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Announcing One Book One Belmont 2018
This October, the Belmont Public Library will present Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as the featured title for One Book One Belmont 2018, the library's seventh community reading program.
The library and 13 community organizations invite town residents to read the book and participate in book discussions and other exciting activities. Charlotte Gordon, author of Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft & Mary Shelley, will cap the month-long celebration on the evening of Thursday November 1st at the Beech Street Center with a talk focused on the life of Mary Shelley, her mother Mary Wollstonecraft, and the lasting impact of her novel.
The selection of Frankenstein is particularly timely: as the library commemorates its 150th anniversary, communities around the world are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the publication of the Frankenstein, first released in 1818 by the teenage Mary Shelley. The groundbreaking novel gave birth to two literary genres, science fiction and horror. Over the course of the 75 years that followed it would inspire such classic works in the horror realm as Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Bram Stokers Dracula, and in science fiction, Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues under the Sea and H.G. Wells' The Time Machine.
Jill Lepore of the New Yorker writes "Frankenstein, the story of a creature who has no name, has for two hundred years been made to mean just about anything. . . . It's four stories in one: an allegory, a fable, an epistolary novel, and an autobiography, a chaos of literary fertility."
Library Director Peter Struzziero is especially excited for this year's selection and suggests that, while a different direction from past programs, it's one that can be a really special effort in 2018. "Frankenstein is a book being celebrated all over the world this year, and in truth, it's my favorite book, one that I've connected with deeply all of my life," he says. "While I'm sure Mary Shelley would like to join us, she's been "unable" since 1851, so in her stead we are so thrilled to have Charlotte Gordon coming to join us in celebration of Frankenstein, and Mary Shelley specifically."
An associate professor of English at Endicott College, Charlotte Gordon has written the first dual biography of Mary Shelley and her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, a leading advocate of equal rights for women known also for her unconventional lifestyle. Writes Moira Macdonald, art critic for the Seattle Times, "Romantic Outlaws tells the tale of the two remarkable Mary's whose lives only overlapped by 10 days. Gordon chooses to let their stories unfold not chronologically, but side by side in alternating chapters; an audacious choice that lets us see how the daughter's life mirrored that of her unconventional mother."
New York Times writer Cristina Nehring explains that Gordon's goal in this biography, her third work of history, is to tack back and forth between the literary love lives of both women in order to show that Mary Shelley was "steeped . . . in her mother's ideas" and that the two were temperamental twins, even if their existences hardly overlapped.
One Book One Belmont 2018 is supported by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library and the following co-sponsors: Belmont Against Racism, Belmont Books, The Belmont Chinese American Association, The Belmont Citizen-Herald, Belmont Gallery of Art, The Belmont Garden Club, The Belmont Historical Society, The Belmont Library Foundation, Belmont Media Center, The Council on Aging, The Department of Public Works, and The Human Rights Commission.
Residents may borrow Frankenstein from the library in many different formats: hardcover, paperback, large print, book on
CD
, ebook or audiobook from the Overdrive catalog and on some of the library's circulating Kindles. To place a request, visit the library website at belmontpubliclibrary.net or call the reference desk, 617-993-2870.
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Summer Reading now through August 18th
Now through August 18th
This year's Summer Reading Program, Libraries Rock!, has got something for everyone, kids, teens, and adults alike! The program runs June 18th through August 18th; prizes include books for kids, trinkets and gift cards for teens, and an end-of-the summer Kindle Fire raffle for Adults! Visit our website to find out how you can participate, or come into the library to register in person.
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150th Anniversary July Celebration: The Dog Days of Summer
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150 Years, 150 Things to Do at the Library! Cont'd from June
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47.
Read a book found in our "New Books" section;
48.
Read a book that's less than 150 pages;
49.
Read the New York Times online, at home or in the library;
50.
Read a book from our Young Adult Room, not just for teens!
51.
