THIS SATURDAY -- "Freedom Songs" Musical Theatrical Production For Kids and Adults

In honor of Black History Month, we're bringing back to Middleborough the national touring company Bright Star Touring Theatre.

Join us at the Library on Sat., Feb. 17 at 12:30 p.m. for their musical production, "Freedom Songs." This musical revue provides an energetic and engaging approach to learning about Black History. From songs which carried the secret messages needed to navigate the Underground Railroad, to the powerful anthems of the Civil Rights Movement, to Ragtime, R&B and the Beale Street Blues, music has long been an integral part of American history which is celebrated in this production. 

"Freedom Songs" is best appreciated by audiences in grades 3 through adult, and no registration is required.

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.

Save the Date!

Mark your calendars for Sat., March 16 at 9:30 a.m. for "Celtic Chocolate: A Celebration of All Things Irish," a program for adults ages 18+, and look for more information in the next newsletter or on our website.



Thanks to the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library for making this program possible.

Next Up in Our Virtual Author Talk Series

Our virtual author talk series features bestselling, award-winning authors, covering a range of fiction and nonfiction genres in one-hour-long programs.

Register for upcoming events here and submit your questions for the author, or you can watch here, at any time, any of the previous programs archived up to a year back.

Exploring Identity, Love, and Being Black in America in Fiction Writing: A Conversation with Award-Winning Author Jason Mott, Tues., Feb. 20, 4:00 p.m.

Join us online as we talk to New York Times bestselling author Jason Mott about his recent novel Hell of a Book. This magnificent work of fiction is deeply honest, at times electrically funny, and goes to the heart of racism, police violence, and the hidden costs exacted upon Black Americans and America as a whole.

In Hell of a Book, a Black author sets out on a cross-country publicity tour to promote his bestselling novel. That storyline is the scaffolding of something much larger and more urgent: the story of Soot, a young Black boy living in a rural town in the recent past, and The Kid, a possibly imaginary child who appears to the author on his tour.

While this heartbreaking and magical book entertains and is at once about family, love of parents and children, art and money, it’s also about the nation’s reckoning with a tragic police shooting playing over and over again on the news. And with what it can mean to be Black in America.

Mott is the author of two poetry collections and four novels. His first novel, The Returned, was adapted for television and aired on ABC under the title "Resurrection." His novels that followed have received various accolades and acclaim. Hell of a Book won the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction, was a Carnegie Medals For Excellence Longlist nominee, and was the winner of the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction. He lives in North Carolina.

Register here.

Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity: An Author Talk with Kim Scott, Wed., Feb. 28, 2:00 p.m.

Log onto your device of choice and learn why feedback is so difficult, and how we can make it easier. The idea is simple: You don't have to choose between being a pushover and a jerk. Kim Scott, a New York Times bestselling author, will explain the Radical Candor feedback framework and how you can practice it today. She'll offer practical, tactical tips for how to solicit criticism, give praise and criticism, gauge how what you're saying is landing, and build a culture of Radical Candor. She'll also discuss ensuring that bias, prejudice, and bullying don't masquerade as feedback.

Scott is the author of Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better and Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing your Humanity. She co-founded a company that helps leaders put the ideas in her books into practice. Kim was a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies. She was a member of the faculty at Apple University and before that led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google.

Register here.

Robot Ninja Warriors with Mobile Quest S.T.E.M. Center

Participants will learn how to write code to move robots through an obstacle course and become Robot Ninja Warriors in this program offered by Mobile Quest S.T.E.M. Center.

Scheduled for Tues., Feb. 20 at 1:00 p.m., the program is for kids ages 7-12, and space is limited. Please call the Library to register at 508/946-2470.



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

Storyteller Charlot Lucien

Stop by the Library on Wed., Feb. 21 at 4:00 p.m. to see award-winning storyteller Charlot Lucien in an engaging, bilingual performance of Haitian stories that is open to all and appropriate for every age.

Author of five storytelling CDs in Haitian Creole and French, Charlot is described by the Northeast Storytelling organization as, "a Haitian-born storyteller, visual artist, and lecturer on Haitian culture and history. He has received various awards for his cultural advocacy and his promotion of Haitian storytelling."  

This program is made possible thanks to a Jordan Miller Storytelling grant and the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Book BINGO is Back

All ages can join Ms. Amanda for Book BINGO during school vacation week, Thurs., Feb. 22 at 10:30 a.m.

Use a card supplied by the Library and follow along with the game. All kids who get a "BINGO" will be able to choose a book to keep from the prize table.



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

Teen Mario Kart 8 Tournament with One Up Games

Go out for a spin and hurl some shells at our Mario Kart 8 Tournament with One Up Games during school vacation week on Fri., Feb. 23 from 11-2:00 p.m. in the Library's downstairs meeting room. Join us for friendly competition, fun, and snacks!

For tweens and teens ages 10-18.

Register for your spot in the tourney by calling the Library at 508/946-2470.

Extra Yarn Creations with Carol Carver

Calling all grandparents and/or parents of preschoolers! Come join us on Mon., Feb. 26 at 10:30 a.m. for a lil' bit of fun as we move from the winter months to the spring months and create with yarn. No worries -- you don't have to know how to knit as this is a much simpler project. 

We'll also have some time for play, songs, story, movement and lots of teamwork. Please register by emailing leader Carol Carver.

TOMORROW -- Homeschool Board Game Day!

Join us on Thurs., Feb. 15 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. for a fun-filled afternoon at our Homeschool Board Game Day in the downstairs meeting room.

We have lots of board games for both kids and teens, and families are invited to bring their own games to share, too. Come try a new game or play an old favorite.

This event is geared towards ages 9+ but all ages are welcome, and no registration is necessary.

Additional support for the games was made possible by the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Secrets in the Libby App and How to Find Them

Having fun uncovering all the "Easter eggs" in the Libby app? Here are the final two:

Change Library Colors and Names

Customize the colors of your libraries in Libby to help differentiate your cards if some look too similar. Go to the menu, tap "Manage Cards," tap "Actions" on each card, then "Change Library Colors."

You also can rename your library card. For example, you can change the card name to read "Middleboro" instead of displaying your card number as it currently does.

Rotate to Landscape on Small Screens

While Libby looks best in portrait mode, you may want to switch to landscape when on a small screen, reading magazines and read-alongs or you have accessibility concerns. To do so, go to "Settings" on the Libby menu and tap "Accessibility Features." Under “Orientation Locking,” switch to System Orientation to use landscape mode.

Thanks to the 5.24.23 online issue of LibbyLife for this article.

Sharebrary Item of the Week: Laminator

Sharebrary: Borrow. Try. Experience.

Seal up and save your grandmother's hand-written recipe cards. Memorialize a favorite piece of artwork your child brings home from school. Design your own bookmark for your favorite library bestseller.

The laminator comes in its own box complete with an exit tray for the paper and instruction manual.

Please note: You'll have to provide your own laminating sheets, such as Fellowes or Scotch Thermal Laminating Pouches, that can be purchased at any office supply store or on Amazon.

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