A Garden Walk with Eleanor

During World War II, Eleanor Roosevelt planted a “Victory Garden” on the White House Lawn and encouraged other Americans to do the same. Now it's the summer of 1949, and she's hosting a garden picnic at her home in Hyde Park where she's recognizing contributions to the Victory Garden effort.

This interactive program on Wed., Aug. 2 at 6:00 p.m. will begin outside in our lovely lawn and memorial wall area (weather-permitting) with a first-person, "up close visit" by Roosevelt, portrayed by Carol Cohen. Afterwards, we'll move inside for refreshments (based on recipes from Eleanor's cookbook) and a more in-depth look at past Victory Gardens as well as their relevance in today's world.

(Adult Summer Reading Participants: Get the secret code at the program, and enter it in Beanstack to receive credit and earn an additional chance to win a prize.)

New Virtual Author Talk Series

We're happy to announce a new virtual author talk series that, each month, will feature bestselling, award-winning, and highly acclaimed authors from around the world. The featured writers and thought leaders will cover a wide range of fiction and nonfiction genres in one-hour-long programs.

The free, virtual series takes place two to three times a month and includes the opportunity to submit questions to the author when you pre-register. A complete list of upcoming events is available on our website here.

You also can watch here at any time, any of the previous programs archived up to a year back.

Robert Jones, Jr., The Prophets

Wed., Aug. 15, 4:00 p.m.

All are welcome and encouraged to join us with New York Times bestselling author Robert Jones, Jr., as he discusses his debut and award-winning novel, The Prophets. 

The Prophets is a story of love. Isaiah was Samuel’s, and Samuel was Isaiah’s. That was how it was from the beginning and how it was to be until the end. In the barn, they tended to the animals but also to each other, transforming the hollowed-out shed into a place of human refuge, a source of intimacy and hope in a world ruled by vicious masters. But when an older man—a fellow slave—seeks to gain favor by preaching the master’s gospel on the plantation, the enslaved begin to turn on their own. The Prophets fearlessly reveals the pain and suffering of inheritance but is also shot through with hope, beauty, and truth, portraying the enormous, heroic power of love.

Register here.

Cassandra Clare, Chain of Thorns, Wed., Aug. 23, 8:00 p.m.

You’re invited to an enchanting chat with mega-bestselling author, Cassandra Clare, about her newest and final book in The Last Hours series, Chain of Thorns.

Cordelia has lost everything that matters to her. Even worse, she is now bound to an ancient demon, Lilith, stripping her of her power as a Shadowhunter. After fleeing to Paris, Cordelia hopes to forget her sorrows in the city’s glittering nightlife. But reality intrudes when shocking news comes from home: London is under new threat by the Prince of Hell, Belial. Cordelia returns to a London riven by chaos and dissent. If Cordelia and her friends are going to save their city—and their families—they will have to muster their courage, swallow their pride, and trust one another again. For if they fail, they may lose everything—even their souls.

Register here.

Jeffrey Selingo, Who Gets in and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, Wed., Aug. 30, 2:00 p.m.

Spend an hour with bestselling author Jeff Selingo, who immersed himself in the world of admissions for a year to answer the question on the minds of teenagers and their parents: how do colleges select their freshman class?  

The result is his most recent book, Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, named one of the 100 Notable Books of 2020 by the New York Times. For the book, Jeff was embedded in three admissions offices and follows a group of high-school seniors through the process and players behind the scenes, including the marketers, the financial-aid consultants, and the rankers.



In this conversation, Jeff will dispel the entrenched notions of how to compete and win at the admissions game and reveal why families have much to gain by broadening their notion of what qualifies as a “good” college.



Register here.

Pine Meadow Farm Animal Show at Parks Department

Kids of all ages are invited to the Middleborough Parks Department at 12:30 p.m. on Tues., Aug. 1 at 26 Jackson St. to meet and learn about six to eight different animals of all sizes from the Pine Meadow Alpaca Farm.

