Library Announces June Events, News & Updates

Renovated Children’s Room Is Now Open

On Saturday, May 6, the library welcomed nearly 300 members of the community for the Grand Opening of the newly renovated children’s room. The room has beautiful new carpeting, an easy to navigate layout, a large variety of new toys and games for children of all ages, space for preschoolers and elementary children to play, and an iPad Krayon Kiosk loaded with age-appropriate children’s apps. We’d like to thank the following people and organizations for making the renovation possible:

• Bellingham Town Meeting voters who approved the funds last October for the carpeting.
• The Institute of Museum and Library Services, Library Services & Technology Act Grant, administered by the MA Board of Library Commissioners, in the amount of $10,000 for toys and furnishings.
• The Clara Macy PTO for funds to acquire the iPad Krayon Kiosk.
• Cummings Properties, LLC, employee Marinho Pereria, who chose the library for his company’s $1000 matching donation.  Those funds were used to purchase new shelving.
• Jeff Trelegan, General Manager at Victory Packaging, for the loan of carts and the donation of boxes to facilitate moving all of the books out of the room.
• The sophomore carpentry students at Blackstone Valley Tech who built 4 custom tables for the cost of materials.
• BNI Go-Getters, a business group that meets at the library on Friday mornings, for a $250 donation for the project.
• Library Board of Trustees for their continued support; library custodian Jim Maher and town carpenter Ron Paulhas and his senior volunteers, for their expertise in moving and putting things back together. Jack DeDomenici, one of our senior volunteers, worked many hours to assist with a variety of projects.
• The library staff, especially Mr. Steve, Anne, Barbara, Pauline and Renee, for their expertise in moving collections, advice on layout and day-to-day help during the project.

If you haven’t already stopped by to see the room, please do.

The Summer Reading Program kick-off will be held on Wednesday, June 28, at 7 pm, so save the date! This summer, the theme is “Build a Better World.” Visit bellinghamlibrary.org for details.

“Enlighten Bellingham”—From March through September, the library is offering the community a variety of programs for people of all ages under the “Enlighten Bellingham” program.  We are one of six libraries—three in Massachusetts and three in Maine—that, because of our science programming, was chosen as a pilot library by the ME State Library, the MA Board of Library Commissioners and the Maine nonprofit Cornerstones of Science.  The goal of the initiative is for the pilot libraries to create a field-tested, replicable science literacy method that can be used to enable public libraries to become skilled STEM facilitators. The project seeks to empower public libraries to build their science capacity so that they can connect their communities to engaging and meaningful informal science and technology experiences, equipment, books, media and the scientific community. We have chosen the topic of environmental literacy and will be offering programs on alternative energy, recycling and water tesources. The June program theme is “Tiny Houses & More.”

Using Plastic Bags to Crochet—Tuesday, June 6, 4 pm, for middle and high school students; second session, 6:30 pm, for ages 16 and up. What goes around, comes around, and lasts forever? Plastic bags! Let’s get them out of the environment and make something useful and reusable with them by turning them into Pham - plastic yarn! We’ll learn 3 different methods of transforming the bags into strips that you can knit or crochet with. An assortment of items will be on display plus basic patterns and directions to get you started. Basic crochet skills helpful but not necessary. Scissors and crochet hooks will be provided. Bring your stash of bags from home or ask friends and neighbors to part with theirs. The library will also have some on hand. Registration preferred but not required.

Tiny Houses: Everything You Need to Know—Tuesday, June 13, 6:30 pm. As the Tiny House movement gains momentum, a growing number of people are intrigued by the concept of “living tiny.” Join us for an enlightening presentation from national expert and local tiny houser Tracey Powell. She will share first-hand experience about this unique lifestyle, including pros and cons, financing, and legality. Even if you don’t plan to live “tiny” yourself, learn tips for how to live simply, safely, and sustainably. Please register.

These programs are part of the Bellingham Library’s participation in “Make Public Libraries Science Resource Centers in their Communities,” an Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant Program administered through Cornerstones of Science.
Check the library calendar  for more details on the following upcoming programs:

• When summer reading registration starts, sign up for our August Community Science Fair.  Details to follow.
• 1000 Books Before Kindergarten
• Freshwater Fish of New England and Restoring Our Local Watershed—Monday, July 17, at 7 pm

