T h exY a r d a r m
The Yarmouth Port Library Newsletter
297 Main Street (Route 6A), Yarmouth Port, MA 02675
yarmouthportlibrary.org • PH: 508-362-3717 • Fax: 508-362-6739
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Yarmouth Port Library...Where you find more than
just books for readers young and old.
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It's spring (almost!) and YPL is a busy place. There are informative programs planned as well as ongoing children's programs and the popular Book and Knitting groups. And, of course, books and DVDs galore! Stop in, say "hi," and see all your community library has to offer — you might be surprised. Please remember that YPL is a privately funded library open to everyone. If you haven't already contributed to the 2022 Membership Campaign you can click here to download a membership form. Thank you for your support! Lee Peters, Editor
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LIBRARY HOURS
Sunday Closed Monday Closed Tuesday
10 AM — 3 PM
Wednesday
10 AM — 3 PM
Thursday
10 AM — 6 PM
Friday
10 AM — 3 PM
Saturday
10 AM — Noon
Events:
Gardening for Life
Friday, March 11th
at 2 PM
Cherie Bryan, Past President of the Master Gardeners Association of
Cape Cod, will talk about how to safely select special tools and to utilize methods which will allow us to continue to garden for life.
Tick Talk
Saturday,
April 30th at 2 PM
County Entomologist Larry Depsis will talk about the various species of ticks and how to prevent the serious diseases they can cause.
Making Your Property Wildlife Friendly
Friday, May 20th
at 2 PM
Zak Mertz, Executive Director of the Cape Wildlife Center, will talk about how we can make our property more wildlife friendly.
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President's Message
by Dinah Wolff, President
Good news! The library’s Membership Campaign has nearly reached its $40,000 goal, the earliest ever, clearly reflecting the community’s appreciation of our hard-working staff, and the welcoming atmosphere each visitor enjoys.
Thanks to all who continue to support our operations and maintenance needs — this year, a new roof and chimney! Given that the library receives only a token $500 from the Town of Yarmouth, we look to our public for support, and are very grateful for your response.
While early December may seem a distant memory, those of us who hosted the Christmas Stroll clearly remember it — SO many visitors that we ran out of food by 3:15, even though we had contributions equal to past years. Jack’s Outback reported much the same.
People seemed eager to enjoy the pleasant weather and a return to traditional 6A Stroll visits. This event regularly attracts people who might not ordinarily use our library, who often comment on its inviting interior, and express an intention to return.
I recently attended Robin Miller’s “Coming Black to Cape Cod,” organized by Librarian Leslie Altman and Program Committee Chair Dottie Halmstad. As with previous events sponsored by the library, all available seats were filled.
We continue to schedule talks, albeit with masking and slightly reduced spaced seating for the comfort of attendees.
Starting April 1, there’ll be a few tweaks to our staffing. Leslie is partially retiring; although she will continue to select books and media for the Adult collection, she’ll do it mostly from home. Susan Saposnik will join the staff to add part-time coverage, with Carrie and Carol taking on Leslie’s administrative tasks.
While continuing with Children’s Services, Carrie will now be in charge. We’ll still see Leslie occasionally in the library as she oversees Adult Collection purchases, and she has also agreed to continue leading her popular Book Group, so we are fortunate that she’ll remain a presence at YPL. We’re not losing her yet!
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Did you know…..?
The Yarmouth Port Library is a privately funded, public library. Library services are funded by your membership contributions and donations.
If you haven’t already, please consider donating to the Membership Campaign, contributing at a higher financial level, or getting involved by volunteering your time or talents to support the library.
For further information check the website under “Get Involved” or call the library at 508-362-3717.
Your support is greatly appreciated! Please remember your donations provide the operating funds we need to stay open today and in the future.
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Book Donations Info
Be sure to visit the Under the Spiral Staircase Bookstore.