Grab a great read from a local author in our "Local Spotlight" collection;
52.
Download an eAudiobook using Libby or Hoopla;
53.
Read Belmont newspapers from 1890 to present online;
54.
Use our free wifi located throughout the Library;
55.
Have lunch by the creek at one of our picnic tables;
56.
Meet one of our great staff members;
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57.
Borrow a Kill-o-Watt monitor to see how much energy your home appliances use;
58.
Use one of our public computers to browse the web, email, or print;
59.
Attend a Library Building Committee Meeting;
60.
Get involved with our community read, One Book, One Belmont;
61.
Borrow one of the Library's Kindles, which come preloaded with dozens of fiction and nonfiction bestsellers;
62.
Attend one of the Library's ongoing book clubs, like the Belmont Book Discussion Club or the Senior Book Discussion Group;
63.
Check out the best community bulletin board in town, just outside the Children's Room;
64.
Join our Knitting Club;
65.
Use one of our study carrels to write your next great novel.
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And let us know what you like to do at the library by emailing
askbelmont@minlib.net
with the subject: 150 Things to Do!
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Harry Potter Escape Room 
Monday, July 30th & Tuesday July 31st
7pm, Assembly Room
Celebrate Harry Potter's birthday with our Hogwarts Escape Room! You'll have 45 minutes to find the mysterious something that Professor McGonagall hid that will help you stand up to the death Eaters currently running Hogwart's. Sessions for ages 8 to 12, 13 to 17, and 18 and up available.
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Farmers' Market
Pop-up Library at the Farmers' Market
Thursdays: July 5th, August 2nd, September 6th, and October 4th
2-5pm, Community Tent
This summer, we're back at the Farmers Market once a month to bring you bestsellers, fun activities, and information about all our resources.
The Children's Department will also be at the market every week to read stories at 4pm.
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Movie Club: Rocky (1976, PG)
Viewing: Wednesday, July 11th
6:30pm, Assembly Room
Discussion: Tuesday, June 25th
7pm, Flett Room
 Dial M for Movies is the Library's movie club, hosted by Library Director Peter Struzziero. Join Peter for the film viewing - with popcorn of course - then come back later in the month to discuss the film. This month's movie stars Sylvester Stallone as Rocky, the one in a million underdog out to shock the world. Rocky was nominated for 10 Oscars, winning three including Best Picture.
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 Knitting Club
Fridays, 12:30-2:30pm
Do you enjoy knitting or would you like to learn how?
Drop in to the Library's Knitting Club, anytime Fridays between 12:30-2:30pm in the Library Flett Room. Bring your knitting, or other portable crafts or projects, and we can get to know each other as we knit. Jocelyn Milton, club leader, will be available for informal instruction. No sign up or registration necessary, just bring needles and yarn and we'll get you started!
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BOOK DISCUSSIONS, DISPLAYS, & LISTS
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Senior Book Discussion Group
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Friday, July 13th
11am, Beech Street Center
266 Beech Street
The senior book discussion group will discuss the novel
The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The senior book discussion
group is co-sponsored by the Belmont Public Library and the Belmont Council on Aging. All are
welcome to attend.
Belmont Book Discussion
Wednesday, July 18th
3pm, Flett Room
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 This month, we've added a new themed display on the main floor: in the West Wing Reading Room we have some books on astronomy, planets, and star gazing. We've put these books out to prepare for an Astronomy night we've planned for August. Check them out the next time you're in the library!
Looking for a themed, curated list of books? Our staff librarians are hard at work, compiling book lists that relate to our programming, the time of year, or just for fun! See what's new this month, or visit our
Book Lists
page to see all of the lists.
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Chalk the Walk
Thursday, July 5th
10:30am, Outside the Children's Room
Calling all budding artists! The library's front sidewalk will become your concrete canvas. The chalk is provided, just bring yourself and your imagination. All ages
Farmers' Market Storytime
4pm, Events Tent,
Town Center parking lot
Channing Road and Cross Street
Join the library's Children's Librarians for these fun, all-ages storytimes at the Market!
