May 2022 Newsletter

A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR

We are getting into the swing of meeting room use this spring, and are delighted to offer many exciting programs in May! Be sure to check our online Calendar of Events for details and registration.

Wed May 4 - Join us for an all ages celebration of Star Wars Day, celebrating the fandom from 12-4pm with crafts, games, activities and a screening of A New Hope at 6:30pm. The Friends will be raffling off Star Wars themed baskets, giving away Star Wars swag, and selling Star Wars book bundles. Proceeds benefit the Grafton Library.

Thu May 5 - We begin an important dialogue about racism with a virtual program will focus on the experiences of three Black people, Jeanne Hall, Gloria Matlock, and Dick Hall, who have generously offered to share what it means to be Black in Massachusetts and the United States. Dick, Gloria, and Jeanne’s experiences will be the starting point for an open and thoughtful conversation about racism and how as individuals and a community we can learn to appreciate and understand perspectives different from our own. The discussion will be moderated by Allen Davis, Ed.D., an educator and racial justice advocate. If you want to continue the conversation about racial justice and explore actions you can take, there will be a follow up meeting on May 12 at 7pm.

Mon May 9 - Don't forgot about Town Meeting (at the high school!)

Wed May 11 - The Town will host a public meeting about ARPA in the evening. Attend to share you thoughts on allocating funding. There is also a brief survey to take online.

Tue May 17 Election Day - polls open 8am-8pm. Don't forget to VOTE!

Wed May 18 - The Grafton Farmer's Market returns with baked goods, produce, crafts, meat and eggs and more from 1-5 pm.

Wed May 18 - The Blackstone River Watershed will host their annual meeting with a special screening of Pakachoag: Where the River Bends at 6:30pm with a presentation by Colin Novick of the Greater Worcester Land Trust & Cheryll Toney Holley, chief of the Hassanamisco band of the Nipmuc Nation. Discussion and questions will follow the video.

Sat & Sun May 21 & 22 - Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale!

Children's storytime debuts and joins our programming for teens and school age children.

We continue to keep our eye on COVID-19 case counts, and will pivot to decrease participation limits and mandate masking should levels increase. Changes and cancellations, as always, will be announced on our website.

EXPANSION UPDATE

We completed accessible exit sign installation and the repair of the clock in the Historic Reading Room (it looks beautiful!). An additional desk arrived courtesy of the Capital Campaign. Art rail was installed in several first floor locations. The next policy for Board of Library Trustees to work on will be Art Display.

We continue to wait for counter and sink lowering, window decals, the gate for the stairs, and doors for the Maker Space and Presentation Area in Community Room B. The HVAC system is the only remaining punch list item. We are working to resolve other outstanding non-punch list items, including signage, office shelving, locks for cabinets and drawers in public spaces, landscaping, wiring, piano, patio furniture and lighting, and FF&E installations.

Check out construction photos in our Construction album on our Facebook Page!

Upcoming Library Planning & Building

Committee Meetings

Library Planning and Building Committee meets on the first Monday of the month. Next meeting:

Monday May 2, 2022 6 PM EDT

Monday June 6, 2022 6PM

Join the Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81745556188?pwd=MUdoRzE2eFI4VmRkUGFFYVdRN2J2dz09

Meeting ID: 817 4555 6188

Passcode: 361649

One tap mobile: +16465588656,,81745556188#,,,,*361649# US (New York)

MAY IS ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN offers up an evocative tale of two best friends whose bonds are both strengthened and tested over decades by forces beyond their control. Set largely on the remote Korean island of Jeju, THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN follows Young-sook and Mi-ja, girls from strikingly different backgrounds who bond over their shared love of the sea. Working in their village’s all-female diving collective, the two friends come of age in a community where gender roles are anything but typical. Here, women are the primary breadwinners, the heads

of household in all but name, and yet, as Mi-ja and Young-sook come to realize, there are limits to their control that can prove devastating.

Request a book, an e-book on the Libby app or an audiobook on the Libby app.

OUR MAY DISPLAY

The Borrower Services and Reference staff invites you to

check out a book from our fiction and non-fiction staircase displays in

Room 201 - Large Print/New Books.

STOP & SHOP

COMMUNITY BAG PROGRAM

Friends of the Grafton Public Library will receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable Community Bag at the Stop & Shop store located at 100 Worcester Street, Grafton MA.

SEED LIBRARY

We are excited, as part of the fulfillment of our LEED certification, to nurture a community of native and organic plant gardeners by providing a seed collection and exchange through the Library! Check back often--we'll be adding new seeds during the season!

Our Goals

• Provide free seeds to the community from seed companies and occasional seeds from gardeners who've saved seeds from plants that thrive in our local area.

• Encourage the use of native, heirloom, open-pollinated and organic seeds.

• Encourage gardeners to save seed and donate seed back to the Seed Library from successful varieties of plants they have grown.

• Educate our community on topics related to gardening, ecology, food and nutrition, health and wellness and the environment.

• Promote the importance of organic gardening for our health and the health of our planet.

• Increase awareness of and mitigate food scarcity

How the Seed Library Works

Choose a maximum of 2 free seed packets per visit
Follow the link on the back of the seed packet for growing instructions and plant the seeds in your garden.
Donate any leftover seeds back in the original packet.
Water, weed, and wait!
Harvest seeds from successful flowers and produce and thoroughly air dry them.
Place harvested in the envelopes provided, label and return to the Seed Library so others can grow them next year. (optional)

Orphan seeds from local gardeners who have extras will be made available to gardeners who need extra in our informal seed exchange.

Don’t forget to browse our gardening books in the 635s!

Thank you to Russell’s Garden Center in Wayland MA and

Prairie Moon Nursery in Winona MN for donating seeds to

start our Seed Library!

https://graftonlibrary.org/home/about/garden/seed-library/

DID YOU KNOW?

DaVinci HD/OCR All-In-One Desktop Magnifier

Thanks to an ADA grant from the MA Office on Disabilities, we have two DaVinci high definition optimal character recognition desktop readers They are for in-house use. These are high performance desktop video magnifiers so you can experience the joy of reading from printed material. The DaVinci Pro features text to speech as well. More information is available at https://www.enhancedvision.com/low-vision-product-line/davinci-pro.html

Additionally, the Library has handheld digital video magnifiers available for home use or in-library use -- they are very helpful for reading spine labels on the bottom row of the shelves!

A portable MagniLink Zip will be available soon for at-home use.

Please inquire at Borrower Services to access our new equipment!