LET THE BOOKS FLOOD Return with us to the dark days of 1944. A world war is raging. Tiny Iceland, at the end of the supply line, is facing myriad shortages. Food, wine, clothing, shoes, all in short supply. The Icelandicans (pretty sure that’s a word) were facing a bleak Christmas indeed.

As it happened, one of the few commodities not rationed was paper. Iceland’s book publishers came together and decided to use the abundant resource to print so many books as to create a virtual Christmas flood of them — a Jolabokaflod (yo-la-BŪK-a-flod). Christmas was saved!

Fast forward 80 years. The Icelandicans (if not a word, it should be) still celebrate the joyous spirit of 1944. Books change hands on Christmas Eve, and everyone settles in with some hot chocolate and their piece of the flood.

You can get in on the action as the Friends of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library holds its annual Jolabokaflod from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, November 23. Shop for books in the Friends’ Book Cellar space. Shop for crafts outside the library, as at least 11 vendors will showcase their wares, and pick up some hot chocolate from the Roaming Bean Coffee Truck. Step back inside, into the children’s library, to hear some Nordic folk tales from Miss Rachel.

Also on tap are musical guests the Celtic TrÍo and singer-songwriter Liz McBride.

NOIR-VEMBER To quote Sam Spade, “The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter.” Expect cheap crooks, gaudy patter, scheming dames and tough guys at Noir-vember, three weeks of movies from Hollywood’s mean streets. Librarian Eric Meisberger will host three noir classics, beginning at 6:30 p.m., on Monday nights in November, and if time permits, will lead a discussion after the screening.

November 11 Pickup on South Street, directed by Samuel Fuller and starring Richard Widmark, Jean Peters and Thelma Ritter. A gritty noir with an espionage angle, the film follows a pickpocket who accidentally intercepts a message meant for foreign agents and becomes the target of a Communist spy ring. This film earned Thelma Ritter an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

November 18 The Killing, directed by a 28-year-old Stanley Kubrick and starring Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray and Vince Edwards, is a noir with a heist. Career crook Johnny Clay hatches a scheme to steal $2 million from a racetrack and assembles the team to pull it off. But he didn’t count on one thing: Sherry. The Criterion Collection calls The Killing “both a jaunty thriller and a cold-blooded punch to the gut.”

November 25 The Maltese Falcon, directed by John Huston (in his directorial debut), stars Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet. In this adaptation of the Dashiell Hammett noir classic, Sam Spade finds himself in a case with three eccentric criminals and a beautiful femme fatale, all searching for the falcon. This film was nominated for three Academy Awards, listed on the AFI Top 100, and was one of the first group of films selected by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the National Film Registry as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

LIBRARY PROGRAMS

Register for programs by visiting the events calendar section of the library’s website.

Programs for children and families

Wild About Books

10 a.m., Tuesday, November 5 and 12, Story Room

The focus is on literacy and fun in this interactive program where kids will learn to fall in love with stories. For kids ages 4-6. Register for each session individually. Registration opens a week in advance of each session.

Crafternoon

4 p.m., Wednesday, November 6 and 13, Story Room

Let kids tap into their creative side while they explore stories and art. For kids ages 4-8. Register for each session individually. Registration opens a week in advance of program.

Afternoon STEAM

4:30 p.m., Thursday, November 7 and 14, Story Room

Learn about circuits, coding, animal science and more. For kids in fourth and fifth grades. Register for each session individually. Registration opens one week in advance of the program.

German Storytime

5:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 20, Story Room

This storytime is designed to reinforce language skills for German-speaking children. For kids ages 3-6 and family. Register online for each session.

Singalong

11 a.m., Friday, November 29, Meeting Room A

Join music teacher Margaret Hooton and her brother Bob Barnett for their fun and interactive after-Thanksgiving sing-along.

Programs for Teens

Teen-Led Dungeons & Dragons

3:45 to 6 p.m., Thursday, November 7, 14 and 21, Learning Lab

(6th grade and up)

Middle school student Sonny will be DMing a weekly Dungeons & Dragons game. Limit six teens per game.

Teen Planning Committee

6 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, November 7, Story Room

The Teen Planning Committee meets monthly during the school year to plan and work on displays, events and projects.

Programs for Adults

Simpsons Trivia Night

7 p.m., Wednesday, November 6, Meeting Room A

Come to the library for an evening of nerding out about everybody’s favorite cartoon TV family.

All questions are from the first nine seasons of The Simpsons. Come as part of team of up to four, or come solo and get teamed up. Registration is required.

Handmade Holiday Paper Cards and Gifts

10 a.m. to noon, Monday, November 11, Learning Lab

Learn about traditional papermaking while exploring more modern papermaking techniques with texture and collage. You are welcome to bring collage materials of your own, such as photographs, newspaper clippings and other memorabilia. Registration required.

Voices From The Attic

7 p.m., Tuesday, November 12, Meeting Room A

Author Carleton Young found hundreds of letters written during the Civil War by two brothers, and spent more than a decade visiting battlefields and doing research, resulting in Voices from the Attic. Presented by the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon.

Beauty, Hope and Intrigue: The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition

10 a.m., Monday, November 18, Meeting Room A

Travel back to the Gilded Age and Chicago’s World’s Columbian Exposition. Learn what made the fair so significant, how it forever altered the nation, and its many surprising ties to Pittsburgh.

What’s So Great About: Sunset Boulevard

6:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 20

In conjunction with Noir-vember (above), art and film historian Elaine Wertheim will host a screening and discussion of Sunset Boulevard, director Billy Wilder’s classic about an aging silent movie queen who refuses to realize her stardom has come to an end when a down-on-his-luck screenwriter crashes into her life.

Image Makers: Mt. Lebanon Photography Group

7 p.m., Monday, November 25, Meeting Room B

Anyone interested in learning more about photography and improving their photography skills is welcome regardless of skill level.