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Library Lines April 15,
2020
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We've Got Lots of Great New
Online Options
for You to Connect with Us and Others
1. Creativebug offers unlimited access to thousands of online arts and crafts. Watch their classes any time, anywhere. Since classes never expire, you can start and stop projects at your own pace. No pressure, just possibilities! Make sure you have your library card number handy to create an account, and get started on your next project here.
2. Niche Academy
features short videos and engaging graphics covering a wide
variety of topics, including employment and educational tools, social media how-to's, and getting comfortable using online library resources like ebooks, streaming movies, and research databases. This service is completely free and accessible wherever you can get online, and a library card is not required for use. Click here to get started.
3. Yo
uTube Performer Video Library
Missed it in person? Now you can see it online. Click
here
to watch our collection of some of the programs, performances, and author talks presented at the Library in years past.
4. Virtual Library Meetings Missing your regular get-togethers at the Library? Many upcoming meetings are going virtual. Use your computer, smartphone, or tablet to connect through the Zoom online platform to upcoming meetings for the Middleborough Jobs Groups (our Wednesday Networking Support Plus Jobs Group); the Knotty Hookers Knitting Group; the Board of Library Trustees; and Ellie and Her Bookies' Book Club. These meetings are free to attend. Scheduling information can be found here and meeting time reminders will be posted on our Facebook page before each meeting takes place.
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Everything You Always
Wanted to Know About OverDrive
But Were Afraid to Ask
Now is a great time to either learn about OverDrive and the Libby app or, if you're already a fan, to learn more about the service.
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 or Assistant Director/IT Librarian Dale Irving and they'll get back to you and try to help.
1. We've been busy the past few weeks buying lots of new titles for our Overdrive
collection. As a Middleborough Public Library card holder, you get to move to the front of the holds line for any titles that we've purchased. Look for new titles like American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins, The Boy From the Woods, by Harlan Coben, and Golden in Death, by J.D. Robb. We've also added lots of Lee Childs' Jack Reacher series in audio book format which you can find here.
2. Hold suspension -- Now you can postpone your holds in Overdrive/Libby. Here's how this new "Deliver Later" option works. When a hold becomes available, it will no longer be automatically checked out to your card. Now, you'll receive a notification and have three days and three options to act on the notice. You can borrow the hold, have it delivered later, or cancel it.
When you choose to have a hold delivered later, you pick the earliest possible date to receive the title, keep your place in line, and pass the copy to the next person in line waiting for it. After the "deliver later" date, you'll receive the next available copy.
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April Showers...are Great Days for
Virtual Visits
with the Library!
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Here's Children's Librarian Miss Amanda's collection of weekly online activities for your kids to have fun with until the Library reopens.
Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. -
- Story time on
Facebook
! This week, on
April 15,
join Miss Amanda
as she reads From Head to Toe by Eric Carle and
Matthew Van Fleet's Tails on the Library's Facebook page. Get ready to move and groove like the animals.
Tech with Tiny Tots on Thursdays -- Boynton Books are just the best to read out loud. Join Miss Amanda this week on
April 16 for
Moo Baa La La La and some animal-themed baby rhymes on the Library's Facebook page. Don't have a Facebook account? That's okay. Visit the Library's
Stay @ Home Programs page for rhymes you can use at home.
Friday Fun with Miss Lori's Puzzle/Challenges -- This week, make or bake something you
can decorate to look like an animal (Make sure you have adult supervision for this activity.) Let your creativity shine through. How about a turtle from a kiwi and grapes, or decorate a cupcake to look like a ladybug? Post a picture of your creation and s
hare it on our Facebook page, starting April 17.
Miss Amanda's Monday Musings -- On April 20, check out the website and/or
the Library's Facebook page for a special guest Q & A with the library's own bird expert Melissa Guimont. Learn about ways you can help birds from your home, as well as crafts and activities for kids of all ages.
Tuesday Lego Challenges -- This week,
on April 21, t
ake your Lego building outdoors! What can you create using Legos and natural materials such as pine cones, sticks and leaves? Send pictures to ameyer@sailsinc.org
to be featured on the Library's website and/or social media pages. Remember to always ask a grown up before touching plants.
Be sure to look for another newsletter, coming out on
Wed., April 22, for next week's fun programs with Miss Amanda!
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Special Program
with
Miss Amanda!
It's an Elephant and Piggie Pajama Party! How well do you know this dynamic duo by Mo Willems? Put on your PJs and grab a stuffed friend for a bedtime reading and book trivia on Tues., April 21 at 7:00 p.m. on Facebook Live. Winner of the trivia will receive a personalized bedtime story from Miss Amanda herself!
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Teen Reads, Tips & To-Dos
Each week, we'll share new and notable books, tips on topics and resources relating to you, and themed craft and activity ideas to help you get through this tough time.
This Week's Spotlight: Poetry
NEW TITLES
A poetry collection for young adults brings together some of the most compelling and vibrant voices today reflecting the experiences of teen immigrants and refugees. Grades 9-12.
Check
ebook
availability.
Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
A poetic memoir and urgent call-to-action by the award-winning author of Speak blends free-verse reflections with deeply personal stories from her life to rally today's young people to stand up and fight the abuses, censorship and hatred of today's world. Grades 8-
12.
Check
ebook
and
audiobook
availability.
NOTABLE NOVELS IN VERSE
(Crank Trilogy, Book 1)
Kristina Snow is the perfect daughter, but she meets a boy who introduces her to drugs and becomes a very different person, struggling to control her life and her mind.
Grades 8-12. Check
ebook
and
audiobook
availability.
Noah and his best friend Walt want to become cool, make the baseball team, and win over Sam, the girl Noah has loved for years. When Noah finds old love letters, Walt hatches a plan to woo Sam. But as Noah's love life and Walt's baseball career begin, the letters alter everything. Grades 8-12.
Check
ebook
and
audiobook
availability.
Long Way Down
by Jason Reynolds
Driven by the secrets and vengeance that mark his street culture, 15-year-old Will contemplates over the course of 60 psychologically suspenseful seconds whether or not he is going to murder the person who killed his brother. Grades 8-12. Check
ebook
and
audiobook
availability.
Writing poetry is a way to express the hard-to-describe experiences of our lives and our innermost feelings and dreams. Poetry can help us heal emotional pain, inspire others, and celebrate joyful moments. Try creating your own poetry with the aid of these apps, sites, and suggestions.
APPS
HaikuJAM - "write together, feel better"; co-create haikus with others around the globe in this collaborative writing game
JotterPad (for Android) - plain text editor with customizable typography, word count, dictionaries, and ability to save to cloud storage and print to PDF format
Miraquill (formerly Mirakee) - write, edit, and copyright poetry; design visually stunning posts to share with others; and engage in writing challenges & prompts
Poet Assistant - solid, practical app that provides tools
(rhyming dictionary, thesaurus) and the ability to read your poem to you; for Android and iOS
Poetizer
- write, read, share, and publish poetry within a social-media
community of poem loving people; for
Android
and
iOS
POETRY by The Poetry Foundation - mobile library of classic and contemporary poetry; organized by mood or category; searchable by author or line
Rhymer's Block (for iOS) - take notes on the go, get real-time rhyme suggestions for any word--even slang, and share your work on a social network
TIPS
- Pick a subject you have experience with and are passionate about, or, take a look around you and write about what you see.
- If you're not happy with your writing, start over. The more you write, the better you get. Try some writing exercises.
- Let imagery help you to capture an emotion or moment.
- Don't overthink your writing. Let your true voice, unedited, have its say.
- Write with honesty. Don't be afraid to express your deepest feelings.
- Read lots of poetry and find inspiration from other poets. You can find more about the art of reading and writing poetry here.
To-Dos
April is National Poetry Month!
Here are some things you can do to celebrate:
- Read last year's most-read poem, Naomi Shihab Nye's "Kindness."
- Watch Dead Poet's Society (Ages 13+), an inspiring story about a teacher and his students (watch the trailer).
- Can you tell if these poems were written by a poet or computer? Take the test. You may be surprised!
- Create blackout poetry with newspaper or pages of old books.
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| Sunrise at the Sandwich Boardwalk. |
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"Silly Shots" Photo Contest
Each Wednesday in April, go to our Facebook page to post a picture depending on a weekly theme. You'll have seven days to post your pic, and every submission will be entered in a drawing to win one of five $10 Amazon gift cards, to be awarded once we re-open.
In week three of our photo contest, we're turning our focus from inside your home to the great outdoors. (Maybe we should be calling this week's contest "scenic" instead of "silly" shots.) Starting Wed., April 15, look around your yard, driveway, neighborhood, or anywhere in the great outdoors, and post a photo of what you see. We're yearning to see some hopeful signs of spring at this point, so spread some cheer.
Categories for the final two weeks are below, so start thinking about the coming weeks' contests:
- You doing something new you've tried while at home these past few weeks, or something you haven't done in years that you've re-tried again recently -- April 22
- You and/or your pet (or stuffed animal, if you don't have a live one) -- April 29
One entry per person per week, please. Keep your eye out for snaps from our staff, too.
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This Week's Marvelous
"Museum Pass"
So you can't get into your favorite library building right now, no matter where you live, so this week we present a virtual tour of some of the world's most beautiful libraries, including the Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library, pictured at right. There also are a few libraries you might consider "out there" so have fun, and enjoy.
Click
here
to start your virtual video tour.
If you've visited an unusual library on your travels, please feel free to post a picture of it on our Facebook page.
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Spotlight on a Local Hero: Mary Osborn, Mask Maker
We were so heartened this week to hear the story of local fifth-grader Mary Osborn. A student at the Mary K. Goode Elementary School, Mary learned to sew for a girl scout badge in February when the troop was making joey pouches to send to Australia for baby kangaroos orphaned by the devastating wild fires. Mary then improved her skills learning to make hair scrunchies for herself and friends.
After hearing that a friend who is a nurse here in MA needed to make her own masks since supplies were running out, Mary and her mom, Stacey, looked up a tutorial on how to sew masks. Using the 100% cotton fabric from the joey pouch project and the elastic supplies from making hair scrunchies, she had everything she needed to help.
