Jefferson Market Library: A Year in Review and What’s to Come in 2025

By Corinne Neary

As we look forward to a new year, we want to first do a bit of a backward glance at all the things we did at Jefferson Market library in 2024. Our children’s programming probably doesn’t get enough mention here, but did you know that last year, our children’s librarians hosted 234 story times? And that attendance at those programs, by children, exceeded 8,000? That doesn’t even include all the parents and caregivers who took the time to attend with the little ones. To all of those adults valuing the literacy of their little charges, we must say a heart-felt thank you! 

On the subject of reading, we held 185 book discussions and literary readings for adults, and for all of those who spent an hour discussing poetry or prose with me, Frank, or Alyona this past year: we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. We showed 96 movies, held a watercolor class series, a Spring choir led by Third Street Music School, and multi-session courses on Greek Mythology, Absurd Theatre, Screenwriting, Philosophy, and Feminist Queer History. We hosted 20 performances of theatre and music, and of course, we made a zine! 

If you missed some of these events in 2024, or if this is the first time you’re finding out about some of the things we have had going on, don’t worry! We have lots more on the docket for 2025. We’ll be continuing all of our book groups: monthly novel, poetry, and novella discussions meeting in our third floor Mae West room. We’ll also have our monthly online book discussion and short story discussion. In late February or early March, on Fridays, we’ll be starting our Adult Community Choir once again, so if you missed it last year, or want to join again, please look out for dates and registration information. 

Also in March, on Thursdays, we’ll be holding a four session course on poetry and how it relates to music, led by Barry Wallenstein. On Saturday afternoons in March-April, artist Jennifer Prevatt will be leading a studio arts course with a focus on cut paper, three-dimensional art. After the wild demand we had for last year’s watercolor course, registration for this Spring’s class will be done by lottery! And we’re still nailing down the details, but look out for a course in physics sometime this Spring. 

While you’re waiting for these upcoming programs, we have a few things to keep you occupied this month. Did you know that Wednesdays at 6 pm we host a Quiet Reading group? That’s right, you can gather together with strangers and friends and simply read together. Afterwards, there’s a social hour, where you can talk about what you’re reading, or whatever else comes up. Of course, we’re showing movies most Monday and Thursday nights at 6 pm. This month, we’ve got Rita Hayworth and Lana Turner pictures: one classic Fred Astaire number, You’ll Never Get Rich, and one campy mid-‘50s take on biblical epic, The Prodigal. If camp and dancing aren’t your things, we’ve got the story of a woman uncovering a Satanic cult right here in Greenwich Village in the early 1940s in The Seventh Victim, and lots more. 

As always, check our online event listings for the most up to date information!

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Read Proust’s Swann’s Way: A New Year’s Resolution!

Join first-time readers at the Proust Center-Jefferson Market Library.

Six sessions on the second Tuesday of each month, 6-7:30 pm. January 14, February 11, March 11, April 8, May 13,
and June 10. All our events are free and open to the public.
Registration required, due to space: nypl.org/events/programs/2024/01/14/read-prousts-swanns-way

Alex Klameth, our Proust Center-JML Group Facilitator will oversee the lively discussions. We will read William C. Carter’s fully annotated Swann’s Way, by Yale Press.

https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300185430/swanns-way

Questions? Please email:
proustcenternewyorkjml@gmail.com