Advance Care Workshop

Advance care planning is an organized process of reflecting upon and discussing goals for future health care decisions. It is an important part of creating an advance directive, which is a written plan that represents your individual preferences and tells others what medical care you want or do not want to receive if you become too ill in the future to tell them. Join Vikki Webster, trained advance care planning facilitator from the Community Health team at Penobscot Bay Medical Center at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, in Rockland Public Library’s Community Room if you are interested in beginning the process of filling out your advance directive.

Registration is optional; walk-ins welcome. Visit penbaywaldo.coursestorm.com/course/advance-care-planning-workshop1 to register.

Part of the Aging Well series co-sponsored with Maine Health.

Crafting Community

Adults of all ages are invited to join librarian Patty King oat 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, in the Community Room for “Crafting Community,” an afternoon of casual crafting and conversation. The library will have a simple craft ready for participants to learn, as well as coloring pages, but participants are welcome to bring your own projects. For all skill levels to create together, have fun and build community.

This ongoing group meets the second Wednesday of the month at 2 p.m.

For more information or with questions, email [email protected].

Film Club

The Film Club will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, in the library’s Board Room. Watch the selected film on your own and then join the group for a lively discussion each month. Plots, themes, characters, soundtracks, symbolism, cinematography and more are all discussion options. From casual viewers to cinephiles, all levels of interest in film are welcome. Participants can request the selected film through interlibrary loan or find it on various streaming services.

For this meeting, the club will delve further into the Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda’s filmography. The topic of discussion is the 2004 film “Nobody Knows,” a critically acclaimed and powerful, heartfelt story about four children who are forced to rely on one another after they are abandoned by their mother.

For more information or with questions, call 594-0310 or email [email protected].

Middle School Book Club

The Middle School Book Club’s first meeting of 2026 is at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14. The club meets on Regional School Unit’s early release days. Upcoming dates are Feb. 4, March 19, April 2, May 13 and June 10.

Read, craft and chat in the library’s Board Room; for fourth- through eighth-grade students.

Miss Katie will explore all kinds of fun books through the Maine Student Book Award reading list. Kids get to pick their own book from the list every month and book talk it to the group at the next meeting. Every March, kids get to vote on our favorites and submit them to the state.

RSVP with Miss Katie at [email protected].

Reading Room Concert

Los Nietos del Son will present a concert in the Reading Room at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15.

Los Nietos del Son is a classic Cuban trio format with Cuban tres guitar (Paul D’Alessio), six-string guitar (David Trejo), and vocals and hand percussion (Elspeth Trejo Savani). The group’s repertoire consists of the beloved Cuban vieja trova (a Cuban folk–style popularized in the 19th century) and son Cubano, the syncopated song style that over many decades gave rise to genres such as son montuno, salsa and timba.

Savani and Trejo met in Seattle 25 years ago as bandmates in Seattle’s first Cuban son band and have been playing Cuban music ever since. Some of their projects have included Orchestra Zarabanda, Savani Latin Jazz and Los Supersones. They have participated in projects with grammy-nominated Kiki Valera, three-time Grammy winner Carlos Cascante, legendary Cuban flautist Richard Egues and internationally touring bongocero Pedrito Vargas.

In late 2022, Savani and Trejo moved back to Maine after more than 30 years in Seattle and soon met D’Alessio, a founding member of Primo Cubano. The trio Los Nietos del Son was formed out of an abiding passion for Cuban music and the desire to share it with the Maine community.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information or with questions, email [email protected] or call 594-0310.

Rockland Nursing Circle

The Rockland Nursing Circle is from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Jan. 9, in the library’s Children’s Room. Upcoming monthly meetings are Feb. 13 , March 13, April 10, May 8 and June 12.

This circle welcomes expectant and nursing families of all stripes with their nurslings of all ages. Come meet other families. Come with questions or just to socialize. This group is free to attend.

The gathering will be facilitated by Lulu Churchill (CLC) with input about library resources from children’s librarian Katie Drago.

Churchill completed her certification in lactation management through the Center for Breastfeeding at the Healthy Children Project. She is the mother of two and lives in Camden.

Find the Midcoast Nursing Circle on Facebook.

Email [email protected] with questions.

Spanish Storytime

Spanish Storytime meets at 10:30 a.m. Mondays in the Rockland Public Library Children’s Room through June 29 (exception: no storytime Feb. 8-21 and April 12-25).

Jared McCannell, director of Penobscot Bay Language School, leads the group. Perfect for infants to elementary. No registration needed.

This storytime focuses on basic exposure to foreign language and culture through traditional folk and children’s songs from Spain and Latin America. Vocabulary and themes are reinforced through read aloud activities with children’s books, poems and other authentic sources.

Founded in 1986 as a nonprofit language school and center for cultural exchange, Penobscot Bay Language School has served thousands of locals and international students of all ages through language classes and cultural programming.

Stuffie Storytime & Sleepover

Wednesday, January 14th
3:30 – 4:30 PM

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend the night at the library? Your stuffed animals can find out!

Join storytime with Miss Katie from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, then leave your stuffies behind for a night of fun at the library. Watch on Facebook throughout the evening to see what your friends have been up to.

Pick your stuffy up Thursday, Friday or Saturday and receive a celebration bracelet.

Teen Manga Club

Teen Manga Club meets 3:45-4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6 in the library Board Room. Upcoming meetings are Feb. 3 and March 3.

Teen Book Club is transitioning to Teen Manga Club for the rest of the school year and summer. Join Miss Katie for snacks and book chats about your favorite manga.

Each month, the group covers a different series, focusing on the first and second volumes. This month, the group is reading “Cells at Work.”

New members always welcome.

RSVP with Miss Katie at [email protected].