|
Library News
Jacob Edwards Library
April 2023
| |
|
Library Hours
Monday & Thursday 9 am - 8 pm
Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 9 am - 5 pm
Saturdays 9 am - 1 pm
Curbside pickup is available during library hours!
| |
|
Farewell and many thanks to
Board of Trustee Member
Beth Cournoyer for her ten years of dedicated service to the library.
| |
| |
|
|
Programming Changes!
*Chess Club will now meet on Mondays from 5 - 7 pm.
*Book Club will now meet on the third Wednesday of the month from 2 - 3 pm.
| |
Long Range Plan
Strategic planning for the Library's next 5 years is underway!
Keep your eye out for our online survey as we are looking for the community's input.
| |
|
 | |
1921 Wellsworth Lensometer
ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark
Photos: Eric Wilhelm, Researcher ASME Worcester Section
Historical importance
"Since the American Society of Mechanical Engineers History and Heritage Program began, 276 artifacts and other mechanical engineering accomplishments have been designated throughout the world as historic mechanical engineering landmarks, heritage collections, or heritage sites. Each represents a progressive step in the evolution of mechanical engineering and its significance to society in general." 1921 Wellsworth Lensometer American Optical Company ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark pamphlet, March 25, 2023
Text from plaque
"Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark
American Optical's Lensometer - 1921
The American Optical (AO) 'Lensometer' (also referred to as a Focimeter) was the first commercial instrument that allowed opticians to determine the characteristics of ophthalmic lenses in order to accurately verify eyeglass prescriptions were being met. The instrument relied on a novel combination of lenses and adjustment mechanisms that replaced the trial-and-error method used previously.
AO, guided by chief scientist Edgar Tillyer, built upon an earlier focimeter concept patented by Charles Troppman, resulting in the reliable, easy-to-operate, readily mass-produced lensometer in 1921. The lensometer was subsequently patented, commercialized, and was widely accepted by optical professionals globally.
This 1921 Wellsworth Lensometer manufactured by AO is the oldest known commercial example.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers - 2023"
|  | |
Programming
JEL programs are always free and all are welcome!
| |
|
Knitting with Sonya
Tuesday mornings
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Reading Room
For all handcrafters!
| |
|
Voter Registration Drive
The library will host a Voter Registration Drive on the following dates:
Monday, April 3rd
5:30 - 6:30 pm
Saturday, April 8th
9 - 11 am
Alternatively, you can register online here: MA Voter Registration Online
| |
|
April Art Exhibit
Eclectic Expressions: An Adventure in Images
by Jim R. Wilton
JEL is pleased to host Jim R. Wilton's "Eclectic Expressions: An Adventure in Images."
Artist Statement:
“I've been photographing and painting for years, in fact, all my life. I'm mostly self-taught other than my elementary and high school. I have photographed lighthouses as well as other subjects for inspiration for my art. These beautiful locations have inspired me to seek more outdoor locations as well as other subject matter. I spent many years painting portraits but have switched it up to trying lighthouses after a hiatus to raise children but also found myself returning to portraits. I began photographing outdoor scenes and wildlife in 2008 after finding digital photography, making it more accessible. A few years ago, I began painting again after a friend painted from one of my photos thus inspiring me to try again. I haven't stopped but also got into crafts such as seashell jewelry boxes, Christmas trees, and lighthouses. I hope folks enjoy my work as much as I enjoyed painting it."
Meet & Greet
Thursday, April 6th
6:30 - 7:30 pm
Sponsored by Friends of Jacob Edwards Library.
| |
|
The Shawna Foundation Presents
The Library Poetry Tour with Tony Brown
Thursday, April 13th
6:30 - 7:30 pm
Tony Brown has been writing for well over 50 years, and publishing and performing his work for over 40. A seven-time Pushcart Prize and two-time Best Of The Net nominee, he has traveled the country, slammed for the Worcester Poets’ Asylum, and organized and hosted many readings and reading series. He is the winner of the 2022 Stanley Kunitz Medal, endowed by the late US Poet Laureate and Worcester native, and awarded annually to a poet for lifetime achievement and service to the Central Massachusetts poetry community.
| |
Book club selection for April celebrates National Poetry Month. Multiple copies of frank:sonnets by diane seuss will be on hold - please ask for a copy at the Information Desk. Recommendations for future titles are always welcome! | |
|
Mark Mandeville and Raianne Richards
Thursday, April 20th
6:30 - 7:30 pm
JEL is pleased to welcome Mark Mandeville and Raianne Richards back for a free concert!
Little by little, you will get to know Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards through their unmistakable vocal harmonies, poetic lyrics, and down-to-earth personae. They are a married musical couple based out of Webster, Massachusetts. These prolific and hard-working Massachusetts-based artists have contributed over seventeen albums within their first decade and toured consistently throughout the US and Canada.
