In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m., filmmaker Judy Faust will present her documentary, "Angels of Austria: The Church that Reached Out to Holocaust Survivors." The film chronicles an Austrian church’s attempts to reverse centuries of anti-Semitism in their hometown of Wiener Neustadt by inviting Jewish Holocaust survivors formerly of their town to return for a Week of Reconciliation in 1995.

BECOMING A TUTOR OF ENGLISH
Have you ever thought about tutoring someone in English?  We always have a waiting list of learners who need help. Program director Ginny Steel is currently enrolling prospective tutors for the five-session course that starts on February 24.  The class will meet at the Wayland Library on five consecutive Wednesday mornings, from 9:30 – 12:30.  No prior knowledge of a foreign language is needed, just an openness to other cultures and the desire to share your knowledge of English.  The training is free, although it is necessary to purchase a textbook for about $20.  Volunteers will work one-on-one with adults who want to improve their abilities to speak and write English. For more information or to enroll in the tutor-training course, you can phone Ginny Steel at 508-358-7517 or email her at virginia@thesteels.com.

 

Please join us Monday, February 8, from 7 to 9pm as Wayland author Chris DeVany talks about his book, "90 Days to a High-Performance Team," recently published by McGraw Hill. DeVany is the founder and president of Pinnacle Performance Improvement Worldwide, a management consulting firm which focuses on management and organization development.

 

On Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m., Jerrold Mitchell, former chief investment officer of the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management Board (PRIM), will explain the strategies that "thought leaders" in institutional investing employ and whether or not individuals can copy those strategies to improve their own portfolios. He will talk about the best ways to avoid disappointment when investing. Over the past 40 years, Mitchell has managed billions of dollars for both public entities and private institutions. For 26 years he was a partner at Wellington Management Company. He is currently the chair of the Investment Committee of PRIM. Our sixth Great Presenters program!

 

Our Great Presenter Series continues on Thursday, February 18, when Virginia Slep will present an “Introduction to Hypnosis.” In recent years, hypnosis has gained increasing respect from the medical community and health plans for its effectiveness.  She will explain what hypnosis is and how it works and will conclude with a 20 minute demonstration session. Slep has a private practice in Clinical Hypnotherapy. She works closely with many doctors and hospitals in Boston and Metrowest and has offered hypnosis programs at Framingham State, Regis College, and Middlesex Community College.

On Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m., the architectural firm of Albert, Righter & Tittman will present a program on New England house architecture. Members of the firm recently published a book titled "New Classic American Houses."

 

We’ve planned some special programs over Winter Vacation week. For preschool children we have Creative Dance Theater coming on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 10:30 a.m. On Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 11 a.m., kids can come in and explore the wonderful world of bugs with Bugworks. And on Thursday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. join us for the Ecology of Sound with Ricardo Frota, an interactive multicultural music performance presenting the music of Brazil, West Africa, Amazon and North American Natives. On Friday, February 19, we’ll be showing a family movie at 10:30 a.m.–title to be announced. 

The artwork of Beth Krommes, noted children’s book illustrator, is the subject of a January display in the library’s lower level display case. Mounted by the Danforth Museum of Art, the display highlights the current exhibit "Winter Light" in the Danforth’s Children’s Gallery.

 

Vladimir Shlimovich’s exhibit "Enchanting Still Life" continues in the Raytheon Room throughout January.