Check out our new lawn games!

Looking for something fun to do in your own backyard this summer? Check out our new lawn games! We have eight new games that you can take home for a week to play in your backyard, in a park, or wherever the fun may take you!

The Lawn Games collection consists of:

  • Bocce
  • Cornhole
  • Croquet
  • Giant Jenga
  • Ladder Golf
  • Lawn Bowling
  • Ring Toss
  • Wooden Dice

To put a hold on one of the games, go to our catalog and search the name of the game you are looking for and “lawn games Durham”, or call or stop by the library!

The lawn games are made possible through the generosity of the Peach Pit Foundation and the Community Foundation of Middlesex County.

Ukraine 101: How Did We Get Here?

Wednesday, March 9 at 6 PM, via Zoom

With war breaking out, are you looking to learn more about Ukraine? What’s the history and how did we get here? Lauren Redfield, Assistant Director of the Durham Public Library and MA in Russian and East European Studies, will lead a program on the historical background and basics of Ukraine.

Registration required. Click HERE to register.

Haiku: Capturing Moments in Nature

Monday, December 13 at 6 PM, via Zoom.

Join poet Jennifer Y. Montgomery on a journey through the history of haiku and other forms of Japanese micro poetry. From frogs to zen meditation to clandestine feudal love letters.  She’ll then guide us through the basics of haiku writing.  It’s much more than just counting lines and syllables; each haiku presents a season and a single moment in nature.  Think about your favorite season and come prepared to write your own haiku.  

Click HERE to register.

Durham Public Library Book Club

Join us for a lively discussion of The Woman Before Wallis by Bryn Turnbull. Books are available to be checked out at the circulation desk and are available on Hoopla. Register to receive the Zoom link!

Monday, December 6 at 6:30 PM via Zoom. Register HERE

For fans of The Paris Wife and The Crown, this stunning historical novel tells the true story of Thelma Morgan Furness, the American divorcée who captured Edward’s heart before he abdicated his throne for Wallis Simpson in a scandal that rocked the British monarchy.
In the summer of 1925, Thelma Morgan arrives at the Paris Ritz still stinging from the heartache and humiliation of her failed marriage. Her twin sister, Gloria, newly and blissfully wedded to Reginald Vanderbilt and with a baby in tow, has invited her to spend the summer-and though romance is the last thing on Thelma’s mind, she can’t deny that Reggie’s friend Duke Furness is as charming and dapper as he is keen to win her affection.
When Thelma marries Duke-a British viscount-she finds herself immersed in a gilded world of extraordinary wealth and aristocracy, where politeness is valued over morality and the rules of conduct differ wildly depending on your sex and the family into which you were born. In a twist of fate, her second marriage leads her to fall headlong into a love affair with Edward, Prince of Wales. But happiness is fleeting, and their love is threatened when Thelma’s sister becomes embroiled in a scandal with far-reaching implications. As Thelma sails to New York to support Gloria, she leaves Edward in the hands of her trusted friend Wallis, never imagining the consequences that will follow.

Your Pilgrim Roots

Thursday, November 18 at 6 PM, via Zoom.

Does Thanksgiving have you wondering about the family tale  that you’re descended from a Pilgrim? Join us to learn how to document your family stories about Mayflower ancestry. This presentation will introduce the migration routes out of Plymouth colony, so that you can determine which of your family lines is most likely to have Mayflower roots; identify the sources most used to document Mayflower families; and cover the basics of an application to the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. 

Registration required. Click HERE to register.

Waste & Race in CT: A Community Conversation

Thursday, November 4th at 7 PM, via Zoom
Click HERE to register.

Sharon Lewis, Executive Director of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice, will bring awareness to theways in which Connecticut’s waste management system negatively impacts low-income and communities of color who live near large regional facilities. She also will explore options for achieving waste justice.

The mission of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice is to improve urban environmental health, primarily in Connecticut, through educating our community, through promoting changes in governmental policy, and through promoting individual, corporate, and governmental responsibility towards our environment.

Community Conversations presented by the Middlefield-Durham Racial Justice Team in partnership with the Durham Public & Levi E. Coe Libraries. Made possible by CVEF.

You Are Not Alone with Sydney Sherman

Monday, October 25 at 6 PM, via Zoom. Register HERE to receive the Zoom link.

Join us for a Zoom program by acclaimed metaphysical author, Sydney Sherman on her book, “You Are Not Alone: Our Loved Ones Are Here… You’re Just Not Listening.” This presentation will be based on Sydney Sherman’s life experiences and topics found in her book, including the science of death, the distinction between myths and the paranormal, and advice for avoiding frauds in the field. Overall, Sherman and her book will educate attendees on how they can continue their relationship with their loved ones.

Short Story Stroll

Wednesdays at 10 AM, starting October 29

Join us each week at Allyn Brook Park to discuss a short story while we take a stroll!
Register to receive the short story each week. Stories will be sent on the Wednesday before they will be discussed. This program is for adults.
Click here to register.