December News & Events from Bellingham Public Library

Library Hours:  Monday—Thursday, 10 am to 8 pm; Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm. Christmas Holiday Hours: Wednesday, Dec. 24, closing at 1 pm; closed Thursday, Dec. 25, and Friday Dec. 26. Open regular hours Saturday Dec. 27. On Dec. 31, open 10am–1 pm; open regular hours on Jan. 2 and 3,

Parking Lot Expansion Begins
On Thursday, Dec. 11, the expansion of the library parking lot begins. Arborone LLC of Milford will be here at 8 am to remove the trees that are located in the area of the new parking lot.  Parking at the library will be extremely limited that day since their tree removal equipment will be on site. The company has also forewarned us that there will be very noisy wood chippers operating throughout the day.  We have cancelled all daytime programs. The library will be open, but please be aware of these conditions. 

Holiday Programs for Children

• The Polar Express — Tuesday, Dec. 9, and Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 6:30 pm.  For families. Join us on a magical “ride” on the Polar Express, listening to a telling of the story with hot chocolate and cookies—and seeing a surprise visitor! Wear your pajamas (you too, grown-ups). Please register.
• Gingerbread Man(ia) — Saturday, Dec. 13, at 1:15 pm and Monday, Dec. 15, at 4:15 pm. For ages 4 and up. Listen to a telling of “The Gingerbread Man” and decorate (and eat) your very own gingerbread man! Please register.
• Holiday Storytime — Tuesday, Dec. 23, at 4:15 pm.  For children ages 3-6. We will be having a very special Holiday Storytime, including stories, fun activities and a craft. Please register.

Featured Events

• Wisdom Comes with Age: Beyond Money:  Passing on the Wealth of your Wisdom—Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 6 pm.  Life lessons; end-of-life preparation and “The Talk.”  Facilitated by Rabbi Margie Klein of Congregation Sha’arei Shalom, Ashland, who will lead this nondenominational conversation on these important issues. Rabbi Klein is a grassroots organizer.  Integrating learning arts, social justice work and spirituality, she builds communities that are personally meaningful and deeply engaged with the world. This is part of our “For Adults” series coordinated by Marjorie Turner Hollman, Personal Historian; Sheila Ronkin, Outreach Coordinator at the Bellingham Senior Center; and Bernadette Rivard, Library Director.   Please register.
• 529 Plans, Financial Aid and FAFSA Workshop—Thursday, Dec. 4, at 6:30 pm.  Attendees will learn about 529 plans and some other choices; FAFSA planning (planning early means tax returns should be completed by the end of your child’s junior year of high school); paying off, refinancing, or setting up a Home Equity Loan—traps, pitfalls, benefits; 401k plans as the underused available tool and how to strengthen its use; the financial aid offer and how to counter it; who should go into debt and why? You or your child?; FAFSA—try some test runs now; amazing how motivating this can be. Attendees will hear points about the strengths and weaknesses of 529 plans, FAFSA and resources, financial aid ideas and resources to explore. We will also explore the question “Why is your 401K/403b plan the most under-utilized tool you never hear about?” Sponsored by the MetroWest Chapter of the Society of Financial Awareness. Please register
• Doctor Who Marathon—Friday, Dec. 5, 3–8 pm. Since the library has a TARDIS, we are having a Dr. Who event. For ages 13 through adult.  Watch episodes of Doctor Who, eat Doctor Who-themed snacks, and take pictures with the Tardis. No registration, just drop in.
• Tablets, EReaders & More—Saturday, Dec. 6, 10–11:30 am. Buying or upgrading a tablet or e-reader for yourself or a loved one this holiday season?  Let us help you decide what features and device will best fit your needs. This session will include a presentation outlining the features and functions of the most popular devices, including iPad®, Kindle Fire® and Android® tablets. We will have at least one of each type of device available for hands-on experimentation.  We invite you to bring your device(s) to explore its features with the group and obtain assistance from library staff if you have questions or issues with your device. This program is part of our Customer Experience in the Digital Age Grant, a federal Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant funded through Library Services and Technology Act. The grant is administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. Registration is preferred but not required.

