Adults

ADULTS Experience and discover.

Hablemos Español (Let’s Speak Spanish) Mondays, 6–7 p.m. February 1, 15 and March 1 Zoom

A conversation club to improve and practice your Spanish en la Biblioteca! Meet other Spanish learners and speakers in your community and brush up your skills. All levels welcome.

Friday, February 5, 7–8 p.m. / YouTube Maybe you've read the books multiple times. Maybe you've seen the movies too many times to count. Now is Maybe you’ve read the books multiple times. Maybe the moment that adult muggles, witches and wizards have all been training for: Harry Potter trivia. Gather 'round the you’ve seen the movies too many times to count. Now is YouTube and prove your Potter knowledge! the moment that adult muggles, witches and wizards have This program will take place on YouTube. Form your own all been training for: Harry Potter trivia. Gather ‘round the team at home, or play solo, and log on with a single device. We will be using the service Crowdpurr for this session. YouTube and prove your Potter knowledge. Having access to another device with internet access (phone, iPad) is helpful, but not necessary, to play. Form your own team at home or play solo and log on with a single device. We will be using the service Crowdpurr for this session. Having access to another device with internet access (phone, iPad) is helpful, but not necessary to play.

How to Dungeon Master Sunday, February 7 2–3 p.m. / Zoom

How to Character Creation Sunday, February 21 2–3 p.m. / Zoom

How to Combat Sunday, March 7 2–3:30 p.m. / Zoom

Learn how to be the ultimate Dungeon Master, create a character and learn how combat turns work with Emily McCabe. Each session focuses on a different game play manual, using the Player’s Handbook as a guide. Hop in and ask all the questions in this instructional and Q&A series.

WITH AUDREY KO

Wednesday, February 10, 7–8:30 p.m. / Zoom Revive the art of calligraphy with a modern twist. Instructor Audrey Ko returns to offer this introductory class. Learn how to write with a brush pen by practicing basic strokes, lowercase alphabet and the uppercase alphabet. Ko will lead you in creating a simple Valentine’s greeting card.

Supplies will be provided and can be picked up prior to the event. Registrants will be contacted via email with pick-up instructions. Space is limited. Dann & Raymond’s Movie film historian and novelist, share film clips, cinema history, trivia and more. Closed-

French Conversation Group Tuesdays, February 9 and 23, 7–8 p.m. Zoom

Interested in learning, improving, or maintaining your spoken French? Join a resident native speaker to grow your language abilities. All levels welcome. Parlons français!

Writer’s Ink Wednesday, February 10, 7–9 p.m. / Zoom

Join instructor Jacob Knabb the second Wednesday of the month for this facilitated meetup and critique. All skill levels and

Club: The Best Love Story Films Thursday, February 11, 7–9 p.m. / Zoom (CC)

Love is in the air and Love is in our films! Partake in your favorite movie club from the comfort of your own home. Dann Gire, Daily Herald movie critic, and Raymond Benson, writing styles welcome.

captioning will be available for this program.

Sponsored by Friends of the Library.

Romance Roundtable

Romance Readers Roundtable Saturday, February 13, 3–4:30 p.m. / Zoom

February is for lovers....of Romance! Whether you are team Mr. Darcy or team Christian Gray, join us for a fun afternoon of celebrating your favorite romance books. We will take a look back at favorite titles in 2020, and forward to the most anticipated new releases of 2021, as well as enjoy some games and other surprises.

ADULTS Experience and discover.

Favorite Things: Binge-Watch Edition Monday, February 15, 7–7:45 p.m. / Zoom

So many shows... so little time. Are you looking for the next great show to bingewatch? Join us and bring a friend to discuss the shows we can’t turn off. Bring your own beverage to this social, sharing event. You’ll meet advisors, librarians and collections pros, share what you’ve been watching and loving, and leave with a great to-watch list. Housing for Homeless Thursday, February 18, 2–2:45 p.m. / Zoom Join monthly conversations which feature community members from different industries as they talk about how they have been impacted by and have persevered during the COVID–19 pandemic. This month’s focus is “Housing for Homeless” with our guests: Todd Stull, Clinical Director, JOURNEYS | The Road Home Sonia Ivanov, Executive Director, NorthWest Compass, Inc. Creative Aging: Art with Alayne Watch the Art with Alayne Cherub class on video and do this month’s project. Then, join Alayne and your fellow art students from AHML in a meet up to share your work inspired by our class, or get advice from Alayne to complete your project and learn tips for upcoming classes.

