ADDISON COUNTY — The Ilsley Public Library in Middlebury is a valuable resource to our community in many ways. One population group that the library works closely with is the senior community in Addison County. From classes and reading groups, to lecture series and bridge groups, the library is a venue where seniors get excellent opportunities to stay engaged through their retirement.
The First Wednesdays lecture series is one of the library’s draws for seniors, as well as the general public. The series — sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council and the Lodge at Otter Creek with local help from the Friends of Ilsley Library —  invites a lecturer on the first Wednesday of every month to speak about topics ranging from the arts to philosophy, politics to music. The speaker this Wednesday, Nov. 7, is Mansour Farhang, a former Iranian Ambassador to the U.N. and professor at Bennington College. Farhang will consider Iran’s nuclear intent and some of the consequences and compromises of a peaceful settlement in that area.
The First Wednesdays lecture series runs from October through May and takes place in the Ilsley meeting room at 7 p.m.
Other lectures are offered periodically through Ilsley Library, including lectures by authors and specialists in other research. According to adult services and technology librarian Chris Kirby at the Ilsley,