 |
Library Lines May 20,
2020
|
|
Genealogy Help from
Ancestry at Home
Looking for a way to fill some of the seemingly endless extra time at home? Ancestry has made its Library edition available at no charge to Library patrons everywhere.
Now, instead of paying for your own subscription or coming in to the Library to access the Library edition on our computers, you can use Ancestry for free from home.
Start here, and have your library card and PIN ready to log in. You'll be taken to a page on the SAILS site where you'll click on the words, "Library Ancestry edition" and you can get started. Learn more about your family's story by searching Ancestry's billions of records from obituaries and military service to church histories and ships' passenger logs.
|
|
Everything You Always
Wanted
to Know About
OverDrive
But
Were Afraid to Ask
Did you know that if you can't find the title you want in the SAILS OverDrive collection, you have access to all seven other library networks in
Massachusetts? If you're using OverDrive from the website, just scroll down to
the very bottom of the page where you're searching
for a book. You'll see a list of
colored dots and the names of the other networks. Just click on one and search for your title. If that doesn't work, try the next network in the list.
I
f you're searching using the Libby app on a mobile device, click on t
he Libby
mascot in
the
upper-right hand corner, then
click "Add a Library" and type in your zip code. Select the library network you want to add, then search.
If you're new to borrowing e-books and digital audio books from the Library's OverDrive collection, start here at the "Help" pages. For assistance, email Reference Librarian Libby Fox and she'll get back to you and try to help.
|
|
Hooray! Hooray! It's Finally May!
Here's Children's Librarian Miss Amanda's collection of weekly online activities for your kids to have fun with until the Library reopens.
Tech with Tiny Tots on Thursdays -- Itty bittys can enjoy art too! Check out this great article on
May 21 from Tinkerlab on
12 Art Projects for Toddlers. When the Library reopens you can check out the
book with even more ideas for young children to create and explore. Add it to your list or place a hold now to be filled later when we reopen.
Friday Fun with Miss Lori's Puzzle/Challenges --Join Miss Lori this week, starting
May 22, for Fun Fridays by solving this red, white and blue
Memorial Day Word Scramble. P
rint out the puzzle, solve it, and post a picture of it in the comments section of our Facebook page. You can also email Miss Lori
who will share it for you.
Miss Amanda's Monday Musings -- On May 25, print out this American flag coloring page and place it in your window to show support for our veterans and troops.
Tuesday Lego Challenges --
On May 26, your challenge is a garden escape! Create a Lego garden oasis. What would yours include? A hammock? Giant flowers? A gate? Fruits and vegetables? Email pictures to Miss Amanda or post on the
Library's Facebook page.
Be sure to look for another newsletter, coming out on
Wed., May 27, for next week's fun programs with Miss Amanda!
|
|
|
News and Tips From the
Children's Department
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and here are five tips for helping children cope with stress and anxiety, which even the littlest among us are feeling these days:
1.
Go outside. Studies show that time in nature relieves stress, improves sleep and overall health. Try taking a walk, complete a
nature scavenger hunt, or move distance learning outdoors if possible.
2.
Make a calming bottle. These can help children learn self regulation, slow down, and focus. Watch this
video where Miss Amanda shows you how to put one together at home.
3.
Connect with others. Children have been away from friends and classmates for quite a while. Book a video call with a friend or family member. Try some creative ways to enjoy each other's company virtually. Your children can play board games, read books, or even build with Legos while they connect online.
4.
Stay active
. There are many yoga resources available online including books and videos through
OverDrive
and
Cosmic Kids
on YouTube. Check out the online offerings through the
Old Colony YMCA
.
|
|
T
een Reads, Tips, & To-Dos
Each week, we'll share new and notable books, tips on topics and resources relating to you, or themed craft
and activity ideas to help you get through this tough time.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
by Suzanne Collins
Set 64 years before events in
The Hunger Games
, 18
-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory and redemption as a mentor to a lowly District 12 tribute. He
must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
Grades 7-12.
Read an excerpt or listen to part of the first chapter here.
