Adults

Our Fractured Republic

Presented by Russell Bellavance, president of Wissahickon Valley Historical Society

This program is based on Yuval Levin’s book, "The Fractured Republic.”  It is Levin’s contention that America has changed greatly in the past 60 years or so, and that both of our major political parties are blind to the implications of these changes.  Instead, both parties harken back to an imagined glorious past that can never be restored.  Levin’s analysis also includes a discussion of the kinds of issues that the parties should be focused on and some recommendations for ways we change our current unproductive political dynamics.

Registration required on EventBrite: https://fractured-republic.eventbrite.com

This event will be presented on Zoom. The library will contact all registrants with instructions on how to join using Zoom. Please contact Anne Hall at ahall@wvpl.org if you have any questions.

Take a closer look at great stories on the page and on film with Read & Watch, a new virtual book/movie club from the Ambler Theater. Check out this week’s selected reading, stream the film pairing, and join us Sunday afternoons as we come together for virtual discussions. Anne Hall will host this discussion. 


Watch. Sunday, May 17 at 2 pm. After living a long and colorful life, Allan Karlsson finds himself stuck in a nursing home. On his 100th birthday, he leaps out a window and begins an unexpected journey. See  IMDB for more details.



Read.  'The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared' by Jonas Jonasson.



Discuss. Join us on Zoom after the film at 2 pm on Sunday, May 17 for a discussion about the readings and the film.



How to participate:   Visit the Read & Watch page for links to the movie and discussion.

Spit Spreads Death: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19 in Philadelphia
An ONLINE program presented by The Mutter Museum

The 1918-1919 influenza pandemic infected nearly one third of all humans on Earth and resulted in over 50 million deaths. The worst hit city in the United States was Philadelphia, where roughly 16,000 people died from the “Spanish flu.” However, despite its significant impact on human history, many people have never heard of what some have called the “forgotten pandemic.” This lesson will help students understand the history of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, the virus that caused it, the impact of World War I on spreading the disease, the scientific and public health response to the outbreak, and the ways the pandemic influenced present-day medical knowledge and responses to infectious disease.

Registration required on EventBrite: https://wissahickon-library-mutter-museum.eventbrite.com/

This event will be presented on Zoom. The library will contact all registrants with instructions on how to join using Zoom. Please contact Anne Hall at ahall@wvpl.org if you have any questions.