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DIRECTOR'S CORNER
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The Library has begun its final phase of our envelope weatherization project. We have temporarily closed our East Wing to utilize a Green Communities grant to update the insulation in the attic. We will replace the ceiling after this work is done and install energy efficient lighting. We expect for this work to take 5-7 weeks, but we will look for all opportunities to shorten the time frame as much as possible.
During this time we will have limited access to our non-fiction collections, but all new non-fiction books are available in the West Wing. We thank you in advance for your patience during this work. For additional information or to share feedback, please feel free to email me
pstruzziero@minlib.net or call (617) 993-2852.
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Low Vision Reader Now Available
Do you or someone you know have trouble reading normal sized text or seeing all the details of images because of reduced vision? The Belmont Public Library is pleased to announce that we will once again be setting up our Merlin elite HD/OCR low vision reader.
The device is capable of magnifying text and images from any document onto its large HD CCTV screen (it even works well with tablets and smart phones!) and has a text-to-speech function that can read simple documents aloud.
Please call the reference desk at 617-993-2870 if you have any questions. If you are interested in using the text-to-speech function, please bring your own headphones or come with $1 cash to purchase a set of earbuds from the reference desk.
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 Two Weeks Left to Donate to PJ Drive
The Library has teamed up with the Boston Bruins and Cradles to Crayons for their
Annual PJ Drive.
Help us collect pairs of new pajamas for babies, children, and teens to benefit DCF Kids and Cradles to Crayons.
Patrons who donate new PJs will be entered into a raffle to win a new Kindle Fire!
Coordinated by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) and the Boston Bruins. Drop off new PJ donations at the Circulation Desk and in the Children's Room.
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Books in Bloom 2018
Thanks to everyone who came to the Library (in gale force winds no less!) to view all of the beautiful floral interpretations of books on display from March 2nd through March 4th. And a special thanks to our co-sponsors - the Belmont Library Foundation, The Belmont Garden Club, the Belmont Historical Society, and the Friends of the Belmont Public Library - and business partners - Craft Beer Cellar, Jeff Cronin Signs & Truck Lettering, Foodies Market, Jacobson Floral Supply, and the Spirited Gourmet - for making this year's Books in Bloom a resounding success.
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Friends Author Series:
Olivia Hoblitzelle's Aging with Wisdom
Thursday, March 15th
7pm, Assembly Room
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Music on Saturday
: Mike Block returns!
Saturday, April 7th
3pm,
Assembly Room
The Friends Music on Saturday Series is on hiatus this month, but returns in April with cellist Mike Block. Mike is a member the Silk Road Ensemble (SRE), having joined in 2005 while a student at The Juilliard School. Hailed by Yo-Yo Ma as the "ideal musician of the 21st-Century," Mike is passionate about cross-cultural collaboration through music, and committed to inspiring individuals and connecting communities. At home in a wide range of musical styles, through a multi-genre approach to composition, performance and education, he seeks to inspire audiences and empower musicians to find joy in the full world of music.
 April's Music on Saturday with Mike Block is sponsored in part by the the Belmont Cultural Council, the local branch of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency that promotes excellence, inclusion, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences to foster a rich cultural life for all Mass residents.
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Here's to another 150 Years at the Belmont Public Library!
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Trustee Chair Kathleen Keohane gets some help cutting the birthday cake!
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The Friends were delighted to host a 150th birthday party for the Belmont Public Library on March 4. Nearly 200 party guests enjoyed cookie decorating and arts & crafts activities, topping it all off with rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" and a slice of yummy cake. Down at the hall in the Flett room, the Friends held a very busy sale of used Children's Books. We had one of our best 1-day sale totals yet.
But don't worry, there are still lots of books available to buy right now at the Every Day Book Sale, upstairs near circulation. Stop by and you're sure to find something you'll want to curl up with on one of our last cold wintery evenings before spring arrives.
Want to get involved with future Friends activities? We'd love hear from you at
belfriendslib@gmail.com or drop by one of our monthly meetings. Our next meeting will be held at
9:30 am on
April 5 in the Assembly Room at the BPL.
