Belmontonians,
Share Your Story
May 1, 2020 | Special Edition
Virtual Events
Music & Movement with Rubi
Wed. May 6  • 10 am • Ages 2-5
We miss seeing Rubi on Mondays, but she'll be here virtually for us on Zoom. This active program will get kids (and their grownups) moving, dancing, and having fun!
Registration required — details here .
Tai Chi — Online!
Sat. May 9 • 10 am
Wed. May 13 • 5 pm
Tai Chi practitioner and coach, Aisling O'Shea, will guide you through this beautiful and low impact form of martial art and meditation. No equipment necessary; just wear comfortable clothing! Live sessions will be recorded and shared later. Watch our first session on April 25 here on YouTube.
Registration required — details here.
Book Discussion — Pachinko
Wed. May 13 • 2 pm
Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko tells the story of a Korean family living in Japan, where they must adapt to a culture in which they are second-class citizens.
Registration required — details here .
Belmont Quarantine Journal
What does your day look like in quarantine? What's the first thing you want to do after social distancing safely ends? Who are your heroes in all this?

The Belmont Story Project is documenting your unique experiences during the Great Pandemic of 2020, an historic event in all of our lives. 

To share your story, fill out our Belmont Quarantine Journal  form. Attach 1-2 photos or brief videos per entry, if you'd like. Submit just once, or once per day — it's up to you.

The  Belmont Story Project  (BSP) is a local, oral-history recording project, modeled after NPR’s StoryCorps . Together, we collect the stories of the  people  of Belmont. Listen and learn from your fellow Belmontonians — past recordings are available online here .
Half a typewriter and half a laptop above text that reads Belmont Quarantine Journal and the Belmont Story Project logo.
Care Packages
3 bags of books on stone steps with daffodils in the background.
On nice days, we continue to place Care Packages on the front walkways outside the library. Enjoy the sun and take a social-distanced stroll to the library. We'll share on our Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram when new Care Packages are ready!

This past week, we had a few bonus bags mixed in from Belmont Books ! Did you know that you can order online from Belmont Books to get books shipped directly to you? If you can, support our favorite local bookstore and other independent booksellers through bookshop.org .

The library's Care Packages are supplied by book donations to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library . We can't accept physical material donations at the library right now, but if you'd like to support the Friends, click here .
New & Upcoming
Exciting news! We've doubled your monthly play credits on Kanopy ! Now watch up to 10 films per month, from indie hits to award-winning documentaries. You can also stream films from this credit-free viewing collection and watch anything and everything on Kanopy Kids !

If you haven't tried our newest online streaming service, check out Acorn TV from RBDigital. Find British & Australian comedies, dramas, and mysteries, plus documentaries and foreign films

Connect with your family history. Use Ancestry.com from home to uncover hidden genealogical gems.

We're also adding new ebooks and audiobooks — including Lucky Day copies that let you to skip the holds list — to our digital collection from OverDrive.

And stay tuned! Creativebug has hundreds of arts and crafts tutorials — coming soon from the Belmont Public Library.
Just for fun
  • See what adventures our stuffed animals went on last week in this Facebook photo album!
  • Use JustWatch.com to discover where you can stream a movie or show on Kanopy, Acorn TV, Netflix, hulu, Disney+, and more
  • Teens! Starting April 30, 2020, SYNC — a free audiobook program — gives away two popular titles for teens each week all summer long
  • Try these terrifically tough tongue twisters
  • Stream the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent Concert for our City, available for free through May 20, then click here to find other ways to explore the web from the comfort of your home
Staff Pics and Picks
Belmont Public Library staff are staying safe at home baking, enjoying nature, hanging out with pets, and reading. Share what you're doing to pass the time by tagging #BrightenBelmont on social media, submitting recipes to our Belmont Community Cookbook , or contributing to the Belmont Quarantine Journal .
A sign outside saying Thank You Bus Drivers.
A sign captured on Nancy's walk yesterday
Homemade baked goods including pie, cinnamon rolls, and bread.
Libby has been busy baking hot cross buns, date buns, banana cream pie, Julia Child’s sandwich bread, and pumpkin pie
Spring flowers spotted by Corinne
Lauren and her new work-from-home coworker Georgia
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary book cover
Deb recommends the classic Ramona Quimby, Age 8, on ebook or audio from hoopla
A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell book cover
Chris suggests A Woman of No Importance on ebook from OverDrive
Stay informed
Be wary of news reports that sound dangerous, sensational, or too good to be true. Always check the source, verify the information in other places, and seek advice from trusted experts.

Learn the facts from the World Health Organization with these COVID-19 myth busters .

Read about what didn't happen in the news last week with the AP's April 24 edition of Not Real News — and see what other falsehoods have been debunked previously .

Avoid coronavirus scams — learn more from the FTC .

Dial 2-1-1 or chat online to ask general COVID-19 questions — open 24/7 with translators in multiple languages.

Belmont's COVID-19 informational phone line: 617-993-2222 Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm
The Belmont Public Library building is closed until further notice, but library staff are available online Monday through Friday 9am-5pm to answer your questions and connect you to resources.

Need to get a library card or reset your password/pin? Click here .

Questions? Ask A Librarian or l eave us a message and we'll return your calls as soon as possible:
Reference: 617-993-2870
Circulation: 617-993-2855
Children's: 617-993-2880

Trusted Health Resources
We are grateful to you, our readers, for all you do to support the library. To help us connect with the Belmont community, we ask you to share this newsletter with your friends and family and encourage them to sign up for future updates from the library.