Visit ahml.info/virtual_art to watch this month’s video class and register for a meet

COVID Conversations:

up.

Art with Alayne Meet Ups

Tuesdays, February 16 or 23, 2:30–3:30 p.m. Zoom

Friday, February 26, 2:30–3:30 p.m. / Zoom

Registrants who did not receive a Create Kit with supplies last month will be notified by email when their Create Kit is ready at the drive-up window. All February Meet Ups cover the same project. Please register for

only one. Arlington Heights cardholders only. 2 Cooking for

Cooking for Two with Kristyn Slick Tuesday, February 16, 7–8 p.m. Zoom

Sometimes cooking for just two people can be trickier than cooking for a crowd. Don’t get stuck with days of leftovers. Hone your cooking skills in this “cooking for two” class. Instructor Kristyn Slick joins us from her demo kitchen to show us some great options. Recipes will be provided following the event.

First Time HOMEBUYER’S WORKSHOP

Wednesday, February 24, 7–8:30 p.m. / Zoom Are you ready to learn about home buying so you are prepared when the time comes? Sue Duchek of Picket Fence Realty returns to share search tips and best practices for working with a realtor, Russ Walle from First Centennial Mortgage will take you through the mortgage process, and Lucas Weigle from True Home Inspections will share the details of home inspections.

Celebrating Chinese/Lunar New Year: Year of the Ox Monday, February 22 7–8 p.m. / Zoom

Join Yvonne Wolf for an evening celebrating the Chinese/Lunar New Year: Year of the Ox. Wolf will lead you in channeling positive energy and explain symbolism and celebratory activities, including activities you can do in your home. Whether this is your first time celebrating or your annual routine, gain a brandnew appreciation for this cross-cultural festival.

The Long Shadow: Film Screening and Q&A with Director Frances Causey Wednesday, February 24, 7–8 p.m. / Zoom

The Long Shadow follows former CNN Senior Producer and Emmy Award-winning director Frances Causey as she traces her family’s legacy of white privilege. Causey places this in the context of the history of anti-black racism in the United States that began with slavery and continues to impact our society today.

View the film between February 19 and 26 at thelongshadowfilm. com/libraries and register to attend a live Zoom Q&A with the director on Wednesday, February 24. The Long Shadow is also available through Kanopy and can be checked out anytime with an Arlington Heights Memorial Library card.

This event is presented in partnership with Racial Awareness in the North Shore (RAIN), Together is Better Alliance (TiBA) and a network of local libraries.

ADULTS Experience and discover.

Fireside Chat with Dr. Eve L. Ewing Monday, March 1, 6–7 p.m. / Zoom

Join us as we celebrate the spirit of World Social Justice Day with Dr. Eve L. Ewing, award-winning author, poet and assistant professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, as she shares perspectives on her work and the world in 2021.

See pages 12–13 for more information. Kombucha Brewing Workshop Tuesday, March 2, 7–8 p.m. / Zoom

Kombucha is a fermented tea that is known to have gut-supportive health benefits. Join Certified Nutrition expert Michelle Marshall to learn everything you need to know to brew your own delicious kombucha. Learn about SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) production and care, different brewing techniques, what teas to use and avoid, secondary fermentation, custom flavoring, what materials to work with and how to care for them. Bring your questions.

Jenny Riddle Talks Books Sunday, February 28, 2–3 p.m. Zoom For more than 15 years, Jenny Riddle has been delighting audiences with her captivating style of storytelling. Join us for an afternoon of book recommendations as Riddle shares some favorite reads and helps answer that challenging question of what to read next. Listen to entertaining stories, riveting ideas and timely inspiration from some of the year’s best books by this book reviewer extraordinaire.

Books discussed include: Untamed by Glennon Doyle

This Book Will Make You Kinder by Henry James Garrett

World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

Deacon King Kong by James McBride

JOBS & CAREERS Take the next step.

