Bats might never look cuddly, but they’ll always be an essential part of the global ecosystem. Three Smithsonian-affiliated scientists take a close look at these winged mammals during the next Ocean County Library Virtual Author Talk on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m.

Rachel A. Page, Dina K.N. Dechmann and M. Teague O’Mara teamed with award-winning photojournalist Christian Zeigler for a captivating visual account of these elusive, biodiverse night flyers, in the documentary “Bat Island: A Rare…