News, Information, and Fun Things to Do
 from the  
Middleborough Public Library
Library Lines
January 26, 2022
Photo and craft courtesy of atthepicketfence.com.
Reminder: Pick up a Valentine's Day Cracker Take-and-Make Kit for Your Sweetheart
We still have a handful of kits left to make a valentine's day popper/cracker for your sweetie.

Adults ages 18+ can reserve a take-and-make craft kit and pick it up at the Library by Mon., Feb 14. Each kit contains everything you need, although contents may vary from the photo shown here.

Supplies are limited so email Adult Services Librarian Libby Fox or call 508/946-2470 to reserve yours.
Make Your Own Valentine

Join us on Sat., Jan. 29 from 10:00 a.m. to noon and make a valentine for your valentine!

Using the library's supplies you can cut, stamp and color your creations in the large meeting room. No registration is required, and all ages are welcome.
New Additions to Our Children's Collection
If your kids have discovered Wonderbooks, they'll be excited to hear we've added another 26 new titles to the Children's Library collection. If they haven't tried them yet, be sure to pick one up on your next visit.

These popular books have a built-in audio player that can be heard through a small speaker or by using your own headphones. Don't miss the Vanderbeekers and One and Only Ivan series which are in large print format.

Thank you to the Wilfred M. Silvia Library Trust for their ongoing support that made this purchase possible.
Woof! Reading with Miss Marilyn's Spaniels is Back
Sign your child up for a 20-minute slot with Ms. Marilyn and her credentialed family therapy pets including a meet-and-greet and reading time. Children can practice and improve their reading skills in a relaxed and non-judgmental atmosphere.

Sessions continue on Thursdays from 4:00-6:00 p.m. through February 10.

Call 508/946-2470 or stop by the Library to sign up. Please only sign up for two sessions at first in order to allow others a chance to participate. This program will meet in the large meeting room and registration is required.
Tiny Tots Meets Wednesdays Through February 16
Tiny Tots meets every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. through Feb. 16. Join us for a story, songs and rhymes that build early literacy skills.

We meet outdoors at the park near Pierce Playground just down the street from the Library. Social distancing is encouraged. In the case of inclement weather, Tiny Tots will move indoors with limited capacity and online using Zoom.  Please bring a blanket or seat when meeting outdoors.

This program is geared toward babies and kids up to 3 years old, and their caregiver(s). Siblings are always welcome. To sign up for program updates and the inclement weather list for the Zoom link, please call the Library at 508/946-2470.
"Book Blurbs" -- What We've Been Reading/Watching/Playing
Periodically, we bring you a brief Book Blurb from the staff about what we've been reading/watching/playing.

This week, here are thoughts on two books from Reference/Adult Services Librarian Libby Fox.


MacGillis shares stories about the different ways in which Amazon and its on-line, one-day delivery and web-hosting services have affected (all negatively), the communities across the country where they've established data server centers and warehouses.
 
An expose of how painfully and permanently Amazon is changing the landscape of our smaller cities and the midwestern US, it was a depressing book with few positive solutions offered. The depth and breadth of Amazon's effect on the entire country is staggering. Particularly astounding to me was learning about the tax breaks municipalities lavish on Amazon to entice them to their area, directly hurting their communities for many years, if not decades, down the road.
  
In short, a thought-provoking, well-written book that will make you think twice before giving Amazon another dollar.

Kean is an accomplished writer having been a finalist for multiple writing awards and having his work appear in magazines like the Atlantic and The New Yorker.
 
The cover drew me in, as the subtitle alone should’ve made for incredibly interesting reading. But the bottom line? I was bored. I think the author tried too hard to connect disparate stories that didn’t work. Just because the villains in each story were all affiliated with science or were scientists didn’t mean they had a strong enough connection worthy of appearing in the same book.
 
A biologist who did a little pirating on the side; anatomists who worked sometimes as grave robbers and sometimes paid others to do their work; dinosaur bone hunters; fraudulent state police lab staff; and Americans spying for the Russians during the Cold War just made for strange literary bedfellows.
 
I got to the end thinking how could a topic with such potential to be fascinating end up being so ho-hum?

For either book, click on the red linked title above to place a hold on a print copy in the SAILS catalog, or click on the book cover image to place a hold for the ebook in OverDrive.
Free COVID At-Home Test Kits Distribution This Sunday
Middleborough residents can pick up free COVID-19 at-home testing kits this Sun., Jan. 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Nichols Middle School, at 112 Tiger Drive.

Proof of residency is required, and there is a limit of two (2) boxes per vehicle.

Thank you to the Plymouth County Commissioners for purchasing the kits.
Did You Know?

. . .that we regularly "weed" out our collections to keep them fresh, intriguing, and up-to-date for you?

We've recently tackled our Books-on-CD titles and have had to discard quite a few based on age and wear-and-tear. But fear not! Every time we discard a favorite old story on CD, we try to purchase an OverDrive copy for our digital Libby collection. This way, you can still access favorite books even if we don't have the CD copy any more.
For the most heart-stopping, heart-wrenching books on football, be sure to check out Libby
If you're not familiar with all the great ways you can read or listen to digital books with the Libby app, be sure to take a look at this short video. It's filled with suggestions of ways to make your e-book reading experience better.

Haven't discovered Libby yet? Download the app here.
Just a Few Days Left to Hurry In to Hannaford to Support the Library
The Middleborough Public Library was selected by Hannaford to be the latest beneficiary of their Bloomin 4 Good program. For every $12 Bloomin' 4 Good Bouquet sold throughout January, the Library will receive a $1 donation from Hannaford. Look for the red sticker pictured here on bouquets at the store located at 8 Merchants Way in Middleboro.
Connect with us
New Hours

Monday - Thursday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Saturday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Closed Friday & Sunday