Please note that the Library will be exceptionally closed from Tuesday, April 15 to Saturday, April 19 for a spring pause.
The Library will also be closed on the following public holidays in May:
Learn about our 2025 Featured Speakers
Discover the May 24th “Possible Futures” Program
Our future is full of more questions than answers right now. How can we protect our democracies? How can we fight for human rights in a social media landscape filled with misinformation? How can we cope with climate change and ever-worsening wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts? Who should we listen to when deciding how to live ethically in response to today’s challenges?
We have little precedent for how to answer questions like these. And all too often, when we turn to television or film, we find grim, stark, and dystopian portrayals of the future.
That is why we need stories about other possible futures to tell ourselves and our children. At this year’s Angers Literary Festival, we will hear from six thinkers on this topic.
Writer and historian Barbara Diggs will open the festival with reflections on how the boycotts, strikes, and marches of the Civil Rights era continue to shape our present and future, and why she chooses to write about it.
Amy Plum and Kristina Kearns will be in conversation with Michelle Crowell to explore the future of young adult fiction and how it will examine equality, social justice, environmentalism, and identity through the lens of coming of age in tomorrow’s world. They will also talk about the publishing landscape and how Kristina’s small press, Fern, is expanding access to works by immigrant and refugee writers.
Erin Ogunkeye will explore the role of libraries in the future and talk with some of our members. Stay tuned for more details!
Amanda Bankert will be in conversation with Ginette Law about her experience opening a vegan donut shop in Paris as well as food politics in France and globally. They will dive into topics including the international food market, food security and sovereignty, pesticide and water use, the pros and cons of vegan and vegetarian diets, and more.
Daniel Levin Becker will be in conversation with Kathryn Frost on sustainability and how stories help us understand why we need to take action on climate change. He will draw from a Calvino-inspired project he worked on called Indivisible Cities, and Kathryn will share insights from the sustainability course she teaches at Parsons Paris, as well as some of her students’ projects on how we can adapt to climate change in the future.
Finally, local bookseller Le Mot de la Faim and Kristina Kearn’s Fern will be on-site with a curated selection of titles from our featured authors—come meet the speakers, get your books signed, and take a piece of the festival home with you!
These in-person events are free and open to the public. Registration is required as space is limited.
✨ Get your free tickets for the main event “Possible Futures” on May 24th
✍️ Sign up for our newly added Writing Workshop on May 14th
At a time when we are facing unprecedented attacks on our access to knowledge, libraries remain a safe harbor for the free exchange of diverse voices and ideas. We believe in the power of books and conversations to inspire and shape the future we’ll share tomorrow.
We are honored that this year’s festival is supported by The de Groot Foundation, which believes free speech and civil discourse are essential tools for exploring the defining issues of our times.
We challenge you to read (at least) 12 books in English in 2025. Together we’ll set off on a worldwide journey and explore literature from a different region each month.
Pack your literary bags—we’re heading to South Asia this April! We’ve selected six must-read titles for you by acclaimed authors—winners of the Booker Prize, the International Booker, and global bestseller lists.
All titles are available in our collection. Check out the display at the front of the library for even more recommendations, including our Kids’ Edition of the Reading Challenge!
It’s never too late to join the challenge. Stop by the library during opening hours and pick up your 2025 Reading Passport. Each time you finish a book from a region, we’ll stamp it to mark your journey. Feeling adventurous? Use your Compass Rose Detour to swap out one region with a book of your choice.
Spring is here—and so are nearly 50 new titles!
If you’re curious to explore the work of recent visiting author Yara El-Ghadban, we’re pleased to share that the English translation of her novel I Am Ariel Sharon is now available in the collection.
We have also several new arrivals by featured authors of the 2025 Angers Literary Festival. If you’re planning to attend the festival, now is the perfect time to discover their work:
Voilà Vegan by Amanda Bankert, What’s Good: Notes on Rap and Language by Daniel Levin Becker, Race Relations: The Struggle for Equality in America by Barbara Diggs, and Die for Me and Until I Die by Amy Plum.
Happy spring reading!