Monday, July 12th
10:30am,
Assembly Room
Mike Dorval will introduce you to chemistry through the wonders of bubbles. You may even find your in a bubble! Ages 5 and up.
Thursday, July 12th
10:30am, Assembly Room
Join Emily Hall for a stomping good time in sing-along! For ages 6 and under.
Ukeladies Babies & Toddlers Sing-a-long
 Mondays, July 16th and 23rd
10:30am, Assembly Room
Join our Children's librarians, Adrienne and Rachel, to sing, dance and play their ukuleles along with favorite songs, old and new.
Recommended for ages 2 and under.
Wingmasters: Birds of Prey
Tuesday, July 17th
2pm, Assembly Room
Meet real birds, learn about the raptors place at the top of the food web, their different hunting adaptations and their status in a rapidly changing world.
STEM Playgroup
Wednesdays July 18th - August 15th
9:30-11:30am, Assembly Room
Even the youngest children can explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Join us for a fun-filled time with free play, activity centers and circle time with songs and movement activities. For age 5 and under.
Watertown Children's Theater
Thursday, July 19th
10:30am, Assembly Room
The Break a Leg Troupe for kids in grades 3-8 will be presenting a one-of-a-kind theater piece! For all ages.
Sciencetellers: Mystery of the Golden Piano
Wednesday, July 25th
2pm, Assembly Room
Grab your spurs and journey with us to the Wild West, where a legendary bank-robbing outlaw is back in town, about to strike again! Throughout this absolutely wild adventure story, volunteers from the audience will help us explore the
fascinating science behind chemical reactions, combustion, air pressure, inertia and more. Don't miss this classic action-packed western with 'notes' of science!
DIY Musical Instruments Craft
Thursday, July 26th
10:30am, Assembly Room
Come make your own instrument out of recycled materials! Start your own band with all your friends at the Library. Recommended for ages 4 and up.
Ed's Magic Tricks Workshop
Tuesday, July 31st
4pm, Assembly Room
A magician never reveals his tricks...except to budding young magicians! Ed will teach you the ins and outs of a few tricks and how to present them so you can really wow a crowd! For ages 8 and up.
Ed's Magic Show
Tuesday July 31st
6:30pm, Assembly Room
Ed's Magical Moments show will entertain and amaze! The kids in the audience are the stars and help make the magic happen! For all ages.
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Teen Tinker Tuesdays
Want to see the library's 3D printer in action? Want to create something with our craft supplies? Want to try your hand at an electronics project? Just want to tinker? Join us for Teen Tinker Tuesday, starting this month! For teens in grades 6 to 12.
 Anime Club
Wednesday, July 18th
1:45-3:00pm,
Assembly Room
Teen
LG
B
T
Q
I
A+ Drop In
Tuesday, July 24th
6-7pm, Flett Room
Are you a lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, queer, intersex, or asexual teen? Or are you a teen ally? Join us for LGBTQIA+ drop in, where you can meet and hang with like-minded teens in a safe, welcoming environment! For grades 6-12.
Teen Advisory Board (TAB)
3pm, Flett Room
Teens, grades 9 and up join TAB and get comm
unity service.
TAB meets once a month, but you don't have to attend every month.
We eat pizza, work on a volunteer project, and plan u
pcoming teen volunteer programs. Email
rmoir@minlib.net
for more details.
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The Belmont Cultural Council and Carol Berney Present:
Bee Safari
Saturday, July 14th (rain date July 15th)
9:30-11am, Habitat Education & Wildlife Sanctuary
Register
online, in person, or call 617 993-2870.
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All programs run by the Library are free and open to the public. The Assembly and Flett Rooms are accessible to persons with disabilities.
Belmont Public Library Newsletter brought to you by:
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