Help fund programs like this by joining the
Friends of Belmont Public Library. Your donation will help the Friends continue to fund museum passes circulating 2500 times and programs and events benefiting over 5000 attendees.
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Dial M For Movies: The Sting
DIAL M FOR MOVIES, hosted by Library Director, Peter Struzziero. Watch the film on your own or at the Library on our Film Screening Night with popcorn and drinks, and then join Peter and other film buffs for a lively discussion!
Film Viewing: Friday,
March 9th, 6:30pm, Assembly Room
Discussion: Tuesday, March 13th, 7pm, Flett Room
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 Every Vote Counts: Civic Literacy with
Senator Will Brownsberger
Monday, March 19th
State Senator Will Brownsberger will be at the Library to discuss:
- The importance of local and state elections
- How you can help shape state policy
- Current issues being debated on Beacon Hill
 Will Brownsberger is the Senator from
the Second Suffolk and Middlesex District of Massachusetts
. He is
committed for the long haul to restoring trust in government and building a future we can believe in, a future that is sustainable - socially, fiscally, economically and environmentally.
Every Vote Counts is part of our Citizen Literacy Series: science-media-civic literacy for an informed, engaged public. Sponsored by the Belmont Public Library, the Belmont Media Center, and Science for the Public.
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BOOK DISCUSSIONS
 Senior Book Discussion Group
Two short stories by Katherine Mansfield, "Prelude" & "At the Bay"
Friday, March 9th
11am,
Classroom A, Beech Street Center
The senior book discussion group will discuss two short stories by Katherine Mansfield: "Prelude" and "At the Bay." The senior book discussion group is co-sponsored by the Belmont Public Library and the Belmont Council on Aging. All are welcome to attend.
 Books and Bites
Talk on
Little Women
Monday, March 12th
11am, Assembly Room
Librarian Miriam MacNair will discuss Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. The novel Little Women is one of the most loved works of fiction in all of American literature. Set in New England during the Civil War, Little Women tells the story of the unforgettable March sisters--Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.
All are welcome to attend this free program. Refreshments will be provided.
Belmont Book Discussion
The Sympathizer
Wednesday, March 21st
3pm, Flett Room
Join us for a discussion of The Sympathizer,
by Viet Thanh Nguyen. This group meets in the Flett Room on the third Wednesday of every other month. No registration is required and all are welcome. Click here for a full list of the Belmont Book Discussion
book selections and dates for 2018
.
Books & Bites and the Belmont Book Discussion are made possible by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library. Click
here
t
o learn how to join the Friends or renew your membership. All are welcome to attend these free events. The Assembly Room is handicapped accessible.
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Tai Chi at the Library
Saturday, March 10th
10-11am,
Assembly Room
Join us for tai chi at the Library. Tai chi practitioner and coach, Aisling O'Shea, will guide you through this beautiful and low impact form of martial art and meditation. NO equipment necessary, just bring yourself and wear comfortable clothing.
Can't make it in March? Join us in April, May or June!
Saturday, April 21st, 10am
Saturday, May 19th, 10am
Saturday, June 23rd, 10am
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 The Art of Remembering Names
Thursday, March 22nd
6:30-8:30pm, Library Assembly Room
Register in person,
online, or by calling (617) 993-2870
Neil Kutzen will share his MemorizeBest method for remembering names. Through specially designed memory exercises and activities, you will learn to see every person and their name more vividly. Practice and you will amaze yourself and others with your memory for names!
Neil
Kutzen
has spent more than 25 years as a corporate trainer and instructional designer. He holds a master's in Clinical Psychology, is a sometime actor, award winning story teller, and full time memory trainer. Watch him give tips and tricks for memorizing names below:
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| MemorizeBest with Neil Kutzen |
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Writing Your Memoir
Four Thursdays, March 29th through April 19th
3-4:30pm, Flett Room
Space is limited. Register in-person, online,
or call (617) 993-2870.
Award-winning author, instructor and editor Lynette Benton will teach you how put your life or family stories down on paper. This four-week course will cover:
- How to get started & keep writing
- Engaging your readers
- Resources for memoir & family history writing
This free course is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.
