10 am Hybrid, In Person AND Zoom
Join us as we discuss the Classics. This month we discuss William Faulkner’s novel set in the American South during Prohibition about hopeful perseverance in the face of mortality.” Registration is required. Ages 18+.

*This program is sponsored in memory of Marie Schleicher.

10 am Hybrid, In Person AND Zoom
Join us as we discuss the Classics. This month we discuss Nathaniel Hawthorne’s exploration of “guilt, revenge, and atonement through the lives of the Pyncheon family in their gloomy, bleak, seven-gabled mansion.” Registration is required. Ages 18+.

*This program is sponsored in memory of Marie Schleicher.

7 pm Hybrid, In Person & Zoom
Join us for this month's discussion about Serena Burdick's novel about a “story of literary secrets, a family curse, and the lengths women will go to take charge of their future.” Find the book in our catalog. Ages 18+. Registration is required.

7 pm Hybrid, In Person & Zoom
Join us for this month's discussion about Amanda Oliver’s discoveries of the roles of public librarians as well as what it takes for “American society [to] sustain one of its most noble institutions.” Find the book in our catalog. Ages 18+. Registration is required.

Eight Tuesdays, starting February 14
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm 
The Great Decisions Lecture Series is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program model involves reading the Great Decisions Briefing Book, watching the documentary film series, and meeting in a discussion group to discuss the most critical global issues facing America today. Fredricksen Library partners with World Affairs Council of Harrisburg to host this annual discussion series. The first and last lectures are held Feb. 14 and April 4 in person at the library at 5 pm. All others will be Zoom webinars. Registration is open. 

Iran at a Crossroads - speaker Dr. Mehdi Noorbaksh
By the fall of 2022, Iran was in a state of turmoil due to widespread protests against government-enforced wearing of the hijab, a failing economy, an ineffective new president, and the looming succession of the country’s leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. Abroad, renewal of the Iran nuclear deal seemed doubtful and tensions remain high between Iran, Israel, and Arab states. Many Iranians have lost hope of a better future, and the country seems at a crossroads. How should the United States deal with it?

Additional Dates and Topics
February 14: Energy Geopolitics
February 21: War Crimes
February 28: China & the U.S.
March 7: Economic Warfare
March 14: Politics in Latin America
March 21: Global Famine
March 28: Climate Migration
April 4: Iran at a Crossroads

Eight Tuesdays, starting February 14
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm 
The Great Decisions Lecture Series is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program model involves reading the Great Decisions Briefing Book, watching the documentary film series, and meeting in a discussion group to discuss the most critical global issues facing America today. Fredricksen Library partners with World Affairs Council of Harrisburg to host this annual discussion series. The first and last lectures are held Feb. 14 and April 4 in person at the library at 5 pm. All others will be Zoom webinars. Registration is open. 

Climate Migration - speaker Don Brown -- Scholar In Residence, Sustainability Ethics and Law, Widener University School of Law
As climate change accelerates and drought and rising sea levels become more common, millions of people in affected regions must uproot themselves and seek safety elsewhere. Who are these affected individuals, and how might the United States aid them, and be affected by the migration?

Additional Dates and Topics
February 14: Energy Geopolitics
February 21: War Crimes
February 28: China & the U.S.
March 7: Economic Warfare
March 14: Politics in Latin America
March 21: Global Famine
March 28: Climate Migration
April 4: Iran at a Crossroads

Eight Tuesdays, starting February 14
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm 
The Great Decisions Lecture Series is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program model involves reading the Great Decisions Briefing Book, watching the documentary film series, and meeting in a discussion group to discuss the most critical global issues facing America today. Fredricksen Library partners with World Affairs Council of Harrisburg to host this annual discussion series. The first and last lectures are held Feb. 14 and April 4 in person at the library at 5 pm. All others will be Zoom webinars. Registration is open. 

Global Famine - speaker William Lambers, author and historian
Fears of global food shortages have followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has disrupted grain shipments from the major grain producer. But what about countries and regions that were suffering before this impending shortage? How is famine defined, and how is it different from simple food shortages? What if any remedies are there?

Additional Dates and Topics
February 14: Energy Geopolitics
February 21: War Crimes
February 28: China & the U.S.
March 7: Economic Warfare
March 14: Politics in Latin America
March 21: Global Famine
March 28: Climate Migration
April 4: Iran at a Crossroads

Eight Tuesdays, starting February 14
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm 
The Great Decisions Lecture Series is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program model involves reading the Great Decisions Briefing Book, watching the documentary film series, and meeting in a discussion group to discuss the most critical global issues facing America today. Fredricksen Library partners with World Affairs Council of Harrisburg to host this annual discussion series. The first and last lectures are held Feb. 14 and April 4 in person at the library at 5 pm. All others will be Zoom webinars. Registration is open. 

Politics in Latin America - speaker Dr. Evan Ellis, US Army War College
Electoral results in Latin America over the past four years have led many observers of the regional/political scene to discern a left-wing surge in the hemisphere, reminiscent of the so-called “Pink Tide” that swept the area some 20 years ago. But how much do these politicians actually have in common? What implication does their ascendency have for the region?

Additional Dates and Topics
February 14: Energy Geopolitics
February 21: War Crimes
February 28: China & the U.S.
March 7: Economic Warfare
March 14: Politics in Latin America
March 21: Global Famine
March 28: Climate Migration
April 4: Iran at a Crossroads

Eight Tuesdays, starting February 14
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm 
The Great Decisions Lecture Series is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program model involves reading the Great Decisions Briefing Book, watching the documentary film series, and meeting in a discussion group to discuss the most critical global issues facing America today. Fredricksen Library partners with World Affairs Council of Harrisburg to host this annual discussion series. The first and last lectures are held Feb. 14 and April 4 in person at the library at 5 pm. All others will be Zoom webinars. Registration is open. 

Economic Warfare
Waging economic warfare consists of a variety of measures from implementing sanctions to fomenting labor strikes. Such tools are utilized by states to hinder their enemies, and in the case of the United States have been used as far back as the early 19th century. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, economic warfare has been the main means for the west to challenge Russia. How effective will these sanctions be at convincing Russia to cease its war?

Additional Dates and Topics
February 14: Energy Geopolitics
February 21: War Crimes
February 28: China & the U.S.
March 7: Economic Warfare
March 14: Politics in Latin America
March 21: Global Famine
March 28: Climate Migration
April 4: Iran at a Crossroads

Eight Tuesdays, starting February 14
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm 
The Great Decisions Lecture Series is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program model involves reading the Great Decisions Briefing Book, watching the documentary film series, and meeting in a discussion group to discuss the most critical global issues facing America today. Fredricksen Library partners with World Affairs Council of Harrisburg to host this annual discussion series. The first and last lectures are held Feb. 14 and April 4 in person at the library at 5 pm. All others will be Zoom webinars. Registration is open. 

February 28: China & the U.S.
For the past ten years, the United States and China have been locked in a competition for who has the greatest global influence. One major point of contention is the status of Taiwanese sovereignty, which has become even more relevant recently with the possibility that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may prompt China to take similar action regarding Taiwan. How will the United States engage a China which is increasingly seeking to expand its sphere of influence?

Additional Dates and Topics
February 14: Energy Geopolitics
February 21: War Crimes
February 28: China & the U.S.
March 7: Economic Warfare
March 14: Politics in Latin America
March 21: Global Famine
March 28: Climate Migration
April 4: Iran at a Crossroads