Unless otherwise noted, the following programs are made possible by the Friends of the Library.
Director’s Corner: Children are invited to stop by the children’s room to decorate a “haunted house handprint” or a Halloween coloring sheet. Browse our display of “not so scary” Halloween picture and chapter books. For adults looking for a spooky read, check out the curated list of Halloween tales to download from Overdrive/Libby. If you really want a scare, stream a movie on Kanopy from “The Crypt Collection”. We hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!
Annual Magazine Giveaway! Each fall we discard our oldest issues of magazines to make room for the incoming year, and we offer these discarded titles first to our patrons before we recycle them. We continue this tradition this year and are taking requests for our 2025 issues. If you would like any particular titles, contact Bari Pender, bpender@westfordma.gov or by calling Information Services at 978-399-2304. This giveaway is “first come, first served”. Titles will be ready in December and you will be notified when your titles are ready to pick up.
Adult Programs
Adult Nonfiction Book Club: Tuesday, November 3, 6:30 p.m., 515 Groton Rd. We will discuss The Correspondents: Six Women Writers on the Front Lines of World War II by Judith Mackrell. Copies are available at Main Desk. No reservations needed. Drop-ins are welcome! Email Bari Pender at bpender@westfordma.gov for more information!
Adult Book Club – Thursday, November 12, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
We’ll discuss Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard. Copies are available at the Main Desk. The e-book and audiobook are available to download from Libby and Hoopla. Join a lively group of readers to discuss fiction and nonfiction titles (we alternate each month)! Email Kristina Leedberg at kleedberg@westfordma.gov for more information.
Staff Recommends: Trad Wife by Sarah Langan ” “Every day, millions watch Mia Wright, the “trad wife” queen, on her idyllic 300-acre farm. With her handsome husband, seven perfect children, and a life of from-scratch meals and pastoral bliss, she’s an icon of modern femininity. But behind every perfect image is a secret. And in this case, the secret is a horror. Desperate to save her tarnished career, journalist Jenny Kaplan arrives at Black Swan Farm to profile Mia. Jenny is ready to write a scathing expose, determined to expose the deception behind Mia’s curated life. But soon, Jenny has more to contend with than staged videos and picture-perfect poses. There’s something wrong at the farmhouse. Something slithers through Jenny’s dreams, and at night, the children sing strange nursery rhymes. She’s losing time. She’s losing her hair. She starts to worry that she’s losing her mind. There is horror at the heart of Black Swan, and it’s waiting just for Jenny.”
Youth Services Programs
Three & Up Storytime: Tuesday mornings, 10:30-11:15 a.m., Roudenbush – 3rd floor Join us Tuesday mornings for our preschool storytime full of interactive stories, rhymes, fingerplays, puppets, and songs. This storytime program, designed for children ages 3 to 6, promotes reading readiness and early literacy skills. Registration is recommended to receive both weekly reminder emails and updates in case of program changes. When you sign up, you are registered for the entire 8-week Three & Up Storytime session. Questions? Please email us at youthservices@westfordma.gov.
Time for Tots Storytime: Wednesday mornings, 10:30-11:00 a.m. Roudenbush – 3rd floor Our Time for Tots Storytime is a 30-minute interactive story time experience for our young library users and their caregivers. Join us for stories, songs, movements, and puppets that are developmentally appropriate for children from 15 months to 3 years of age. Enjoy time together with fellow parents, caregivers and little ones to learn, play and develop language, early literacy, and motor skills. Come prepared to sit on the floor one-on-one with your toddler. This program is designed for little ones who are on the move. Registration is recommended to receive both weekly reminder emails and updates in case of program changes. When you sign up, you are registered for the entire 8-week Time to Tots storytime session. Questions? Please email us at youthservices@westfordma.gov.
