{"id":386454,"date":"2026-10-29T09:56:31","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T09:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/386454\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T09:56:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T09:56:31","slug":"owl-pellets-and-period-equity-whats-happening-at-nycs-public-libraries-this-november","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/386454\/","title":{"rendered":"Owl pellets and period equity: What’s happening at NYC’s public libraries this November"},"content":{"rendered":"

Halloween is in October, but that doesn\u2019t mean the spookiness has to stop in November. The New York Public Library is doing a pay-what-you-want Friday the 13th “Library After Hours” event<\/a> at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building in Bryant Park. It\u2019s 21 and older only, and the theme is horror, superstition and mystery.<\/p>\n

There will be music, storytelling and what the library is calling a one-night-only display of rare collections material exploring \u201cthe evolving identity of witches.\u201d The musician Friedrich Heinrich Kern<\/a> will also be there, performing on the lilting and slightly haunting glass harmonica.<\/p>\n

The Queens Library, meanwhile, is starting the month with three big themes \u2014 honoring Veterans, Native American history and celebrating Diwali. It’s launching a collection of resources for vets<\/a> at its St. Albans branch, hosting an Ojibwe dream catcher workshop<\/a> at its Auburndale branch, and marking Diwali<\/a> with dance performances and a sari-draping workshop at its Flushing branch, all in the first week of the month.<\/p>\n

And then in Brooklyn, the Adams Street Library is opening a new exhibition called “Dumbo Before the Bridges<\/a>” \u2014 a collection of old photos and artifacts found during a massive reconstruction project<\/a> in 2019. The show gives a sense of what that waterfront neighborhood was like back before it was connected by bridge to Manhattan.<\/p>\n

The Queens Library’s Jackson Heights branch is hosting a drag zumba class<\/a> on Nov. 5. It combines the dance-based exercise class with a performance from the drag artist KokoMomo<\/a>. A highlight of her recent work includes a performance as Mr. Krabs, the owner of the Krusty Krab restaurant from “SpongeBob SquarePants,” so expect some hilarious creativity.<\/p>\n

If the idea of trying to dance in public makes you want to hide under a couch instead, the Library for Arts and Culture in Brooklyn is hosting the “Kill the Stage Fright<\/a>” workshop on Election Day, Nov. 3. Actor Patryk Szwichtenberg<\/a> will do his best to drag you out of your comfort zone and have you owning the stage.<\/p>\n

There are also a ton of events for kids and teens, as always. The Brooklyn Heights Library is hosting the “2026 Period Convention<\/a>,” where teens can learn about menstrual equity, and access to safe, affordable menstrual products for all people who need them.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a manga and comic art workshop<\/a>, a gameboard design class<\/a>, and an opportunity to learn about the diet of owls<\/a> through pellet excavation in Queens, as well as a kids\u2019 clothing swap<\/a> and an all-ages archery<\/a> event in Brooklyn. You can also check out family gardening<\/a> in Harlem, Lenape art<\/a> and paper craftiness<\/a> in the Bronx, and free afterschool programming<\/a> with homework help, snack and activities in Todt Hill on Staten Island.<\/p>\n

In short, there are plenty of opportunities to stop by a branch, pick up a book (or four) and try something new in November.<\/p>\n