Sunday, April 10

Lecture Howard County Library presents author Alexander McCall Smith from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the east Columbia branch, 6600 Cradlerock Way in Columbia. McCall Smith will speak on the topic, "The Very Small Things of Life" as he promotes book 12 in "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series. Registration is required. To register: 410-313-7700 or hclibrary.org.

Open house Beginning at 9 a.m., the Columbia Jewish Community School and Columbia Jewish Congregation hold an open house. Program includes a bagel brunch, an opportunity to meet officials and staff from the school and synagogue, as well as visits to classrooms. Registration materials and discount coupons will be made available to new families that attend. Directions and information: 410-294-3205.

Dance performance Kinetics Dance Theatre presents its spring dance concert, "Spectrum!," at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at Howard County Center for the Arts, 8510 High Ridge Road in Ellicott City. Tickets are $10, $5 for seniors and children 12 and younger. Information: 410-480-1686.

Music series The New Pacific Trio, featuring violinist Ann Miller, performs at the Sundays at Three Chamber Music Series concert at Christ Episcopal Church, 6800 Oakland Mills Road in Columbia. Program includes trios for violin, cello and piano by Joseph Haydn, Charles Ives, Johannes Brahms and Astor Piazzolla. Tickets are $15, free for those 17 and younger with an adult. Information: 410-992-0145 or go to sundaysatthree.org.

Recital Judith Cavendish performs at 4 p.m. at Howard Community College's Monteabaro Recital Hall in the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. Tickets are $15, $10 for seniors, and $5 for students, faculty and staff. Information: 443-518-4800.

Free concert The Columbia Bands will hold a concert at 3 p.m. at River Hill High School in Clarksville. Featured bands are the Columbia Concert Band and Columbia Jazz Band. The concert will consist of a variety of music, ranging from "Gandalf" to "Come Fly With Me." Information: 301-596-9783 or go to columbiabands.org.

Monday, April 11

College fair The Columbia Association Teen Advisory Committee and Howard County Library co-sponsor a free college fair from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Centennial High School, 4300 Centennial Lane in Ellicott City. Representatives from more than 100 schools nationwide will be in attendance. Information: 410-715-5523 or go to columbiaassociation.org.

Passport services The Passport Acceptance Facility at Howard County Library's east Columbia branch, 6600 Cradlerock Way, offers passport applications and photos from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Information: 410-313-7700.

Tuesday, April 12

Concert Jazz piano duo of Harry Appelman and Alan Blackman perform a concert of standards, originals and improvisational music at 7:30 p.m. at Howard Community College's Monteabaro Recital Hall in the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. Tickets are $15, $10 for seniors, and $5 for students, faculty and staff. Information: 443-518-4800.

Howard County PFLAG Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays holds its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. Meeting is free, confidential and open to the public. Information: 443-280-9047 or 443-545-9863.

School news The Audit Committee of the Board of Education holds a meeting at 8:30 a.m. in the Board Planning Room at 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City. Information: 410-313-6680.

Thursday, April 14

Meeting The Howard County Board of Education will hold a regularly scheduled meeting at 4 p.m. at 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City. Both the afternoon and the evening session, which convenes at 7:30 p.m., begin with a public forum, during which members of the public can address the board on any topic other than those for which a formal public hearing process exists. Information: 410-313-7194.

Saturday, April 16

Ballet performance The Misako Ballet Company presents a studio concert for families with children at 1 p.m. at 5485 Harper's Farm Road, Suite 203. The performance will feature Japanese and contemporary dances. Information: 410-884-9690 or go to misakoballet.com.

Annual walk Special Olympics sponsors its 10th annual "Inspiration Walk" at Centennial Park. Proceeds from the event provide funding for a year-round sports training and athletic competition program in 19 sports for more than 500 Howard County children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the walk kicks off at 9:15 a.m. Pre-walk activities begin at 8:30 a.m. and warm-up exercises begin at 8:45 a.m. For more information and donation forms, call 410-740-0500 or go to somdhc.org.

Film series The Columbia Jewish Congregation's annual film series concludes with "A Late Marriage." Screening takes place at the Columbia Jewish Congregation, 5885 Robert Oliver Place, Room 200. Tickets are $9. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; screening begins at 8 p.m. Refreshments and post-film discussion included. Information: 410-381-4809, 410-997-0694 or SBloch@comcast.net.

Future

'Jazz in the Mills' The Lavenia Nesmith Quintet and Ellington-Adderly Jazz Youth Ensemble perform from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 17, at The Other Barn, 5851 Robert Oliver Place in Columbia. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at The Other Barn or online at brownpapertickets.com/event/144233. Information: 410-730-1129.

Gospel show The ninth annual Gospel Extravaganza will be held at 6 p.m. April 30 at the Jim Rouse Theatre at Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Lane in Columbia. Among the performers are the Sons of Harmony and Gospel Revelations, McDaniel College Gospel Choir, James Fenimore Cooper Male Chorus, and a steel-drum performance by Tage on Steel. Tickets are $20, $8 for children 12 and younger.

Proceeds benefit the Office on Aging's Vivian L. Reid Community Fund, which provides emergency financial assistance to senior citizens in need, and the Tau Pi Foundation Scholarship fund, which provides scholarships to college-bound high school students. Information: 410-313-6410 or 301-443-5214.

Blood drive Donations can be made between 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 21, at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way in Columbia. To make an appointment, call 410-381-4546 or email blooddrive@uucolumbia.net. Walk-ins accepted.

Announcements for the datebook may be sent by mail to The Baltimore Sun in Howard County, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore 21278; by email to howard.events@baltsun.com; or by fax to 410-332-6455.