Everett’s public libraries are doing what libraries are supposed to do: putting on programs people can actually use, without a consultant, a slogan, or a dramatic public comment period.
At the Parlin Memorial Library, the week’s marquee event is the Poetry Awards Ceremony on May 7 at 6 p.m. in the meeting room. Youth, teen, and adult finalists will read their work, winners will be announced, and prizes will be handed out. The prizes are being provided by the Kiwanis Club of Everett, which is the sort of local civic involvement that still does more good than a stack of petitions.
Parlin also has its regular lineup for teens, adults, and kids. The Adult and Teens Gaming Club meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 p.m. in the YA Room for board games and video games, for ages 12 and up. Yarn Club meets Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the Fresco Room. The library says the first Tuesday of each month is Beginner Crochet Day, with yarn and tools provided. That is useful information, which beats the usual vague promise to “build connections.”
For readers who want company without having to perform, the Silent Book Club is set for Saturday, May 9, from 12 to 2 p.m. in the Fresco Room. The pitch is simple: “No pressure, no assigned reading.” Hard to argue with that.
The children’s schedule at Parlin is packed. A Mother’s Day Grab and Go craft will be available Monday, May 4, in the children’s room for ages 3 to 7 while supplies last. Lego Club runs Mondays from 3 to 5 p.m. Storytime and Singalong with Karen is Wednesdays at 11 a.m. Creative Drama Class is Wednesdays at 3 p.m. Story Time Adventures with Mrs. McAuliffe is Fridays at 11 a.m.
There are also two one-off children’s programs worth noting. Seed Art & Mosaics is scheduled for Friday, May 8 at 3 p.m. in the Parlin Children’s Room. That one requires registration and is for children ages 4 and up. Origami Club follows on Saturday, May 9 at noon, open to all ages and abilities.
Over at the Shute Memorial Library, adults, teens, seniors, and kids also get a full slate. Golden Minds: Play, Create, Connect is on Monday, May 4 at 10 a.m. in the meeting room, open to ages 55 to 109. Games are supplied by the Council of the Aged. Ready Player One Games runs Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. with Nintendo Switch and PlayStation games for ages 11 and up.
Shute’s children’s programming includes Storytime on Mondays at 10 a.m. and Tuesdays at noon. “For Better or Verse,” the poetry club for ages 9 to 13, meets every other Tuesday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Master Builders, a Lego free-play session, runs Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m.
And because libraries understand timing better than most public bodies, Shute is showing “Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales” on Monday, May 4 at 3 p.m. for a May the Fourth event. Sometimes the obvious idea is the right one.
If you want the full calendar, check with Parlin and Shute directly. But the short version is this: the libraries are offering low-cost, practical programming for kids, teens, seniors, and everybody in between. In a city where plenty of public discussion produces very little, that still counts for something.