At this time we are not accepting general book donations. Since we have not been able to have our usual book sales, unfortunately we do not have room to store more donations. We are happy to accept only 2019 — 2022 titles to sell in our library bookstore. Some popular 2022 books can also be placed into circulation.
We hope to plan a book sale later this Spring and then resume accepting general donations. Plan to visit the Under the Spiral Staircase Bookstore!
Thanks to book donations from our generous patrons, we have many 2019, 2020, and 2021 best sellers for sale for $3.00 to $5.00.
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Patrons always come first in my world, and we have the best patrons… |
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by Leslie Altman, Librarian
I have news! Beginning in April, my hours at the YPL will be changing. As I am about to enter my 80th year, I have decided to move back a little from my working life. I will continue to be a staff member, but my new title will be Adult Services Librarian, and my main responsibility will be collection development. That means I will still be responsible for choosing adult materials (books, DVDs, audiobooks, and electronic materials), and I am delighted to say that I will still be the organizer of our lively YPL Book Group. I will see you occasionally at the library, but for the most part I will work from home. More about how grateful I am at the end of this note.
Do you write poetry? Have you started a memoir for your family? We are happy to say that we have a burgeoning writing group at YPL. A patron is facilitating this group, which will meet once a month to allow members to share their work. Right now the group has met twice, and the plan is to continue to meet in the Gale Room on Tuesday afternoons, from 1-3 PM. Please let us know if you would like to join. The goal of the group is to create a place for all writers to test out their writing in a positive environment. Feedback will be gentle, and writers of all kinds of subjects and genres are welcome.
As usual, we have a series of programs coming up to ease you into spring. In March, Cherie Bryan, former president of the Barnstable County Master Gardeners, will talk about “gardening for life.” Cherie has lots of ideas about how to make gardening successful and easier on the body. I know I can use her suggestions of tools and techniques. Please join us for her lively and informative program.
In April, Larry Dapsis, Barnstable County Entomologist, will give us the latest information about those nasty ticks: how to protect yourself against them and what might result from a tick bite. He is an entertaining and knowledgeable speaker.
The Book Group had a Zoom call with Sally Gunning when we discussed her book “Painting the Light.” On Thursday, March 17th at 2 PM we are hosting Lauren Wolk, when we will discuss her book Echo Mountain, and learn about her latest book and her writing process. We are hoping our meeting with Lauren will be in-person, but to ensure everyone’s safety, we will see what the future brings.
I cannot finish without thanking all of you. Of course, I have enjoyed working with and for you all very much these past almost-10 years. In January of 2013, when I first began full-time at the Yarmouth Port Library, I had no idea what the future would hold. I never imagined how much I would learn from you all and how much I would enjoy the process. You have welcomed me from the beginning and have made my time at the library a joy. Patrons always come first in my world, and we have the best patrons — thoughtful, generous, and appreciative.
Our faithful volunteers make it possible to operate the library: we could not do all that we do without them. They contribute so much to the experience you have when you walk in the doors. Besides the weekly volunteers who greet you at the circulation desk, fetch and shelve books, and help us with circulation, the Trustees and Corporators make our library possible. From preserving and protecting our historic building, to managing the endowment, to making our programs possible, they do their work without fanfare, but without them the YPL would not have continued to exist when the Town was ready to close us down in 2008.
As for the staff, you know that they are dedicated, hard-working, and eager to improve your experience at the library — plus, they are a lot of fun to work with! Carrie and Carol will now be joined by Susan Saposnik, who will be a circulation assistant.
I consider you all my friends, and I will be sure to keep in touch. I hope you will keep in touch too. Happy Spring!
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Click on the links below to help you select your spring reading list!
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March: Thursday,
March 17 @ 2 PM
Echo Mountain
by Lauren Wolk
(The author will join in person)
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by Carrie Bearse, Assistant Librarian/Children’s Services
While working in the library office area recently, a loud giggle came from a toddler in the Children’s Room. Leslie and I looked at each other and began to smile. A perfect library scenario, no “shhing” even contemplated, just pure appreciation of and for a delighted child enjoying the library.
