SANIBEL PUBLIC LIBRARY The Sanibel Public Library will host a virtual author talk on April 9 with Colum McCann and Diane Foley.

The Sanibel Public Library provides a variety of programming for adults and children.

With support from the Sanibel Public Library Foundation, the library has launched a series of virtual author talks to include bestselling authors and thought leaders. The next one will take place on April 9 at 2 p.m. with New York Times bestseller and National Book Award winner Colum McCann. He will be joined by Diane Foley, the inspiration behind the heartrending book “American Mother.”

McCann is the author of seven novels, three collections of stories and two works of non-fiction. He has been the recipient of international honors, including the U.S National Book Award, International Dublin Literary Prize, a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government, election to the Irish Arts Academy, European awards, 2010 Best Foreign Novel Award in China and an Oscar nomination. In 2017, McCann was elected to the American Academy of Arts. His work has been published in over 40 languages. He is the president and co-founder of the non-profit global story exchange organization, Narrative 4. McCann is the Thomas Hunter Writer in Residence at Hunter College in New York. His novel, “Apeirogon,” became a New York Times best-seller and won several international awards. His first major non-fiction book, “American Mother,” published in March.

Foley is a mother of five, including American freelance conflict journalist James W. Foley. She founded the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation in 2014, less than a month after his public execution. Foley is currently serving as president and executive director of the foundation. Since 2014, she has led its efforts to fund the start of Hostage US and the International Alliance for a Culture of Safety, ACOS. In 2015, Foley participated in the National Counterterrorism Center hostage review, which culminated in the Presidential Policy Directive-30. The directive reorganized U.S. efforts on behalf of Americans taken hostage abroad into an interagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and a Hostage Recovery Group at the White House. Previously, she worked first as a community health nurse and then as a family nurse practitioner for 18 years. Foley received both her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of New Hampshire.

A question-and-answer session with the author will follow.

SANIBEL PUBLIC LIBRARY Family Storytime will take place on April 5 from 10:30 to 11 a.m. at the Sanibel Public Library.

To register for the author talk, visit https://libraryc.org/sanlib/upcoming.

Additionally, the library has the following programs scheduled:

Poetry Share will be held on April 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants can bring a poem to read that is not theirs.

Also on April 3, a Rainbow Scavenger Hunt and Craft will take place from 3:30 to 4 p.m. Go on a rainbow scavenger hunt, enjoy a rainbow snack and make a rainbow craft with staffer Shannon Gafgen. Youths must be accompanied by a caregiver.

Family Storytime for ages 5 and under and their caregiver will be held on April 5 from 10:30 to 11 a.m. with Gafgen. Sing, read, question and move around during the stories, followed by early literacy centers of play to flex minds, motor skills and creativity. The program will include an art/craft center.

SANIBEL PUBLIC LIBRARY The Sanibel Public Library will hold an Eclipse Watch Party on April 8 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

On April 8, an Eclipse Watch Party will take place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. View the solar eclipse in a designated viewing area. Eclipse glasses will be available, while supplies last. Peak totality will occur at about 3 p.m. for the area.

Be a Librarian! will be held on April 10 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Celebrate National Library week with a “library” themed story and an opportunity for youths to learn how to work as a librarian, to include checking out books to patrons, shelving and labeling new books, and other fun duties. Suitable for ages 5-12.

For the most up-to-date information, visit the calendar at https://sanlib.org/.

Library cards are available to residents of Sanibel and Lee County at no charge. Visitor library cards are available for a $10 annual fee.

The Sanibel Public Library is open Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, call 239-472-2483 or visit https://sanlib.org/.

The Sanibel Public Library is at 770 Dunlop Road, Sanibel.