The Color Purple
2023. PG-13.141 minutes.

In 1909 Celie a black American girl is given away in marriage by her abusive father to a local farmer Albert who treats her cruelly. Celie is God fearing and deliverance comes in the form of jazz singer who takes her away to another city far away from her misery. She now gets her long due happiness.

Refreshments will be served. Subtitles are shown whenever possible. This is a free event open to the public. 

Join Portsmouth Public Library in welcoming Amanda Lovelace (she/they) and Parker Lee (she/them) for a poetry reading and Q&A over Zoom! In celebration of National Poetry Month we’re very excited to host Amanda, who is the author of several bestselling poetry titles, including their celebrated "women are some kind of magic" series, along with their partner Parker, who is a trans and non-binary poet and storyteller, as well as the author of “espresso shots & forget-me-nots”.

Want to borrow their books from the library? Click one of the links below!

Have you ever gazed over the river and wondered about the historic Portsmouth Naval Shipyard? Do you have relatives who may have worked there, or served on a submarine stationed there for repairs? Have you ever been curious about the naval prison? Would you like to see the Russo-Japanese Peace Treaty signing room?  This month we are taking a tour, and look forward to hosting this exciting event with the staff of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard!

People of all ages are welcome to join us at the library to watch the solar eclipse! We will kick things off at 1 PM with eclipse activities, food, and trivia. At 3:30 PM the eclipse should be in totality, starting at 3 PM we will gather outside on the library's lawn to watch the eclipse.

Curious about this year's total solar eclipse? New Hampshire is in the path of totality this April 8th. Come learn all about the beautiful phenomenon of eclipses. We will discuss the science behind lunar and solar eclipses, how to view eclipses safely, and where & when to watch on April 8. This is a beautiful coincidence that only occurs on planet Earth and we're lucky enough that it's in our lifetime!

Following the presentation, we will show you how to make a pinhole viewer. Please bring a shoebox if you want to participate.

Beginning Monday March 25, the library will have eclipse glasses to distribute to library cardholders and those who can prove Portsmouth residency.

Supplies are limited and this giveaway of one pair of glasses per household will last until we are out of glasses.

Please bring proof of residency or your library card to pick up a pair of glasses to view the Solar Eclipse on Monday April 8.

Bonus! Attend one of our upcoming Eclipse programs and receive an extra pair of glasses. These are free and open to all: