What’s Happening at the Library? – July 1 Edition

WESTFORD — Assistant Library Director Kristina Leedberg has shared the most recent edition of “What’s Happening at the Library?” with WestfordCAT.

Unless otherwise noted, programs are generously funded by the Friends of the Library, Inc.

Director’s Corner: The elected Board of Library Trustees anticipate that the municipality of Westford will receive a grant notification from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), following that agency’s July 7, 2022 monthly meeting. The MBLC is the state agency which oversees public libraries in the Commonwealth, and administers critical state-wide programs and funds, including oversight of the MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM. 

Westford is currently #5 on the Construction Grant waitlist, and will be receiving notification one year earlier than expected, due to increased funding at the state level. Approval for the $7.85 million Library Building grant and associated municipal funding will need to be passed at both the Special Town Meeting on October 17 and on the ballot on November 8.

Mother Goose Story Time: Every Thursday in July from 10:30 -11:15 a.m. We are OUTSIDE for the summer! This is a great early literacy program for you and your littlest ones. Get them started with reading fundamentals like rhymes, finger plays, and stories. No registration required!

Young Adult Writers’ Club: Tue., July 6 at 2:00 p.m. A chance to meet up with fellow writers to discuss your latest projects, read your work aloud if you want to, and write in a relaxing and encouraging space. YA Librarian Jess will be present at each meeting with writing prompts, brain exercises, and snacks! Register here.

Adult Nonfiction Book Club: Tue., July 5 at 7:00 p.m. We’ll meet in the downstairs Meeting Room. We’ll discuss In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. Copies are available at Main Desk, and the ebook and audiobook are on Overdrive. Email Charles Schweppe at cschweppe@westfordma.gov for details!

VIRTUAL JOB SEARCH HELP FOR 50 & OVER – Self-Assessment & Transferrable Skills: Wed., July 6, 9:30-11:30 a.m. The Massachusetts Library Collaborative’s 50+ Job Seekers Group meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, from 9:30am to 11:30am, via Zoom. If you are unemployed and actively looking, underemployed, seeking a new career direction, re-entering the job market after a long employment gap, or recently retired and looking for your “Encore Career”, this networking group program is perfect for you! Remember, 85% of jobs are found through networking!  This week’s topic (July 6) is Self-Assessment and Transferrable Skills. Register here.

Let’s Draw Silly Superheroes Virtual Cartooning Class: Wed., Jul. 6 at 2:00 p.m. For school age kids, award winning cartoonist and humorous illustrator Rick Stromoski will teach you how to draw some pretty silly superheroes. You supply the paper, pencil, and maybe an eraser. Rick supplies the expertise and fun. Register here.

Virtual Visiting Our National Parks: Thu., July 7 at 7:00 p.m. Join John Bunker to learn about his experiences visiting over 25 National Parks in the last two decades. While serving as the Associate Dean, UNH College of Health and Human Services, John originally developed this presentation for an undergrad class, detailing his adventures and misadventures in some of his favorite national parks: Badlands, Bryce, Canyonlands, Glacier, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone (pictured), and Zion. You’ll receive a copy of John’s handout, Top Ten Lessons Learned. Register here to receive the Zoom link. Questions? Email kleedberg@westfordma.gov.

Ooch Summer Birthday Dance Party: Tues., July 12 at 6:30 p.m. We are celebrating summer reading ( AND Nancy’s birthday!) with the ultimate in an outdoor dance party. You may know Ooch from a visit to your school or, you may recognize him from the fabulous Harry Potter Trivia events we had the past two summers with Ooch and his brother Nik – the Trivia Brothers.  Party dances! Contests! Follow-along dance moves! Celebrate those summer birthdays with us and the whole family. This program takes place outside unless it rains. Then, it is in the Meeting Room. This program is generously funded by the KDK Foundation in honor of Kurt Kelly. Register here.

Adult Book Club: Thu., July 14 at 7:30 p.m. We will discuss The Hundred-Year Walk by Dawn Anahid MacKeen. Copies are available at Main Desk. The meeting will take place in the downstairs Meeting Room. Please request the book by title when you come to pick it up and tell the staff it is for the Library Adult Book Club. The ebook and audiobook are both available on Hoopla. If you have any questions, please email Kristina Leedberg at kleedberg@westfordma.gov 

Summer Reading Programs for All Ages! : There is still plenty of time to sign up and participate! This summer we have exciting programs and prizes lined up for children, young adults, and adults.  The majority of our program offerings will take place outside on the back lawn. Check out the Children’s Summer Reading page , Teens Summer Reading page and the Adult Summer Reading Page for more information. Please call or email us with any questions on these exciting summer-long programs. 

Did You Know? We have a library app where you can check your account, request items, access the Events Calendar, and so much more! Download the MVLC app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

Staff Recommends: As part of our maintenance staff, Joe Burke works to keep the Library in tip top shape.  He is also an avid reader who recommends Mitch Albolm’s novel, “The Stranger in the Lifeboat”. “Adrift in a raft after a deadly ship explosion, nine people struggle for survival at sea. Three days pass. Short on water, food and hope, they spot a man floating in the waves. They pull him in. Thank the Lord we found you, a passenger says. I am the Lord, the man whispers. Is this strange and quiet man really who he claims to be? What actually happened to cause the explosion? Are the survivors already in heaven, or are they in hell? The story is narrated by Benji, one of the passengers, who recounts the events in a notebook that is later discovered, a year later, when the empty life raft washes up on the island of Montserrat. It falls to the island’s chief inspector, Jarty LeFleur, a man battling his own demons, to solve the mystery of what really happened.”

If you have questions or need assistance, please call us at 978-399-2300 or send us an email at westfordlibrary@westfordma.gov.

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