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Library News
Jacob Edwards Library
March 2026
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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.
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Jacob Edwards Library Chess Park and Performance Space
“A place for everyone across the Board”
The Chess Park Ad Hoc Committee has started fundraising for the project and looks forward to developing an open-air venue. The library has hosted a chess event on Saturdays for some years. To access the rendering (created by Joseph Coen, Landscape Architect) proposed for the space on the southeast corner of the library property and most detailed information, please visit the Chess Park page on the Library's website.
Questions? Please contact Bernadette Meade at bmeade2979@gmail.com.
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This Women's History Month, dive into stories of women who led, created, and inspired with Hoopla's curated collection.
Start streaming here
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Tap into your creative side this month with Hoopla. From amigurumi to DIY, find creative inspo to try something new!
Start streaming here
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Programming
JEL programs are always free and all are welcome.
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Mindfulness Meditation
Fridays, March 6, 13, & 27
2:00 - 3:00 pm
Mills Room
Inviting meditation into your daily routine is an opportunity to cultivate awareness and presence. The Jacob Edwards Library is pleased to host Iris Vega, certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher and mentor, to present a series of sessions. You may bring your Yoga mat if you prefer doing the practice lying down.
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Southbridge Chess Club
Saturdays, March 7 & 21
10:00 - 11:30 am
Come play, learn, and connect! A friendly environment for all ages and skill levels, from complete beginners to seasoned players. Boards provided. Bring a friend, bring your moves, or just bring curiosity.
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Virtual Programs
Please note that these programs will take place via Zoom. An access link will be sent to the email provided. These programs will be recorded and all registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
Monday, March 23, 2 pm
Inside Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries
Register directly on Zoom
Explore the Trial Court Law Libraries in Massachusetts and the wealth of free resources available to you. Learn about tools designed to bridge any gaps you may have in locating legal information. Led by Julian Santos, Head Law Librarian at Lowell Law Library.
Monday, March 30, 7 pm
Bestselling Author Emily Franklin In Conversation With Bestselling Author Marjan Kamali
Register directly on Zoom
Bestselling author Emily Franklin will discuss her new historical fiction novel, Love & Other Monsters, in conversation with bestselling author Marjan Kamali.
Wednesday Workshops For Job Seekers (9:30 am)
March 11: "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) with Resume & LinkedIn Coach Virginia Franco
Register directly on Zoom
Virginia Franco, founder of Virginia Franco Resumes, will hold an AMA for job seekers. She welcomes any questions about resumes and LinkedIn writing.
March 25: Using LinkedIn For Your Job Search
Register directly on Zoom
Job searching in today’s online world means using resources including LinkedIn, and job seekers need to be savvy about this networking platform. Learn how to create a strong profile, optimize your searches, develop a network and maximize LinkedIn in your job search.
Wednesday Evening Programs (7 pm)
March 4: Bestselling Author Kate White In Conversation With "The Death Investigator" Barbara Butcher
Register directly on Zoom
Author Kate White will discuss her new thriller, I Came Back For You, in conversation with Barbara Butcher, host of "The Death Investigator" on Peacock and the author of What The Dead Know.
March 18: Amalia Kussner's Paintings & The Characters Of The HBO Series "The Gilded Age"
Register directly on Zoom
How Amalia Kussner interacted with the famous people she painted, and the portraits themselves, can provide more insights into their lives. Led by Kathleen Langone, historical researcher, host of the podcast, "People Hidden In History", and author of the book, Miniature Painter Revealed: Amalia Kussner’s Gilded Age Pursuit of Fame and Fortune.
Thank you to the Tewksbury Public Library for these programming partnership opportunities.
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Women's Art & Handwork Exhibit
Meet & Greet
Thursday, March 5
6:30 - 7:30 pm
Stop by and meet some of the artists participating in our annual March art show honoring Women's History Month.
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10 Steps to Researching the History of Your House
Thursday, March 12
6:30 - 7:30 pm
Learn how to uncover the past of any home and how to find the stories that bring the history of your house alive. House historian Marian Pierre-Louis will introduce where to find the deeds to your house, how to chain a deed, and where to locate other sources of information. This talk is appropriate for both beginners and those who have research experience.
Marian Pierre-Louis is an educator who specializes in house history research, southern New England genealogy and historic cemetery research. Learn more at Northeast House Historian.
Sponsored by Olive I and Anthony A Borgatti donor advised fund GWCF.
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Wednesday, March 18
2:00 - 3:00 pm
In March the group will discuss Black Sun, the first book in Rebecca Roanhorse's Between Earth and Sky trilogy, which won the 2025 Hugo Award for Best Series.