The YPL Children’s Room is pretty large given the overall size of our library and it is full of great books, movies, and CDS and so much more — it is a comfy place to read (lounging against our newest addition, Starboard, the big black lab on our “boat”), build a train track and start your engines, explore where you are in the world by looking through a magnifying glass at our globe, or dig through buckets of Playmobil and LEGOS. Little ones can scoot around on our Ladybug and Bumble Bee ride-ons, older kids can learn about gravity and momentum playing with our wooden ramp toy, homeschoolers enjoy our work table and the quiet of mid-day, and ever so much more. The Children’s Room is a welcoming space for parents and children, perfect for making young people feel comfortable and confident on their first step to becoming lifelong readers.
It is such a joy to see families in the Children’s Room and I am always so impressed how well kids can enjoy independent play while parents work (if need be), when kids cooperate and play with each other, a family makes a connection with another family, groups of kids color together or do puzzles, and when they clean-up so nicely, without much fuss, when it is time to leave. We have had a few kids who simply did not want to leave the library, which is such a wonderful feeling for all of us at YPL, albeit not the easiest situation for parents trying to head out the door!
The everyday drop-ins are so fun to experience, but we also have many more activities in the Children’s Room. We have our Storytime each Thursday at 11 AM for kids 2 to 5. We have Afternoon LEGOS (so many LEGOS!) each Thursday from 3 to 5 PM for ages 6 and up, and we have Big Stories for kids 8 and up on the first Thursday of the month at 4:30 PM.
We are open until 6 PM on Thursdays and the Children’s Room is a great place to wind down after a long day of school (or afterschool activities). And we always have plenty of coloring sheets and take-away crafts to do at home. Please try to stop-in and experience these activities, we would love to see you! You can always check the YPL website for the latest news from the Children’s Room.
Just last week, an adult patron commented that she had never really noticed the Children’s Room before, but seeing a family enjoying the space, noted how absolutely charming it is. It is charming, indeed, and also organized due to the efforts of many volunteers, and one in particular. I would be remiss if I did not again mention our youngest volunteer, Kaitlyn, who shows up every Thursday afternoon to shelve children’s books. She is only twelve, but does an outstanding job and once the books are all put away she stays to read…a perfect patron!
The Yarmouth Port Library community is full of perfect patrons. I have been fortunate to be able to get to know many of you, young and older. Patrons make a library, and I must admit that although I am slightly partial to giggling toddlers, you all make me smile. For that, and much more, thank you.
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For Kids: Spring Activities
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Big Stories Program
First Thursday of each month at 4:30 PM.
For creative readers and listeners ages 8 and up.
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LEGO Afternoons, Thursdays, 3 to 5 PM.
Create whatever your imagination inspires!
(Ages 6 & up)
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Story Time,
Thursdays at 11 AM.
(Ages 2-5)
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Spring Business Sponsor Appreciation |
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Buyer Brokers of Cape Cod/
Churchill Associates
923 Rte. 6A
P.O. Box 4
Yarmouth Port, MA 02675
Bob Churchill, owner of Buyer Brokers of Cape Cod/Churchill Associates, is an exclusive buyer agent specializing in representing buyers of Cape Cod real estate. Unlike most agents he does not list properties. His mission is to serve his buyer clients as a true fiduciary providing experience, advocacy, and diligence in this currently challenging real estate market.
With over thirty-five years of experience in the real estate business, Bob knows the Cape from Falmouth and Sandwich to Provincetown. He is uniquely prepared to help his clients find the perfect property at the best possible price and terms.
Note: BBCC is one of only a handful of businesses that have been sponsors of the library since the Membership Program began over ten years ago. We are particularly grateful for their consistent generous support.
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(As of February 2022)
Thank you to our very generous 2022 Business Sponsors!
Your support of the Yarmouth Port Library
is greatly appreciated!
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