Bellingham Public Library Announces Changes, January News
Dec 30, 2020 06:00AM ● By Pamela Johnson
Bellingham Public Library
In early December, due to the increasing COVID cases in town, the library reverted to curbside service for pickup of library materials. As of press time of this release that was the continued level of service offered.
If the town is designated by the state as being in the red for two consecutive weeks, and the “change in percent positivity” is trending higher, the library will revert to curbside service only for checkout of library materials.
The library will reopen for in-person browsing when the state has designated that the town has reverted to yellow (or better) for 2 consecutive weeks, and the “change in percent positivity” is trending lower.
The change in the library schedule will begin on the Monday following the Thursday/Friday distribution of the state report.
This policy is subject to change based on recommended guidelines and may be overridden by state or local government.
New Hours for Curbside Pickup, Phone & Email Service starting January 4th: Mon, Tue, Thu, 11am–5pm; Wed, 11am–8pm; Fri & Sat, 10am–3pm. Closed, no services on January 1st and 2nd for New Year’s, and Mon, Jan. 18, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Check the library website for updated information about hours and services, www.belllinghamlibrary.org.
Returning Library Materials:
Please place items you are returning on the designated cart that is near the library entrance. If the cart is not there, please use the book drop that is near the flagpole. All items that are returned will be quarantined for at least a few days before being checked in. Any late fees will be waived once the items are checked in.January Programs:
- Book Discussion Group—virtual meeting on Zoom, Monday, Jan. 4, at 6:30pm. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See will be discussed.
- Virtual SAT Test Preparation Tips & Tricks—Tuesday, January 5th, at 6:30pm. Hannah Sieber, owner of TriTutoring LLC, will guide you through the starting point for your SAT studying. Get some tips, tricks, and ideas for how to attack the test. This is a virtual session through the Zoom platform. Please register, and the link to access the session will be emailed to you several days beforehand. This is supported by the Friends of the Bellingham Library.
- Meet the Author— Catherine Marenghi, Milford native and author of Glad Farm on Thursday, January 7th, at 6:30pm (virtual event through the Zoom platform). Catherine Marenghi is the granddaughter of Italian immigrants. The Milford native is the author of Glad Farm: A Memoir and Breaking Bread: Poems. She will discuss and read from her 2016 Glad Farm, which is the featured selection of the Bellingham Library’s February Book Club. The book is a story of stark poverty and resilience, set on a former gladiolus farm. President Carter has called this book “inspiring.” She will also read from her poetry book and an excerpt from her forthcoming historical fiction based on her immigrant ancestors, who migrated from northern Italy to Milford in the late 1890s. Catherine is an award-winning poet and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her poems have twice received first-place honors from the Academy of American Poets University and College Poetry Prize program. Her work has appeared in literary journals in the US, Mexico, and other countries. She holds an M.A., B.A., summa cum laude in English from Tufts University. There will be a Q&A session following her presentation. More information about the author and her books is at www.marenghi.com. Please register and you will receive the Zoom link to access the event several days beforehand.
- Friends of the Bellingham Library Meeting—Tuesday, January 12th, at 7pm, on Zoom.
- Library Board of Trustees Meeting—Thursday, January 14th, at 7pm, on Zoom.
January Children’s Programs
(Check the library calendar for details.)- ABCs with Mr. Steve— Mondays, January 11, 18, and 25, at 9am, on YouTube.
- 15 Minutes of Fun!—On Facebook Live, Tuesdays, at 10am.
- Alphabits Live on Zoom—Tuesdays, at 12:30PM; Thursdays, at 9:30am; replayed on Fridays, at 9am.
- Ravenous Readers on Zoom—Wednesday, January 20th, at 4:30pm, for grades 4-6; and Thursday, January 21st, at 3:30pm, for grades 1-3.
- Picnic Stories on Zoom—Wednesdays, at 12:30pm.
- PJ Storytime on Facebook Live—Wednesdays, at 7pm.
- Virtual STEAM Time—Thursdays, January 14th and 28th, at 3:30pm, on YouTube. Sign up to get your materials.
Individual Programs
- Lego Build on Zoom—Wednesday, January 13th, at 4pm.
- S’more S’mores!—Saturday, January 16th, at 1pm, on YouTube.
