Upcoming Library Events & News
August, 2019
 

With the arrival of August, summer is coming to a close and the start of school draws near. This month is a great time to catch up on that beach read you've wanted to get to before the busy fall season begins, so stop by the library to pick up a new book or two!  There are plenty of new volumes arriving in the collection, and patrons are invited to browse the fresh offerings in the adult, teen and children's departments.

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Art Exhibition

The Jacob Edwards Library is pleased to host the work of local textile artist Sylvia Bicki during the month of August.  Originally from Southbridge, Ms. Bicki now works out of her Connecticut-based "sewing haven" Needle Nivana Studio.  Her work can be found on Etsy at  https://www.etsy.com/shop/NeedleNirvanaStudio.
A reception will be held on Thursday, August 1, 2019 at 6:30 pm, with light refreshments available, courtesy of the Friends of the Jacob Edwards Library. 
All welcome! 

Music, Art and Movies: A Cultural Trio at the Library

Music, art and motion pictures are available at the Jacob Edwards Library throughout the month of August.  In addition to the month-long art exhibition, August's Library Box Office offering features the sci-fi film The Cloverfield Paradox.  Stop by on Thursday, August 8 at 6:00 pm to view this spooky feature.  On Thursday, August 15, musician Gracie Day visits the library at 6:30 pm to whisk listeners away with her sultry voice and emotional performance.  Master potter and historian Rick Hamelin visits the library on Thursday, August 22 at 6:00 pm to demonstrate the art of throwing redware, while Paula Bradley and MaryLou Ferrante perform American roots music on Thursday, August 29 at 6:30 pm.

There is always something going on or something to do at the library! Feel free to drop in anytime!
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Museum Passes

The Jacob Edwards Library has 15 museum passes available to patrons for admission to various cultural attractions throughout the region.  From The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, to the USS Constitution Museum in Charlestown, to the AJ Petro Pool right here in Southbridge, the Library has passes to over a dozen fun, exciting and educational places to visit! Stop in today to check out a pass and take a trip to one of these venues while the weather is warm and the sun is shining.



Automatic Renewals

As of July 1, items on loan will a utomatically renew for the next checkout period, so you don't need to contact us or log into your account to renew them! If a chec ked out item can be extended for a longer period, it will automatically be renewed on the due date.
An email notification will be sent on the due date alerting you of the renewal status for checked out items. It will indicate if your items were successfully renewed or unable to be renewed (they do not renew them indefinitely- we need our materials back at some point!).


Please read on for all of this month's upcoming events and news.



Featured  Artist: Sylvia Bicki
  -Film Screening:  The Cloverfield Paradox
- Concert with Gracie Day
-The Librarian and Saturday Evening Girls with Pied Potter Hamelin Demonstration
-Paula Bradley & Banjo Blue: Women in Traditional Music

Ongoing Events: Book Club & Knitting

 Teen Events
Children's Corner

Library Hours & Holiday Closings:

Monday: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Tuesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Wednesday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed








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.


 
 
August's Featured Artist: Sylvia Bicki

The Jacob Edwards Library is pleased to host the work of local textile artist Sylvia Bicki during the month of August.  Originally from Southbridge, Ms. Bicki now works out of her Connecticut-based "sewing haven" Needle Nivana Studio.  Her work can be found on Etsy at  https://www.etsy.com/shop/NeedleNirvanaStudio.

A reception will be held on Thursday, August 1, 2019 at 6:30 pm, with light refreshments available, courtesy of the Friends of the Jacob Edwards Library. All welcome! 



Artist Statement:
Hello, my name is Sylvia Bicki. Creating has always been a driving force in my life. I started quilting at fourteen years old and have sewn many traditional quilts since then. I eventually ventured out of my comfort zone. After studying many art quilt books, I embarked into the world of textile art. I found my niche! I am not sure if the process of creating is more satisfying, or the finished piece. I always say that using thread, needle and fabric is likened to the artists who use paint and brush to convey their images onto canvas. Their brush is my needle, their paint is my fabric. Each portrait is an intricate study of the subject. The finished portraits, entirely of fabric, are placed over stretched canvas frames ready to be hung. You can find portraits at NeedleNirvanaStudio on Etsy.com .

If you would like to learn more about the process of creation, go to my YouTube channel Needle Nirvana Studio and watch portraits (in the making) "come alive!"  



