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Library Lines April 1,
2020
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Everything You Always
Wanted to Know About Overdrive
But Were Afraid to Ask
Let's face it -- most of us have way more free time on our hands these days than we're used to. It's 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. You can select which device you have and the easy-to-follow instructions will walk you through the set-up process. Just remember to have your library card number and PIN (typically, the last four digits of the phone number you used when you got your card), to log in. If you're having issues and would like a little guidance, email Reference Librarian Libby Fox or Assistant Director/IT Librarian Dale Irving and they'll get back to you and try to help.
For those of you who are old pros at using Libby, we'll be highlighting a few features each week that might be new to you.
1. From now until April 13, the "Big Library Read" has returned! It's a chance for all library card holders to read the same digital title at the same time without any wait lists or holds. It's like a worldwide digital version of a local book club.
This session's selection is Funny, You Don't Look Autistic by Michael McCreary. Like many others on the autism spectrum, 20-something stand-up comic McCreary has been told by more than a few well-meaning folks that he doesn't "look" autistic.
This unique and hilarious memoir breaks down what it's like to live with autism for readers both on and off the spectrum.
Use the Libby or Overdrive apps to access
your copy today. Available in both e-print and e-audio versions.
2. Did you know that if you can't find the title you want in the SAILS Overdrive collection, you now 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.
If you're searching using the Libby app on a mobile device, click on the 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.
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Lost Your Card?
Great, you say sarcastically. There are all these online library resources I can tap into with my library card. There's only one problem -- I can't find my card.
Not to worry -- SAILS has got you covered by allowing you to 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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April Showers...are Great Days for
Virtual Visits with the Library!
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We have great news to share -- Children's Librarian Miss Amanda is back! She's put together a 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,
April 1, in a pre-recorded video, Miss Amanda will read Michael Rosen's
We're Going on a
Bear Hunt. Everyone is encouraged to leave a bear in your window, then head out for a walk with your family to see how many you can find.
Tech with Tiny Tots on Thursdays -- This week,
April 2, Miss Amanda will show bear rhymes and good books for babies.
Friday Fun with Miss Lori's Puzzle/Challenges -- For this week's challenge, draw
a map of your neighborhood, and don't forget to include the bears in the windows.
Take a photo and post it on our Facebook page starting
April 3.
Miss Amanda's Monday Musings -- Hey Peeps! On April 6, build a diorama with peeps (or another food item with adult permission) depicting a scene from a favorite book, then share your pictures on our Facebook page.
Tuesday Lego Challenges -- This week,
on April 7, create a Lego basket that can hold colored eggs. How many can yours hold? Share your designs on Facebook with us.
Be sure to look for another newsletter, coming out on
Wed., April 8, for next week's fun programs with Miss Amanda!
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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 Genre Spotlight: Fantasy
NEW TITLES
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
(The Last Hours, book 1)
Cordelia Carstairs, a Shadowhunter trained to battle demons, travels with her brother to London where they reconnect with childhood friends but soon must face devastating demon attacks in the quarantined city. Features the children of the protagonists in "The Infernal Devices" series. Grades 8-12. Check for ebook and audiobook availability.
Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
Nirrim endures a grim and punishing life as a Half Caste until she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possess magic and tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. Grades 8-12.
SERIES STARTERS
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
(The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, book 1)
While working at summer jobs in San Francisco, 15-year-old twins, Sophie and Josh, suddenly find themselves caught up in the deadly, centuries-old struggle between rival alchemists, Nicholas Flamel and John Dee, over the possession of an ancient and powerful book holding the secret formulas for alchemy and everlasting life. Grades 6-12.
Check for
ebook
and
audiobook
availability.
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
(Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy, book 1)
Seventeen-year-old Karou, a lovely, enigmatic art student in a Prague boarding school, carries a sketchbook of hideous, frightening monsters--the chimaerae who form the only family she has ever known. Grades 9-12.
Tips for Managing Your Mental Health
With everyone cooped up at home, isolated from friends and family, and unable to attend church, see a movie, shop at the mall, or participate in sports and other activities, it's natural to feel bored, depressed, and scared.
Here is some advice from mental health experts on how to stay emotionally strong during an uncertain and restrictive time.
Get the facts - use reliable sources to learn about COVID-19. Clear information will help you to keep perspective. Limit your news intake each day to reduce uneccessary stress.
Feel your feelings
-- know that it's normal
and healthy to feel anxiety and sadness during the Coronavirus crisis. Allow yourself to express your feelings in your own way so that you can
eventually channel your anxiety into useful action. It's okay to just be and let your mind reboot in a way that is natural for you.
Move & eat healthy -- get up and do some physical activity for at least 20 minutes a day, whether it's playing outside or exercising in the house. Moving your body releases endorphins, a natural 'high," which helps maintain your mental health. Take time to include nutritious snacks and meals in your diet--it'll keep you healthy and happier.
Connect -- find creative ways to spend time with friends and family, like Netflix Party. Schedule a family game night (try Zoom to connect across households) and use social media to chat and share with friends. Remember to take a break from screen time to be in the moment--moving, playing, resting, and interacting with those who are physically around you.
Keep busy -- dive into projects you've put off (organizing your room), try something new (tackle a new recipe or take up a hobby), and look for ways that you can help others in need, offer comfort, and make someone laugh.
