News You Can Use at the Middleborough Public Library

"Where flowers bloom so does hope." Lady Bird Johnson

Library Lines May 2019

May is Middleborough History Month

at the Library

Join us for two programs this month celebrating the 350th anniversary of the founding of Middleborough.

At 3:00 p.m. on Wed., May 8, local author Lou Garafalo will talk about "Middleboro: The First 150 years." Garafalo is the author of Peter Oliver: The Loyalist Perspective on the American Revolution.

At 4:00 p.m., on Thurs., May 23, Dan Thompson and Dotty Thayer from the Middleborough Historical Association will present, "Deborah Sampson: Massachusetts State Heroine" in honor of Deborah Sampson Day.

No registration is required and there is no charge to attend these programs.

Click here to see the full calendar of 350th Anniversary events throughout 2019.

"Dyeing to Wear It" Workshop

Textile artist Rhonda Fazio will join us on Sat., May 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for her "Dyeing to Wear it Workshop." Participants will have the chance to design their own unique and beautiful piece of wearable art -- a silk scarf made with natural dye materials.

While working on their projects, attendees also will learn about the history and origins of color and how it intersects with American culture. At the end of the class, Fazio will demonstrate different ways to wear a silk scarf. This portion of the program is open to all.

Fazio has been a resident artist for schools and summer camps from Maine to New York where she teaches the art of natural dyeing and sustainable textile design. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout Massachusetts. For more information about Fazio and her work, please click here.

Registration for this program is required as seating is limited, and you MUST be a Middleboro resident, aged 18 and above. Call 508/946-2470, or email Libby Fox at [email protected]. There is no charge to attend.

This workshop is supported in part by a grant from the Middleborough Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Funding also was provided by the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Kids and Family Programs

Wed., May 1, 10:30 a.m.: Celebrate Children's Book Week with a special story time. Best for children 3-6 years of age. Siblings are welcome. No registration required.

Sat., May 4: May the fourth be with you.... in your quest for treasures at the first annual Kid Stuff Swap! * Schedule for the day:

10:00--11:00 a.m.- Preview party for all those who donated items towards the swap. Get first pick. Bring your tickets.

11:00 a.m. -- 2:00 p.m.- Public hours for the swap. Need something? Come look!

Star Wars Kids' Activities:

1:00 p.m. -- Costume Parade -- Dress in your Star Wars gear and come for a parade through the Library and the chance to win a prize!

All day -- Make a Star Wars bookmark, try origami, or color a picture that's out of this world!

*Donations for the swap will be taken until May 1st. Bring in gently used and like-new kids' clothes, accessories, toys, puzzles, books, games, gear and more! Swap for something new-to-you.

Thursdays in May at 1:30 p.m.: Join Miss Gina from Self Help Inc. CFCE for Preschool Read and Rise, a free five-session playgroup/conversation series to support literacy development. Children and parents will be actively engaged in books, activities and hands-on materials that focus on literacy. Each family will go home with a different children's book every week to keep and add to their library at home!

Families must be willing to commit to the five weeks (scheduled vacations and illnesses are an exception). If you are unable t o atten d this group for any reason please call or email [email protected]. Space is limited. Please click here to register.

Play Your Way to K Group:

Do you have a child going into kindergarten this fall? Every 1st and 3rd Monday from May to August we'll be meeting to play and provide support. The Middleborough Family Resource Center will be present at the play group for families that need help connecting with information and resources.

May 6, 1:00-2:00 p.m.- At the Library

May 20, 1:00-2:00 p.m.- At Pierce Playground behind the Police Station (In case of inclement weather, we'll be indoors at the Library.)

Family Nature Club:

Join Miss Amanda in the Nature Playspace for a story and activity at 1:00 pm on the following Tuesdays: May 21, 28, June 4 and 11. Best for children ages 3-6 and their families. No registration required. In the case of inclement weather this program will be held indoors.

Baby Bookworms:

Does your baby love songs, stories, and rhymes? Join Miss Amanda on Thurs. May 2 and 9 at 10:15 a.m. A 20-minute program for babies birth to 18 months and their caregiver(s) followed by time to play and socialize. No registration required.

Wiggles & Giggles:

Kids ages 18 months-3 years can move and groove with Miss Amanda on Thurs. May 2 and 9 at 11:15 a.m. After 20 minutes of songs, stories and music, stay to play and socialize.

These programs generously supported by the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library. Check the Library's calendar for even more children's activities.

Board Games, Activities, and More Space for Teens

The expansion of the Teen Area is complete! Teens now have a much larger space, with added natural light, a privacy screen, and two seating areas where teens can relax, play tabletop games, and participate in self-guided crafts and activities.

The new teen space is just for teens ages 11-18 d uring weekends and on weekdays from 2:00 until 8:00 p.m. All are welcome to browse and borrow from the teen book and audio book collections at any time.

A collection of classic and popular tabletop games, as well as puzzles, are available for teens to use in the Teen Area. Teens are invited to help themselves to games from the new game cart during their library visit. Some games require teens to borrow them with a library card at the Main Desk. If you have a teen game in good condition that you'd like to donate to the Library's collection, please email Teen Librarian Christine Dargelis at [email protected].

In addition to games and puzzles, the Library will provide materials and

instructions for teens to participate in a fun and simple craft or activity each month. For the month of May, teens can create origami.

Themed book and interactive displays will provide further inspiration and challenges. Throughout the year, teens will be encouraged to display their own creations on our mobile wall.

We want the new Teen Area to be a place where teens can create and recharge, as well as study and do homework. Come visit and try out your new space!

Funding for the games and materials was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library and an anonymous donor.

This Month's

Marvelous Museum Pass

Middleborough's Robbins Museum is operated by the Massachusetts Archaeological Society and offers a gift shop/book store, museum, collections conservation area, workshop, lecture hall and library. The collection numbers approximately 150,000 artifacts, and also includes:

Diorama of a 4,300-year-old Native American New England village

Doyle collection of Native American dolls

Handcrafted mishoon (dugout canoe)

The Walk Through Time display: 12,000 years in the Northeast

Native American portrait gallery

Located at 17 Jackson Street, the museum is open on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. To learn more about the Robbins Museum, click here.

Each pass admits up to six people for free. Remember you may pick up your pass any time during the three days before your visit and return it by closing time on the day after it's used.

This pass is sponsored by The Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Did You Know?...

...the Library offers the Middleborough High School yearbook collection in digital format on our website?

Now you can look through the digitized versions of every MHS yearbook from 1929 to 2015. Whether you knew it as Timaron, the Centennial, the Orange and Black, the Orange Peal, or the Memorialite, you can find it online on our homepage or click here to see the entire collection.

Every page from each yearbook can be viewed, enlarged and searched. Searchable terms are highlighted for easy finding on the page. In addition, the visually-impaired can click on an audio button to have any text read out loud.

The digitization of the MHS yearbooks was made possible by the Middleborough Public Library, the Boston Public Library and Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Save the Date!

Sat., June 15 -- Mini golf returns to the Library! Help us kick off our Summer Reading programs with a round of 18 holes, laid out over the main and lower levels.

Friends of the Library Membership

Appreciation Day

The Friends of the Middleborough Public Library (FOML) want to thank the members of the community who've supported them through their membership dues and with their purchases at the Ex Libris Bookstore. To show their appreciation, the Friends will be offering a 50% discount to all FOML members on all items for sale in the bookstore, in the lower level of the Library, on Wed. May 22, from 5:00-7:00 p.m.