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Vinyl records, author visits, & much more! |
November 2020 | Events & Updates |
Pickup and computer use hours:
Monday – Wednesday | 9:30 am – 6:30 pm
Thursday | 11:00 am – 6:30 pm
Friday and Saturday | 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Holiday Hours:
Closed Wednesday 11/11 for Veterans day
Closed Thursday 11/26 & Friday 11/27 for Thanksgiving
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Meet the author — online! |
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Books and Bites • Alina Adams, author of The Nesting Dolls
Tue. Nov. 10 • 11 am
Moving from a Siberian gulag to the underground world of Soviet refuseniks to oceanside Brooklyn, The Nesting Dolls is a historical novel that tells the story of three generations of women in one Russian Jewish family and how the consequences of their choices ripple through time. Booklist says of The Nesting Dolls: "Adams’ sweeping tale offers captivating explorations of her characters and their complexities."
Author Alina Adams was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated to the United States with her family in 1977 at age seven. She received her B.A. and M.A. in broadcast communications at San Francisco State University. She has written a series of mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime publishing and has been a writer, producer, and researcher for television networks.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library and is open to the general public.
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Friends Author Series • Lauren Ko, author of Pieometry
Thu. Nov. 12 • 7 pm
Lauren Ko, author of the beautiful cookbook Pieometry and the baker behind lokokitchen, will discuss her new book, her baking process and tips, and what it's like going viral on Instagram!
In only a few short years, Lauren Ko went from novice pie baker to social media star and creator of today’s most surprising and delightful pie and tart designs. Her unique geometric style uses fruit and dough cut and woven into stunning shapes to highlight color and texture. With elegant patterns that match their knockout flavor, her dazzlingly intricate and inventive creations look difficult to produce but can actually be achieved with little more than a knife, ruler, and some patience.
Copies of Pieometry are available to pick up in the library. Questions? Email Corinne Coveney at ccoveney@minlib.net.
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Featured events for adults |
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Our events are held virtually on Zoom — register to get the link to join! Check the events calendar on our website as we add more online programs. |
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NaNoWriMo Write In
Fri. Nov. 6, 13, & 20 • 2 pm • Adults & High Schoolers
It's National Novel Writing Month! Make a dent in your 50,000-word novel-in-progress in these three virtual Write Ins. You'll have dedicated time to write quietly, or the opportunity for structured writing prompts and discussion with fellow writers.
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Tai Chi — Online!
Sat. Nov. 7 • 10 am
Wed. Nov. 18 • 6 pm
Sat. Dec. 5 • 10 am
Wed. Dec. 16 • 6 pm • Adults & High Schoolers
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 wear comfortable clothing!
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Cookbook Club
Tue. Nov. 10 • 7 pm
The Cookbook Club is back! Join us in November for a virtual meeting centered around the work of Julia Child. Participants should prepare a dish from one of Child's recipes. Copies of Mastering the Art of French Cooking are available at the library and digitally through OverDrive, though you can select any of this legendary chef's recipes to work from. |
Dial M for Movies
Fri. Nov. 13 • 6 pm
Join Library Director Peter Struzziero and fellow movie buffs for a discussion of the 1960 Western classic, The Magnificent Seven! Copies of the film will be available to pick up at the library.
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Creativebug Craftalong • Felt Pennants
Mon. Nov. 16 • 6:30 pm • Adults & High Schoolers
Get crafty with us! We'll follow along with a tutorial from Creativebug. Cheer on your favorite things with these fun felt banners. Supplies will be provided. |
Virtual Trivia Night
Tue. Nov. 17 • 7 pm • All Ages
Join us for our next Virtual Trivia Night for solo players and teams! Our questions are geared towards adults in challenge rating, but families can play together.
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Belmont Book Discussion
Wed. Nov. 18 • 3 pm
We're reading The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri for November's Belmont Book Discussion! This devastating novel introduces us to beekeeper Nuri and his family, whose lives were upended by the Syrian civil war. Pick up a copy of The Beekeeper of Aleppo at the library. |
Nonfiction Book Club
Thu. Nov. 19 • 7 pm
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction - or more interesting! We're discussing Butter: A Rich History by Elaine Khosrova. From its humble agrarian origins to its present-day artisanal glory, butter has a fascinating story to tell, and Khosrova is the perfect person to tell it. With tales about the ancient butter bogs of Ireland, the pleasure dairies of France, and the sacred butter sculptures of Tibet, Khosrova details butter’s role in history, politics, economics, nutrition, and even spirituality and art. |
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Featured events for teens |
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Discover more upcoming teen events here! |
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Homework Hotline
Mondays • 3 pm • Gr. K-10 (Tutors in Gr. 10-12)
Need help with homework assignments? Students in grades K-10 are welcome to get homework help from volunteer tutors from Belmont High School. Questions? Read about Homework Hotline or email Hannah Lee at hlee@minlib.net.
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D&D: Intergenerational Edition
Wed. Nov. 11 & 18 • 6 pm • Ages 13+ & their adults
Guest DM Robert Carter leads a 2-week Intergenerational Dungeons & Dragons program for teens and their parents (or grandparents!).