Thanks to these
websites for much of this content.
To-Dos
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"Silly Shots" Photo Contest
It's time for a little at-home fun!
Each Wednesday in April, we'll be directing you to our Facebook page where you can 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.
The categories will be :
- You and/or your favorite coffee mug -- April 1
- You in costume as a character from a favorite book. Put on your creative hat, as the costume must be made from things you have around your home! -- April 8
- Anything from outside, such as your yard, your neighborhood, your garage, etc. -- April 15
- 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, and don't worry
if you forget or delete this email -- we'll remind you every Wednesday in the newsletter. Some of our staff will be participating, too, so keep an eye out for their snaps.
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Spotlight on a Local Hero -- BoroBot Steps in to Help
Boston Hospitals
In a Facebook post by Middleborough Town Manager Bob Nunes last week, we learned that Middleborough's own Rich Oakley and the BoroBot team (consisting of
many former and current students and volunteers) have been working to modify a design by the Prusa 3D printing company to "fit the needs of the clinicians at some of the Boston hospitals for a face shield that will help to increase the longevity of their existing n95 masks by protecting it to a degree from exposure, as well as providing eye and cheek protection."
Take a look at an
in-depth article
The Enterprise newspaper recently wrote about this extraordinary effort.
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This Week's Marvelous
Museum "Pass"
While we can't visit the New England Aquarium or the Museum of Modern Art in person right now, we CAN share with you some of the best virtual museum tours out there.
This week's visit is to the world-famous Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. You can choose to watch all or part of the five-hour tour through 45 galleries, nearly 600 works of art, and several live performances. Click
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Boredom Busters
In each of our April newsletters we'll be offering you something silly and fun to do here.
For April 1, we offer Library Quarantine Bingo.
Just click here and print out your game card, or go to the Library's Facebook page to find a PDF of the card that you can print. Mark off squares as you complete each task and hold onto it; once we re-open, everyone who drops off their card will be eligible to win a $25 Amazon gift card.
We hope it offers a fun break from the change of circumstances we're in and that the first square you mark is "Missed the Library."
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"Book Blurbs" --
What We've
Been
Reading While Home
For book lovers, having extra time to get lost in a book is one silver lining from spending so much time at home. Every week, we'll bring you a brief Book Blurb from the staff to fill you in on what they've liked/disliked.
Reference/Adult Services Librarian Libby Fox --
The Giver of Stars, by Jojo Moyes
I've really enjoyed almost all of Moyes' other novels (
Me Before You being perhaps her best-known) and have described them as well-written Chick Lit. This one is completely different as, instead of relationships and romance, it tells the story of the WPA pack horse librarians who served
remote regions in the Appalachian Mountains from 1935-1943. The librarian in me loved learning about the stresses and unexpected joys that came from delivering books in incredibly challenging circumstances. Click
here to place a hold on a digital copy.
Young Adult Services Librarian Chris Dargelis --
Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
Leviathan Wakes is the first book in the nine-book Expanse series written by
Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. It's also become a TV series. This science fiction series has incredible world-building, high-stakes political machinations, a chilling horror-filled plot, and some unforgettable characters--all set against the awe-inspiring and somewhat terrifying background of space. I was sucked in from the first page, drawn into the disparate worlds of earnest ice hauler James Holden and jaded cop Joe Miller who find themselves at the edges of a horrible secret that threatens the entire human race. My favorite part of the series is the poignant and humorous friendship shared between one small crew who band together, despite their differences, against the odds. Click
here to place a hold on a digital copy.
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Musical Moment
of
the Week
Have you watched any of the incredible online musical collaborations that have been created even while social distancing tens or hundreds of miles apart? If not, you're in for a treat. Here's one from the Berklee College of Music in Boston featuring a virtual orchestra/chorus of more than 60 musicians playing/singing Burt Bacharach's "What the World Needs Now."
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the creativity, skill, and technology that made this possible. Just click here.
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Did You Know...?
Get to know a little bit more about some of our staff this April.
Hi everyone, I'm Miss Lori - many of you may know me from the Children's Room. I work closely with Miss Amanda on many things for our youngest patrons. What you might not know is that I'm also Head of Technical Services, which means I'm in charge of making sure that all the things that you want to check out are processed and on the shelf for you to see.
When I'm not at work I live with my husband and our dog, Jacoby. I have two adult children, who are both married, and one beautiful granddaughter. I'm a native of northern New York State, but Massachusetts has been my home for 27 years. When not working, I love to travel, spend time with friends, read (of course), cross stitch, and work on family genealogy. I also enjoy yoga and spending time in nature.
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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, and as librarians, we want to make sure you're getting yours from the most reputable sources. So each week, we'll provide links to a few trusted and respected websites.
COVID-19 Latest News in Massachusetts -- Visit Mass.gov for the most up-to-date information from the Commonwealth's COVID-19 information page. You'll find the latest news from Governor Baker's office, updates on the number of cases, and much more.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) -- Click here for information on the disease, testing guidelines, best practices for taking care of yourself, and more.
Unemployment Insurance -- Have you lost your job because of the COVID-19 pandemic? The fastest way to file for
unemployment benefits is online. Start
here.
Please be patient as the site has seen an unprecedented level of traffic recently.
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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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