Library Events

The Hudson Library & Historical Society presents “Researching Immigration at the Port of New York” with Andy McCarthy, genealogy and history expert at the New York Public Library. Passenger lists are the chief source of information about immigrants to America in the 19th and early 20th centuries and the busiest port of entry in the U.S. during that time was New York Harbor. Learn about the immigration experience at Castle Garden and Ellis Island at the port of New York and pick up a few research tips on accessing records of ship passenger lists.

Hudson, once called the “citadel of abolitionism,” was an active stop on the Underground Railroad and was the childhood home of abolitionist John Brown. Discover the homes, sites and people that played a significant role in the anti-slavery movement of pre-Civil War Hudson. All walking tours are weather dependent and meet at the entrance to the library. Remember to wear comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.

The Hudson Library & Historical Society will host a live virtual streaming event with Annette Gordon-Reed, author of the New York Times bestseller On Juneteenth. The sweeping story of Juneteenth’s integral importance to American history, this book was named one of the Times Critics’ Top Books of 2021 and one of the best books of the year by the Washington Post, TIME, NPR, and others. This is a one-time event and will not be recorded.

This is a one-time special streaming event and will not be recorded. 
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will present a virtual livestreamed tour of the museum, which houses significant examples of European, Asian, and American art. Learn more about the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner, a radical and free-spirited woman who made it her life's mission to collect art from around the world and build this museum to share with the public. The 1990 theft of 13 works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s collection remains the single largest property theft in the world. Today, empty frames remain hanging in the Museum as a placeholder for the missing works and as symbols of hope awaiting their return. This program is generously funded by the Friends of The Hudson Library. 

Learn how to use Google Analytics on your website to better drive your business decisions. During this virtual class, participants will learn how to setup and start collecting data using a Google Analytics account. This class will also cover how to use the data to better understand your customers and how to use Google’s custom reporting features. This class is provided through a partnership with Grow with Google, which provides training, tools and resources to help individuals grow their skills, career or business. 

The virtual book club will discuss the bestselling novel, The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. Set in London this "poisonously good read" centers around a secret apothecary shop and an event whose consequences binds three women together across time (NPR). Bookpage called the book “spellbinding… Like in a well-brewed potion, all the ingredients have been given exactly the right level of care and time, and the result is a novel that simply overwhelms with its delicate spell."

The Hudson Library & Historical Society will host a live virtual streaming event with MSNBC anchor and New York Times bestselling author Katy Tur, who will talk about her new memoir Rough Draft. Called “introspective and bitingly funny…a thrilling ride” by a Publishers Weekly starred review, this book explores the gift and curse of family legacy, examines the roles and responsibilities of the news, and asks the question: To what extent do we each get to write our own story? Tur will be in conversation with fellow American broadcast journalist and co-host of CBS This Morning, Tony Dokoupil.

Learn how to distribute video content using YouTube to take your small business to the next level. During this virtual class, participants will learn how to get your small business on YouTube, create videos to help you achieve various business goals, organize your YouTube channel to attract viewers, promote your business with video, and use YouTube Live to present a livestream event. Participants do not need to have an existing YouTube channel to attend, but an active Gmail account is recommended. This class is provided through a partnership with Grow with Google, which provides training, tools and resources to help individuals grow their skills, career or business. 

The Hudson Library’s Goblins & Galaxies, a Science Fiction and Fantasy Outdoor Book Club, will meet on Thursday, June 30, 7 p.m. on the library patio. The group will discuss The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. After a series of unfortunate events in life, Nora decides to end her life. But, she doesn’t die. Instead, she is transported to the Midnight Library where all the books on the shelf transport her to hundreds of different lives that she could have lived. Kirkus Reviews calls Haig's book, "a whimsical fantasy about learning what's important in life."