Library Hours
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Monday:
9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday:
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday:
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thursday:
9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday:
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday:
Closed
Sunday:
Closed
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Pool Pass
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JEL now has passes for FREE admission to the A J Petro Pool on Randolph Street! Thanks to the Recreation Dept.
All passes are available on a walk-in basis; Southbridge residents may call ahead to reserve a pass for a specific day.
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Teen Survey
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All teens are invited to take our survey! Tell us what you want to see at JEL!
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Library eBooks!
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You can download FREE ebooks from the library!
Library ebooks, MP3 audiobooks, and videos are available to download for Kindle, iPad/iPhone, Androids, Nooks, and other devices!
Just visit the Digital Catalog to get started.
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Museum Passes
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Looking for an inexpensive family day trip this summer?Did you know that the library offers free and discounted admission to area museums and attractions?
Roger Williams Zoo, Ecotarium, and the Mystic Aquarium are just a few of the available passes. For a full list and more information, see here.
Thank you to the Friends of the Library for their support of the Museum Pass program!
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Health & Wellness Resource Center
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Looking for a reliable resource for health information? Rather than just searching the web and hoping you get the right information, use the Resource Center!
Access only trusted and reliable sources for information on specific health conditions, prescription drug information, and even reference sources like medical dictionaries, right from home.
All you need to log on is your library card number!
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Contribute to the 100th Anniversary Memory Project!
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We would like to invite all of our patrons, past and present, to share your memories of the library!
The notebook is available at the Information Desk to anyone interested. Anything you may recall about visiting the library and what it meant to you in the past is welcome!
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Knitting with Sonya
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From 10:30-12:30 every Tuesday, come join our knitting circle in the Reading Room! Any handcrafters are welcome to join, whatever your level of experience.
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Friends of the Library
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The Friends of the Library will meet Monday, August 18th at 6:00 p.m. in the Mills Room.
The Friends extend an invitation to all library patrons to join their group. To find out more, please visit
The Friends Page
on our website.
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The Board of Trustees of the Jacob Edwards Library will meet on Tuesday, August 19th at
12:00 Noon.
All meetings are open to the public.
After 10 years of service, Fr. Peter Joyce has resigned from the Board. We thank Fr. Peter for his dedication and commitment to JEL and will continue to work with him in the community.
If you are interested in serving on the Board, please submit a letter of interest and resume.
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JEL News & Events
August 2014
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It's not too late to sign up for
Summer Reading!
Kids, Teens, and Adults can all sign up and participate through August 14th - the more you read, the more chances you have to win prizes! See our Summer Reading website for information on how to sign up, and don't forget to keep checking our events calendar for some great programs.
The themes for Summer Reading this year are:
Kids: Fizz Boom Read!
Teens: Spark a Reaction
Adults: Literary Elements
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August's JEL Staff Picks
Looking for a good book? Here are some that JEL staff have recently enjoyed! Clicking on the title will take you right to
 the library's catalog, where you can check to see if it's available, and put a hold on popular titles. |
Learn to Play Chess
Monday, August 4th from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
 All teens and tweens are welcome to drop in the library anytime between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. to get some pointers on how to play chess.
Adam & Ben Piche are local champion teen chess players. Whether you are an absolute beginner or you'd just like to improve your game, Adam & Ben will have something to teach you!
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Anonymous Doesn't Live Here Anymore: African Artists Past & Present
with Dr. Jean Borgatti
Thursday, August 7th at 6:30 p.m.
 The Jacob Edwards Library is pleased to present a lecture by
Dr. Jean Borgatti as part of the 100th Celebration of the founding of the Jacob Edwards Library.
"Anonymous doesn't live here anymore: African Artists past and present" looks at the many ways to be an African artist in today's global society. Artists continue to train as apprentices and serve local "traditional" needs as well as go to universities and art schools and sell to urban national and international patrons.
All welcome! Light refreshments provided by the Friends of Jacob Edwards Library.
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August's Featured Artist: Carolyn Bessette
Reception Thursday, August 14th at 6:30 p.m., featuring music by Ricardo Frota
The Jacob Edwards Library presents an art show by Carolyn Bessette of Blue Bubble Quilts during the month of August. There
 will be an artist's reception on Thursday, August 14th from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, featuring music by Ricardo Frota. All welcome! Light refreshments provided by the Friends of Jacob Edwards Library. 'I am a textile artist who uses stitches, threads, fabrics, and foundobjects to create one of a kind art pieces. I am inspired by traditional patterns but my work is very organic and free-flowing. I let the fabric "speak" to me and play with designs and color until I feel a sense of harmony and balance. I especially like using silks from Thailand and batik cottons from Indonesia. I also frequently use recycled materials from local thrift shops. Tablecloths, curtains, bedding, and vintage clothes, especially ethnic textiles I find at yard sales and flea markets find their way into my works.'
 Ricardo Frota is an experienced multi-cultural percussionist and violinist from Brazil with over 30 years experience. He is deeply connected with the forest and offers educational and musical experiences for children and adults. Ricardo says "Nature is the great teacher.When I breath in the vibrations in the air, from a fire, from walking bare foot on a forest path, I realize my spirit is the spirit of nature. Sound is vibration. We are vibration!"From nature the inspiration came to me, to create Ecology of Sound, as a way to express and experiment with this vibration, the life force, the sounds of nature, the sounds within us." This program is presented as part of the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Jacob Edwards Library.
