Reptiles at the Library, Stuffed Animal Sleepovers, and a West Branch Textile Group!

Meet our West Branch Community Services Librarian, ShanTil!

Your position, Community Services Librarian, is a new position in the Somerville Public Library. How would you describe your role to our patrons?

I'm essentially a bridge between the library and the Somerville community. If a resident, a City employee, or a local business wants to team up with us for an event or another type of outreach, I'm a great first point of contact! I also help oversee daily operations and adult programming at the West Branch library.

What do you wish people knew about the SPL?

We have a lot more to offer than books (but don't worry, we still have plenty of those), and library staff are always looking for ways to engage with patrons in unique and enriching ways.

Tell us about something or someone who influenced your decision to work in libraries.

Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer planted the seed, but overall it was a combination of delightful experiences in libraries throughout my life along with a desire to effect meaningful change at the community level.

What book are you reading right now, and would you recommend it?

I'm slowly "enjoying" my way through Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. It's a great practical guide for writers, and it's been helping me not to take myself too seriously when it comes to my own creative practice. Definitely recommend!

Tell us about your favorite Somerville small business!

Forge Baking Company is a long-time fave. They consistently churn out some of the tastiest bread & pastries you could imagine. *sigh* I'm getting hungry just thinking about it now...

If you weren't working at the library, what would you be doing instead?

I have a dream to teach trauma-sensitive yoga, so I'd love to get certified and make that a reality someday! Otherwise, you would ideally catch me relaxing oceanside in a tropical locale.

Upcoming Programs

Thursday, July 7 at 3pm at the Somerville Museum, registration required

Are you an English Learner? Join the ESL program on a field trip to the Somerville Museum to see the exhibit Space Invader!

Mondays, July through August at 2pm on Zoom,

registration required

This series of webinars will help budding professionals by providing relevant and modern career advice. Have questions about how to succeed in an interview or use social media? Curious about entrepreneurship and the Small Business Administration? Career Help for Job Seekers is here to answer it all!

Saturday, July 16 at 2pm in the Central Library Auditorium, registration required

Reptiles Rock is a 1 hour presentation featuring a mini zoo with a dozen small-sized reptiles, and four large animals including a tortoise, a monitor or tegu lizard, a large snake, and an American alligator!

Monday, July 18 at 7pm in the West Branch Community Room, registration required

Join local artist Cara Foster Karim as she guides a class on how to create your own unique collage. This event is open to all ages, and participants are encouraged to bring their own paper materials from home (e.g. a book, magazine, etc.) to personalize their project.

Monday, July 18, drop off from 4pm - 7pm at the West Branch,

Thursday, July 28, drop off from 1pm - 6pm at at the East Branch,

Wednesday, August 3, drop off from 9am - 2pm at at the Central Library

registration not required

Ever wonder what happens at the library after it closes? You'll never know,

but your stuffed animal can find out! Humans can keep tabs on their

stuffed friends on library social media through the night.

More Info

Thursday, July 21 at 3pm in the West Branch Community Room,

registration required

This one-hour sewing class will focus on the basics of machine-piecing a quilt block. Participants will practice operating library sewing machines, pressing seams, and rotary cutting.

Wednesday, August 3 at 7pm on Zoom, registration required

The Patriots Hall of Fame Virtual Tour is an entertaining, informative experience, great for anyone who has an interest in Patriots history. During this 90-minute experience you will get an inside look at some unique artifacts, and be sure to bring your burning Pats questions for an interactive Q&A session.

An Update on Our Cultural Passes

Borrowing a Cultural Pass from the library is now easier than ever!

Library patrons are no longer limited to one Cultural Pass per week. You can now borrow one (1) pass per day, and may borrow each pass one (1) time every month.

Plus: Beginning this July, you can check out passes for the Discovery Museum! We'd like to thank the Friends of the Somerville Public Library for funding cultural passes for the Somerville community.

Pick Up One of These Beach Reads

Here are some of our recommendations for beach reads!

Looking for more recommendations? Check out our What Should I Read Next? reading recommendation service!

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen

There's a logical explanation for restaurant inspector Andrew Yancy having a human arm in his freezer, but not for how it came to be severed from a body in the first place. Yancy thinks he can prove foul play, but first he has to deal with 2 evil real estate developers, his problematic ex-girlfriend, a Bahamian voodoo priestess, and a vicious hairless monkey that may (or may not) have appeared in The Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Recommended by Kevin, Head of Reference Services

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

When 22-year-old bartender Nikki takes a part-time job teaching English to Punjabi widows in London's traditionally Sikh Southall community, she is taken by surprise when her class shows an interest in writing erotica as part of their lessons. But as the women's trust in Nikki grows, dark and unsettling secrets about life in Southall are uncovered. Tender, observant, and laugh-out-loud funny, this book checks all the boxes for fantastic fiction that’s a joy to read.

Recommended by Bethany, Reference Librarian

A Little Taste of Cape Cod: Recipes for Classic Dishes by Annie B. Copps

Nothing says summer like Cape Cod! Learn to make classic and modern Cape dishes, which can be made any time of the year.

Recommended by Brigid, Literacy & Vol Coordinator

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

Who says a thriller can't be a beach read? This suspenseful novel will have you fondly looking back on your camp days thankful that you didn't attend Camp Nightingale.

Recommended by Keri, Generalist Librarian

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Enter a magical realism world of fairies, aliens, dragons, and magicians in this first of a new series! With terrific character development, the humor, sense of adventure, and plot twists will get you hooked! The diverse and inclusive magic about friendship, fitting in, and being Black offer great summer reading – get on the waitlist to be part of 13-year-old Amari’s world of Black Girl Magic!

Recommended by Mary, Head of Children's Services

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

Classic story about a group of sisters and their (mis)adventures one summer. Great read-aloud. And if you love it, you're in luck -- it's the first in a series!

Recommended by Alison, West Branch Children's Librarian

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

This checks all the boxes for my favorite kind of beach read - light and breezy with plenty of heart. Adams also turns a thoughtful eye toward undoing gender stereotypes and working through conflict in relationships.

Recommended by ShanTil, Community Services Librarian

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Loosely inspired by the tumultuous relationships between the members of Fleetwood Mac, Daisy Jones & The Six will bring you back to the 70's and its magical but insane music scene. Daisy Jones and her bandmates in The Six have a story you can't put down, and you'll wish they weren't a fictional band.

Recommended by Laura, Generalist Librarian

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