Mary has made about 100 masks so far that she's sent to nurses in the local area, central Massachusetts and even New York City. She's also donated them to medically fragile friends and family, and essential workers here in Middleboro who come face-to-face with the public every day.
Mary wants to thank her local friends who have donated thread and fabric for her project to keep her sewing.
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Boredom Busters
In each of our April newsletters we'll be offering you something silly and fun to do here.
This week, how about you put down your mouse or phone, move
away from that screen, and play this "Motivation" playlist curated for you by Spotify? You won't be able to stop yourself from moving to the more than 100 tunes as varied as Adam Ant's "Goody Two Shoes" and Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" to "Just Can't get Enough" by Depeche Mode and "Disco Inferno" by the Trammps.
Don't have an account? No worries, you can open a basic account here for free.
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"Book Blurbs" --
What We've
Been
Reading While Home
Every week, we're bringing you a brief Book Blurb from the staff to fill you in on what they've been reading. This week we bring you a duo of reviews from two of our library technicians.
Library Technician Kaye Duquette--
Priestdaddy by P
atricia Lockwood (2017)
Really, how many times have you given up reading for the night because the book you're finishing made you laugh so hard you were wasting time stopping to compose yourself? Patricia Lockwood's hilarious, heartbreaking, and ambitious memoir isn't merely trying to get your attention with its cheeky title. Her father really is a Catholic priest, unlike any other priest--and father--you've ever read about. To answer your immediate questions: he became a priest after he started his family, and, yes, that can happen. There's a loophole. Read the book. You'll see.
Library Technician Meg Desrosiers --
Call Your Daughter Home
, by Deb Spera
(2019)
This is an unforgettable story intertwining the lives of three remarkable women living in the south before the Great Depression. Though they are from very different backgrounds, circumstances bring them together. The themes of friendship, mother-daughter relationships, and racial and economic injustices, make this story one I didn't want to put down. Especially with the uncertainty of our lives as this pandemic unfolds, I found myself admiring these women and their strength and resolve to take care of their families at all costs.
Click here for your copy.
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Musical Moment
of
the Week
Here's another online musical collaboration, created while social distancing.
We're mixing it up this week with something that's a little less serious and a lot more fun. Jimmy Fallon's "Tonight Show" house band, The Roots, does a cover of the 1972 Stealers Wheels hit, "Stuck in the Middle with You," all playing from their own homes. And guess who's singing his little heart out in the middle square?
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the incredible creativity, skill, and technology that made this possible. Just click here.
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Dale as a biker for Halloween at the library.
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Did You Know...?
Get to know a little bit more about our staff this April.
May 1 was supposed to be our staff's opportunity to celebrate the nearly 22-year tenure of our
Assistant Director and IT Librarian Dale Irving. Instead, with the party indefinitely postponed, and most of us not even getting to see Dale in person before his retirement at the end of this month, we wanted to take the opportunity to tell you a little about him.
Former military man and lover of all things craft beer-related, Dale's background combines librarianship and technology with a former career as a machinist at Pratt & Whitney. He loves kayaking, cutting a rug, and wearing bright Hawaiian shirts with matching sneakers. We could always count on Dale to liven up our day with an entertaining story or unusual piece of information. He has a great sense of humor and a fondness for bad jokes that we'll likely never forget!
We'll miss Dale, his hearty laugh, and his generous spirit.
This just in -- like most of us, Dale's been in need of a haircut for a few weeks now and decided to take matters into his own hands, literally. Here, he shares the progression of his Stay @ Home haircut.
(We told you he had a good sense of humor, didn't we?)
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Dang, I need a haircut.
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Hmmm. That's too small.
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Nope. That's too big.
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Finally. Just right. Or is it a bit "over the top?"
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Book News From
Around t
he Country
Anyone missing the Library (and we know that's all of you) and spending part of their at-home time doing a little spring cleaning (we know that's
some of you), might find this article from
Library Journal to be just what they need to read:
Organizing the Books In Your Home, Part I : How to Shelve Like a Librarian
.
Click
here
for some tips on turning your home book collection into a little library of your own.
For those of you missing paging through a list of trusted book reviews, one of our favorites,
Booklist, is now offering free digital access to their current and all past issues. Check it out
here and place holds with your SAILS account so you can have that pile of reading material waiting for you once we re-open.
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COVID-19 Critical Content
We know you've got lots of sites where you can go to get information on the Coronavirus pandemic, so here are links to a few trusted and respected sources.
1. Massachusetts is looking for healthcare professionals to volunteer in the fight against COVID-19. They're
working with local providers and boards of health across the Commonwealth to find places where health professionals can volunteer to support their community. Click this link to be taken to a sign-up page; you'll be contacted if there's a volunteer opportunity in your area.
2. Click here to see a county-by-county breakdown of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, and other demographics such as the number of cases by gender, age and race/ethnicity. Statistics updated daily.
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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.
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This newsletter is brought to you thanks to the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.
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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
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