This Week's Spotlight: Podcasts
Podcasts are digital audio programs, usually in episodes, on any topic conceivable that can be streamed online or downloaded to your computer or mobile device. Here are 16 free must-listen podcasts, from informative to fun, that will give you a needed break from screen-time.
The Daily - The New York Times newspaper daily podcast providing a quick overview of the day's current events.
Dear Hank and John
-
The Green brothers co-host a humorous and heartfelt advice podcast on everything from random thoughts to deep, emotional topics. Ages 13+
Let's Be Real with Sammy Jaye - 17-year-old Sammy Jaye delivers honest and unfiltered conversations about real-life issue with celebrities, activists, athletes and influencers. Ages 14+
The Moth - True personal stories told live. Ages 14+ Try
All Together Now Fridays is a new weekly addition featuring stories suitable for ears of all ages. For supernatural real-life stories that'll scare you silly, try
Spooked.
Radiolab
-
This Peabody award-winning radio series/podcast is "investigating a strange world," and discusses scientific ideas in a
creative, innovative way. Ages 14+
Science Friday - Known by fans as "SciFri," this weekly podcast with experts is perfect for
curious science lovers who want to learn about the latest discoveries. Ages 11+
Six Minutes - suspenseful drama about a girl who finds herself in the middle of a mystery adventure with no memory of who she is. Ages 10+
Ted Talks Daily - Thought-provoking ideas on every subject imaginable--from Artificial Intelligence to Zoology, given by the world's leading thinkers and doers.
Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! - For trivia buffs, this current-events quiz show is full of wit, laughs, and will seriously test your IQ. Ages 13+
What's Good Games - Source for video game news, analysis, commentary and funny stuff for the nerd-inclined by three gaming-
industry vets. Ages 14+
#WhoWouldWin
-
Batman vs. Yoda: who would win in a fight? Fun, feisty debates for the comic book, fantasy, or scifi lovers.
Ages 12+
Who's Weekly - gossip and news on Who's Who for the celebrity junkie. Ages 13+
PODCAST PLAYER APPS
Some popular podcast apps besides Apple Podcasts (iOs) and Google Podcasts (Android) are Breaker, Castbox, Castro(iOs), Himalaya, iHeart Radio, Overcast (iOs), PlayerFM, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Stitcher, TuneIn.
|
"Your Two Cents Worth"--
Quick Tips to Help Manage
Your Account
Look here for tips to help manage your library account from home. T
his week, we're focusing on the "Checkout History" feature.
Are you a fan of books by James Patterson, Danielle Steel, or John Grisham? Are you frustrated when you want to read another one but can't remember which you've read and which you haven't yet? Have you checked out a movie that you loved and want to watch again but just can't remember the title? There's a feature we can turn on for you called "Checkout History" that will help with both these issues. When you check out an item at the circulation desk that you've already taken out before, the staff will get a pop-up notice telling us this, and we'll let you know about it. Hopefully it will decrease the number of those "Why does this sound so familiar?" moments you might have when re-reading the first few pages of a book you've read before.
You also can log into your SAILS account to see the list (start here). Once logged in, click on the "Checkouts" tab then scroll down to the very bottom of the page. Click on the "Checkout History" tab and if it says that you have no titles in your checkout history, ask us to turn this feature on. It will track everything you borrow from the date we activate it. If you already have a history, you'll see this here, as well as the date you checked items out and their author/creator. You can sort this list alphabetically by title or author, as well as by checkout or return date. If you'd like to add this feature to your account, email us here or call 508/946-2470.
|
|
|
"Silly Shots" Photo Contest
Wednesdays in May we're continuing our photo contest so go to our
Facebook page to post a picture depending on the week's theme. You'll have seven days to post your pic, and every submission will be entered in a drawing to win a $10 Amazon gift card, to be awarded once we re-open.
This week's theme is
"I Heart Reading" so post a picture on our
Facebook page of a favorite book, or a picture of you or someone in your family reading a favorite title, starting
Wed., May 20.