Create Your Side Hustle in the COVID Era Thursday, February 4, 7–8:30 p.m. / Zoom

Today’s gig economy helps people survive and thrive. No matter your career level, age or other factors, there’s a side hustle for everyone. Learn about different options and see what’s worked for others in this informational-only presentation with career coach Lauren Milligan.

BUSINESS & NONPROFIT Start something big.

A Creative’s Guide to Running a Business

Thursday, February 25 6:30–7:30 p.m. / Zoom Calling all creative types! You are talented and inspired, but are you business-minded? You can be with the right road map to starting and running your business. If you presently have a creative hobby or side gig and want to take it to the next level, this program is for you.

Travis Heberling of Bella Tiamo Photo & Video + Visual Filmworks will discuss how to make it happen. He will discuss how to set up a business, handle finances and master marketing. When should you leave your 9 to 5 job? How do you get clients, build systems and grow your business? These topics and more will be explored.

SCORE Business Mentoring Thursdays, February 4 and 25, 9 a.m.–noon Monday, February 8, 6–8 p.m. / Zoom

Learn from SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer business mentors, a Administration. One-on-one small business mentoring by business experts who have had experience in all aspects of business. Register at northchicago.score.org/ arlington–heights–library.

Business Book Discussion resource partner of the U.S. Small Business

Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity by Scott Galloway Wednesday, March 10, 7–8 p.m. / Zoom

From this bestselling author and NYU Business School Professor comes a keenly insightful, urgent analysis of who stands to win and who’s at risk to lose in a postpandemic world.

Sweet Donation Gives New Meaning to Repurpose & Reuse

Last fall when the Arlington Cake Box Bakery announced that the third-generation, family-run bakery had closed, the news was bittersweet. The community was sad to lose this beloved purveyor of coffee cakes and birthday treats yet happy for its owners, Paul and Karen Gardner, who were content to begin retirement after their family’s successful 71-year run of providing Arlington Heights with specialty breads and sweets.

Now thanks to a generous, and in many ways ingenious, donation by the Gardners, equipment from the iconic bakery will be given a new recipe on life at the makerspace, the library’s state-of-the-art center for hands-on experiential learning, making and creating scheduled to open this summer at 112 North Belmont Avenue.

“It’s been amazing, just amazing, how generous this community has been including businesses like the Cake Box Bakery,” said Lauree Harp, founder and chairperson of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library’s Foundation, a not-forprofit 501(c)(3) established in 2018 to secure donations that support the library above and beyond what public funding provides. The AHML Foundation has committed to raising $150,000 in monetary and in-kind donations to help outfit the makerspace and most specifically a commercial-quality kitchen, which will be located on the building’s first floor.

“When the foundation started fundraising a year and a half ago, we had no idea where all these donations would come from,” said Harp. “We learned about the plans for the makerspace, talked to people in the community about it, and the support really grew so fast.”

This particular chapter from this story of community and growth began last September. The Cake Box owners had decided to retire and close the business, and an online auction was in the works for its industrial equipment and kitchen supplies. Gardner invited members of the AHML Foundation and library staff to stop by the Campbell Street location for a sneak peek at the items.

“It was exciting to see everything,” said Chris Krueger, assistant manager of the makerspace, “and to identify things that could work in the kitchen but that might also be useful in other ways at the makerspace.”

With a wish list in hand, the library submitted bids on multiple lots. However, when the auction ended, disappointingly, none of the library’s bids had won. But then, as luck would have it, Gardner called and offered the library to once again come take a look and this time to help themselves to anything that had not sold.

“We were pleasantly surprised to discover several items that were identical, or similar to what we had bid on, that had gone unsold in other lots and Paul very generously donated these to the Foundation and library,” said Krueger. Cake Box Bakery Among the donations, valued at more than $1,300, are 60 sheet pans, assorted cardboard items including loaf pans and cake platters and three large metal rolling racks—one of which will be used in the commercial kitchen while the other two will be repurposed for a totally new use. 1949-2020 “The adjustable shelving will be ideal as drying racks and for storing completed projects in the It’s been amazing, art space,” said Krueger. “It is fun to see how these items can live on in a new way.” just amazing, “The Cake Box’s legacy will carry forward how generous this through this generous donation,” Harp added. community has been...”“This community continues to impress with its generosity. People love the library. That’s what is driving these donations and allowing us to be successful.”