Adults

Upcoming Special Events


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Star_Net's Explore Tech Exhibit comes to the Library!

The exhibition shows how engineering provides solutions to better meet human needs and develops sustainable innovations for the future, and how engineers create new technologies to solve problems.  It features hands-on and multimedia components to allow visitors to interact with the exhibit in dynamic ways.  The Library will feature programming for all ages in association with the exhibit, which will be in the Popular Materials Room from August 8th - October 5th.  See the full list of events.

  • Saturday, September 1st: Adulting 101: Car Care You don't need to be able to fix a car to drive one, but it helps to know the basics of car care to keep it running smoothly and well. Learn about preventative care, and basic upkeep that you don't need a mechanic to do. The program will be held at 3:00 pm in the Community Room. 

Libraries RockThank you for participating in Summer Reading!

We hope you had as much fun as we did this year with the theme, Libraries Rock! Don't forget to check your account or stop by our 2nd floor Help Desk to see if you've won one of our grand prizes. 


The Fellowship of the Fiber 


Thursday, August 23rd, 1 pm, Large Conference Room
We are the library's fiber arts enthusiasts who knit, crochet, embroider, spin, felt, and generally love fiber arts.  We get together the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday of every month to talk about what we enjoy the most and share projects.  If you're a newbie at the fiber craft game, we can help you learn!  This is our Fellowship, we look forward to your company!

Tai Chi for Everyone presented by the Taoist Tai Chi Society of Billings

In the Taoist tradition, a person's health depends on the harmony of body, mind, and spirit. The Taoist Tai Chi arts exercise the entire physiology, including the tendons, joints, connective tissue and the internal organs. Attendees should wear comfortable clothing that allows movement, including grip-less, flat-soled shoes, and should be prepared to sign a waiver.Thursdays at Noon in the Community Room.

danell JonesDanell Jones: Book Launch for "An African Writer in London."

Wednesday, September 5th, in the Community Room.  Enjoy a launch party for local author Danell Jones' new book, including a reception, book signing, and an entertaining talk, "Outside the Gates of Downton Abbey: An African Writer in London." 

In "An African in Imperial London" Jones creates a rich portrait of African A.B.C. Merriman-Labor, who moved to London to become a writer in 1904. This true story describes his experiences in a city that was home to both the extremely wealthy and the destitute. Jones carries readers beyond the walls of "Downton Abbey" to an intriguing world of diversity, ingenuity, and struggle. The book will be available for purchase at a special "Book Launch" discount rate. 

  • 5:30:  Reception and Book Signing
  • 7:00:  "Outside the Gates of Downton Abbey" Talk

David_AbramsOne Book Billings Author Visit with David Abrams

Brave DeedsButte writer David Abrams, author of Fobbit and Brave Deeds, the September selection for the One Book Billings book discussions, will be at the Library to talk about his writing. Inspired by his 20-year military experience, Brave Deeds is a depiction of a day in the life of six soldiers trying to cross war-torn Baghdad to pay their respects to a fallen comrade. The discussion will take place Saturday, September 8 at 1:00 pm in the Community Room. Don't forget to join in one the discussions taking place September 10-14.

Native American Lecture Series

For September, it's a special combined event with Sherri Cornett, called For Freedoms. There will be a panel discussion featuring John Robinson, tribal judge from the Northern Cheyenne reservation, and Janine Pease, founder of Little Bighorn College in Crow Agency.
Thursday, September 13, 7:00 pm in the Community Room.

Jerry BarlowCeltic Fingerstyle Guitarist Jerry Barlow Returns to BPL

Thursday, September 20th at 7:00 pm in the Community Room.  We are pleased to welcome acclaimed Celtic guitarist Jerry Barlow back to Billings!  A warm and accessible performer, his music is a mix of traditional styles from the British Isles and his own Celtic inspired songs.  

Holding Out for a Hero:  Comics and Pop Culturesuperhero, background modified from original by Vegas Bleeds Neon, found at commons.wikimedia.org

Monday, September 24th at 7:00 pm in the Community Room.  What do the movies "Logan," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and "Watchmen" have in common? All began as influential comics and became iconic pop culture touchstones. Join us as we take a look at the interplay between pop culture and comics with our own Director, Gavin Woltjer. 

This program also serves as an introduction to the Library's new Graphic Novel Book Club Kits! This group of ten kits includes titles for teens and adults, and have been funded by the generous support of The Friends of the Billings Public Library. 

Intro to Tolkien Cosmology

"The Devising of Things More Wonderful": An Introduction to JRR Tolkien's Cosmology

Wednesday, September 26, 7pm, Community Room.

Join Daniel Funderhide, President of The Council of Westmarch, for this introductory primer on how the world of JRR Tolkien's mythology "works", including the shape of the LOTR universe, its worldview, and its spiritual beings.  Readers who are unfamiliar with Professor Tolkien's sublime classic, The Silmarillion, will find this presentation approachable and fascinating. The Council of Westmarch is an official smial (branch), of the Tolkien Society and is the only smial in Montana or within a four-state radius.  This is the perfect opportunity to interract with other students and scholars of Tolkien's writings.  You can connect with the Council of Westmarch online at https://www.facebook.com/councilofwestmarch/ 

Library Book Groups!  

The Library sponsors two book discussion groups which are sure to whet your appetite for something different:

Turning Page Book Discussion Group

 

uses the Library's collection of book club kits and usually meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month. We gather in the 2nd floor Reading Room at 7pm. We will be on hiatus this June and July;  our next meeting will be August 22nd, when we will discuss Defending Jacob by William Landay
. Call 657-8290 to register.

LitCentric Book Discussion Group

  meets the last Tuesday of every month between January and October at 7pm in the second floor Large Conference Room.  We use a combination of self-purchased copies and library book club kits. Bring your mug for coffee! We're currently reading To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey.
Email refdesk@ci.billings.mt.us to sign up.

Looking for your Next Favorite Book or Movie? 

Visit our Readers' Corner to find out what members of our Library Staff are reading and watching.  You will see what we are excited about, and can join in the conversation!  To learn about the latest hot titles, check out Book Sizzle.  Then come back next week;  we update these pages regularly!