News, Information, and Fun Things to Do
from the
Middleborough Public Library
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Library Lines
September 8, 2021
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True Crime Author Maureen Boyle Talks About Her New Book, The Ghost
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Author Maureen Boyle joins us Wed., Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m., to speak about her new book, The Ghost: The Murder of Police Chief Greg Adams and the Hunt for His Killer. It's about the murder of a Pennsylvania police chief in a small town in 1980 and the search for Donald Webb of New Bedford (and later Dartmouth), a low-level mobster.
Boyle is the author of Shallow Graves: The Hunt for the New Bedford Highway Serial Killer, and an award-winning journalist. She's been a crime reporter in New England for more than 25 years and was the first reporter to cover the serial killings in New Bedford detailed in her book. She currently serves as director of the Journalism Program at Stonehill College in Easton.
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Ex Libris, the Friends' Bookstore, is Open Again |
Ex Libris, the bookstore operated and staffed by the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library, has re-opened!
Store hours will be:
Tues: 11:00 a.m. -- 3:00 p.m.
Thurs: 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Sat: 12:00 -- 2:00 p.m.
Donations are accepted once again. Please make sure your used items are in good condition (no mold, mildew, or torn covers), and please, no encyclopedias, textbooks or outdated computer, medical or science books.
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Six Adults Won Great Summer Reading Prizes! |
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Our Adult Summer Reading Program has ended for another year. Of registered adults who earned at least one activity badge, we selected at random six lucky patrons to win prizes. The more activities you completed, the better your chances were to win a prize. And these folks were all very active in the program.
Congratulations to Jessica H., the grand prize winner of two tickets to a whale watching excursion with Captain John Boats out of Plymouth.
Also winning a $50 Amazon gift card were: Michele B., Sara B., Gina S., Dawn H., and Kathy W.
Congratulations to all our winners, and thanks to everyone who took the time to participate this summer. We hope to have you back in 2022.
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Lessons From the Pandemic
From time to time, we share writing from our patrons from their Summer Reading entries. Following are responses from six adult participants in response to this question (which was written in June):
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Now that the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be more in our rear-view mirror than something we’re facing many more months of, we can reflect a little on what that time was like. Tell us in one paragraph something you learned that will change the way you live your life, going forward. |
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Linda Merritt:
First, I learned how much I missed being with other people at church, at the Y, doing theater, just seeing them and talking to them casually. Second, I started going for walks and really looking at trees and flowers and watching the beautiful changes in nature as the seasons changed. Third, I came to realize how much I have taken for granted all my life and how truly fortunate I am.
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Library Patron:
My mom is 90 years old and lives independently. During the pandemic she was unable to go anywhere and also was unable to see many family members. Because I was able to work remotely I was one of few family that could visit. We have spent many hours talking about her family and I have learned about both my parents' childhoods. I now make it a point to spend each weekend with her and she shares stories of her past.
Heather Boerman:
Learn to be ready to adapt to things that change that you can't control. Make health and family a major priority.
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Michele Benyue:
During the pandemic, I learned just how much I love being home with my children. I work full time and they are usually off at school, but for quite some time we got to be home, together. We had so much fun with each other and I will forever treasure that time. I hope it helped them to realize the importance of time with family as well.
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Library Patron:
During the pandemic I learned to appreciate the people and places that are dear to me. I have never been great at communicating, but I am now making a concerted effort to check in with loved ones, friends and family, on a regular basis. Being isolated from them gave me a true sense of how important they are to me. In addition, I have realized the importance of not waiting. Instead of saying, some day I will do this, or some day I will visit that person, I now realize that there may not be a some day and l should not put off doing things that are important to me such as visiting people who are far away, learning new skills or going somewhere I have always wanted to go.
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World of Science with Ms. Carol |
This monthly program with Ms. Carol of Self Help Inc.'s Coordinated Family and Community Engagement beginning on Mon., Sept. 13 at 10:30 a.m. is for families with children ages 3-5 yrs. It will include various science topics each month. Children will participate in activities related to the topics through art, songs, experiments, literacy connections and movement.
CFCE will follow the CDC, State and local Board of Health's COVID guidelines in order to keep everyone safe and healthy. So, please keep in mind that this gathering may be small in numbers, have masks available, and may be held indoors or outdoors, depending on the guidelines.
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Children's Fall Reading Challenge Coming Soon
Keep reading year round and sign up for the Children's Fall Reading Challenge beginning September 20 and running through November 12.
Use the same log-in as your Summer Reading for the website or free Beanstack app.
Is your child required to read a certain number of minutes each night? That counts!
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DOWNLOAD THE BEANSTACK MOBILE APP
Download the Beanstack Tracker mobile app to your mobile device so you can easily track your reading.
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Drop in to the Large Meeting Room for Snap Circuit Saturday on Sat., Sept. 18 from 10:00 a.m. until noon. Space is first come, first served. One kit per child or family. Social distancing is encouraged. We have Snap Circuit sets for ages 5 and up.
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Little Explorers: Nature Stories |
Join Miss Amanda for nature stories and activities appropriate for preschool-aged children 2.9-5 and their families at Soule Homestead. Siblings are always welcome.
