Library to relive Dust Bowl era

“Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry,” a national traveling exhibition about the causes and aftermath of the historic Dust Bowl period, will open on Sunday, Jan. 11 from 1 to 5 p.m. at East Meadow Public Library, on 1886 Front St. The exhibit will remain inside the building until Feb. 18.

The exhibition recalls a tragic period in American history — the drought and dust storms that wreaked havoc on the Great Plains in the 1930s — and explores its environmental and cultural consequences. It raises several thought-provoking questions: What caused fertile farms to turn to dust? How did people survive? What lessons can we learn?

The Dust Bowl was one of the worst man-made ecological disasters in American history. East Meadow is one of only 25 libraries in the country selected to help make the public more aware of this important historical event.

“Dust, Drought and Dreams Gone Dry” will be accompanied by a series of free library programs, including workshops, lectures and film screenings. The EMPL programs will include education of how to prepare for natural and man-made catastrophic events on Long Island.

The exhibition was organized by the American Library Association Public Programs Office, the Oklahoma State University Library, and the Mount Holyoke College Library. It was made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.

For more information, call (516) 794-2570 ext. 560, or go to eastmeadow.info.

All day programs:

■ Mapping the Past to the Present with Cartographer David Stolarz
Bring in copies of photos: Where were you in the 1930s, ’40’s,’50s? Bring in your old pictures. We will make copies and pinpoint them for you on our giant map of Nassau County. Children, bring in your photos, too. We will put you on the map.

■ Create a Beach Globe with Demi Jones (Toddlers to Tottering)
Artist Demi Jones will be here all afternoon to create the beach in a jar with you using sand and shells from our own shores. If you have something special you want in your jar, or a special jar — bring it along.

■ The Museum of Interesting Things