Library Featured Collection of the Month: Library of Things
The Bellingham Public Library has more than just books that you can check out with your Bellingham Library card! The “Library of Things” is a collection of kits, equipment, and more. This collection offers patrons a chance to try new things. All items are on a first-come, first-served basis, except for a few items that can be reserved. The collection is always growing, and a few new items have just been added this summer! There are six categories of items: Adult Memory Kits, Audiovisual Equipment, Board Games, House and Home, Recreation and Crafts, and Science and Technology. Three items that can be reserved: the telescope, WiFi Hotspots, and a Meeting Owl Pro to host hybrid meetings.
Adult Memory Kits stimulate conversation with people who have memory issues. Topics include: the decades of the 1950’s and 1960’s and the four seasons. These kits can be checked out for 3 weeks with no renewals, which is a week longer than the other items in the Library of Things collection.
Audiovisual Equipment is a selection of equipment to play and create audio and video, including: a Blu-ray player, Bluetooth speakers, cameras and so much more! Just in this summer: a portable DVD player and a digital voice recorder!
The library has a large collection of Board Games that can be checked out, from classics like Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Cribbage, and Scrabble to contemporary games like Catan, Pandemic, and Ticket to Ride. Just in this summer: Chess, Pokemon Labyrinth, Escape Room the Game, Doodle Face Game, Pete the Cat the Missing Cupcakes Game, Scavenger Hunt indoor/outdoor card game for kids, and Clue.
The House and Home category is a selection of items used around the home, including environmental monitoring equipment, small tools, office equipment, etc. Just added to this collection: portable hand-held steamer and a white noise machine.
Recreation and Crafts consists of outdoor lawn games, bike supplies, craft equipment and supplies, musical instruments, party equipment, and more. New items added to this category include: fort building kit, Magna-Tile Animals, outdoor carnival games, scoop ball set, time activity set, jewelry making supplies kit, button maker machine, story pebbles, and a balloon pump.
The Science and Technology category includes computer equipment, robots, science kits, educational game systems, engineering kits, etc. Added recently to this collection: Bloxels build-your-own video game, and a Botley Coding Robot activity set.
There are also a number of children’s kits available for borrowing, and just some examples are alphabet learning locks, floor puzzles, build and learn geometric shapes, house building engineering center, mood and emotions mirrors, number-bots, simple words learning locks, and tower of sight words.
The items in this collection circulate for 2 weeks with no renewals. To learn more, go to the Bellingham Library’s website and click on “Kits, Equipment & More!”
Bernadette D. Rivard
Library Director
Bellingham Public Library
100 Blackstone Street
Bellingham MA 02019
508-966-1660
508-966-3189 fax
Your work day/hours may not be the same as mine. So please don’t feel obligated to respond outside of your normal working hours.
“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light.”
George Washington, Letter to Charles M. Thurston, Sunday, August 10, 1794
Library News
For updates to library programs and services, please see the library website, www.bellinghamlibrary.org. Click on the red alert banner on the top of the page for details.
Summer Hours
Monday - Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday hours resume on September 9th
Friends of the Library Book Sale in August!
The Friends of the Library will be holding their Summer Book Sale in the Community Room at the Library between August 23rd and 26th. Check the library calendar for details of the times of the sale. Wednesday the 23rd will be a special preview sale for members of the Friends of the Library only! Join at the door for as little as $10 and get first dibs on the thousands of books (and more) that will be available for sale, most for $1 or less!
Special Programs
Summer Reading Continues through August 18th. If you haven’t already signed up for Summer Reading, it’s not too late. See Miss Laura in the Children’s Room for details! Thank you to the Friends of the Library and the Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation for sponsoring this year’s Summer Reading Program! Remember to stop by and pick up or reserve your copy of your school Summer Reading assigned titles!
August Children’s Program Schedule – all programs end by August 18th, unless otherwise indicated! Check the library calendar for details and to register!
• Mondays - Each week’s Codeword Hunt starts on Mondays
• Mondays from 6-7 p.m. – Sign up for a 15-minute reading spot with Freedom the Reading Dog!
• Tuesdays at 10 a.m. – Summer Sensory Story & Play with Miss Melissa, drop in!
• Tuesdays at 12 noon – Picnic Stories on the Town Common, weather permitting!
• Wednesdays at 10 a.m. – Summer Ring a Ding, drop in!
• Wednesdays at 12 noon – Summer Krafty Kids with Miss Diane, please register for each session.
• Thursdays at 10 a.m. – Summer Family Movie Fun
• Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. – Summer Starlight Story Time, drop in!
• Fridays – Each week’s Summer Brain Buster starts on Friday!
• Fridays at 11 a.m. – Summer Baby Time, drop in!
• Tuesday, August 1st at 6:30 p.m. – Davis Bates Storyteller for all ages!
• Monday, August 7th at 6 p.m. – Toe Jam Puppet Band on the Bellingham Town Common!
• Tuesday & Wednesday, 8th and 9th from 6-8 p.m. – Camp Millionaire is back! Fun way to learn about money, finances and more! For ages 8-12, please register. Must be able to attend both days.
• Thursday, August 10th at 3:30 p.m. – Tweens & Teens: Venetian Mask Decorating. Please register!
• Friday, August 11th at 4 p.m. - Tweens & Teens: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournament. Limited to 20 participants so please register early!
• Wednesday, August 16th at 6 p.m. – Ukulele Lessons with Julie Stepanek – We’ll have 24 ukuleles for registered participants. If you have your own ukulele, feel free to come without registering.
• Friday, August 18th– End of Summer Reading Ice Pop Party. Drop in anytime between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. and have some fun with ice pops, music and bubbles as we have a party to celebrate the closing of the Summer Reading Program.
After School Programs
Our afterschool programs will resume on August 30th when school starts. Check the library calendar for details on August registration dates for the ASK (Grades 4-6) program! Registration is mandatory for children in grades 4-6 to attend the program.
Other Adult Programs
Additional details of these programs are available on the library calendar (https://bit.ly/3xMECCt)
• Book Club generally meets on the first Monday of the month. Email Reference Librarian Cecily Christensen at [email protected] for details.
• Friends of the Library generally meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. [email protected] for details.
• The Library Board of Trustees generally meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. [email protected] for details.
• Adult Writing Group is back to meeting at the library. Their new meeting date is the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm. Email [email protected] for details.
• Bellingham Skein Artists Meet at the Library!This group of knitters, crocheters and other skein artists meet in the Teen Room of the library on Wednesdays from 6-8 pm and all levels, beginners included, are welcome to join. Don’t have knitting or crochet needles? Did you know the library has a set in our library of things? You can borrow them to try before investing in your own!
• Yoga! Check the library calendar for details on dates and times and to register. Space is limited so registration is required.