Science Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Programs

• 3D Printer Training Workshops — learn about the operation of our 3D Printer and Sense 3D Scanner on Saturday, Dec. 6, 11:30 am–1 pm, and Monday, Dec. 8, 6:30–8 pm. For high school age and above. Please register.
• Hands-on Fun Featuring STEM — Mondays, Dec. 8 and 15, at 10:15 am. For ages 2-5. STEM  is an up-and-coming hot topic in education. Please join us as we explore STEM through hands-on activities, uncover ways to foster your child’s curiosity and love of learning, discover ways to lead your child to explore their world and find STEM in everyday life. Facilitated by Paula Cicconi, M. Ed. Sponsored by The Milford Family & Community Network (MFCN). Please choose either Dec. 8 or Dec. 15; the programs are identical. To register, please call MFCN at 508-634-2356. Space is limited.
• Full STEAM Ahead — Thursday, Dec. 11, at 4:15 pm. Each month, we will do a different STEAM project. STEAM equals Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math. This month’s project is fun with paper—including making origami and pop-up cards. Please register individually for each Full STEAM Ahead program.

Schedule of Ongoing Events

• Ring-A-Ding — Tuesdays and Fridays at 10:15 am, and Saturday, Dec. 13, at 10:15 am. For ages 0–5. A musical and play storytime. Drop in. No class the week of Dec. 29.
• Lego Build — Wednesdays at 4 pm. Drop in.
• Book Babies —Tuesdays, at 11:30 am, and Wednesdays, at 9:30 am, through Dec. 17. For ages 0–23 months.
• Reading with Indy — Mondays at 6:30 pm. For any age. Kids are invited to read with Indy, our certified reading dog. There are four 15-minute slots each Monday evening; please register. No meeting on Dec. 22 or 29.
• Alphabits — Wednesdays & Thursdays, at 10:15 and 11:15 am, and alternating Mondays at 10:15 am. For ages 2–5. Explore a different letter each week, A—Z, through stories, crafts and activities. Kids are also encouraged to bring something from home that starts with the letter of the week. Please go to the online calendar to see which Alphabits classes have availability.  You need to register only once in order to attend all Alphabits. No classes the week of Dec. 22 or 29.
• GOT Mail Story Time — Mondays through Dec. 15, at 1:15 pm.  For ages 3–5. Each week, we’ll open a letter that will tell us the theme of the day, which includes stories, games, activities and (usually) a craft. No class December 29. Please register. You need to register only once in order to attend all GOT Mail Story Time programs.
• Storytime 2.0 — Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 4:15 pm. For ages 3-6. We will be using the iPad for a monthly tech-filled story time. Please register for each Storytime 2.0 program individually.
• Magic School Bus — Monday, Dec. 22, at 4:15 pm. For ages 4-7. Watch a Magic School Bus video and do a related activity afterwards. Please register.
• The Write Stuff — Monday, Dec. 8, at 4:15 pm.  Ages 8–12. For those who love creative writing, share your writing and get new writing ideas at this program. Please register.
• Artrageous — Thursday, Dec. 18, at 4 pm.  Grades K–6. Stop by to make a Christmas craft.
• Family Book Club — Monday, Dec. 22, at 6:30 pm.  For families with children in grades 1–3. Each family will read at home the book of the month; then we will discuss it at our meeting. This month’s book title is The Nutcracker. Copies of the book will be available at the library. Please register your family.
• Mother Daughter Book Club —Monday, Dec. 22, at 6:30 pm. This month’s title is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone  by J.K. Rowling. Books available for pickup at the library.
• After School Café—Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, 2:30–3:30 pm, through Dec. 18. Join us in the community room for after-school games, crafts and fun. For middle- and high school ages. 

 
Ongoing Adult Programs

• Library Trustees Meeting: Thursday, Dec. 11, 7 pm.
• Friends of the Library Meeting: Monday, Dec. 1, 7 pm.
• Book Discussion Group: Monday, Dec. 1, at 3 pm, and again at 6:30 pm. (The group has grown so much that we are now offering the discussion at two different times on the same day. Come to the session that works best for you; it does not have to be the same time each month.) The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson will be discussed. New members always welcome.
• Bellingham Skein Artists: Adult knitting group meets Thursdays, 6:30 pm; new members welcome.