This collaboration with the Middleborough Parks Department is generously supported by the Middleborough Cultural Council and the Wilfred M. Silvia Library Trust.

StoryWalk® at the Town Pool

Hey all you Bluey fans -- you can check out Bluey: The Pool while YOU'RE at the town pool.

When you need a break from the water, travel to each page at your own pace around the perimeter of the pool. And no worries about splashing on Bluey -- the pages are all weather-proofed.

Don't forget - the Library has a pass to the pool that you can reserve here.

This StoryWalk® is supported by the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library and the Middleborough Parks Department.

StoryWalk® at Soule Homestead

Visit Soule Homestead at 46 Soule St. in Middleborough from Tues., Aug. 1 through Tues., Aug. 15 for another Summer StoryWalk®. This one features Say Something by Peter H. Reynolds.

Travel to each page at your own pace, beginning near the goat pen. Make sure to dress accordingly as this is a working farm.

This StoryWalk® is supported by the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library and Soule Homestead.

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

Finding Your Voice Through S.T.E.A.M.

Families with kids age 5-10 are invited to register for this fun and engaging program on Wed., Aug. 2 at 10:30 a.m. brought to you by the Children's Museum of Easton. 

S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, art and math) builds creativity and problem-solving skills while encouraging critical thinking and individual confidence and self-esteem.  

Space is limited so call the Library at 508/946-2470 to register.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Middleborough Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

CANCELLED TODAY: Bookworm Babies and Tiny Tots at the Park

Due to unforeseen circumstances, both Bookworm Babies (BB) and Tiny Tots (TT) at the Park have been cancelled today, Wed., July 26.

Both groups will meet next on Wed., August 9 at the park near Peirce Playground. BB meets first, from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m., followed by TT from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m.

BB is geared towards lapsit babies and their caregiver(s), while TT is geared towards babies and up to kids three years old and their caregiver(s).  Join in a story, songs and rhymes that build early literacy skills. Please bring a blanket or seat when meeting outdoors, and siblings are always welcome.



In the case of inclement weather, both groups will move indoors to the Library's Large Meeting room.

To sign up for program updates and the inclement weather list, please call the Library at 508/946-2470.

TOMORROW: Talewise Science Heroes: Saving Earth Together

Please join us tomorrow, Thurs. July 27 at 1:00 p.m. when science and stories collide in this brand new interactive STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program. Two unlikely heroes must learn to work together to stop a super polluting mastermind. Throughout the story, you’ll help the performer conduct amazing science experiments all about air pressure, the laws of motion, chemical reactions, and much more.

Brought to you by the Middleborough Parks Department and the Library, it will be held outdoors at 26 Jackson St.

Read for a Chance to Win this Summer

There's still plenty of time to sign up for the Teen Summer Reading challenge and log the time you've read this summer.

Tweens and teens in grades 6-12 can log their time and complete activities using Beanstack. Registrants who sign up can select a free book to get them started.

As teens log or complete activities, they'll earn virtual tickets that can be put into drawings to win a Grand Prize Gift Pack. We're raffling off a $50 Gift Card Pack for Amazon, Target, and GameStop, and an Art Supply Gift Basket in the end-of-summer-raffle.

Each week that you log time, readers will be eligible to win a $5 DQ gift card in the "Read for Ice Cream" giveway.

For more information, visit our Teen Summer Reading page.

Sharebrary Item of the Week: Camping Tent

Sharebrary: Borrow. Try. Experience.

It's summertime so get out in the woods and take advantage of every hot, humid minute with our camping tent.

The nine-person 14'x9' tent is large enough to fit two queen mattresses and comes in its own carrying bag. It also has a rain fly, room divider, stake bag (with 18 metal stakes), a bag of repair patches, and a set of instructions.

The camping tent is one of 40 different items we have in our Sharebrary collection. Check them all out!