Bellingham Public Library Announces Changes, February News
Jan 28, 2021 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. At Bulletin deadline, this was still the level of service offered.
Visit the library website, www.belllinghamlibrary.org, for current information about hours and services.
The Library Reopening Committee has voted to enact the following policy to assist you (and us) with some consistency over the next few months regarding library services:
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.
Please check the library website for any updates on when we will reopen to the public and resume Grab & Go Limited Browsing Services.
We did start expanded curbside and phone service hours in January. Our current hours for curbside and phone service are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 11am–5pm; Wednesday, 11am– 8pm; Friday and Saturday, 10am–3 pm. The library will offer no services on Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 15.
Returning Library Materials
Please place items you are returning on the designated cart located 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.
February Programs
- Book Discussion Group on Zoom: Monday, Feb. 1, at 6:30 pm. Glad Farm by Catherine Merenghi will be discussed. Catherine, a Milford native, will participate via Zoom in this discussion of her memoir. (See related article on pg. 22.) To attend, contact Reference Librarian Cecily Christensen at 508-966-1660 or [email protected].
- Ask a Lawyer: Monday, Feb. 8th, 5–7:30pm. This popular program resumes via Zoom. Local attorney Brian T. Salisbury of the law firm Doherty, Dugan, Cannon, Raymond and Weil, P.C., will meet with you to answer your legal questions. Appointments are 20 minutes long and free of charge. You must register in advance to receive the Zoom link, which includes providing Attorney Salisbury with your email address to facilitate the meeting.
- Friends of the Bellingham Library Meeting: Tuesday, Feb. 9, 7pm, on Zoom.
- Presidential Landmarks in New England: Wednesday, Feb. 10, 6:30 pm. Do you know where in New England:
- the Oath of Office was taken by a President of the United States?
- a plaque commemorates a Presidential visit to a bar?
- you can see a coconut that saved a President’s life?
- former President, accused of being a traitor, was almost lynched?
- In this virtual (Zoom) presentation, author David Kruh, co-author with his father of the book Presidential Landmarks in New England,will take you through 200 years of the U.S. Presidency, focusing on the native New Englanders who called the White House home. Most of the sites in New England dedicated to the U.S. Presidents, including birthplaces, homes, libraries and yes, even bars will be shown. This combination of history and travelogue is of interest to both the historically minded and the tourist alike. Please register to receive a link to access the event. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Bellingham Library.
- Library Board of Trustees Meeting: Thursday, Feb. 11, 7pm, on Zoom.
- Virtual Tips for Job Seekers: Thursday, Feb. 18, 6:30pm, on Zoom. Join this program and gain valuable insight on how to network, interview, and go through the job search process virtually, including using LinkedIn. Presented by Deb Raymond, successful career coach and founder of Career-Creations. Please register to receive a link to access the event. (Additional job seeker workshops slated in March and April.)
February Children’s Programs
- (Check the library calendar for details.)
- ABCs with Mr. Steve: Mondays, 9am, on You Tube.
- 15 Minutes of Fun! On Facebook Live: Tuesdays, 10am.
- Alphabits Live on Zoom: Tuesdays, 12:30PM; Thursdays, 9:30AM; replayed on Fridays, 9AM.
- Ravenous Readers on Zoom: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 5pm, for grades 4–6, and Thursday, Feb. 25, 4:30pm, for grades 1-3.
- Picnic Stories on Zoom: Wednesdays, 12:30PM.
- PJ Storytime on Facebook Live: Wednesdays, 7PM.
- Virtual STEAM Time: Thursdays, Feb. 11 and 25, 3:30PM, on YouTube. Sign up to get your materials.
- Boredom Buster Calendar: Do you have the winter blues? Are you tired of the same thing every day? Check out our Boredom Busters calendar. Our calendar has a boredom buster activity each day during the month of February. Download the calendar at www.bellinghamlibrary.org/kids and watch the daily videos on our YouTube channel, which give more details about each day’s boredom buster.
Individual Programs
- Super Bowl Party: Thursday, Feb. 4, 3:30PM. Get ready for the Super Bowl with a football-themed video, including a story, craft ideas, and other activities. Subscribe to the YouTube channel “The ABCs with Mr. Steve” or join the Bellingham Library Children’s Room group on Facebook to check out the video, which will be live at 3:30PM.
- Share the Love: Monday, Feb. 8, 3:30PM. The world definitely needs more love! Watch this video for ideas to bring smiles to people’s faces for Valentine’s Day. Subscribe to the YouTube channel “The ABCs with Mr. Steve” or join the Bellingham Library Children’s Room group on Facebook to check out the video, which will be live at 3:30PM.
- Lego Build: Wednesday, Feb. 10, 4 pm. Live on Zoom! Build Legos from home, show off some of your Lego creations and listen to a Lego story. Please register to be sent the Zoom link.
- Tales of the Cryptids: Thursday, Feb. 18, 3:30PM (best for ages 8 and up). Join us to learn about Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and lots of other creatures that may or may not exist. Register for the Zoom link.