Their songs poetically reflect personal experiences as factory workers, teachers, community organizers, and natives of post-industrial mill towns in central Massachusetts. The memories of days gone by and toils of history can be better remembered through songs such as “That Old Machine” or “Winds of Change.” Listeners feel refreshed lyrics with references to elements in nature. Accompanying themselves on guitar, harmonica, ukulele, penny whistle, electric bass, and most uniquely clarinet, their live performances are both musically captivating and spiritually uplifting as audiences are carefully balanced between serious songs and humorous commentary – concert-goers will leave feeling a bit more human, as if they have experienced something genuine.
Each summer since 2010, Mandeville & Richards have organized the Massachusetts Walking Tour where they hike the roads and trails of the Commonwealth, more than 100 miles in less than two weeks, in support of the arts in local communities along the way. Each evening they stop over in yet another Massachusetts town, putting on a free concert there, along with local performers and fellow artists who accompany them on their journey. These annual two-week treks raise awareness of the trails and greenways in Massachusetts, including daily public hikes through recreational properties.
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.
| |
|
Afternoon Author Talks
Wicked Nemesis of the Hunted by Tracey L. Ryan
Wednesday, April 26th
2:00 - 3:00 pm
JEL is pleased to present a talk by Tracey L. Ryan on her fourth book in the Ryan Donovan mystery series: Wicked Nemesis of the Hunted.
"The hunter has become the hunted. Still coming to terms with the events that almost destroyed them, Emma Sharpeton, Hunter Logan, and Ryan Donovan try to bury the past once and for all in this continuation of the Wicked Game of the Hunter series. The clock is ticking as Ryan Donovan tries to solve the remaining pieces of a deadly puzzle. The more he uncovers, the more questions arise, until he comes face-to-face with his own past demons. Now he must decipher the riddles in a high-stakes game to save himself and those around him before time runs out and his nemesis takes all."
Sponsored by Friends of Jacob Edwards Library.
| | |
|
|
Voyage of Mercy:
The USS Jamestown, the Irish Famine, and the Remarkable Story of America's First Humanitarian Mission
by Stephen Puleo
"In his latest book, Voyage of Mercy, author and historian Stephen Puleo details the remarkable story of the mission that inspired America to donate massive relief to Ireland during the potato famine, which sparked America’s tradition of providing humanitarian aid around the world. Voyage of Mercy tells the incredible story of the famine, the Jamestown voyage, and the commitment of thousands of ordinary Americans to offer relief to Ireland, a groundswell that provided the collaborative blueprint for future relief efforts, and established the United States as the leader in international aid."
-provided by the publisher.
| |
|
We are pleased to announce that the online database page on our website has been updated and streamlined for all of your research needs!
JEL subscribes to more than 65 online databases which can help you with everything from schoolwork, and finding up-to-date health information, to learning a new language or preparing for your driving test.
Check them out here!
| |
|
Welcome to the Children's Page
April
2023
Exciting programs coming next month!
We will be welcoming back our YFCP grant funded programs Young Scientist "STEM" class in Early May. Also hoping to have Spring Session II of the very popular "Wiggles and Giggles".
Updates will be posted on our website and Facebook pages so stay tuned!
| |
| |
|
|
Poetry Creation Station
April is Poetry Month, join us and celebrate by creating your own poem at our Poetry Creation Station.
Saturday April 1, 2023
10:30 am
| | |
|
|
Monday Night
STEAM Club
Join us on Monday evenings at
6:30 pm for STEAM Club!
Activities include art, playdough, puzzles, building circuits, kinetic sand, tinkering and much more!
| | |
|
|
Lego Club
Tuesdays
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Saturdays
10:30 am - noon
| |
|
Crafty Wednesday
All Day
Every Week
| | |
|
|
Tinkering Thursday
Join us on Thursday afternoons from
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Great for kids 5 and up
What is Tinkering?
"to take things apart, put things together, figure out how things work, and attempt to build and make creations using tools."
| | |
|
Board of Trustees Meeting
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, April 25th at 12 pm, in the Pioppi Room.
Details will be available on the Town of Southbridge website, under Public Meetings Calendar, for all public meetings.
All meetings are open to the public.
| |  |
|
Friends of the Jacob Edwards Library
The mission of the Friends of the Jacob Edwards Library is to be the advocacy and fundraising arm of the Library. We are a non-profit organization that raises money for items such as library programs, books, furniture, subscriptions, museum pass memberships, and other materials, as needed.
New members are always welcome! Our membership dues go directly toward supporting the Jacob Edwards Library.
Donations of gently used books are accepted.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, April 3rd at 2 pm.
| | | | |
