The Norfolk Library Night Owl - September 1, 2023

Sanlian Library

Nandaihe Beach, Qinhuangdao, China

Sitting on the beach with a simple silhouette and no road access, the Sanlian Library has been dubbed the world's loneliest library. It isn’t actually that far from civilization. Although patrons have to walk across the white sands to reach the library, Nandaihe is a popular beach resort in a coastal region in eastern China.

Beijing studio Vector Architects designed the library to foster a connection with the sea. That inspiration was taken from an Andrew Wyeth painting that the architects saw in a book (see image below). To foster that connection, the main reading room features a tiered reading hall with picture windows to ensure that everyone has a good view: "The ocean is an ever-changing character and continues to alter from season to season, morning to night," said the design team. "It is like a drama play of nature. As if giving the stage to this character of the ocean, we piled up seating platforms raised toward the back, so that everyone has an unblocking view to the stage. When walking into the space, one starts to feel the light, breezes, and sound of the ocean." The cast concrete walls are imprinted with markings, similar to the ripples left behind on the sand by the wind and water.  There are openings in the walls to let in the sounds of the sea.

Mindfulness with Miranda Lee via Zoom
Fridays, beginning September 8
9:15 - 10:00 a.m.

Mindfulness can be defined as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the  present moment, and non-judgmentally.” In this series, mindfulness practitioner Miranda Lee will teach participants how to live a more mindful life and equip them with the tools they need to help build resilience against the challenges of day-to-day life. The class has the same structure in each session: theory, gentle movement (no special clothing or equipment required), meditation, and discussion to foster a sense of community.

This course will be offered via Zoom from 9:15-10:00 a.m. on Fridays. Anyone can join at any time.

September's theme is Finding Balance. Taking a Pause and returning to the present moment can be helpful in finding a counterbalance to the distracted busyness in our lives. Visit here to register and to find out more.

Registration gives you access to the entire mindfulness series. If you register for this session, you do not have to register again.

Ensemble Chaconne: The Music of Shakespeare's Plays
Saturday, September 9, 5:30 p.m.

The internationally-acclaimed Ensemble Chaconne transports audiences to Shakespeare’s world with Measure for Measure: The Music of Shakespeare’s Plays.  The concert features music by leading composers of Shakespeare’s time (Robert Johnson, Thomas Morley, John Dowland, and others) with songs from As You Like It, Twelfth Night, The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest, Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth on period instruments. The ensemble members are Peter H. Bloom, renaissance flute; Carol Lewis, viola da gamba; Olav Chris Henriksen, renaissance lute; and mezzo-soprano Burcu Gulec.  Their Shakespeare concert has been called “the perfect Elizabethan evening” (The Portland Press Herald).

Ensemble Chaconne has given more than 85 performances of the Shakespeare concert. Among the many selections are “The Willow Song” sung by Desdemona in Othello; “It Was a Lover and His Lasse” (As You Like It);  “O Mistress Mine” (Twelfth Night); “Full Fathom Five” (The Tempest), “Go from My Window” from Ophelia’s mad scene in Hamlet; and "Greensleeves," the famous ballad tune (quoted in The Merry Wives of Windsor).

To find out more and to register for this free concert, please visit here.

Books & Boots Hike/Discussion
Friday, September 15, 6:30 p.m.

Please join us for our next Books & Boots hike. We’ll be hiking on the Billings Trail/Tait Section under the leadership of Hartley Mead, and looking for beavers in the early evening when they are usually active. The book up for discussion is Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America by Leila Philip. It is not necessary to have read the book first. All hiking abilities welcome. In the event of rain, we will meet the following Friday, September 22. This Norfolk Library program is in partnership with the Norfolk Land Trust and the Norfolk Church of Christ Green Team.

Park and meet at the Billings Trail: Tait Section on Grantville Rd, Norfolk.  The trailhead and parking for the Tait Section is located on Grantville Road 0.4 miles from Winchester Road. This trailhead is shared with the Pine Mountain Preserve. Bina Thomson from the Norfolk Library and Hartley Mead from the Norfolk Land Trust will be waiting to greet people.

Please visit here to find out more and to register.

The votes are in, and you chose Acadia as your Most Popular National Park. All voting participants were entered into a drawing to win the Passport to Your National Parks Guidebook, and the winner has been notified. Thank you so much for participating in this challenge, and stay tuned for the next one!

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