Artist Biography:
My name is Sylvia Bicki and I'm from Clinton CT, originally from Southbridge, MA. There were many moves in-between. My favorite place anywhere we moved was the fabric store, which my children will attest. I started sewing at nine years old. I actually still have my little singer sewing machine from that time. First I was interested in sewing my clothes, which lasted through high school. Eventually I became interested in various sewing projects. At the age of fourteen I sewed my first traditional quilt, just squares cut from clothing I had already sewn. To this day I can remember (surprisingly!) what clothes I made from looking at those patches. Time went on and I became busy with raising my family but still sewed here and there and would bring my items in to stores for consignment.  Many years passed, we moved to Southbridge again and I became even busier with my growing family. We moved to Connecticut and that's when I started to make traditional quilts. I made many of these throughout the years; however, the quilt machine took up a lot of space. The quilts I didn't make for my family were given as gifts. One day a friend of mine told me about a landscape art quilt she saw. After she told me about this, I bought a book about landscape art quilts. I read through it but it did not excite me to the point I wanted to use my time making one. I then investigated the internet for other books on art quilt Ideas. I found two about portrait quilts. That interested me very much. I found two and studied them and took a bit of knowledge from both and incorporated that into my own way of making textile portraits, which is what I call them now. I started out with making soft portrait "quilts" but eventually took away the "quilt" (three layers) aspect. I wanted something more manageable to hang. I only have one thin layer underneath the fabric (which I glue my fabric onto before sewing in place) and then stretch the portrait over the stretched canvas. All my textile portraits are created in my "sewing haven" called Needle Nirvana Studio.

Sponsored by Friends of the Jacob Edwards Library.
boxofficeFilm Screening - The Cloverfield Paradox
Thursday, August 8 at 6:00 pm

"A group of scientists deal with inexplicable events while aboard a space station. " -- Movie Licensing website Swank.com.

Rated PG-13. Running time 102 min.

Presented as part of the Library Box Office series, sponsored by the Friends of the Jacob Edwards Library.

Movie poster image copyright Paramount Pictures.
Thursday, August 15 at 6:30 pm


Gracie Day is a singer songwriter who is receiving critical acclaim for her work. She has released two EPs, the most recent being The Nashville Sessions and is 
well-known in the New England area for "her sweet, sultry voice captivates audiences and her lyrics whisk you away with stories and emotions performances." 

Nominee in the Boston Music Awards 2018
Winner of "Best in State" for CT,  The New England Music Awards 2018

You are invited to Gracie's concert on Thursday, August 15th, 2019 at 6:30 pm in the Reading Room. Light refreshments will be served.
Thursday, August 22 at 6:00 pm
*Please note earlier start time of 6 pm


Master potter and historian Rick Hamelin will present a program at the Jacob Edwards Library and include a demonstration of throwing.

Rick Hamelin's Bio:
"I have been potting since 1976 and became committed to learning about the historical redware potters after learning of the Colonial and Early American industries that existed in my native Central Massachusetts.   Pied Potter Hamelin can be taken linguistically apart and understood as a "Colorful Potter from a Small Town." Pied means multicolored, potter is my trade and Hamelin translates into "one from a small town."   I make redware pottery that is thrown on the wheel. After a drying period, my pots are bisqued and following the first firing they are covered with a lead- free glaze, of my own formulation, and fired again. A food- safe antiquing finish is applied to the unglazed surfaces as a final step."

 
Sponsored by The Southbridge Cultural Council and the Friends of the Jacob Edwards Library. The Southbridge Cultural Council is a local agency funded by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Thursday, August 29 at 6:30 pm


You are invited to Women In American Traditional Music with "Banjo Blue" (Paula Bradley & Maggie Shar) on Thursday, August 29 at 6:30 pm at Jacob Edwards Library, sponsored by the Southbridge Cultural Council and the Friends of the Jacob Edwards Library. Free and open to the public.

The Jacob Edwards Library, 236 Main Street, Southbridge, MA is pleased to present "Banjo Blue", the duet of Paula Bradley and Maggie Shar, who will present their entertaining, engaging and educational program "Women in American Traditional Music". This program will highlight both well-known and unsung heroines of traditional American roots music, performed on banjo, guitar, and ukulele, with some flatfoot dancing to boot. Both musicians are deeply vested in the American traditional music scene and are sure to present some crowd-pleasers and singalongs. 

Please join us on Thursday August 29th, at 6:30pm in the Reading Room. Light refreshments will be served. All welcome!

More info:
Banjo Blue:  www.facebook.com/banjoblueband



 
Sponsored by The Southbridge Cultural Council and the Friends of the Jacob Edwards Library. The Southbridge Cultural Council is a local agency funded by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
ongoingOngoing Events

Book Club 
Monday, August 5
6:30 pm

The book club will meet to discuss Manhattan Beach: A Novel by Jennifer Egan  this month.
  
This is a no-commitment book club, attend as many or as few meetings as you like! The group meets on the first Monday of every month. 

Copies of September's discussion book 
will be available at the Information Desk 
for checkout.
Knitting
Knitting with Sonya
Every Tuesday, 
10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Stop by and join our knitting circle in the Reading Room every Tuesday! 

All handcrafters (not just knitters!) are welcome to join, whatever your level experience. Stuck on your current project or wanting to learn a new technique? Chances are one of the group will be able to lend a hand!  Drop by for a few minutes or stay for the full two hours. 
We hope to see you there!


childrensWelcome to the Children's Corner!

Check here to find out about upcoming events in the Children's Room.
Summer Reading
Officially finishes on Friday, August 2 
Free lunch served to anyone 18 and under, until then.

