Mechanics' Institute

Bring your toast and jam, bagels or biscuits, and a hot cuppa to our virtual morning gathering to welcome in Bloomsday with greetings, special guests, and music. We will be joined by musicians and singers Anne Goess, Esther Mulligan, John Ilyin plus Melanie O’Reilly and David Creevy from Ireland and others! Wednesday, June 16, 10:30 am PT Register here:

Pride is a celebration of the lives and history of the LGBTQ community. We’ve chosen some important nonfiction books that highlight Bay Area history, emphasizing the social movements that have shaped the LGBTQIA+ experience. If you’re a San Francisco history buff, a few of these are must-reads! https://www.milibrary.org/blog/pride-sf-bay-areas-history

Share the - New from Gary Kamiya! https://search.milibrary.org:443/record=b1257894

Did you know that since the pandemic Mechanics’ Institute has recorded over 50 events and posted them on our YouTube channel? Enjoy scores of panel discussions, poetry readings, history lectures, authors presenting new books, and conversations about the writing craft from local experts. These videos are free and available to everyone to watch at their leisure: Don't forget to like and subscribe!

It's the Writers Lunch! This month we're going to discuss writing routines - what gets you humming and in the groove!

Beat your fatigue. Amp up your energy. And enjoy life again. Join Polly Campbell at the virtual Mechanics' Institute. This event is part of the "Mechanics of Writing" series. These activities are designed to inspire a rebirth of your creativity and productivity.

Curious about what's inside 57 Post? Take a virtual tour!

Thinking about going with an independent press? Find out more about Tailwinds from both the publisher's and a couple of new authors' perspectives.

Take some liberty with your writing - try out hybrid poetry with MK Chavez.

On Thursday, October 29, at 5:30 p.m. author Sara Hendren will talk on Zoom about her new book on design and disability, WHAT CAN A BODY DO, with disability activist Rosemarie Garland-Thomson. To register, click the link below:

Have a spooky and safe Halloween with these festive picks from our Library’s collection. #stayhome https://www.milibrary.org/blog/shiver-and-shake

New print books available through out To Go service! Want to know what famous cooks have in their fridges? Find out what Alice Waters, Nancy Silverton, Daniel Boulud and 32 other world-renowned chefs eat in Chef's Fridges by Carrie Solomon. Autumn is a great time for stargazing- check out Edward Brooke-Hitching's Sky Atlas. Find out about our new books here: https://www.milibrary.org//all-print-new-titles-list-week-

Join librarian Taryn Edwards for an exciting virtual tour of the Mechanics' Institute's beautiful spaces!

Join us on Thursday, October 15 at 5:30 p.m. for an event with authors Dan Harder and Paul Madonna, an evening of love and mysteries on Zoom. To reserve for the event, click on the link below.

The November 3 election ballots arrive in mailboxes this week! If you're one of the lucky folks who have received yours, MI reference librarians have assembled a list of unbiased resources to help you navigate this year's long and complicated ballot: https://www.milibrary.org/blog/understanding-2020-ballot

This week's new eBooks list adds a wide variety of stunning debut novels with impeccable titles -- Inheritors, Fifty Words for Rain, The All-Night Sun, The Bright Lands, These Violent Delights -- to our digital collection, all woven with common threads of family, friendship and tough choices. Not in the mood for a debut novel? Don't miss these recently released bestselling titles from heavyweight authors such as James Patterson, Stuart Woods, Jodi Picoult, and J.D. Robb, et a...l., painting frightening landscapes guaranteed to build suspense throughout this Halloween-inspired month. If you are a historical fiction fan, check out Ken Follett's prequel to his Pillars of the Earth series. The Evening and the Morning is set at the tail end of the Dark Ages when England was being pinched by Vikings and Welsh. History is so much more enjoyable with Follett at the helm! See a list of this week's new eBooks here: https://www.milibrary.org//all-ebooks-new-titles-list-week See more

Join us this Thursday, October 8 at 5:30 p.m. for a zoom event with Rachel Brahinsky and Alex Tarr, authors of a unique guidebook to the San Francisco Bay Area. To make a reservation, click on the link below:

Rescheduled! Rusty Shelton returns to offer you a practical plan for building a solid author platform.

In 1918, women were empowered to work in non-traditional roles. With men fighting in World War I and the Spanish Flu epidemic, there were more employment opportunities for women. Mechanics’ Institute hired its first female librarian, Mary Carmody. Mary was born (1882) and raised in Minnesota, where she attended the University of Minnesota. In 1906, she married Frank E. Carmody, and the two moved to San Francisco just four months before the big earthquake and fire. Learn more about Mary Carmody here: https://www.milibrary.org//mis-first-female-librarian-mary

The recent passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves an enormous void in both the legal profession and our hearts. The second woman to serve on the US Supreme Court, Ginsburg, was a champion for restrained justice. Early in her law career, she overcame many obstacles, including discrimination based on gender. In 1972, she founded the American Civil Liberties Union's Women's Rights Project. Mechanics' Institute Library is home to many titles that explore RGB's legacy- check them out through our To Go service: https://www.milibrary.org/blog/and-justice-all-rbgs-legacy