Volume 10 No. 1 | December 30, 2025

TUTORIAL:

Click on the image to the right for a PDF of the newsletter & calendar tutorial.

Poet's Seat

Poetry Contest

Call for Entries

Friends of Greenfield Public Library

35th Annual Poet’s Seat Poetry Contest

Submissions for 2026 are now open!

Submitting your poem:

Poems may be submitted online (preferred), or by mail or hard copy to the GPL. See below for guidelines & submission details.

Guidelines:

- Open to all Franklin County residents and to students attending Franklin County schools.

- Categories: Adult & Youth Poets (two groups: 12-14 & 15-19)

- Poets may enter up to 3 poems.

- No individual poem may exceed three pages.

- Only unpublished poems may be submitted.

- Previous first place adult winners may not enter.

- Top-placing youth poets may resubmit when they enter a new age category.

To submit online (preferred method), follow this link.

You will be asked to enter your poem(s) manually – one poem per submission. To ensure correct formatting of your poem(s) you will have the opportunity to attach a pdf or MS Word document in addition to typing your poem(s) into the form (see details on form).

To submit a hard copy:

- Mail your submission to Poet’s Seat Contest, Greenfield Public Library, 412 Main St. Greenfield, MA 01301 (must be postmarked no later than Feb. 21, 2026)

- Indicate “Adult” or “Youth” poet on the front page. Youth poets must write age on this page in the lower right-hand corner and circle.

- Submit on white 8.5x11 paper; print clearly or type in plain typeface; no markers.

- No identifying information on the front of the poem (except youth poet age)

- On the reverse side of the poem, write your name, address, phone number and email address

- Youth poet entries must also include the phone and/or email of parent or guardian or teacher

- Poems will not be returned.

Deadline to submit

February 21st, 2026

Poet’s Seat Poetry Contest Ceremony

April 28, 2026 | 6pm

Greenfield Public Library

Bingo to Benefit the Friends

Saturday

February 7, 2026

Doors open at 5:30pm, Bingo starts at 6:30pm

Greenfield Elks Club, 3 Church Street

Cash Prizes and Raffles!

Wednesday

January 14, 2026

10:00am - 6:00pm

A Spring Book Sale sponsored by the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library is happening on Saturday, May 9 from 10am to 1pm. Money raised through our book sales funds all our library programs.

We are looking for book donations for our May 9th sale and will be available to accept your gently used books on the second Wednesday of each month leading up to the sale,

January 14

February 11

March 11

April 15

from 10 to 6. We will have more hours to accept donations on 4/30, 5/1, 5/2, and 5/4. Times for that will be determined at a later date.

Books must be in gently used condition with no mold, dog-ears, discoloration, underlining, or broken binding. We cannot accept encyclopedias, textbooks, computer manuals, or media   (CD’s, DVD’s, etc).

If you would like more information, please e-mail fgplbooksalecommittee@gmail.com

Contact: 

Cyndie Rothschild

413-824-0468

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS FOR LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

If you have volunteered in the past, or you think you might want to volunteer to help out the library or Friends in the future, log in to our new sign-up system today:

CLICK HERE

For detailed information about the many excellent programs presented at the library, listed below, click on the purple "Visit the Full Library Calendar" button,

which you'll find throughout the newsletter:

Teen Programs and Events

Teen programs are intended for youth ages 13 - 20 unless otherwise noted

Peer Tutors wanted in the Teen Room

We are looking for high school aged tutors in Greenfield Public Library’s Teen Room on Thursday afternoons from 2:30-4:30. All subjects are welcome. This is a great way to fulfill required community service hours.

Teen Advisory Board

Monday, January 5, 3:00 - 4:00 pm

Decorate bookends!

Meet with a Young Adult Career Counselor

Tuesdays, 2:30 - 4:30 pm

Learn about resume writing and interviewing skills. Find out more about youth-friendly jobs and internships at MassHire Youth Service’s open office hours in the Teen Room.

Mental Health Workshop with CHCFC

Wednesday, January 7, 3:30-4:30

Meet with behavioral health specialists from Community Health Center of Franklin County for a fun and interactive workshop which will help you get to know yourself a little better.