Baby Lapsit: Thursday mornings, 10:30-11:00 a.m., Roudenbush – 3rd floor Baby Lapsit is a 25-minute interactive story time experience for our youngest library users and their caregiver. Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, puppets, and bounces that are developmentally appropriate for children from birth to when they begin walking. This Lapsit program is just for you and the baby! Enjoy time together with other parents, caregivers and babies to learn, play and develop language, early literacy, and motor skills. Come prepared to sit on the floor one-on-one with your baby in your lap. This program is designed for newborns through pre-walking babies. Registration is recommended to receive both reminder emails and updates in case of program changes. When you register, you are registered for the entire 8-week Baby Lapsit
Strega Mama Storytime: Dia de Los Muertos: Monday, November 2, 4:00-5:00 p.m., Roudenbush, Room 105. Join us for a Dia de Los Muertos storytime featuring performer Strega Mama! We’ll read a picture book together, sing songs, play a skeleton game, then through a roll of the dice everyone gets a chance to add something to our very own Ofrenda! This fun-filled program is geared to children ages 4 to 7. Registration is required. Questions? Please email us at youthservices@westfordma.org.
This storytime program is supported by our wonderful Board of Library Trustees.
YA Craft Lounge: Tuesday, November 5 at 4:00-5:00 p.m., Roudenbush, 3rd floor. For ages 11-18. Registration is required for each meeting. Join us for an open-ended craft session! We will provide different supplies for you to use, or you can bring in your own project to work on! Craft supplies are limited and vary by session. Please consider wearing clothes you don’t mind getting messy.
Create a Dinosaur Mosaic with Tiny Tile Mosaics: Monday, November 9, 4:00-5:00 p.m. Roudenbush, Room 105 Create a fun dinosaur mosaic as part of our DiNOVember celebration! Join Crystal D’Abbrachio, of Tiny Tile Mosaics, for this creative workshop. All supplies are included. This workshop is open to children ages 5 and up. Young participants will learn about mosaic art and will work with colorful mosaic tiles to create their dinosaur mosaic in a wood bezel. Children will have time to apply the mosaic tiles with adhesive during the workshop and will take the grout (and grouting instructions) home with them to finish once it is fully dry. Registration is required. Questions? Please email us at youthservices@westfordma.gov.
This children’s program is sponsored by our wonderful Board of Library Trustees.
Owls Up Close with Eyes on Owls (OPEN TO ALL AGES): Tuesday, November 10, 4:00—5:00 p.m., Abbot Elementary School Gym, 25 Depot Street
Who’s watching you? Find out on when Eyes on Owls presents a live owl program at the Abbot School Gymnasium. All who attend are in for some fun with close-up views of these secretive birds of prey.
Naturalists Marcia and Mark Wilson will present “Who’s Watching You? Owls of the World.” The Wilsons introduce the audience to six owls found in New England and as well as other parts of the world. Marcia imitates the owls’ calls herself, paying special attention to the more common owls that we might encounter in our area.
After a hooting lesson and much audience anticipation, Marcia brings out the live owls one at a time. With each owl perched securely on her gloved hand, she walks out in front of the audience with six or seven owls. There’s plenty of time for close-up views and questions. Each owl presented has a permanent disability that prevents them from surviving on their own in the wild. These non-releasable owls are captivating ambassadors from the world of wildlife. The Wilsons are legally permitted by state and federal agencies to use live owls in their environmental educational programs.
Which owl eats skunks? Can a little detective work reveal where owls live near you? What do pellets tell us about an owl’s diet? How can we protect owls and their habitats? The Wilsons explore these questions and more during this fun, interactive program. Questions? Please email us at youthservices@westfordma.gov.
Open to all ages. Registration is required.
This program is co-sponsored by the KDK Memorial Foundation and the Friends of the J. V. Fletcher Library.
Quick Links to Our Most Popular Services!
Follow us!
https://www.instagram.com/westfordlibraryma/
https://www.facebook.com/J-V-Fletcher-Library-131093656901445/
