Friends of the Library: News
Shades of Brown Newsletter
The Shades Of Brown newsletter is a bimonthly newsletter and is available in physical and digital formats. You can find the most recent issues here.
Friends Facebook Page
Be sure to check out and “Like” the Friends’ Facebook page!
Friends Book Reviews
No book review events are currently scheduled. Keep checking back for updates!
November Book Review
On the Trail of Vanishing Birds and The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane
The Friends Book Review Committee will host Bruce Buckle on November 4, 2022, who will review On the Trail of Vanishing Birds, by Robert Porter Allen, and The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane, by Kathleen Kaska.
Who was Robert Porter Allen? His autobiographical account vividly describes his life as a “Seton Indian” growing up in the shadow of Bald Eagle Mountain on the family farm near the newly established Robert Porter Allen Nature Area. Allen was the Research Director of the National Audubon Society, and his work during the 1940’s was instrumental in saving the Whooping Crane from extinction. Readers will be captivated by his wilderness adventures in what is today the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge along the Texas coast and in the Whoopers’ nesting grounds in northwest Canada. Kaska’s biography credits Allen with raising the public’s awareness of the effects of overdevelopment, habitat loss, and unregulated hunting on migratory bird species like the Whooping Crane, Roseate Spoonbill, and American Flamingo. For Kaska, his story is a timeless reminder of the importance of living harmoniously with nature.
Bruce Buckle is a retired social studies teacher with a lifelong interest in the outdoors. He is an active volunteer with the Lycoming Audubon Society, which seeks to preserve and enhance the natural environment for birds and other wildlife, and provides programs and field trips to educate both youth and the general public about birds and the places they live.
The review begins at 12:15 p.m. in the Lowry Room of the Welch Family Wing of the James V. Brown Library with a Q&A from 12:45p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Reservations are required due to space considerations. Please call the library at 570-326-0536 or use the library’s online reservation calendar (calendar.jvbrown.edu) before 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2. Parking is available in the public lot off Market Street, adjacent to the Welch Wing.
Friends of James V. Brown Library December Holiday Program
The Friends of James V. Brown Library celebrate the creative arts at their December 2, 2022 holiday program by featuring the Williamsport Area School District’s Les Chanteuses (an auditioned select vocal ensemble). Les Chanteuses is one of the eight vocal performing groups at the high school under the direction of Sam Robinson and Megan Louder. Williamsport Area School District offers a variety of programs for vocal and instrumental talent in a wide range of music selections from classical to contemporary, including 19 performing ensembles at the high school.
Williamsport Area School District has been awarded The Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) Award for over 20 years. The Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) Award is a signature program of The NAMM Foundation that recognizes and celebrates school districts and schools for their support and commitment to music education and efforts to assure access to music for all students as part of a well-rounded education. Williamsport Area High School is proud to provide both curricular music education for students in vocal and instrumental coursework, as well as non-curricular music opportunities. Specialized groups like Strolling Strings, Marching Millionaires, orchestras, and vocal ensembles are often invited to perform at various community events, and have repeatedly performed at the White House.
The JV Brown Library Rotunda will open at noon on Friday, December 2. Snacks and water will be available. The program begins at 12:15 p.m. until 12: 45 p.m. Reserve a seat by calling the library at 570-326-0536, Ext. 134 or by using the library’s online reservation calendar at http://calendar.jvbrown.edu. Reservations are required due to space considerations and must be made before 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 30. Parking is available in the public lot off of Market Street, adjacent to the Welch Wing.