News, Information, and Fun Things to Do

from the

Middleborough Public Library

Library Lines

July 17, 2024

TODAY: Japanese Storyteller Motoko Visits with Programs for All Ages

We're pleased to introduce Middleboro audiences of all ages to the magic, mystery, and beauty of Japan’s culture through performances by award-winning Japanese storyteller Motoko today, Wed., July 17. No registration is required for these programs.

TALES OF NOW & ZEN - 6:30 p.m.

At 6:30 p.m., Motoko will offer adults an evening filled with humor, charm, and elegance during "Tales of Now & Zen" She'll regale us with hilarious tales from the old country, as well as poignant personal stories from her childhood in Osaka and her experiences as an immigrant to the US.

JAPANESE FOLKTALES & ORIGAMI - 1:00 p.m.

At 1:00 p.m., families with kids ages five and up can attend "Japanese Folktales & Origami." Motoko will delight you with folktales from her native Japan, combined with hands-on origami activities. Her step-by-step instructions will make the ancient Japanese art fun and accessible. Children will learn focus, imagination, and precision while creating pieces of art.

TALES & ORIGAMI - 2:30 p.m.

At 2:30 p.m. , teens ages 11-17 can attend "Tales & Origami." Discover Japan, the birthplace of Anime, through magical tales and origami. Motoko will discuss how Japanese folklore has inspired games and anime in the U.S. and around the world. Under her step-by-step guidance, participants will make exciting origami figures, and design their own original anime characters.

Motoko is the recipient of the National Storytelling Network’s 2017 Circle of Excellence Award.

Motoko's three performances/programs are supported in part by a grant from the Middleborough Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Additional funding was provided by the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Save the Date

Mark your calendars for Wed., Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m. when HGTV's "Houses with History" old home preservationists Jen Macdonald and Mike Lemieux will visit the library.

Registration will open Tues., July 30. Please read the full article about the program in the July 31 issue of this newsletter for more details or go to our online calendar.

Join Us For Yoga @ the Library

We still have several spots available for this weekend's Yoga @ the Library session.

All levels are encouraged to attend 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., Sat., July 20. We’ll flow from one pose to another, using our breath to unite the mind and body, combining movement, strength, and flexibility in such a way that you’ll begin to explore the feeling of the postures, rather than seeing the poses. All you need to do is breathe and turn inward.

Please bring a yoga mat and water to class. Several mats will be available to borrow if you don't have your own.

Instructor Paige Hogg is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher who specializes in restorative and vinyasa styles. When she’s not teaching yoga, she’s working as a Marketing Manager or reading a book.

For adults ages 18+. Registration is required as space is limited.

One final summer session will be offered on Sat., Aug. 17, and registration will open on Tues., July 30. To register, call 508/946-2470 or email Reference/Adult Services Librarian Libby Fox .

Thanks to the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library for funding Yoga @ the Library.

It's Shark Week @ the Library

Program with NECWA

Join Carol “Krill” Carson, marine biologist and president of NECWA (New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance), for a fun family program on the different sharks that can be found in the waters off New England. Learn about basking sharks, white sharks, mako sharks, and many more.

This presentation on Wed., July 24th at 2 p.m. will be followed by viewing of marine artifacts (shark jaws, shark teeth, etc.), and arts and craft activities, including NECWA’s “Make Your Own Fossil Shark Tooth Necklace."

All ages are welcome, and no registration is required.

Shark Week Storytime

Join Ms. Amanda on Saturday, July 27th at 10:30 a.m. for a storytime celebrating Shark Week. With stories, songs and ocean activities it's sure to be a fish-tastic time.

No registration is required.

This program is designed for children and accompanying adults. Please plan to attend and be engaged with your child for this program. Drop-offs will not be permitted.

Shark Week programs are brought to you by the generous support of the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Family Movie Night: Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

Drop in for a Family Movie Night featuring "Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken," rated PG, on Tues., July 23 at 6:00 p.m. Families can bring their own picnic dinner and/or snacks for the show.

Thanks to the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library for sponsoring this event.

Jumpin' July Toddler/Preschool Program with Ms. Marsha

Calling all toddlers and preschoolers -- let's jump in July with stories and crafts. We'll have a great time on Thurs., July 25 at 10:30 a.m. as we listen to stories, make some awesome crafts and jump with joy as we sing and dance together.

This program is for children ages 2-5 and their caregivers. Siblings are always welcome. Please register here .

This program is brought to you by Self Help Inc. Coordinated Family Community Engagement.

Book Bingo

Join Ms. Amanda on Mon., July 29 at 2:00 p.m. for a game of BINGO where the prizes are books. It's a great way to Read, Renew, Repeat this summer.

No registration is required, and all ages are welcome.

This program is brought to you by the generous support of the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Recycled Seed Paper Make-and-Take

Miss Meg, Plymouth County’s Agricultural Extension Educator, will be stopping by the Library on Tues., July 30 at 1:00 p.m. for this hour-long program where we'll learn about native wildflowers and how they're helpful to our environment. Then we'll make our own recycled seed paper to take home.

This program is geared toward children over age five and we recommend wearing play clothes since the take-home project can get messy.

Registration is required and can be done here .

Smokey Bear is 80!

In celebration of Smokey Bear's 80th birthday, we're throwing a party at the Library on Thurs., Aug. 1 at 10:30 a.m.

Wildland Firefighters from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Bureau of Fire Control and Forestry will read the Smokey Bear Story, discuss campfire safety, and share some fun facts about Smokey. Each attendee will receive a Smokey Story mini book.

Following the story, participants will be invited outside to tour a Wildland Fire Engine to learn about the tools of the trade and meet Smokey Bear. Smokey materials such as wrist bands, bookmarks, pencils, and stickers will be handed out, as long as supplies last.

Smokey is encouraging kids to read this summer. Check out his reading badges in the Kids Summer Reading Challenge. You can join using the free Beanstack app or by logging onto the computer using this link .

Smokey's firefighting crew is very busy this time of the year, so watch our online events calendar for any program updates or rescheduling.

All ages are welcome, and no registration is required.

Upcycled Paper Feather Wall Hanging Workshop

There are still some spots available for Pop Up Art School's Upcycled Feather Wall Hanging Workshop on Thurs., July 25 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Get ready to turn upcycled materials into an amazing wall hanging for your room.

You'll use strips of leftover fabric to create a backdrop for feathers made from fringed pages of old books. If you want, you can give the feathers a splash of color with watercolor paint. This project is sustainable, and perfect for adding a personal touch to your space.

Open to ages 10-17. Please register here to reserve a spot.

This program is brought to you by the generous support of the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Wet Felting Soap Workshop

Join Jen Tinkham on Thurs., Aug. 1 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. for a Felted Soap Workshop using the technique of wet felting with your favorite soap. Tweens and teens ages 10-17 can learn about the process of using a combination of friction, soap, and water to make felt out of wool fibers in order to create customized felt coverings for their soap.

Participants should bring in a bar of their favorite soap to use for the workshop.

Please register here to reserve a spot.

This program is brought to you by the generous support of the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Summer Reading Underway For All Ages

If you haven't had a chance to register yet for our summer reading programs, sign up through the Beanstack platform or through the Beanstack Tracker mobile app (see sidebar). They run through Thurs., Aug. 15.

Find out more details in this newsletter, on our website, or by calling 508/946-2470, or visiting our Facebook or Instagram pages.

Read, Renew, Repeat is sponsored by the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, iRead, and through the generosity of the Mass Cultural Council, the Middleborough Cultural Council, the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library, and the Rotary Club of Middleboro. Thank you to Dairy Queen of Middleboro, TreeTop Adventures of Canton, Tom and Jimmy's Ice Cream, and the Western Massachusetts Library Advocates for their generous prize donations. The Beanstack summer reading platform is made possible by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and with the assistance of the Massachusetts Library System.

ASRP Featured Activity Badges of the Week

This summer we'll be highlighting several activities from the Adult Summer Reading Program (ASRP) to whet your appetite to register, enter to win fun prizes, and learn more about the Library.

Can You Do It By The Book?

Stop by the desk of Reference/Adult Services Librarian Libby Fox any time during the summer and see if you can figure out the title of the shredded book inside the “Yum!” jar on her desk. Pick the jar up. Turn it around, or upside down. Use any method you like to try to figure out what literary masterpiece is inside.

Stream a Movie or TV Series with Hoopla

Your Middleboro library card lets you stream (for free, we remind you) hundreds of movies and TV series.

Start here and make an account (if you don't already have one) using your library card number and you’ll be good to go. You can check out 20 titles each month from the collection of e-books, audiobooks, comic books, movies, TV series, and music. Hoopla syncs across all your devices, so you can stream titles immediately or whenever you're in the mood. Most titles also can be downloaded to your phone or tablet.

Cupcake Liner Flower Kits from ASRP

Participants in this year's Adult Summer Reading Program (ASRP) can reserve a take-and-make kit to turn cupcake liners into paper flowers.

Pictured here is the colorful bouquet made by ASRP participants Ashley Cox and her mom Elizabeth Evans.

Call 508/946-2470 or email Reference/Adult Services Librarian Libby Fox to reserve yours.

Children's Summer Reading

Kids up to 6th grade can "read, renew, repeat" this summer by logging reading time and completing activities to have the chance to win one of five grand prizes, weekly ice cream giveaways, free books and more.

This year's grand prizes are a $50 Amazon gift card; an Amazon Fire 7 Tablet; Eco Wireless Ear Buds and a Cork Speaker; Endangered Animals Prize Pack; and a Surprise Prize Pack.

The more kids read, the more chances they have to win. Those entering 6th grade have their choice of joining the Children's or the Teen's Summer Reading program but they must choose one.

