Adults
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.
Celtic 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 Culture
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.
"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 interact with other students and scholars of Tolkien's writings. Light refreshments will be provided and a prize for trivia winners. You can connect with the Council of Westmarch online at https://www.facebook.com/councilofwestmarch/
Sign-ups Begin for Graphics: A Graphic Novel Book Group.
Thanks to a gift from the Friends of Billings Public Library, we've acquired ten graphic novel book club kits, which will be available for checkout in October, and we are celebrating their addition to the collection with the first meeting of a NEW Book Group. This group will be open to teens and adults who are interested in getting together to discuss some of the best titles in the graphic novel format, an ever-expanding field that joins words and artwork to create unforgettable stories. We will begin with Deathby Neil Gaiman, a collection of stories from his monumental Sandman series featuring Death, who is personified as a pale and likable young girl. (Appropriate for adults and older teens, due to some violence and sexual imagery.) Ten copies are available on a first come-first served basis. To register, please come to the 2nd floor Help Desk or call 657-8290.
- Books are available October 1st.
- Our meeting will be held November 7th at 7:00 pm in the Conference Room.
Author Reading: Vicki Tapia
Local author Vicki Tapia will read from her book Maggie: A Journey of Love, Loss and Survival, followed by a brief discussion and book signing, on Tuesday, October 2nd, at 4:00 pm in the Community Room.
Inspired by the life of the author's great-grandmother, the book is a timeless story of survival and courage in the face of betrayal and life-altering decisions set against the backdrop of Michigan and the Great Plains of Montana in the late 1880's. Maggie's journey is a #MeToo journey from another era.
Author Visit: Gus Koernig
Former Billings news anchor Gus Koernig is now a novelist! Join him for a reading and discussion of his latest book, The Redemption of Lonnie Tate. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Join us in the Community Room on Tuesday, October 9 at 7:00 pm.
Award-winning journalist Gus Koernig spent 30 years in TV news as a reporter and anchor for a number of network-affiliated stations. Gus has ghost-written five books on five different topics. Loren Marsters and Gus Koernig became a writing team in 2013 when Loren sent Gus 28 pages of a spy novel he'd been trying to write for the last thirty years. The father of nine children, Gus and his wife, Glenda, live in Mesa, Arizona, where they enjoy traveling and hiking.
Karen Stevens' Haunted Montana
Our favorite ghost hunter and former librarian returns to Billings Public Library to catch us up on her latest ghostly encounters! The author of numerous books of true ghost stories, including Haunted Montana and Armchair Ghost Hunting, Stevens will talk about haunted places that you can visit--if you dare! Wednesday, October 17th at 7:00 pm, Community Room
Adulting 101: Practical Money Skills with Jackie Rumph
Whether you are starting out on your own, or would like a refresher course in budgeting, this is the class for you! Please join Jackie Rumph, Family & Consumer Agent for the Yellowstone County Extension Office, for a fun and informative look at practical tips that can help you more easily handle your money. Monday, October 29th at 7:00 pm, Community Room