June Events

• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Party—Saturday, June 3, 10:30 am; for all ages. Meet the star of the If You Give a Mouse... books. Do some activities, make a craft, and get your picture taken with the famous mouse. Please register.
• Flowers Story Time—Monday, June 5, 10:30 am; best for ages 2–5. Stop by the library for flower-related stories, activities, and a craft. Participants will get a packet of sunflower seeds to take home. Please register.
• Pinkalicious Party—Wednesday, June 7, 10:30 am; for fans of the color pink and Pinkalicious. Wear your pinkest outfits for a pinkerrific time. Please register.
• Captain Underpants Party—Thursday, June 8, 4 pm; for all ages. The Captain Underpants movie just came out. To celebrate, we are having a party (not a potty). Please register.
• Adult Writers Group—Monday, June 12, 6:30 pm (2nd Monday of the month). Writers, readers, listeners—join us! The Bellingham Library, in partnership with local area writers Amy Bartelloni and Marjorie Turner Hollman, welcomes the public to come join us for monthly evenings of reading and listening. (See article on page 9.) Reading limit is 9 minutes per reader, with a brief opportunity for positive, personal comments only. Please register.
• Book a Librarian—Wednesdays, June 14 and 28, at 5 and 5:45 pm. Would you like a personal introduction to resources available at the library?  Do you need more time with a librarian than you can get over the phone or if you just walk in? Book a Librarian sessions are tailored to meet the specific needs of the individual.  A library staff member will give undivided attention to patrons who want in-depth help with a wide variety of library services.  Please register.
• Bubble Dance Party—Monday, June 19, 10:30 am; for preschoolers. There will be music, beach balls, dancing, and bubbles—lots of bubbles. Please register.
• Diaper Derby—Wednesday, June 21, 10 am;  for pre-walking, crawling babies 12 months and younger. In a Diaper Derby, it’s baby against baby to see who can crawl to the finish line first. No prizes, just fun photo opportunities, a chance to meet other babies and caregivers and a chance to see your baby’s competitive side. Please register.
• 8th Annual MA Walking Tour—Thursday, June 22, 6–8 pm. Founded by songwriting duo Mark Mandeville and Rianne Richards, the 8th Annual Massachusetts Walking Tour is coming this year to the Blackstone Valley, performing 10 free community concerts while traversing the state on foot.  The musicians actually walk with their instruments and camping gear from town to town, performing concerts after 8-13 miles of hiking roads and trailways. The MA Walking Troupe, including veteran members Mark Kilianski (guitar, banjo) and Amy Alvey (fiddle), will hike from concert to concert using recreational trails in the Blackstone Valley. The Bellingham Library is pleased that it has been chosen as one of their concert venues. This concert will be held in the Bellingham Library’s community room, and is suitable for all ages.  Please register.
• In addition to evening concerts, the troupe will also be organizing a series of short group hikes wherein the community is invited to meet up with the MA Walking Tour as they travel between towns. For more information, please visit www.masswalkingtour.org. This program is sponsored by a grant from the Bellingham Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the MA Cultural Council, a state agency.

Regular Events for Children

•  Mondays (thru June 19, 2:30-4 pm—Mondays in the Middle, for students in grades 4-7. Drop by the Community Room after school for video games, board games, laptops, and homework.

•  Tuesdays & Fridays, 10:05 and 10:50 am, and Saturday, June 10, 10:15 am—Ring-A-Ding, for ages 0–5.  Drop in. No sessions June 2, 13, and 16.
 
•    Tuesdays (thru June 13), 2:30–4 pm—Totally Awesome Tuesdays, for grades 4-7. Drop by after school for video games, board games, with laptops, and more.
 
•    Wednesdays (thru June 14) 2:30-4 pm—  Wednesday Crafternoons, for grades 4-7.  Drop by for a craft activity or play video games, board games, with laptops, and more. Drop in, no registration required.
 
•    Wednesdays, 4–5 pm—Lego Club, for all ages. Drop in.
 
•  Magic School Bus—Monday, June 19, 4:15 pm, for ages 4-8. Each month, watch a Magic School Bus video and do a related experiment, craft or activity. Please register.
 
•    Picnic Stories on the Town Common—Wednesdays, 12:30 pm, weather permitting. (No Picnic Stories on June 14.)

Events for Teens

• Teen Room Activities—Daily (thru June 21) 2—5 pm (or 10:45 am on early release days), for grades 6-12. Looking for something to do after school? Stop by the Teen Room and use computers, play on the WiiU and XBox One, play board games, and create craft projects with your friends.
• Mother/Daughter Book Club—Monday, June 26, 6:30 pm, for mothers with daughters in grades 5-7). If you’re looking for a way to bond with your daughter, join the library’s Mother/Daughter Book Club. Each month, a mother/daughter pair selects a book that the group will read. Check bellingham.library.org for details.  Please register if this is your first time attending. 

Events for Adults

• Book Discussion Group—Monday, June 5, 6:30 pm; new members welcome. Drop in. 
• Friends of the Library Meeting—Tuesday, June 6, 7 pm.
• Coloring for Adults—Monday, June 12, 6 pm. Drop in.
• Library Board of Trustees Meeting—Thursday, June 15, 7 pm.
• Bellingham Skein Artists (Adult Knitting Group­)— Thursdays, 6:30 pm. Drop in.