Welcome to Our Newest Monthly Readers

Rachel Voci, Log Cabin and Delaney House

Martin Baicker, President and CEO, Jewish Geriatric Services

Big Y Foods

Alissa Korn

Amy Cohen

Carol Tivoli  

Mike Hirshberg reading at the Selsar School, Chicopee

LtoR: Phyllis Walsh and Elizabeth Roman at the Kensington School, Springfield

Festival of Trees

Tammy Trudeau and Theresa Finnegan decorated the beautiful Link to Libraries tree for the annual Boys and Girls Club Festival of Trees which took place at Tower Square, November 29 - December 13, 2014.  

LtoR: Theresa Finnegan and Tammy Trudeau in front of the Link to Libraries tree

Valley Gives

Link to Libraries raised $5,000 through Valley Gives. Many thanks to all those who generously donated during the December 10 campaign.   

George O'Brien, Editor of BusinessWest magazine, reading to students

George O'Brien, our newest Executive Board member and the editor of BusinessWest, the business journal of Western Massachusetts, has been involved with Link to Libraries for many years. We asked George what compelled him to get involved with Link to Libraries. He responded, "I got involved because I really believe in the mission. Childhood literacy and getting young people to read at grade level is vitally important to this region and ongoing efforts to create a quality workforce for the employers of today and tomorrow. It's an education issue, but it's also an economic development issue as well. So as editor of a business publication, this organization and its mission resonated with me.

It also resonated with me on a personal level. Books have always been a big deal in my family. My parents were voracious readers, and my siblings and I are the same way. At Christmas, there might be twenty or more books changing hands among all of us. We've never been in a house without tons of books, and I can't imagine a home without them. Helping Sue and LTL puts book in the hands of young people is, personally, very rewarding."

When asked what volunteer activities he has been involved in for Link to Libraries, George answered, "I try to do whatever Sue asks me to -- everything from filling book bags to doing public service announcements. But what I truly love to do is participate in the LTL Read Aloud program, although I usually don't do much reading. I'll pull a chair up next to mine and ask the kids to read to me. It's fun to watch all the hands go up and the kids almost beg to be called on. I'll ask them about new vocabulary words and encourage them to stretch their own vocabularies, and sometimes I'll try to mix in some lessons in history and geography, which I studied extensively.

I don't have children, and, quite honestly, I long ago lost track of what a 10-year-old knows - or should know," he went on. "So I guess I treat them more like adults than 10-year-olds. Usually it works. Sometimes I'll try to be funny and no one laughs because it's a little beyond their comprehension. But overall, it is a lot of fun, and very rewarding."

When asked why he agreed to join the Executive Board, George answered, "I joined because Sue asked me to, and, like most people, I find it difficult, if not impossible top say 'no' to her! More to the point, and as I said earlier, this is incredibly important work, and I'm just honored that someone would ask me to be a part of it on this level. I'm flattered, and I hope I can help LTL achieve all of its lofty goals."  

Elena Chechile, Monson; Taylor DiGeordgio, Monson; Zack and Jake Roulier, Belchertown  

Roberta Hillenberg-Gang for the publication of the photography book she designed, To the Village Square: From Montague to Fukushima.

Gail Baquis being chosen as one of the American Heart Association's Women in Red for 2015. See Gail on posters and billboard around western MA.

Margot Woodworth who will be the new project director for a new Link to Libraries project at Franklin Medical Center: "Books for Babies - Franklin County"

Special Thanks

Dave Madsen and TV/40 for producing great public service announcements for Link to Libraries

Chad Fidalgo of Rediker Software for all his assistance at our warehouse at Rediker Software.

Amanda Biron of Rediker Software, our web genius.

Theresa Finnegan, Molly Finnegan, Tammy Trudeau, Ellie Trudeau and Grace Trudeau for participating in and managing the Barnes and Noble Gift Wrap Table on behalf of Link to Libraries in Enfield, CT in December. Raising money for a good cause.

Volunteers on Valley Gives Day: Carol Fox, Mary Daboul, Christine Burns (Clowntique), John McAndrew, Kathy Kessler, Elena Chechile, Taylor DiGiorgio, Janet Crimmins, Steve Freed, Steve Kaplan, Colleen Marcus (Coburn School) and Mari Tarpinian (Rick's Auto Body) and our friends at Rediker Software.

Youth Mentors on LTL Little Kids Volunteer Day on January 19, 2015: Abby Simons-Plumb, Katharine Bradford, and Molly Finnegan.  

Many thanks to Rediker Software, Inc.  

of Hampden, MA for graciously providing us with warehouse space and for the many hours of volunteer service their employees provide to us.  

www.rediker.com