Register and get a free book. Everyone who reaches eight hours of reading will get to choose a second free book and everyone who reaches 16 hours will have the opportunity to put their name on a bookplate in a library book of their choice. Read 30 hours or more to be entered into a special drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card as well as additional prizes. Read 40 hours or more and be entered into a drawing for a new book of your choice.

For more convenience, download the Beanstack Tracker mobile app to your mobile device (Android and iOS) so you can easily track your summer reading.

For more information, visit our Kids Summer Reading page.

Teens Are Busy as a Bee Reading to Help Families

Teen readers participating in the Teen Summer Reading Challenge have logged enough reading time so far to earn Gifts of Honeybees, which includes a hive, bees, and beekeeping training, for seven families, thanks to the generous donation by our sponsor, The Rotary Club of Middleboro!

In honor of this year's conservation theme of Read, Renew, Repeat, teen readers can support honeybees and families in need this summer just by reading. The Rotary Club of Middleboro will generously donate up to $500 towards Heifer International's Gift of Honeybees program. Every hour you read brings us closer to helping a struggling family and supporting the honeybee population.

Keep logging time and completing activities--like swimming, recycling, gaming, and so many more-- using Beanstack. Don't forget to add any virtual tickets you've earned to the drawing(s) or your choice for a chance to win one of six Grand Prize Gift Packs. We'll have a drawing for $50 Gift Card Packs from Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, and more.

Readers also have the chance to win one of three $25 "Super Reader" Amazon gift cards for reaching 20+, 40+, and 60+ hours of reading time.

Read to help the bees and families this summer! For more information, visit our Teen Summer Reading page.

Next Up in Our Virtual Author Talk Series -- Young People's Programs for July

Register for one of our upcoming 60-minute virtual author talks here and submit your questions for the author, or you can watch here, at any time, any of the previous programs archived back to July 2022.

Learning the Power of Poetry with Bestselling Author Elizabeth Acevedo (9th-12th grade)

A VIRTUAL Author Talk, Tues., July 23, 2:00 p.m.

You’re invited to learn about the power of poetry with Elizabeth Acevedo. She'll provide a short reading from her National Book Award winning and New York Times bestselling novel-in-verse, The Poet X, and chat with us.

The Poet X is about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth. Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking. But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

Acevedo's newest book won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Carnegie medal, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the Walter Award.

She is also the author of numerous other titles. She's a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC with her husband.

Graphic Novels are Life! Telling Your Own Story in a Graphic Novel with Dan Santat (5th-8th grade)

A VIRTUAL Author Talk, Tues., July 30, 2:00 p.m.

Join this year’s winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Dan Santat, as he inspires tweens and teens to tell their own stories through graphic novels. His winning book, A First Time for Everything, is a graphic memoir based on his own awkward middle school years and the trip to Europe that changed his life.

Santat began drawing as a young boy and although he first studied microbiology, he pursued his passion in illustration. He spent many hours as a child and teenager teaching himself to draw by copying illustrations from comic books until he developed the unique, recognizable style that we see today. His talk will inspire listeners to draw their own story as well as give them practical tips on the creation of graphic novels.

Santat is a Caldecott Medal winner, a National Book Award winner, and a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. His artwork is also featured in numerous picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade novels. He also created the animated television show, "The Replacements." He lives in Southern California with his wife and two children.

Reading with Ms. Marilyn's Spaniels on Thursdays

Sign up your child to read to a dog at the Library on Thursdays this summer, with the next sessions scheduled for Thurs., July 18 and 25. It's a great way to practice and improve reading skills in a non-judgmental environment. Ms. Marilyn will bring her credentialed therapy dog and kids can sign up for a 15-minute session that starts with a meet and greet. They can bring their own reading material from home or pick something out at the Library.

Bookworm Babies and Tiny Tots in July

Both Bookworm Babies (BB) and Tiny Tots (TT) will meet at the Library or the park near Pierce Playground (weather dependent) Wed., July 31. BB meets first, from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m., followed by TT from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. Check the Library's website for location updates.

BB is geared towards lapsit babies and their caregiver(s), while TT is geared toward babies and up to kids three years old and their caregiver(s). Join in a story, songs and rhymes that build early literacy skills. Siblings are always welcome.

To sign up for program updates, please call the Library at 508/946-2470.

This program is supported by the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Sharebrary Item of the Week: LED Projector

Sharebrary: Borrow. Try. Experience.

Throw a big white sheet up on the side of the garage, run an extension cord outside and have a movie night for all the neighborhood's kids with our LED projector.

It comes with an instruction manual, remote control with batteries, lens cloth, power cord, one 3-in-3 AV cable, one 3-in-1 AV cable, one HDMI cable, and one VGA cable all packed inside an easy-to-get-home hard-shelled carrying case.

The LED projector is one of 40 different items we have in our Sharebrary collection. Check them all out.