The Bugle
April 2017 
News & Updates
Children's Room current display, libraries really are for EVERYONE!
April Holidays
 
The Library will be closed Monday, April 17, in observance of Patriots' Day. For more information on our regularly scheduled hours, please visit belmontpubliclibrary.net/contact
Fine Forgiveness
 April 10th-24th
Fine Forgiveness
April 9th-15th is National Library Week, and to celebrate, the Belmont Public Library is forgiving fines! From April 10th-24th, bring in your overdue books or let us know about your overdue fines, and we will make them disappear!

*All overdue fines on BELMONT items will be eligible for forgiveness. Charges for lost or damaged items are not eligible, nor are fines from other libraries.
Kylie Sparks
Good luck Kylie!
We'd like to wish a fond farewell to our wonderful Young Adult Librarian Kylie Sparks. Kylie has worked as the YA Librarian for just about 2 years, and she's had great success connecting with the teens of Belmont. Kylie has chosen to relocate out of New England to be closer to friends and family. We will miss her greatly, but wish her well in all her future endeavors. If you see Kylie during the month of April please come by and wish her well, her last day at the Belmont Library will be Friday April 28th.
Featured Programs
How to Spot Fake News:
Tips and Strategies for Staying Informed

Thursday, April 13th, 7PM, Library Assembly Room
You've heard the phrase bandied around, now come learn what exactly FAKE NEWS is. Laura Saunders, Ph.D., Assistant Professor for Simmons School of Library and Information Science, and Rachel Gans-Boriskin, Lecturer in the Communications Department at the Simmons College of Arts and Sciences, will lead this 90 minute program. Participants will learn the history of fake news (it's not a new phenomenon!) and hear how libraries can help you sift through the sometimes overwhelming coverage of the digital news age. Q&A to follow talk. 
 
April Poetry Series
In Celebration of National Poetry Month

Books and Bites: The Life and Poetry of Denise Levertov 
Monday, April 10th, 11AM
Library Assembly Room
 
Librarian Miriam MacNair discusses the life and work of Denise Levertov - the poet The New York Times named as "the most subtly skillful poet of her generation" - focusing on   The Collected Poems of Denise Levertov and two biographies-- Denise Levertov:  A Poet's Life by Dana Greene and A Poet's Revolution:  The Life of Denise Levertov by Donna Krolik Hollenberg. All are welcome to attend this free program, sponsored by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library. Refreshments will be provided. The Assembly Room is handicapped accessible.
 

Poetry Workshop 
Saturday, April 22nd, 11AM-1PM
Flett Room
 
Poet Wendy Drexler will lead an informal workshop to read and discuss several poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay and Robert Frost, including their use of tone, imagery, and literary devices. Open to non-poets and poets alike. Poems will be provided, though participants are welcome to bring ten copies of a favorite Millay or Frost poem to share with the group. Coffee & sweets will be on hand! Register online, in person, or by calling (617) 993-2896. 
  
Poetry Nature Walk
Saturday, April 29th, 2-3:30PM
Meet 300 Mill Street, Belmont MA
Small Rock Meadow Parking Lot
 
Led by Anne-Marie Lambert with special guest, poet Kevin Gallagher, walkers will explore the landscape and history of the Lone Tree Hill Nature Preserve and hear poems along the way.
  
 
Poetry Reading 
Thursday, May 4th, 7PM
Library Assembl
y Room
Celebrate the art of the verse with Belmont poets Stephen Burt, Wendy Drexler, Valerie Duff, Nancy Esposito, Kevin Gallagher, Jacob Strautmann, and Richard Waring. These and other local poets will have their books on display during the month of April.


Click here to view our flyer. 
Music on Saturday: Marc Berger Presents RIDE
Saturday, April 8th, 3PM
 
 
Library Assembly Room

Join us for our last Music on Saturday of the season! Folk musician Marc Berger will perform music from his album,
RIDE. Inspired by Marc's lifelong love affair with the American West and produced by Marc and Mike Ricciardi, RIDE now presents ten cinematic recordings capturing the vastness and romance of the West while exploring its deep roots in the American psyche. Music on Saturday is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.
Tai Chi at the Library
Saturday, April 8, 10AM-11AM 
Library Assembly Room

Join us on Saturday, April 8th for the Library's Tai Chi Easy(TM) class. 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. Registration is optional but appreciated! Register online or call (617) 993-2870
.
April Craft: Pysanky
Thursday, April 6, 7PM
Library Assembly Room

Kati Bourque will teach crafters how to make beautiful pysanky, Ukrainian decorated eggs, and participants will leave with eggs of their very own creation! For ages 13 and up. Registration required, register in person at the Library, online, or by calling (617) 993-2870. 
Author Talk 
Crystal King: Feast of Sorrow
Thursday, May 11th, 7PM
Library Assembly Room  
Author Crystal King will speak on her book Feast of Sorrow: A Novel of Ancient Rome, much of which she wrote IN the Belmont Library! The story of Rome's notorious foodie, Marcus Gavius Apicius, told from the viewpoint of his slave and cook, Thrasius. An enthralling, delicious tale that will transport you into the crowded marketplaces and baths of ancient Rome and leave you hungry for ancient fare. Kirkus Review writes, "[i]n her addictively readable first novel...the food lore is fascinating and the time period is inherently dramatic...aficionados of all things SPQR will eat this up."

