GUEST SPEAKERS

The Gleason Public Library hosts regular events open to the public. These events range from performances to author readings. Click here for our full calendar of events.

COMING SOON

Carlisle Reads Henrietta Lacks
The Met Comes to Carlisle, with John Tischio
Masters of Enterprise, with Gary Hylander
StrongWomen, with Dr. Miriam Nelson

January: Carlisle Reads The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Click here for more information on events, including:

• Tuesday, January 3, 11 a.m. Book Discussion
• Wednesday, January 4, 7 p.m. Documentary Film: The Way of All Flesh documentary (60 min.)
• Sunday, January 8, 2:15 p.m. Film: Miss Evers' Boys
• Wednesday, January 11, 1:30 p.m. The History and Ethics of The Immortal Life, with medical historian Dr. David Jones (snow date 1/18)
• Thursday, January 12, 7 p.m. Writing a Page-Turning (but True) Family History
• Thursday, January 19, 7 p.m. Book Discussion
• Sunday, January 22, 2:30 p.m. Southern Social Inequalities and the Case of Henrietta Lacks, with Professor Keith Mitchell
• Tuesday, January 24, 7 p.m. "Sharing a Cell" : Preserving Patient Rights, Promoting Medical Innovation, a panel discussion. At Union Hall.
• Thursday, January 26, 12-4 p.m. (drop-in booth): Learning with LEGO DNA: A Hands-On Experience
• Tuesday, January 31, 10:30 a.m.: Poetry of 1951: An Informal Course

The Met Comes to Carlisle
Wednesdays, February 8, 15 and 22 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. (snow date: 2/29)

If you can't get to the Met, then come to Carlisle for Opera! The Friends of the Carlisle Council on Aging Rose Pullara Fund and Friends of the Gleason Public Library are happy to present a 3-week series with opera aficionado and popular instructor, John Tischio, president of the New England Opera Club and instructor at several area colleges. He will present Wagner’s Gotterdammerung , Verdi’s Ernani , and Massenet’s Manon , all part of this year’s “Met Live in HD” series at local movie theaters. Each meeting will include audio-visual excerpts from the opera, information about the life and times of the composer, talk about the literary works the opera is based upon, and discussion about the opera itself.

The series is free and open to the public, but seating is limited; please call the Gleason Public Library Reference desk at (978) 369-4898 to register or with any questions.

Masters of Enterprise with Gary Hylander
Wednesdays, March 7, 14, 21, and 28, at 7 p.m. (snow date 4/4)

This March, join Dr. Gary Hylander for an informative and entertaining series of historical lectures on Masters of Enterprise at the Gleason Public Library, third floor Hollis Room. On March 7, learn about Andrew Carnegie’s rise and his transformation of the iron and steel industry; March 14, Dr. Hylander will lecture on “Prince of Oil” John D. Rockefeller; March 21, Henry Ford and mass production; and March 28 covers Sears and Roebuck’s revolutionizing of the mail-order business. Read more about each topic below.

The series will be taught by Dr. Gary Hylander, who earned his Ph.D. from Boston College. Dr. Hylander is an independent scholar who specializes as a Presidential Historian. He is a visiting professor at Framingham State University, on the staff at Boston University School of Education, and a pedagogical specialist for the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is a frequent lecturer at senior centers, historical societies, libraries, and professional organizations as well as a public affairs commentator on local news and radio. The mini-series is offered in partnership with Sage Educational Services.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Gleason Public Library and the Friends of the Carlisle Council on Aging Lee Milliken Fund. The series is free and open to the public, but seating is limited; please call the Gleason Public Library Reference desk at (978) 369-4898 to register or with any questions.

Andrew Carnegie: Andrew Carnegie’s rise from a poor Scottish immigrant boy to the richest man in the world authenticated for his contemporaries the Horatio Alger myth in American history. Carnegie transformed the iron and steel industry from a scattered assortment of small producers into the nation’s first big manufacturing big business.

John D. Rockefeller: Known as the “Prince of Oil”, Rockefeller emerges as one of the giants of American industry. A ruthless competitor, Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company came to control over 90% of the nation’s petroleum production and came to dominate the markets of the world. With the invention of the automobile, Rockefeller’s business grew in ways in which even he had never imagined.

Henry Ford: “I will build a motor car for the multitude,” boasted Henry Ford. And he did. By means of mass production, the assembly line and enormous economies of scale, Ford was able to produce at his River Rouge complex one Model T for every minute of the workday. By 1920, every other motor vehicle in the world was a Ford.

Sears and Roebuck: Issued in the late 19th century and weighing nearly 4 pounds, the Sears Roebuck catalog revolutionized the mail-order business. The “Wish Book” as it was called, connected rural America with an emerging urban industrial nation. Join us as we discuss how Mr. Sears and Mr. Roebuck transformed a small retail business into the world’s largest merchandising corporation.

Spring Health Series

StrongWomen: Change Yourself, Change the World

How can you create a more healthy food and physical activity environment? On Monday, April 9th, at 7 p.m., Dr. Miriam Nelson will present an informative and motivating talk on women’s health, nutrition, and exercise. Miriam Nelson, PhD, is professor of Nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and founder and director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention at Tufts University.

As a leader in research targeting women’s health, Dr. Nelson has published in major medical journals on the impact of both nutrition and exercise on the prevention of chronic disease. Based on her seminal study on the benefits of strength training for older women and subsequent innovative research, Dr. Nelson has published ten books, including Strong Women Stay Young and four other New York Times bestsellers.

Dr. Nelson’s research has been the foundation of the StrongWomen Program, a community based nutrition and exercise program for midlife and older women currently being implemented in over thirty-five states. She has also contributed to public policy initiatives for the US Department of Health and Human Services and made numerous television and radio appearances, including her own PBS special.

This free program will be held at the Gleason Public Library Hollis Room; registration is suggested by calling the Library at 978-369-4898. Sponsored by the Friends of the Gleason Public Library and the Friends of the Carlisle Council on Aging.

April 3rd, 1:30-3 p.m.: Eyes and Eye Care during Aging with Dr. Ann Burnham

April 26th, 7-8:30 p.m.: Risk Reduction