Library News

Jacob Edwards Library

March 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!





JEL would like to express our appreciation to the Southbridge Cultural Council for funding 21 library programs for 2023.


We are grateful for your support!





National Register Nominations


American Optical Company Historic District and Mary E. Wells School


A copy of the draft submission is available for review in the reference section of the library. The nominations will be considered by the Review Board of the Massachusetts Historical Commission at its next quarterly meeting, to be held on Wednesday, March 8th, at 1:00 pm.


Review copy provided by: Massachusetts Historical Commission.






Lighting of the Sculptures


The two sculptures on the Main Street lawn are now illuminated. The impact on the art, the building, and the streetscape is palpable!


Thank you to everyone who was involved in bringing this project to fruition. 


Supported in part by a grant from the Southbridge Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic


Thursday, March 9th

4:00 - 7:45 pm

Pioppi Room (lower level)


Sponsored by: Vaccine Equity Initiative/MA Department of Public Health's Outreach and Engagement Team.

The AARP Foundation was unable to locate volunteer tax preparers in Southbridge for this tax season.


Quinsigamond Community College Accounting Faculty are in discussions to provide an in person tax preparation service, as well as a virtual program (VITA) during the week of March 13th TBD.

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!



March Art Exhibit

Women's Handwork


This exhibit is presented annually from March 1st through March 31st in honor of Women's History Month. A wide range of art and crafts in


Meet & Greet

Thursday, March 2nd

6:30 - 7:30 pm

Jazz on the Road with Acoustic Nomads


Thursday, March 9th

6:30 - 7:30 pm


JEL is pleased to host Acoustic Nomads, a group of musicians from the New England area. An energizing, entertaining, and educational evening of jazz is promised! This is the group's first performance in Southbridge.


Berklee-trained band “Acoustic Nomads” comes to The Jacob Edwards Library to take listeners around the world with exhilarating music from across the Americas, North and South. Acoustic Nomads is an atypical string quartet of young superstars on the rise in the New England acoustic music scene, uniting their diverse musical backgrounds to create a uniquely Pan-American musical experience. It’s like a musical potluck - everyone brings something to the table, and before you know it you have a feast with friends! Their repertoire interweaves music from Venezuelan, Appalachian, Peruvian, Argentinean, Brazilian, and American Jazz sources, connecting these threads with beautiful original melodies, rhythmic grooves, and playful, lyrical improvisation between the musicians!

The group is comprised of Ethan Setiawan, mandolinist with Cornerhouse and 2014 National Mandolin Champion; Sofia Chiarandini, 2021 Freshgrass Fiddle Competition Champion and fiddler with The Ruta Beggars and Jacob's Ladder; Maurizio Fiore Salas, prolific composer, virtuosic guitarist and player of the Venezuelan Cuatro, and Latin Grammy Scholarship winner; and Noah Harrington, award-winning jazz performer, composer, educator, and sometime bassist with Mari Black, The Ruta Beggars, and Alisa Amador of Tiny Desk Fame.


This program is supported in part by a grant from the Southbridge Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Book Talk: Robert T McMaster - The Rose of Glenkerry


Thursday, March 16th

6:30 - 7:30 pm


JEL is pleased to welcome Robert T. McMaster back for a book talk on his latest novel, The Rose of Glenkerry.


Robert T. McMaster grew up in Southbridge, Massachusetts. He holds a B.A. from Clark University and graduate degrees from Boston College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts. He taught biology at Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts from 1994 to 2014. His parents' reminiscences of growing up in early 20th century America were the inspiration for his four novels, Trolley Days (2012), The Dyeing Room (2014), Noah's Raven (2017), and Darkest Before Dawn (2022). In 2021 he published a biography, All the Light Here Comes from Above: The Life and Legacy of Edward Hitchcock.


Sponsored by Friends of Jacob Edwards Library.

The author will present a book talk on this title during the regularly scheduled book club meeting!


Multiple copies of the monthly selection will be on hold - ask for a copy at the Information Desk. Recommendations for future titles are always welcome!

Afternoon Author Talks

Heart, Wings, and Fire by Trisha J. Wooldridge


Wednesday, March 22nd

2:00 - 3:00 pm


JEL is pleased to present a talk with Auburn author Trisha J. Wooldridge about The 27 Kingdoms series, of which Heart, Wings, and Fire is the first book.


"Before she can save herself, a princess must first save a dragon. But with her memory stolen and power forgotten, how can she do either?"


Trisha J. Wooldridge writes short stories, novellas, novels, articles, and poetry about faeries, carnivorous horses, social justice witches, vengeful spirits—and mundane stuff like food, hay-eating horses, social justice debates, writer advice, and alcoholic spirits. She’s a freelance editor of over sixty novels and three anthologies. As child-friendly T.J. Wooldridge, she’s published poetry and three spooky children’s novels. She spends rare moments of mystical “free time” with a very patient Husband-of-Awesome, a calico horse, and a bratty tabby cat. Join her adventures at www.anovelfriend.com.


Sponsored by Friends of Jacob Edwards Library.

Women in Space


Thursday, March 23rd

6:30 - 7:30 pm


NASA Solar System Ambassador Dino Tata will present a talk on Women in Space in honor of Women's History Month.


Mr. Tata's NASA role is to promote interest in the missions of NASA, science, and space and to make NASA presentations to schools, clubs, civic groups, and other interested parties.


Dino Tata was born in Leominster and has been a resident of Southbridge for 57 years. He has had a lifelong interest in astronomy and space. He is a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador and an active member of the Aldrich Astronomical Society.

 

Sponsored by Friends of Jacob Edwards Library.

Staff Pick


Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands

Kate Beaton


"Katie heads out west to take advantage of Alberta's oil rush-part of the long tradition of East Coasters who seek gainful employment elsewhere when they can't find it in the homeland they love so much. Katie encounters the harsh reality of life in the oil sands, where trauma is an everyday occurrence yet is never discussed. Beaton's natural cartooning prowess is on full display as she draws colossal machinery and mammoth vehicles set against a sublime Albertan backdrop of wildlife, northern lights, and boreal forest. Her first full-length graphic narrative, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands is an untold story of Canada: a country that prides itself on its egalitarian ethos and natural beauty while simultaneously exploiting both the riches of its land and the humanity of its people." -provided by the publisher.

Featured Database

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!

Teen Corner


Welcome to the Children's Page


March

2023








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Happy Birthday

Dr. Seuss




Saturday March 4, 2023


Craft and Story



SPONSORED BY YFCP

YMCA FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP



REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR WIGGLES AND GIGGLES AND YOUNG SCIENTISTS



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 Wednesday







Storytime with

Ms. Liz



Wednesdays & Fridays

at 10:30 am



Tinkering Thursday


Join us on Thursday afternoons from

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm



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, March 28th 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 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, March 6th at 2 pm.




See you at the Library!


Jacob Edwards Library

508.764.5426

[email protected]

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