The category for next week, the final week of our photo contest, is Mask Fashion, so start thinking about your entry.
One entry per person per week, please.
Keep your eye out for
snaps from our staff, too.
|
|
|
This Week's Marvelous "
Museum Pass"
Have you always wanted to see Paris in springtime? We have two virtual options for you this week.
1. Consistently rated one of the top virtual museum tours, the Louvre offers glimpses into several different galleries. It's the most-visited museum in the world, so what are you waiting for? Click here to start your tour.
2. For a head-spinning, stomach-clutching look at Paris from the top of the Eiffel tour, click
here
. You'll get 360-degree views of the city spread out below in all it's Parisian glory. Not for the faint of heart.
|
|
"Book Blurbs" --
What We've
Been
Reading While Home
Every few weeks, we're bringing you a brief Book Blurb from the staff to fill you in on what they've been reading. This week, we're featuring two titles that make for difficult reading. Focusing on completely different topics, both books present scenarios that might make you uncomfortable but will always make you think once you put the book down.
Head of Technical Services Lori Salotto--
Red Lotus, by Chris Bojahlian (2020)
I started listening to the audio book version of this title but ended up finishing it in print. I didn't know what the story was about before I started it, but I love this author and wanted to read his most current offering. I soon came to realize that the story line was eerily reminiscent of our current health crisis and how a biological weapon created in a lab could create a future pandemic. I wasn't sure it was a good idea to continue reading, but persevered.
It is
not
for anyone looking for a lighthearted read. I enjoyed the storytelling and the deductive work to find out what was going on, but it was uncomfortable, in no way uplifting, and without a happy ending to neatly wrap everything up. For many people, this would be best read at a future time when our real world isn't as frightening as that created by the imaginations of today's best authors.
Place your hold for either the ebook or audio book format here.
Reference/Adult Services Librarian Libby Fox --
American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins (2020)
I first read Jeanine Cummins when I stumbled across her debut book last year, a gut-wrenching title written in 2004 called, A Rip in Heaven: A Memoir of Murder and its Aftermath. It recounts the true story of the assault and violent deaths of two of her teenage cousins on a family trip to St. Louis. Although the story was incredibly difficult to read, I was impressed with Cummins' writing and was anxious to read her newest novel, released early in 2020.
Unlike her first nonfiction book,
American Dirt is a fictional story about murder,
migration, drug lords, and the depths of familial love. Without going into any more details about the story, I highly recommend it. But be forewarned -- there's a great deal of
controversy around its publication, and a portion of the author's book tour was cancelled due to concerns for her safety.
Place a hold on either the ebook or audio book version of American Dirt here. Place a hold for the print copy of A Rip in Heaven here.
|
|
|
Book News From Around the
Country: Book Candles
From the department of "Now We've Heard Everything," comes the news of the availability of book-scented candles. Yes, you read that correctly. Not only can you find candles inspired by book titles (perhaps a lavender-scented one based on Alice Walker's The Color Purple?), but there are ones that smell like all kinds of books: old books, new books, leather-bound books, and even printers ink. So if you're missing the smell of your favorite Library, try one of these to tide you over.
|
|
COVID-19 Critical Content
We know you've got lots of sites where you can go to get information on the Coronavirus pandemic, so each week, we'll provide links to a few trusted and respected sources.
This past Monday, May 18, Governor Charlie Baker made a long-awaited announcement about the four-stage re-opening plan for Massachusetts. Click here to see the plan in its entirety.
|
|
Lost Your Card?
If you've lost your library card, or just can't find it right now, and want to tap into all of the great online library resources,
SAILS has got you covered. You can register online for a temporary card that will work for two months. Click
here
to register for a temporary card. Once we open, you'll have to come visit to get a permanent card, but this will allow you to access all we have to offer in the meantime.
|
|
|
Middleborough Public Library
102 North Main St., Middleborough, MA 02346
508-946-2470
Currently -- Closed until further notice, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When we re-open:
Monday--Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sundays: noon - 4:00 p.m.
Closed on Fridays
|
|
|
|
|
|
