Whether you are a fan of the old adage about hindsight, you grew up watching Barbara Walters, or you just like a nice round number, 2020’s arrival feels significant. Here at the Belmont Public Library, it has provided both an opportunity for reflection and a chance to think about the future.
It was about ten years ago that Emily Reardon, then Coordinator of Public Services, assembled a group of community members to select the third One Book One Belmont read,
Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919. Staff often hear that Dark Tide is a patron's favorite One Book One Belmont, though the reason why is never the same. Some enjoyed being immersed in local history, including a tour of the North End with other patrons and author Stephen Puleo. Others enjoyed the book’s ability to attract readers of all ages. Some even remember sharing their families’ immigration story, through a program call
Our Immigrant Ancestors: A History in Photos.
Ten years on from
Dark Tide and the library continues to adapt and change in exciting ways. We’ve expanded evening hours and weekend hours, giving community members and families in particular the chance to visit the library together. EBook lending increased, no kidding, one thousand percent since 2010. Library resources can now be utilized from home, in the car, on a long flight, or really anywhere you feel like it. In 2018, Town Moderator Mike Widmer formed the Library Building Committee; two years later and hundreds of hours invested in hearing community feedback, we have a schematic design for the new library.
One thing that hasn’t changed, and will never change, is the library’s commitment to welcoming and guiding inquiring minds. It doesn’t matter if you’re 2 or 92. It doesn’t matter if you read on your phone or, like many patrons, you still like the feel of a book in your hands. As far back as 1919, through the beginning of the new millennium and for years to come, the Belmont Public Library is your place for exploration, excitement, and enjoyment.
If you haven’t had a chance to visit the library lately, we invite you to drop by. If you know someone who doesn’t know about all the great stuff we offer (Books! Online Resources! A
Library of Things! Comic Con!) tell them about us. Read on for a list of highlighted winter events, and help us let everyone know: the Belmont Public Library is yours to discover.
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Tonight! Local author Len Abram discusses
Tues, January 21st
7pm, Assembly Room
Join Len Abram to discuss his new book, Empty Doorways, a gritty, raw depiction of the busy streets of Boston neighborhood Mattapan. Violent, drug-related crime hides in every corner, where children like Gabriel Clay go missing. Each of Abram's characters has a secret that can help uncover the truth about the 12-year old boy.
Upcoming Author Events
Sponsored by the
Friends
of the Belmont Public Library.
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Volkan Efe Trio presents East Dances with West
Saturday, February 29th
3pm, Assembly Room
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Turkish music with a twist, inspired by Vienna’s waltzes, Argentina’s tangos and Balkan sirtos.
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Funded in part by the Belmont Cultural Council
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Blues, Ballads and Bebop with Peter Bloom and Mark Leighton
Saturday, March 21st
3pm, Assembly Room
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Come hear a captivating mix of beguiling ballads, high-energy blues, and sizzling bebop numbers, by great tunesmiths like Hoagy Carmichael, Harold Arlen, Clifford Brown, Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, Mercer Ellington, and others.
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Svetlana Krasnova - Classical Piano
Saturday, April 4th
3pm, Assembly Room
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Classical pianist and Powers music teacher will play Beethoven Bagatelles op.126,
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition on the Library’s very own Steinway.
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Music on Saturdays sponsored by the
Friends
of the Belmont Public Library.
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Club de español
welcomes those wishing to practice and speak Spanish together in a low-key, supportive environment. All who enjoy speaking Spanish are welcome. View our
website for more information.
Scheduled meetups
Flett Room:
*Tue, Jan 28: 1pm
*Sat, Feb 8: 11am
*Tue, Feb 25: 1pm
*Sat, Mar 14: 11am
*Tue, Mar 24: 1pm
All are welcome to attend.
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Join librarians Chris and Lauren to discuss real events stranger than fiction. The groups first meeting will be in February, date coming soon, to discuss
Master Thieves by Stephen Kurkjian
. The book is Kurkjian’s take on what happened and who might have been responsible for the still-unsolved Isabella Stewart Gardner heist.
Scheduled meetups
Thursdays 7pm. Flett Room:
*Feb 27: Master Thieves
*Mar 19:
Stiff
by Mary Roach
All are welcome to attend.
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Belmont Comic Con is a free, all-ages event celebrating comics and graphic novels as art, as literature, and as a part of pop culture! This event will bring together fans, young and old, and creators for a jam-packed day of panels, workshops, photo ops, and fun. Our comic convention will feature an Artist’s Alley, Cosplay Contest, and a keynote the preceding Wednesday on graphic novels and literacy from Dr. Laura M. Jiminez. Visit our
Comic Con page
to learn more, or if you are interested in being an artist’s alley vendor or a panelist, email
blmcomics@minlib.net
!
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Keynote with Dr. Laura Jim
é
nez
Comics as a Literacy Tool
Wednesday, March 25th
7pm, Assembly Room
Join Dr. Laura
Jiménez
, lecturer and Department Chair for Language & Literacy at BU Wheelock College, as she delves into the history of graphic novels and explains why they have been traditionally underutilized as a literacy tool
.
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Funded in part by the Belmont Cultural Council
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Sponsored by the
Friends of the Belmont Public Library.
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Mon-Thu: 9-9 (Children's Room: 9-8)
Fri-Sat: 9-5
Sun: 1-5
Closed Monday, February 17th
for Presidents' Day
Visit our
website
for up-to-date information and schedule changes.
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