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Untold Stories: A Diverse History Book Club
Wed. Nov. 18 • 6:30 pm
History is written, but not every perspective is shared in our history books. In Stacey Lee's YA historical fiction novel, The Downstairs Girl, explore the Chinese American perspective on segregation laws in Atlanta, Georgia in the 1870s. |
Teen Advisory Board
Fri. Nov. 20 • 5:30 pm • Gr. 7-12
Meet once a month to work on volunteer projects, help plan teen events, and select teen books, movies, and other materials.
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Featured events for kids & families |
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Storytimes are back!
Tuesdays • 10 am • For 1's
Wednesdays • 10 am • For Preschoolers
Thursdays • 10 am • For 2's and 3's
Short stories and songs will be performed for young library patrons.
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Talking Turkey with Habitat
Wed. Nov. 4 • 6 pm • All Ages
The revival of native turkeys in Massachusetts is a true success story! Mass Audubon Habitat’s Barbara Bates will explore the habits and history of this interesting bird and their “pecking order."
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Virtual Concert with Matt Heaton
Fri. Nov. 13 • 11 am • Ages 2-5
Sing and dance along at home with Matt's classic and original songs.
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Parent Child Book Club
Wed. Nov. 18 • 6 pm • Gr. 3+ and their grown ups
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Welcome to Classics Corner! Every month we'll have a recommendation of a classic book for you to enjoy.
This month's recommendation is The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton.
A literary sensation when it was published by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1905, The House of Mirth quickly established Edith Wharton as a writer on par with her contemporary and friend Henry James. This novel tells the story of Lily Bart and her ill-fated attempt to rise to the heights of society.
To read The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton:
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belhop: Belmont Holds, Personalized |
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Try belhop, the library's personalized recommendation service! belhop stands for Belmont Holds, Personalized and that's exactly what you'll get. Just fill out the form and one of our librarians will contact you with a list of recommendations from our physical and/or digital collections to fit your reading, viewing, or listening needs.
Once you've decided what you want to read, watch, or listen to from the list, request the items from our catalog or one of our digital platforms. As soon as your physical items are ready for you, pick up your holds at the Circulation Desk or in the Children's Room.
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Wowbrary helps you discover the latest books, magazines, DVDs and CDs at the library, and allows you to place holds. Sign up for Wowbrary’s newsletter to receive a weekly email with what’s new at the Belmont Public Library! Learn more about Wowbrary in this how-to video.
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NoveList assists fiction readers in finding new authors and titles! You can enter your favorite authors or describe the books they would like to read, and NoveList retrieves similar titles that you might like. In addition, you can browse over 1,200 theme-oriented book lists, 150 award lists, and 1,000 fiction related websites. NoveList contains materials for all ages including children’s books, young adult titles and books for adult readers.
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Questions? Send us a chat! |
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A new, easier way to get your questions answered real time, staffed by your local librarians. Click the “Chat Us” box on our website and a friendly reference librarian will be there to help you. Regular hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 am-7 pm, and Friday and Saturday, 9 am-5 pm, subject to change. |
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News from the Friends & Foundation |
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THANK YOU! to everyone who visited our outdoor FLASH BOOK SALES in September and October. Your generosity made this fundraiser a true success! Patrons donned their masks, social distanced and spritzed their hands with sanitizer. We had lots of people and families perusing our many tables of books and, new this year, vinyl records from Newbury Comics. Thank you to the COUNTLESS volunteers who smiled while they carried boxes of books, managed the setup and breakdown as well as helped shoppers.
The Friends Co-Presidents continue to make community outreach a priority. Our diverse board of directors reflects this goal. The new board worked this summer on a number of new initiatives, such as: collaboration with the Trustees to research our 50 year history, transition to a new donor database and communication platform, and professionally designed signage that enhances overall user experience throughout the library.
November is MEMBERSHIP month! Now more than ever the Library counts on the FoBPL to support library programming that benefits adults, teens and children. Annual membership levels begin at $20. Last year we enjoyed a 40% new member increase. If you haven’t joined the Friends yet, we invite you to do so HERE. We would love for you to partner with us!
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The Belmont Library Foundation was established in 2004 to raise money for a new library building and to create an endowment to support ongoing library needs. To learn about the Foundation’s important work, please follow the Belmont Library Foundation on Instagram and Facebook or visit the Foundation online at belmontlibraryfoundation.org.
If you are interested in volunteering or donating to the Foundation, email David Stievater, Belmont Library Foundation president.
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Beginning on Friday, November 6, 2020, all residents of Massachusetts are advised to stay home between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am. Read more: MA Stay-at-Home Advisory
Trusted Health Resources
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We're available Monday to Thursday, 9 am-7 pm and Friday and Saturday, 9 am-5 pm to answer your questions and connect you to resources.
Need to get a library card or reset your password/pin? Click here.
Reference: 617-993-2870 or -2871
Circulation: 617-993-2855
Children's: 617-993-2880
Click the "Chat Us" box on our website to reach your librarians!
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