Happy Holidays to All from the Staff at the Middleborough Public Library

Our hours for the upcoming holidays are:

Sat., Dec. 24 -- Mon., Dec. 26: Closed

Tues., Dec. 27 -- Thurs., Dec. 29: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Fri., Dec. 30 and Sat., Dec. 31: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Sun., Jan 1 -- Mon., Jan. 2: Closed

Show Your Hometown Pride with Your New Library Card

Just in time for the holidays, you can gift yourself with one of our new Middleborough Public Library cards. Stop by any time between now and Fri., Feb. 3 and you'll be able to exchange your current SAILS card for one of these new, colorful cards at no charge. (You'll receive a new number with your new card.)

If you've lost your old card, you can get one of the new ones at no charge, as well. New library users will automatically receive one of our new cards.

This program is fully registered but please sign up for the waiting list as we always have spots open up at the last minute.

It will take place Sat., Jan 7 at 12:30 p.m.

This program is for adults, ages 18+. Call 508/946-2470 or email Reference/Adult Service Librarian Libby Fox.

Thanks to the Friends of the Middleborough Library for sponsoring this program.

Sharebrary Item of the Week

Sharebrary: Borrow. Try. Experience.

This week's featured Sharebrary item is our Snowshoe sets (we have two). They're unisex, beginner trail walking snowshoes, designed for people between 150 to 200 pounds.

Each set contains two snowshoes, two trekking poles, one bag with two snow baskets, and two trekking basket accessories for the bottom of the poles, all packed in a carrying bag.

We currently have 34 different items to lend out from our Sharebrary collection.

Thank you to the Wilfred M. Silvia Library Trust for its generous support of the Sharebrary collection.

SAILS Addresses Your Privacy Concerns

You may have noticed recent changes in the notifications you receive from SAILS, including removing the title and author from overdue/on hold items. (SAILS is the library consortium of which Middleborough is a member library.) We thought this might be a good time to tell you more about these changes.

At the recommendation of its Privacy Audit Task Force, SAILS elected to remove this information from notifications since emailing and texting confidential information is insecure. Emails and texts are easily shared with others, an email account can be hacked, and messages may be easily accessible to people who are in close range of your phone or PC if you step away from those devices.

While many of you may not have a problem with people seeing what you're reading, consider these scenarios where others might need privacy:

• The young adult who doesn't want their family to know they are borrowing LGBTQ titles.
• The person borrowing items related to a sensitive medical issue.
• The spouse in a violent marriage seeking information on divorce or reading other material that their partner considers to be objectionable.

Although it may be an inconvenience for some, SAILS libraries are doing what they can to protect the confidentiality of all patrons. Notices now include a direct link to your account where you can log in to find more information about the title that is on hold or overdue. 

Please read this post by Laurie Lessner, Assistant Director for Technology Services at SAILS, for more information about the new privacy changes. 

Reading Challenge for the Holiday Season

Kids up to sixth grade can log seasonal activities like hunting for reindeer in the stacks and checking out wrapped books from under our tree through December in our December Mini Reading Challenge, "Season's Readings."

Use the Beanstack Reading Program site or download the free Beanstack Tracker app. This challenge will only require the completion of activities and not logging reading time. The more activities completed, the more chances you have to win a grand prize pack.

This program is generously supported by the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.