Soule Homestead is located at 46 Soule St. in Middleborough. This program runs on Thursdays for five sessions: September 20 and 27, October 4 and 25, and November 1. This program will take place outdoors, under the pavilion if necessary, and postponed in the case of any severe weather. Soule Homestead is a working farm so please dress accordingly.
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Tiny Tots at the Park Returns |
Tiny Tots at the Park is geared towards babies-3-year-olds and their caregiver(s). Programs will run on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. beginning September 22. Join in a story, songs and rhymes that build early literacy skills. This program will meet outdoors at the Park near Pierce Playground just down the street from the Library. Siblings are always welcome. Please bring a blanket or seat. Social distancing is encouraged. In the case of inclement weather, Tiny Tots will move indoors with limited capacity and online using Zoom.
To sign up for program updates and the inclement weather list for the Zoom link, please call the library at 508-946-2470.
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For the months of September through December, Ms. Lori's Facebook Fun Fridays will be in a Q&A format. Ms. Lori will post a riddle, math problem, trivia question, library knowledge or book fact.
Email Miss Lori with your name, age and answer to the question and she'll put it in a prize drawing, or come into the Library and fill out a Fun Friday Form and drop it in the bucket yourself.
One lucky patron's name will be chosen at the end of each month. If you participate in each Fun Friday, you will have four chances to win in September and November and five chances in October and December.
Upcoming Fun Friday challenges on Facebook:
September 10 - Math Problem
September 17 - Riddle
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Congratulations to Our Kid Readers
Summer Reading has come to a close with over 290 kids participating in reading and activities. Children's program participants read 354,613 minutes or more than 5,910 hours! Participant lists will be sent to Middleborough Public Schools for their records.
Prize winners have been notified. Didn't win? Reading is year-round at the Library. Watch for the Fall Reading Challenge and your next opportunity to win a prize.
Special thanks to the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library for their continued support, PACA Alpaca Farm for their generous prize gift, and the Smith family for the new Hot Wheels cars donation added to the prize packages.
A big thank you to the North Easton Savings Bank for their sponsorship of our end-of-summer Toe Jam Puppet Band concert and to the Salvation Army/Meeting House Church for handing out 100 backpacks to children at the event.
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SUMMER READING SNAPSHOT
Total participants
of all reading programs
506
Total minutes read by all readers
636,731
Total of kids and teens who read 4+ hours
359
Total activities
participated in
3,768
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Teen Summer Reading Wrap Up
Congratulations to all of our teens who participated in the Teen Summer Reading Challenge. You did an amazing job! Teens in grades 6-12 read a record-breaking total of 4,158 hours, the highest-ever amount of reading time logged during the teen program. Sixty-three teens also completed a total of 1,060 activities to help them earn virtual tickets towards our Grand Prize Raffle.
Here are the winners of the Teen Summer Reading Challenge prize drawings who took home a gift card and Tails & Tales book light:
Jeffrey C. – The Game Reserve
Natalie C. – Dairy Queen
Tayla G. – Fisher Restaurants
Lennon H. – Dunkin Donuts
Tyrus H. - $50 Amazon
Jiadah J. – Target
Alexander K. – Basketball Hall of Fame ticket
Jacqui L. --$25 Amazon
Nora L. – Regal Cinemas
Clark M. - Buddy’s/Baldie’s Pizzeria
James Z. – Cumberland Farms
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Don't forget your free book!
If you've logged 12 or more hours, stop by the main floor of the Library by September 16 to pick out a book from our large selection of popular titles!
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We'd like to thank the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library for their continued support of the Teen Summer Reading Program and Dairy Queen for their generous contribution to our prize raffle. |
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Tails & Tales is sponsored by the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, CSLP and supported by the National Women's Hockey League team Boston Pride and by the generosity of the Friends of the Middleboro Public Library. |
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"Book Blurbs" --
What Our Patrons Have Been Reading
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One of the challenges in this year's Adult Summer Reading Program, "Tails & Tales," was to submit a review of a book about animals. Click on the cover to place a hold on the title in the SAILS catalog, or on the orange bold title below to place a hold for the digital edition in OverDrive. |
"Orphaned Darien is apprentice to the village wizard, whether he likes it or not. He doesn't care to learn about magic! It doesn't seem very useful to him. Until the army came and his town was taken. And Justyn stood tall to defend it.
Darien escaped, only to be rescued by the Hawkbrother Snowfire. The Hawkbrothers take him in and make him feel like one of them, but Darien can't forget his village, as much as he wants to make his home with the Hawkbrothers, the mysterious Vale Folk who bond with birds of prey and live alongside lizard folk and gryphons.
The beginning is a little rocky as you deal with Darien's teenage angst and the village's intransigence, but the story gets moving as the Snowfire and Kelvren, the Gryphon, help Darien heal from his many losses. This is a book full of great characters, human, animal and in-between, with an interesting story. It is the first in a trilogy. I'm pretty sure I will like the rest."
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New Hours
Monday - Thursday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Closed Friday & Sunday
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