the Friends of the Light Street Branch led a parade through Federal Hill that consisted of library supporters of all ages.  No one could resist the happy sounds of that jazzy music! Next up, Penny Troutner of Light Street Cycles talked about the joys and challenges of bicycling in Baltimore. Penny is one of Baltimore's foremost bicycling promoters, known throughout the community for her activism in safety issues.  And then there was the Fairy Tale Ball, an enchanting evening of princesses, live music, and a theatrical production of "The Three Bears."  The reviews of this well-attended event by our community were fabulous.  MPT even provided Princess Presto to add to the specialness of the evening. These events, along with our regularly scheduled programs brought the community to our doors in droves.  This year's NLW theme,"Communities Thrive @ Your Library" was never truer anywhere.

Saint Patrick's Day in Federal Hill is a bustling place, full of revelry.  Wanting to be part of the fun, but still serious about their library duties, the staff at the branch found a way to bring a little bit of Ireland into the library.  A golden opportunity presented itself when the manager chanced to meet a parade, led by a bagpiper, on Light Street at noon.  The piper had to be convinced that it was all right, but he soon made a detour with his entourage into the branch to perform a couple of tunes as only a piper can do.  It was a great break for everyone as the unmistakable music filled the library. Toasting us as they left, the merry band trouped down the street, but they left behind a library filled with smiling Irish cheer! 

Light Street LIVE!

Come to My Garden - Ruth Hulett in Concert

Thursday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m.

Light Street Branch continues in its monthly offering of FREE musical entertainment.  Join us for an evening of song as lyrical soprano Ruth Hulett performs a fascinating program of songs by Amercian women composers. Ms. Hulett will sing beautiful renditions of songs familiar and forgotten, from 19th century parlor songs to the blues, classical arts songs to Appalachian folk music to jazz. Learn about these remarkable women in celebration of Women's History Month. From "I Love You Truly" to "Give Me One Reason to Stay Here," Ms. Hulett brings women's music to life.

Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City
by Greg Grandin

In 1927, Henry Ford was the richest man in the world. He purchased 2.5 million acres of Brazilian jungle in order to establish a rubber plantation. He hoped to supply his car company with the latex necessary for production and undermine the European rubber monopoly. It was also a social experiment. He planned to establish an ideal American society in the Amazon and he modeled his outpost after a Midwestern town. There were bungalows, swimming pools, tennis courts, a school, a hospital, red fire hydrants and even a golf course. However, the indigenous laborers did not take to his strictly regulated diet and straight-laced social activities. They rebelled against oatmeal, canned peaches, whole wheat bread and the enforcement of U.S. Prohibition. Vice, violence and venereal disease flourished despite efforts to control them. The engineers of this undertaking became victims of disease, predatory and poisonous animals, and madness. Not a single botanist, entomologist, agronomist or scientific expert of any kind was consulted and the trees succumbed to South American Leaf Blight, insects and drought. This is a fascinating tale of arrogance, crazed optimism, and hubris that illuminates the auto industries current crisis and the problems inherent in globalization. The book is meticulously researched, easily accessible and highly entertaining.

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin 

Eilis is another of Toibin’s protagonists to hail from his hometown of Enniscorthy. She has few aspirations beyond its boundaries and expects to find work, a husband, raise children and live her life within its familiar confines. Unfortunately, she is not offered any prospects. A visiting priest presents her with an opportunity in America, and this unadventurous young woman finds herself on a boat to America. The journey is difficult and her homesickness is acute, but soon enough she begins to build a life. She is more than competent at her job in a department store, finds compatriots in an Irish boarding house, and becomes engaged to an Italian American plumber. Then bad news pulls her back to Ireland and just as we think she must choose between the old life and new – an interesting plot twist deprives her of that choice… or does it? Toibin certainly makes us pause and think about the nature of freedom and choice. The novel is a masterpiece of little moments which will astonish you with its richness of characters, quiet detail, and emotional depth. This may be yet another Irish novel about the conflicts of home and exile; nonetheless, it is certainly an exceptional one.