Thursday Resources

Thursdays, 3:00 - 4:30 pm

• Free pizza and after school snacks
• Homework help
• Toiletries and contraceptives
• Special drop-in life skills sessions with local experts

Oddly Satisfying Crafts

Friday afternoons, 3:00 - 4:00 pm

• Friday, January 2: Bracelet Making
• Friday, January 9: Paper Punches
• Friday, January 16: Sewing
• Friday, January 23: Shrinky Dinks
• Friday, January 30: Drawing

For more information on teen programs, contact teen librarian Francesca Passiglia at francesca.passiglia@greenfield-ma.gov

or call (413) 772-1544 x5120

Tween Programs and Events

Come enjoy the library's dedicated space for Tweens!

Kids’ Graphic Novel Book Club Meeting: Blue Stars

Thursday, January 15, 3:45 pm

Copies of the book are available for check out in the children’s room

Tween Advisory Board Meeting

Wednesday, January 7, 3:45 pm

This month tweens can enjoy a mini-knit or crochet project

Children's Programs and Events

An adult is required to be present with children under 8 participating in GPL programs

STORY TIMES

Book Babies

Intended for birth -18 months

Tuesdays at 10am

Toddler Time with Ellen Lavoie

Wednesdays at 10:00 am  

ACTIVITIES

Box Day! (drop-in)

Saturday, January 3, 9:30 am - 2:00 pm

Local Author Storytime: Munchie Tales

with Susan LaScala & Munchie the Dog

Saturday, January 17 , 10:30 am

Family Board Game Night (drop-in)

Monday, January 26, 5:30 - 7:30pm

ONGOING PROGRAMS

1000 Books Before Kindergarten (self-directed)

Drop by the Children's Room to sign up for our early-literacy program for families with children ages 0-5!

Meet a Therapy Dog (drop-in)

Friday, January 6th, 3:30-4:30pm

GPL Lego Club (drop-in)

Mondays, 3:30-5pm

Drop-in Playgroup

Fridays, 9:30-11:30am

For more information on children’s programs, contact children’s librarian Ellen Lavoie at ellen.lavoie@greenfield-ma.gov

or call (413) 772-1544 x5104

Join us on Saturday, January 17 at 10:30 am to listen to local children’s author Susan LaScala read from her Munchie Tales books. Kids will also get to meet the pup that inspired them, Munchie the dog. 

For more information, contact Ellen Lavoie at ellen.lavoie@greenfield-ma.gov or call (413) 772-1544 x5104.

This program, made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library, is free and recommended for children ages 4-8. 

Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30pm

Conference Room

Join Zoey Erickeson at the GPL on Wednesday, January 7 at 6:30 pm for a different type of book club! Rather than having a host or moderator decide on a book to read each month, Readers will choose their own book based on a monthly theme.

January’s Theme: a book with a one-word title.

Join us and discover what your neighbors are reading!

For more information, contact Pamela McBride at librarian@greenfieldpubliclibrary.org or call (413) 772-1544. 

This program is free and intended for ages 14+.

Tuesdays, January 6, 13, 20, 27

On Tuesday afternoons, between 2:30 - 4:30 pm, , Young Adult Career Counselors from MassHire Franklin Hampshire hold office hours in the GPL Teen Room. Learn about resume writing and interviewing skills. Find out more about youth friendly jobs and internships. Sign up for MassHire programs and so much more!

For more information, contact Francesca Passiglia at francesca.passiglia@greenfield-ma.gov or call (413) 772-1544 x5120.

Teen programming is made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library and is free and open to the public. 

GPL is pleased to welcome Horticulturist Erik Vegeto on Tuesday, January 13 at 6:00 pm, for his talk Winter Ecology & Horticulture: Setting the State for Spring.

Erik Vegeto is a horticulturist, educator, and owner of Earth Gardeners, an ecological gardening business based in Western Massachusetts. He holds a B.S. in Plant & Soil Science from UMass Amherst and has worked across the horticulture and cultivation industry in roles ranging from IPM Manager to Researcher to Cultivation Supervisor. Erik specializes in ecological restoration, native plant propagation, and insect–plant interactions, and he partners with organizations such as the Massachusetts Agricultural Extension Agency and the Hampden Hampshire Conservation District. His mission is to help communities restore local ecosystems through hands-on, practical knowledge.

For more information, contact Lisa Prolman at librarian@greenfieldpubliclibrary.org, or call (413) 772-1544.

This program, sponsored by the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library, is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, January 7, 3:30 - 4:30 pm,

Makerspace

Join mental health experts from the Community Health Center of Franklin County, on Wednesday, January 7 at 3:30 pm, and use writing and art to explore some of the stories we have about ourselves and our lives and use this as inspiration to create 6 word memoirs.

