Baby Storytime

For children from birth to 24 months and their caregivers. Talk, sing, read, write and play together. Share books, stories, rhymes, music and movement in a format especially designed for babies.

Family Storytime

For children of all ages and their caregivers. Talk, sing, read, write and play together. Share books, stories, rhymes, music and movement.

Crafterdark

Craft, create, and connect with your library community. We encourage you to bring your current projects – any and all portable crafts with library-safe materials are welcome! Don’t have a project going already? Washburn Library will have a craft of the month with mat......More

Craft, create, and connect with your library community. We encourage you to bring your current projects – any and all portable crafts with library-safe materials are welcome! Don’t have a project going already? Washburn Library will have a craft of the month with materials available for you to use. All skill levels welcome. Sponsor: Friends of the Hennepin County Library.

Petite Concerts

Join us for a fun-filled musical experience and discover instruments! Led by early childhood music specialists, your family will listen to and respond to classical music together. Collaborator: Breaching Concerts LLC. This program is funded with money from Minnesota’s ......More

Join us for a fun-filled musical experience and discover instruments! Led by early childhood music specialists, your family will listen to and respond to classical music together. Collaborator: Breaching Concerts LLC. This program is funded with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Note: Please register each child attending. A maximum of two caregivers per registered child may also attend.

Great Decisions: India Between China, the West, and the Global South

India Between China, the West, and the Global South India is an emerging major power in world affairs, occupying a pivotal position between China, the United States, and the Global South. Its population size, economy, and geopolitical location makes it an influential ......More

India Between China, the West, and the Global South India is an emerging major power in world affairs, occupying a pivotal position between China, the United States, and the Global South. Its population size, economy, and geopolitical location makes it an influential voice in debates and political struggles over global order. What are India’s choices and opportunities for regional and global leadership? How will it maneuver between China and the United States, and what is its role as a voice of the Global South? How can Washington work with India? Register online at https://tce.me/iZU75L. Dr. Richard Leitch earned his BA in East Asian Studies from Colby College in 1985 and went on to earn an MA in Asian Studies from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign after a two-year career on Wall Street. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Illinois in 1995, where he was the recipient of the Harriet and Charles Luckman Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching, and the College of Liberal Arts Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Graduate Assistant. He has been a member of the Political Science Department at Gustavus Adolphus College since 1996, where he teaches courses in International Relations, Comparative Politics, Asian Politics, Environmental Politics, and the Politics of Poverty. In 2000 he received the Swenson-Bunn Award for Teaching Excellence at Gustavus, and in 2008 the Edgar M. Carlson Award for Distinguished Teaching. In 2012 he was included in The Princeton Review’s The Best 300 Professors. His research interests include Japanese domestic politics and foreign policy, and he is the co-author of "Japan’s Role in the Post-Cold War World." Register online at https://tce.me/iZU77P. Collaborators: Minneapolis Community Education, Westminster Presbyterian Church. Sponsor: Friends of the Hennepin County Library.

Protest Music

Music has the power to join people together in a cause, to the point where governments have banned particular songs out of fear music will inspire rebellion or revolution. From the Revolutionary War songs to the union songs of the 1930s, and from music of the Civil Rig......More

Music has the power to join people together in a cause, to the point where governments have banned particular songs out of fear music will inspire rebellion or revolution. From the Revolutionary War songs to the union songs of the 1930s, and from music of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s to climate activism and feminist hip hop, learn the ways music has been used to inspire change. Part of a 4-part series. Attendance at all four sessions not required. Collaborator: MacPhail Center for Music. This program is funded with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Feb. 1: Anti-War Songs March 8: Abolition, Civil Rights Era, and Racial Justice Songs April 5: Worker's Rights, Union Songs, Climate Action Songs and More May 10: Feminism, Women's Suffrage and Liberation Songs

Washburn Book Club

Welcome back the Washburn Book Club and join our discussion of new and interesting fiction and nonfiction titles. A limited number of lending copies may be picked up at the information desk prior to each discussion. Upcoming titles include: May 13: ......More

Welcome back the Washburn Book Club and join our discussion of new and interesting fiction and nonfiction titles. A limited number of lending copies may be picked up at the information desk prior to each discussion. Upcoming titles include: May 13: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald June 10: Surviving Autocracy by Masha Gessen July 8: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee August 12: The Oppermanns by Lion Feuchtwanger September 9: An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin October 14: The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson No meeting in November December 9: The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley January 13: Erasure by Percival Everett

Baby Storytime

For children from birth to 24 months and their caregivers. Talk, sing, read, write and play together. Share books, stories, rhymes, music and movement in a format especially designed for babies.

Family Storytime

For children of all ages and their caregivers. Talk, sing, read, write and play together. Share books, stories, rhymes, music and movement.

Community Connections Book Club

Join our discussion of new and interesting titles focused on transforming perceptions and building a more equitable and connected community. A limited number of lending copies may be picked up at the information desk prior to each discussion. April 17: Mary Ann Key Bo......More

Join our discussion of new and interesting titles focused on transforming perceptions and building a more equitable and connected community. A limited number of lending copies may be picked up at the information desk prior to each discussion. April 17: Mary Ann Key Book Club Selection - The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus May 15: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben June 19: Library closed for Juneteenth July 10: Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara August 14: The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong by john a. powell September 11: A Good Time for the Truth by Sun Yung Shin October 9: Welcoming the Unwelcome by Pema Chödrön November 13: The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker December 11: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam

Great Decisions: AI and National Security

AI and National Security Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expected to transform all sectors of society, including, the very character of war. AI can enhance intelligence gathering and analysis capabilities, enable faster threat detection, improve decision-making throug......More

AI and National Security Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expected to transform all sectors of society, including, the very character of war. AI can enhance intelligence gathering and analysis capabilities, enable faster threat detection, improve decision-making through data analysis, and facilitate the development of new military technologies. But there are also risks including misuse by adversaries, disinformation, and autonomous weapon systems. As AI continues to evolve, how do we create methods to manage its use and limit potential hazards? Christi Siver is a Professor of Political Science at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. She did her undergraduate work at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR, her Masters in International Relations and International Economics at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and her Ph.D. in political science at the University of Washington. She teaches courses on international relations and international security. Her current research interests include international humanitarian law, military technology, and comparative law. Register online at https://tce.me/iZU77P. Collaborators: Minneapolis Community Education, Westminster Presbyterian Church. Sponsor: Friends of the Hennepin County Library.