"In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world. Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain. Crafted with unforgettable characters, Rebecca Roanhorse has created an epic adventure exploring the decadence of power amidst the weight of history and the struggle of individuals swimming against the confines of society and their broken pasts in the most original series debut of the decade." - Provided by publisher.
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Your Tree Begins Here:
Learning Ancestry.com for Family History Research
Thursday, March 19
6:30 - 7:30 pm
Curious about discovering your family’s past? This beginner-friendly session led by professional genealogist Seema-Jayne Kenney introduces you to the core features of Ancestry.com, including how to navigate your family tree, evaluate hints, and manage your research standards. Through live demonstrations and helpful tips, you'll learn how to confidently search, analyze, and organize genealogical information on one of the most widely used family history platforms.
Sponsored by the Southbridge Cultural Council. The Southbridge Cultural Council is a local agency funded by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
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How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigley
Don’t let the title or the cover fool you, this small but vibrant book is less murder mystery and more heartfelt confessional. It’s a first-person examination of a traumatic childhood, the way the protagonist responded to it, and how it impacted her family, all through a lens which works to analyze the ways colonization impacts the colonized generations down the line. The best words that describe this book, in my eyes, are ‘genuine’ and ‘arresting’. If you want to spend an afternoon or two submerging yourself in a perspective, a life, to feel some echo of that experience, then this is a great book for you.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Indentured to a cult of necromancers by the circumstances of her birth, Gideon Nav has been trying to escape her entire life, even as the dread lady of the Ninth House works to keep her where she is. What ensues from her desperation is a story that defies simple genre labels. Fantasy, science fiction, gothic romance, and mystery all swirl and mix in strange proportions, and the result is truly one-of-a-kind. Whether you come for the necromantic theories, the vitriolic quasi-romance, or the outrageous humor, you’re guaranteed to find more within the pages of Gideon the Ninth than you were expecting.
Kindred by Octavia Butler
One might think that a black woman in an interracial relationship in the 1970’s might have enough struggles on her plate, but that is only the beginning. When Dana begins falling back through time to the early 1800’s, she finds herself experiencing firsthand what the era was like for women like her. ‘Fraught’ is a term often used as a negative descriptor, but please understand when I called this novel fraught, I am doing so with the highest of compliments. For a book with no ghosts or goblins, Butler is able to still inflict stresses and horrors upon her readers with astounding proficiency. If you’re interested to see how far you’re able to sit on the edge of your particular seat, give Kindred a read.
Thank you to Circulation Assistant Trish Hankins for her reviews.
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Mass Center for the Book
Student Reading Challenge
Choose a book that fits the monthly challenge prompt. Library staff will happily help you find a book that fits the monthly theme - or see the display in the Teen area for suggestions. Then, fill out a short form to tell us about the book and enter into a raffle. Mass Center for the Book will run drawings for prizes.
Have fun and happy reading!
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Welcome to the
Children's Page
March
2026
March is full of excitement in the Children's Room!
- As we welcome the first signs of spring, we'll be celebrating reading, creativity, and curiosity all month long.
- We'll kick of the month celebrating Dr. Seuss's Birthday and Read Across America Day with silly stories, rhyming fun, and playful activities inspired by some of our favorite Seussian characters.
- Join us for festive St. Patrick's Day fun, hands on crafts, and engaging storytimes that will spark imagination.
- We'll also be highlighting Woman's History Month with books and activities that celebrate inspiring women past and present. We can't wait to see you in the Children's Room this March!
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Mass Center for the Book
Student Reading Challenge
June 2025 - May 2026
The Jacob Edwards Library is thrilled to be partnering with Mass Center for the Book to promote their Student Reading Challenge. Pick up your passport in the Children's Room and participate by following the steps below:
- Choose a book that fits the monthly challenge prompt. Library staff will happily help you find a book that fits the monthly theme.
- Once you have read your book, bring your Passport to the Children's Room Circulation Desk and tell them what you read. They will give you a sticker for that month.
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Each month, the student (and a parent/guardian if the student is under 13) can fill out a short form to tell us about the book and enter into a raffle. Mass Center for the Book will run drawings for prizes. Monthly participation determines eligibility.
Have fun and happy reading!
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Board of Trustees
The next meeting of the Library Board of Trustees is scheduled for
March 24 at 12 pm.
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.
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The mission of the Friends of the Jacob Edwards Library is to be the advocacy and fundraising arm of the Library. We raise money for items such as library programs, books, subscriptions, museum pass memberships, and other materials, as needed.
The next meeting of the Friends is scheduled for
Monday, March 2 at 1 pm.
New members are always welcome!
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