Still plenty of opportunity to have some great "free" fun until school opens! Check out the programs below!

Come visit the library for your summer reading books!
 Creature Teachers
  Monday, Aug 12 at 6:30pm

Animals of many stripes will be here on view! You are invited to come by and learn about the behavior and habitats of many different wild animals.

Thanks to sponsorship from the Olive I. and Anthony A. Borgatti Jr. Donor Advised Fund of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation.

Story Making with Robert and Katherine Oakes
Tuesday, Aug 13 at 2pm-3:30pm

Robert and Katherine return to share their stories and music with the workshop participants and demonstrate how one can be a storyteller/poet/musician. An atmosphere of creativity and encouragement will prevail to encourage the children to be adventurous with their attempts at writing. The under-12s are the target audience for this presentation.

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Story Time
Thursdays at 10:30 am
Stories & Songs  all ages are welcome to join us. Come for story time,   then have some Lunch!





"Steam" It Up Friday
Fridays, 11:00am-12:00pm
Kinetic sand, Snap Circuits, Picasso Tiles  and more!!   Each Friday will feature one fun activity, every week will be different.  

Tinkering Thursdays
Thursdays, 12:00-1:00pm
STEM-related hands on activity using everyday and recycled items to design your own creations!
Crafty Wednesday
Every Wednesday

Stop by the Children's Room any time on Wednesdays to make a special craft. This is a drop-in program that runs all day. Simply stop by the Children's Room desk to get your craft supplies, and take home a masterpiece! 

 
Construction Club
Tuesdays,  3:00 - 4:30pm
Thursdays, 3:00-4:30pm

We'll bring the LEGO bricks, you bring the ideas! This is a drop-in program, so there is no need to register. Best for children over 5.

Completed Lego projects go on display in the Children's Room for a whole week. If you are in the library, stop by the Children's Room to see different Lego projects on display. 

librarynewsLibrary News

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Discounted and Free Admission to Museums & Attractions

Did you know? The library offers passes to a variety of area museums and attractions! 
 
Locations include:
Old Sturbridge Village
Eric Carle Museum
Ecotarium
Zoo at Forest Park
Magic Wings
Mystic Aquarium
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Tower Hill Botanic Gardens
Worcester Art Museum
Salem Witch Museum 
USS Constitution Museum
Massachusetts Parks Pass
AJ Petro Pool 
(pool opens 6/22)
 
See  our website for details.
Thank you to the Friends of the Jacob Edwards Library for sponsoring this program!
Stargaze with our Telescope!

The library has a telescope which can be checked out and taken home - just like a book. Use it to spend a night stargazing in your own back yard! Who knows what you will see?


Instructions and tips on what to look for are included. Must be checked out by an adult 18 or older. 
Please ask at the desk for more details!

Library eBooks

Looking for free eBooks? Look no further than the library! You can download FREE ebooks to your computer or device, as well as digital audiobooks.

To browse our collection, click here. Or on your mobile device or eReader, download the Overdrive app to get started. All you need is your library card number!

If you have questions or are having trouble, please ask us! Drop by, call, or email!

 
New bags available!

The Friends of the Library now have these fantastic new book bags available for sale! You can purchase bags at the Information Desk.

All proceeds support FOJEL, who provide funding for library events and programs (including, but not limited to, Summer Reading & Museum Passes).

Only $5 each, available in black, navy and maroon, 
they are perfect for carrying your library materials home!




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bookBook a Librarian!


You can now "Book a Librarian!" 


Contact us to schedule a personalized 
20-30 minute session.


Possible topics include:
-Help downloading eBooks
-Using your new mobile device or tablet
-Book recommendations
-Using the library catalog
-Placing holds & using your online account
-Setting up an email account
-Getting started on your research paper
-Formatting a Word document



Call 508-764-5426  
to schedule an  appointment.


Jacob Edwards Library
Upcoming Meetings


The Friends of the Library will hold a
monthly meeting
on 
Monday, August 19
at 6:00 pm.

 
The Friends extend an invitation to all library patrons to join their group. To learn more, please visit  FOJEL's page on our website.


______________________


  The  Board of Trustees  of the Jacob Edwards Library will meet on 
Tuesday, September 24, 2019  at Noon 
in the Mills Room, unless a meeting is needed and called by the Chair.
 
All meetings are open to the public.
Did you know that some of the presentations at the library are recorded by the Southbridge Cable TV staff and are available on the cable channel or on JEL on You Tube, soon after the presentation?

We hope to see you at the library soon! Stop in to enjoy one of our many games or puzzles, or to pick up a new book or magazine.  Be sure to check out one of our many museum passes before school starts in a few weeks!  Happy August!


Sincerely,

The Jacob Edwards Library Staff
Programs at Jacob Edwards Library may be recorded for Southbridge Public Access TV 
and/or photographed for promotional purposes.

Copyright © 2019. All Rights Reserved.