Pre-registration is recommended for this program: https://greenfieldpl.libcal.com/event/16026854

Questions? Contact Teen Librarian Francesca at francesca.passiglia@greenfield-ma.gov or call (413) 772-1544 x5120

This program, funded by The Library Initiative for Teens and Tweens, is free and intended for youth ages 13 - 20.

Sometimes a box is the best toy! With a little imagination, kids can make anything out of recycled cardboard boxes. Bring your own boxes or use some of ours on Saturday, January 3, from 9:30 am - 2:00 pm. 

For more information, contact Ellen Lavoie at ellen.lavoie@greenfield-ma.gov or call (413) 772-1544 x5104.

This program, made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library, is free and recommended for children ages 2-12. 

The Greenfield Public Library welcomes Senator Comerford, Representative Blais, and Representative Whipps on Saturday, January 24, from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm in the Community Meeting Room. Stop by to hear about their legislative work, ask questions, and join in the conversation about pressing issues affecting our community. 

This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Senator Jo Comerford represents 25 cities and towns stretching from Northampton to Ashburnham, encompassing the Connecticut River in Hampshire and Franklin Counties and nearly circling the entire Quabbin Reservoir. Jo has previously chaired the Joint Committee on Public Health and the Joint Committee on COVID-19, Emergency Preparedness and Management and currently chairs the Joint Committee on Higher Education, while also serving as Vice Chair of Senate Ways and Means. 

Representative Natalie Blais represents the 1st Franklin District, which includes 18 communities in Franklin County and over 450 square miles, including half of the City of Greenfield. Natalie is the Chair of the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries. Natalie also chairs the Regional Transit Caucus, the Aviation Caucus, the Food System Caucus, and is the House appointee to the Rural Policy Advisory Commission. 

Representative Susannah Whipps represents the 2nd Franklin District, which includes 10 communities spanning two counties, including half of the City of Greenfield. She serves on the Joint Committees on: Aging and Independence, Higher Education, and Substance Use and Recovery.

For more information, contact Pamela McBride at librarian@greenfieldpubliclibrary.org or call (413) 772-1544. 

This program is made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Greenfield Public LIbrary. We also thank Senator Comerford, Representative Blais, Representative Whipps and their staff for arranging this public forum.

Beginning Tuesday, January 6

Community Conversations and the Greenfield Public Library are delighted to invite you to join our community art project: Dear Neighbor: Letters of Light During Dark Times.

We invite individuals to write letters to someone who has brought light into their lives—a friend, a family member, a stranger, a mentor—especially during moments of personal or political darkness. In an era marked by social division and political tension, this project offers a space to celebrate small acts of kindness, everyday heroes, and moments of hope. Stop by the Greenfield Public Library and find one of the letter-writing tables throughout the library!

Leave the letter, and we will hang it up on our wall of positivity!

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library and open to everyone in our community.

Join the Tween Advisory Board on Wednesday, January 7 at 3:45 pm for an after-school gathering (with a snack) to talk about programming for older kids at the library.

This month tweens can enjoy a mini knit or crochet project.

For more information, contact Ellen Lavoie at ellen.lavoie@greenfield-ma.gov or call (413) 772-1544 x5104.

This program, made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library, is free and tended for ages 8 - 12.

Stop by the Teen Room on Thursday afternoons to get the support you need in a fun and inclusive atmosphere:

For more information, contact Francesca Passiglia at francesca.passiglia@greenfield-ma.gov or call (413) 772-1544 x5120.

This program is made possible through funding from the Library Initiative for Teens and Tweens.

Library Closed: 

Wednesday, December 31 at 12:00 pm, and Thursday, January 1

Check us out 24/7 at greenfieldpubliclibrary.org, for e-books, audiobooks, movie streaming, music, and research fun.

Library Closed: 

Monday, January 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Check us out 24/7 at greenfieldpubliclibrary.org, for e-books, audiobooks, movie streaming, music, and research fun.

ECard registration can be found at https://www.bpl.org/ecard-registration/ 

Greenfield Public Library Hours

Monday - Wednesday: 9:30 am – 8 pm

Thursday - Friday: 9:30 am – 5 pm

Saturday: 9:30 am – 2 pm

For security purposes, the upstairs floor closes 15 minutes before closing time. Main doors are locked 5 minutes before closing.

Check us out 24/7 at at our website for e-books, audiobooks, movie streaming, music, and research fun.