MADISON – Senior citizens and retirees can take a refreshing break and sharpen their minds with sessions in April for “Brain Building for Seniors” at Madison Public Library.

The brain building sessions on Thursdays convene in Auditorium 2 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the library. “We meet to engage in new activities, meet new people, learn about the community and share knowledge,” Adult Services Librarian Michelle Brightwell said.

“Research shows that there are three main keys to keeping your brain functioning well as we age: learning new skills, staying social, and keeping your body active,” Brightwell said. “The library can help retirees and senior citizens with learning new skills and staying social.”

Brightwell will lead the session for “Interpreting Your Facebook Feed” on April 11. “In this hour-long session of Brain Building, I will cover the basics of what shows up on your Facebook feed and how to categorize the information presented on your feed,” she said.

“Finally, we will discuss how to properly scrutinize articles and postings to determine their validity. What is real? What is fake?” Brightwell said.

“Games and Puzzles”, again with Brightwell as presenter, will be the source of activity on April 18. The library will provide a selection of games, puzzles and other activities. “This relaxed session of Brain Building encourages socializing, while also exercising parts of our brains that we might not use every day,” she said.

On April 25, Melissa Kirkindall with the Speaker’s Bureau of North Alabama Master Gardeners will give a special presentation. “Melissa will be educating us on hummingbirds in North Alabama and how to attract hummingbirds with gardening and landscaping,” Brightwell said. Kirkindall is well known for attracting thousands of hummingbirds (in season) daily to her home in Madison.

Madison Public Library’s address is 142 Plaza Blvd. For more information, call 256-461-0046.