All are welcome to attend this free program, sponsored by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library. The Assembly Room is handicapped accessible. 
Featured Resources  
Tired of the same old bestseller? Take advantage of Biblioboard's Indie Massachusetts to read fiction and non-fiction from local independent authors. Or, get into the spirit of National Poetry Month month and submit your own original works that can then be read by other Biblioboard subscribers. Items can be downloaded for offline reading using the Biblioboard Library app.
April 22-29

Does your bank or insurer rate an A? Why not spend a few moments this Money Smart Week to find out? The library offers Belmont cardholders free access to Weiss Ratings, a premier source for independent ratings of banks and insurers. To use it, find Subject Guide under "Quick Links" on our website, and open the one for Business & Career.  From home you'll enter your Belmont library card number. Questions? Call (617) 993-2870 to speak with a reference librarian.

Looking for more money smart advice? Check us out on Facebook the week of April 22-29 for useful tips and tricks for our other online financial resources, such as Morningstar Investment Research and Value Line Research Center, both available 24/7 from home via https://belmontpubliclibrary.net/services/subject-guide/.
For Kids and Teens
KIDS

  NIGHT OWLS STORYTIME
Join us for this new monthly storytime featuring stories, songs, and a craft. Ideal for ages 3-6.
Tuesday, April 11th, at 6:30pm
Children's Room
  
PARENTING WORKSHOP: SIGN LANGUAGE
This workshop will review how your child learns to hear and talk from birth to 5 years old. Join Megan Olowinski for this workshop, sponsored by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) Grant. We'll discuss skills your child will learn at different ages in the areas of speaking, hearing, and understanding. You'll also be provided with practical strategies to help your child acquire these skills. Registration suggested but not required.
Wednesday, April 12th at 6:30pm
Flett Room

EARTH RHYTHMS: A SONG AND STORY CELEBRATION   WITH DAVIS BATES AND ROGER TINCKNELL
Davis Bates and
Roger Tincknell
Let's celebrate Earth Day together! This program includes participatory stories and songs about gardening and the natural world that will encourage caring for the environment and excite the imagination. Instruments played include banjo, guitar, mandolin, bazouki, charango, spoons, limberjack, and other unique percussion instruments. For ages 4 and up.
Saturday, April 29th at 10:30am
Library Assembly Room

APRIL BREAK WEEK EVENTS:
FENCING DEMO AND WORKSHOP
This is a fun introduction to the Olympic sport of fencing for children ages 6 to 12 years old. Participate in fencing games of speed and agility, and get exposure to basic stances, lunges, target practice, and fencing fun! Parents/Guardians are encouraged to attend this family friendly event. Please wear sneakers and gym clothes and bring a water bottle.
Registration required .
Tuesday, April 18th, 10-11:30am
Library Assembly Room

 
STORYOGA
Join yoga instructor Edith Petrosyan for this yoga based class that combines imaginative play with educational elements. Please come in comfortable clothing to move in and bring a yoga mat. For kids in grades K-2. Registration required.
Thursday, April 20th at 9:30am
Flett Room

COMEDY ON THE MOVE WITH MIME ROBERT RIVEST
Through humorous mime stories, spoken word, physical comedy, and a zany cast of characters, Robert Rivest transforms an empty stage into pure hilarity. This is a comedy event full of imagery-rich stories, awe inspiring mime illusion, and plenty of playful audience participation. Suggested for age 6 and up.
Thursday, April 20 at 2:00pm
Library Assembly Room
 

TEENS

Homework and Hot Chocolate!
Wednesday, April 5th, 1:30-3:30PM
Library Assembly Room
5th-8th graders come and work on your homework, play games or do crafts and eat snacks! If you don't have any homework, don't worry, there will be plenty of fun stuff to do. Drop-in.  
 
 
How to Spot Fake News: Tips and Strategies for Staying Informed
Thursday, April 13th, 7-8 PM
Assembly Room
Spotting fake news is not just for grown ups! Teens, come learn what exactly 'fake news' is. Laura Saunders, Ph.D. and Rachel Gans-Boriskin,
will lead this 90minute program. Participants will learn the history of fake news (it's not a new phenomenon!) and hear how libraries can help you sift through the sometimes overwhelming coverage of the digital news age. Q&A to follow.

Teen Advisory Board
Friday April 14th, 3-5PM
Flett Room
Teens 8th grade and up, come and eat pizza, help plan library events, and work on a volunteer project together for community service credit. Reply to this email if you have never been to a TAB meeting before and want to come.   

Teen Hackathon
Wednesday, April 19th, 1:30-4:00PM
Library Assembly Room  **No prior computer programming experience required.**This is a 3-hour hackathon about data science. We will provide you with data from a real piece of software. Your job will be to study the data and then write a Python program to analyze the data.
If you would like to use a library laptop, send an email to Kylie at ksparks@minlib.net. If bringing a laptop from home (Mac or PC), please make sure Python 3 is installed (you can download and install Python 3.6.0 for free from www.python.org/downloads/). We will provide guidance on Python syntax and debugging techniques but this event is primarily aimed
at students who can work independently (this is not a lecture or class). Students may work individually or in teams.

Community Service Club
Tues. April 25th, 3-4:30PM
Library Assembly Room
Middle school students, come and get community service helping with volunteer craft projects. Free, drop in, no sign up necessary. 
 
Family Game Night
Tuesday, April 25th 6:30-8:30
Library Assembly Room
We've got all kinds of games, and popcorn too. Bring your friends, your family or come alone. This time we  have several new games to try out, including more games for elementary school kids. All ages welcome, drop-in.   

Teen Anime Club
Wednesday, April 26th, 1:30-4:30PM
Library Assembly Room
Come and watch anime, eat Japanese snacks, and draw! 7th grade and up. Drop-in. 
See you at the Belmont Public Library!

Join Us!
The Friends of the Belmont Public Library sponsor this newsletter,
and many of the library's programs. Be a Friend; support the library!