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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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Weekly Events
Infant Storytime: Wednesdays at 10:30am
For infants up to 12 months and pre-walkers
Storytime for 1's: Now with 2 sessions! Thursdays at 9:30 & 10:30am
For walkers and toddlers under 24 months
Storytime for 2's and 3's: Now with 2 sessions! Tuesdays at 9:30 & 10:30am
For 2 and 3 year olds
Preschool Storytime: Wednesdays at 9:30am
For 3-5 year olds with a longer attention span
Early Literacy Playgroup: Fridays at 10:30am
You'll play, read, sing and take home new ideas to support your child's language and literacy development! Presented by educators from the CFCE grant program; for children age 4 and under.
March Events
Parent Workshop: Speech and Language Development
Wednesday March 14th
6:30pm, Assembly Room
This parent focused workshop will review how your child learns to hear and talk from Birth to 5 years old. You will receive a summary of skills your child will learn for multiple age ranges in speaking, hearing, and understanding. This workshop is presented by Megan Olowinski, Speech and Language Pathologist from the Early Steps Preschool in Watertown and is supported by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.
 Chem-Mystery: A special early release program for K-4
Wednesday March 21st
2pm, Assembly Room
Registration required.
Take the mystery out of chemistry! Children will explore chemistry by experimenting with and observing chemicals, potions, and solutions in action and making their own "Crazy Chalk" to take home. For kindergarten and up.
Sensory Storytime
Saturday, March 24th
9:30am,
Assembly Room
Designed for children ages 3 and up with autism spectrum disorders, sensory integration issues, and other developmental disabilities. We'll sing favorite songs, read a story, and have sensory playtime, all while building social skills and having fun and getting to know the library. If your child has difficulty sitting through one of our other storytimes, this program might be just what you are looking for.
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Writing Real Software in Python
Fridays, March 2nd to May 18th
3-4:30pm, Flett Room
ALL SKILL LEVELS WELCOME. No experience necessary.
Want to learn how to code real, useful software? Want to understand how web based applications work? This free 12 week course for teens will take them through the process of building a working web application from scratch, using the programming language Python.
 Homework and Hot Chocolate
Wednesday, March 7th 1:30-3:30 pm, Assembly Room
Middle school students--come and eat snacks, do your homework and then play games, do crafts, or read books. Once a month on Wednesdays (usually the first Wednesday of the month.) Free, drop-in for 5th-8th graders.
Teen Advisory Board
Friday, March 16th 3-4:30 pm, Flett Room
Attention teens, grades 9 and up! Looking for a new community service opportunity? Join the teen advisory board. Meetings are held once a month during the school year on Friday afternoons, but you don't have to attend every month. We eat pizza, work on a volunteer project, and plan upcoming teen programs.
 Girls Who Code
Mondays, March 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th
4:15-6:15 pm,
Assembly Room
Girls Who Code clubs equip girls in grades 6 to 12 with concrete technical skills that will provide the foundation for futures in technology. Email teen librarian Rachel Moir at
rmoir@minlib.net
to sign up.
Creative Writing Presentation
Wednesday, March 28th 6 pm, Flett Room
Students from the Creative Writing class with Lynette Benton will present the pieces they've been working on over the course of the class, with light refreshments provided.
 Teen Tech Take Apart
Thursday, March 15th 3-4:30 pm, Flett Room
Ever wanted to poke around in the guts of a computer? Like taking things apart? Want to take bits of old electronics to create a work of art? Then Teen Tech Take Apart is for you! We'll provide busted electronics, tools, and time for you to break stuff down and use the parts to make something new!
Teen Video Conversion Volunteer Orientation
Tuesday, March 20th 3-5:00pm, Flett Room
The library will be making video conversion software available to patrons who would like to digitize old home movies, and will need volunteers to help them through the process. Teens - if you are interested in volunteering at the library and are comfortable helping other people and working with technology, join us for this orientation meeting for this new opportunity.
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Belmont Porchfest is a celebration of community through music and arts performed by your friends and neighbors (and maybe even you) on porches throughout Belmont. Walk to a neighbor's house to hear a Klezmer band or host a circus show on your front lawn. Each precinct will host the event for two hours.
Belmont residents are also invited to enter our logo contest, which runs through April 1st!
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Belmont Public Library Newsletter brought to you by:
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