Seymour Library

Save the date for an evening of fashion, Gatsby-style

The movie version of that great American novel “The Great Gatsby” arrives in theaters this month, and we’re ready to celebrate the Jazz Era with books and an evening of 1920s fashion. Elizabeth King, owner of Bees in Her Bonnet, a vintage clothing business in Marcellus, will bring authentic clothing and accessories from the 1920s for an event at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 21.  King loaned items from her collection to the movie production. No registration is needed - just come and take a step back in time.

We’ve ordered additional copies of “The Great Gatsby” so you’ll have a chance to read - or re-read - F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel before you see the movie. We’ll also have reading lists available online and at the library with suggestions for further reading.

Discover your house's history

May is Historic Preservation Month, and Seymour Library is offering the workshop “Researching Your House’s History” at three times in May: 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 20, 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, and 10:30 a.m. Thursday, May 23. The workshop can help you discover when your house was built, who lived there before you, its architectural style, and much more. Registration is required; sign up at the Main Desk

Chess Club meets Saturday

Chess Club meets at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 18. Chess master Tom McKellop leads the group, and beginniners are always welcome.

What can an iPhone do?

Sure, you can call people on your iPhone, and maybe you know how to take photos. But if all of its other features are still a bit of a mystery, come to our iPhones for beginners class at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 18. Space is limited, and registration is required - call the library or sign up at the Main Desk.

And if you've progressed beyond the basics, plan to come to our Advanced iPhone class later this month - it's at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 28. Space is limited, and registration is required - call the library or sign up at the Main Desk.

Find funding for your organization

Seymour Library is offering “Finding Funders” workshops to representatives of nonprofit organizations looking for grant funding. The sessions are small and designed to allow time for individual attention and questions. The workshops will be offered  at 10:30 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. on three Fridays in May: May 17, 24 and 31. Registration is required; call the library or sign up at the Main Desk.

 

Pajama Storytime is Wednesday night

Wind down a busy day with songs and stories selected just for preschool through early elementary age children at our monthly Pajama Storytime. This month's Pajama Storytime is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 15.

Get to know William Seward

How much do you really know about William Seward? Whether you have just a nodding acquaintance with this historic figure, or consider yourself something of a Seward expert, you'll expand your knowledge when Seymour Library and the Seward House host a talk and discussion of the book “Seward: Lincoln’s Indispensable Man,”  by Walter Stahr at 6 p.m. Monday, May 13. Staff from the Seward House will talk about Seward's place in history, and library staff members will talk about the book and provide ideas for further reading. No registration is needed. Multiple copies of the book are available at the library.

 

Raising awareness

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Seymour Library is hosting an exhibit that shows, in photographs and text, the experiences of families whose lives are affected by mental illness. "Nothing to Hide: Mental Illness in the Family" features photos and interviews with families whose lives are affected by schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, major depression and anxiety disorders. The goal of the exhibit is to dispel harmful stereotypes, misconceptions and myths about mental illness. The exhibit, provided by the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Cayuga County, will be on display through May, beginning Saturday, May 11.