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Library Box Office: The Iran Job
Thursday, August 14th at 6:00 p.m.
"When American basketball player Kevin Sheppard accepts a job to play in one of the world's most feared countries - Iran - he expects the worst. But what he finds is a country brimming with generosity, acceptance, and sensuality. With a charismatic personality that charms everyone he meets, Kevin forms an unlikely friendship with three outspoken Iranian women who share with him their strong opinions on everything, from politics to religion to gender roles. Kevin's season in Iran eventually culminates in something much bigger than basketball: the uprising and subsequent suppression of Iran's reformist Green Movement - a powerful prelude to the sweeping changes currently unfolding across the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring."
In Persian & English w/ English subtitles.
Running time: 90 minutes.
All screenings are held in the Pioppi Room, lower level.
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Oakes & Smith: Folk Duo in Concert
Thursday, August 21st at 6:30 p.m.
Folk music duo Robert Oakes and Katherine Smith have recently released their CD "An Evening with Oakes and Smith" and will be in Southbridge, to perform at the Jacob Edwards Library. All welcome! Light refreshments will be provided.
Their engaging shows create an ethereal atmosphere that draws their audience into the music and has been described as hunting, lyrical, compelling and atmospheric.... The musicians convey all the traditional sounds and nuances of folk but bring their own inimitable style to bear, giving a twenty-first century spin on the familiar works and adding something new to the American Songbook.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Southbridge Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
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Concert with Michael Caprera
Thursday, August 28th at 3:00 p.m.

Michael Caprera is a talented performer and an emerging composer who lives in our community. Although still a young person, Michael has performed in many venues, and has many accomplishments, including CDs of his own recordings. Michael will perform in the Reading Room.
Michael will play original piano compositions, interspersed with narrations telling the process of composing different pieces.
Michael has previously played at Jacob Edwards Library, with friend and fellow composer Hunter Foote.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Southbridge Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
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Children's Corner
Upcoming and Ongoing Children's Programs
Special Programs
Einstein's Favorite Fairy Tales with Mary Jo Maichack Monday, August 4 at 6:30 p.m.
Join us for a fun night of songs, stories and comedy with award winning storyteller Mary Jo Maichack. She is a well known and  popular minstrel and storyteller from Western Massachusetts who has entertained audiences throughout New England.
According to Albert Einstein, "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." This will be a great night of fairy tales, songs, dances, and fun. We hope to see you there! This event has been sponsored by the Southbridge Cultural Council.
Reptile Adaptations with the Ecotarium
Tuesday, August 5 at 12:30 p.m.
The Ecotarium is coming to the Jacob Edwards Library for a very special program! This is a great opportunity for those who are interested in seeing live animals at the library!
Students will observe live reptiles and examine reptile skeletons to draw conclusions about the structure and function of reptile bodies. Using geological evidence, students will discover reptile strategies for evolutionary success and prospects for the future of a human-dominated planet.
This program is aimed at students grade K-5 but all are welcome!
Thanks to the Southbridge School District and the Project Bread summer food service for sponsoring this event.
Animal World Experience
Monday, August 11 at 6:30 p.m. Nothing beats an animal show for popularity with younger children! Meet a variety of exotic animals from around the world right here at the Jacob Edwards Library! This program is presented by Animal World Experience. The children will get to truly "experience" mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates like never before, up close and personal. All are welcome to join us for a fun night! This program has been generously sponsored by the Southbridge Cultural Council.
Ice Cream Social
Monday, August 25, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Join us to celebrate the end of summer reading and kick off t he school year with a bowl of ice cream in the Children's Room.
-100th Anniversary Event-
Regular Programs
Crafty Wednesdays
All day, every Wednesday all year long! For the Under 12's. Drop by and make a special craft! Future crafts are on display in the Children's Room.
SuperKids
Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Stories and songs aimed at the preschool crowd, but all ages are welcome!
LEGO Club
Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. We'll bring the LEGO bricks - you bring the skills and ideas! Best for builders 5 years and older. Work on your own project or work as a team!
Babytime Playgroup
Fridays from 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. Designed for children under three and their caregivers, this is a mini storytime and specialized play group. The storytime will be at 10:45, and there is play time before and after with our special baby toys.
Project Bread - Lunch Served at Jacob Edwards Library
Monday-Friday 11:00 a.m - 1:00 p.m
Come to lunch at the library! The Jacob Edwards Library will be providing lunch each day, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 pm through August 15. Anyone under 18 years old can have lunch at the library! Thanks to a partnership with the Southbridge School District who prepare the lunches and the Southern Worcester County Educational Collaborative (SWECE) who are here to serve the meals each day.
No registration necessary for any of our regular programs!
Questions? Call 508-764-5427 or email Betsy.
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Even when our doors are closed you can visit our website to access databases, renew and request materials, download ebooks, and so much more.
Staff
Jacob Edwards Library
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Programs at Jacob Edwards Library may be recorded for Southbridge Public Access TV and/or photographed for promotional purposes. |
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