Volume 9 No. 8 | July 30, 2025

TUTORIAL:

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

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

Teen Advisory Board

Monday, August 4, 3:30 pm, Teen Room

Epic: The Musical Party 

Tuesday, August 12, 4-5:30 pm, Teen Room (a teen-led event) 

Join us for a listening party that celebrates all things Epic! The Musical, the viral phenomenon based on The Odyssey by Homer. We'll have theme snacks, trivia crafts and more. Costumes are highly encouraged. 

Back to School Fair

Tuesday, August 19, 4:00 - 6:00 pm

Community Meeting Room

Join Teen Librarian Francesca Passiglia on Tuesday, August 29, from 4:00 - 6:00 pm for the annual “Back to School Fair," open to all youth entering 7th grade through college.

Drop by the Community Meeting Room to clean out your backpack, pick up free school supplies, and learn helpful skills from local experts, including:

• How to use a combination lock
• How to find a part-time job
• How to make a quick after-school snack
• How to manage stress
• How to start your college search
• How to make new friends
• How to deal with peer pressure
• ...and so much more!

Refreshments will be served, and door prizes awarded - Start the school year calm, confident, and prepared!

Mass Teen Choice Book Award, through September 2025

21 teen books have been nominated, and teens have until September to choose their favorite! All books available in the GPL Teen Room.

SUMMER EATS

Tuesdays, 5-6pm Ages 0-18

Pick up dinner plus breakfast for the next day!

Provided by Greenfield Public Schools.

Tween Programs and Events

Come enjoy the library's dedicated space for Tweens!

Family Movie Night, Tuesday

August 5, 12, 5:30 pm, Community Meeting Room 

Buildwave: A hands-on building game

Saturday, August 2, 12:00 pm 

• Recommended for ages 5 - 12.
• This program is free, but space is limited, and registration is required. Register in person, by phone at (413) 772-1544 or online through the events calendar

Family Board Game Night (drop-in)

Monday, August 4, 5:30 - 7:30 pm 

Back to School Fair

Tuesday, August 19, 4:00 - 6:00 pm

Community Meeting Room

Join Teen Librarian Francesca Passiglia on Tuesday, August 29, from 4:00 - 6:00 pm for the annual “Back to School Fair," open to all youth entering 7th grade through college.

Drop by the Community Meeting Room to clean out your backpack, pick up free school supplies, and learn helpful skills from local experts, including:

• How to use a combination lock
• How to find a part-time job
• How to make a quick after-school snack
• How to manage stress
• How to start your college search
• How to make new friends
• How to deal with peer pressure
• ...and so much more!

Refreshments will be served, and door prizes awarded - Start the school year calm, confident, and prepared!

SUMMER EATS

Tuesdays, 5-6pm Ages 0-18

Pick up dinner plus breakfast for the next day!

Provided by Greenfield Public Schools.

Tuesdays, stop by our air-conditioned community room each week at 5:30pm for a family-friendly movie:

•  August 5: Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. 
• August 12: The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends, bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. 

Children's Programs and Events

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

**STORYTIME BREAK**

There will be NO Book Babies or Toddler Time in the weeks starting 8/18 and 8/25. These storytimes will resume in September. Drop-in Playgroup will continue as scheduled.

Book Babies with Ellen Lavoie

Tuesday, August 5, 12, 10:00 am

Toddler Time with Ellen Lavoie

Wednesday, August 6, 13, 10:00 am  

Drop-in Playgroup

Friday, August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 9:30-11:30 am

ACTIVITIES

GPL Lego Club (drop-in)

Monday, August 4, 11, 18, 25, 3:30 - 5:00 pm

Family Movie Night, Tuesday

August 5, 12, 5:30 pm, Community Meeting Room 

Back to School Craft (drop-in): Popsicle Stick Pencils Wednesday, August 13, 2:30 - 4:00 pm

SUMMER EATS

Tuesdays, 5-6pm Ages 0-18

Pick up dinner plus breakfast for the next day!

Provided by Greenfield Public Schools.

Tuesdays, stop by our air-conditioned community room each week at 5:30pm for a family-friendly movie:

•  August 5: Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. 
• August 12: The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends, bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. 

Summer Movie Fest

Musician Biopics

August 4, 6, 7, 8

Various Times; See Below

Community Meeting Room

After our July program about Bob Dylan and The Band, GPL is hosting a festival of musician biopic films! Come beat the heat in our Community Meeting Room and enjoy a movie!

Due to licensing restrictions we can’t share the names of the movies, but we can give you the following hints:

Monday, August 4, 6:00 pm: Follow a folk icon as he becomes a cultural phenomenon, eventually starting a band and moving away from the music community who first took him in. (Rated R)

Wednesday, August 6, 12:00 pm: This film chronicles the meteoric rise of a rock band and their lead singer from 1970 to their legendary 1985 Live Aid performance. The film explores the band's formation, their musical innovations, and the challenges they faced.(PG-13)

Thursday, August 7, 12:00 pm: Following the rise of the Queen of Soul's career from a child singing in her father's church's choir to her international superstardom, this is the remarkable true story of the music icon's journey to find her voice. (PG-13)

Friday, August 8, 12:00 pm: The film tells the story of the life of a Mexican "Tejano" style singer and the progress of her career resulting in her No. 1 US album. (PG)

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

Doors open 30 minutes before the show starts. Outside food and drink are allowed. All movies run until completed, unless otherwise indicated. 

Movies are free to the public, thanks to the generous support of the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library.

Join us on Saturday, August 2, at 12:00 pm for Buildwave: a hands-on-building game. Boost your child's STEAM interest with a building event that feels like a gameshow!

As participants complete wave after wave of building, they gain creative confidence, enhance teamwork, and experience design fundamentals in a unique and memorable context. Great for kids who love building with Lego! Recommended for ages 5+.

This program is free, but space is limited, and registration is required. 

Register in person, by phone at (413) 772-1544 or online through the events calendar at www.greenfieldpubliclibrary.org.

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 intended for ages 5 - 12. 

Thursday, August 14, 21, 28

Rich Vaden will be at the Greenfield Public Library on Thursday afternoons, beginning August 14, from 1:00 - 3:00 pm for free one-on-one tech support.

Whether you need help using a device, accessing affordable internet, learning a new computer skill, or navigating online services, Rich is here to help.

Not able to make it on Thursdays? Make an appointment to meet with Rich at the Library or at his United Way office on Davis Street. Call (413) 584-3962 x111 to make an appointment.

For more information, contact Pamela McBride at librarian@greenfield-ma.gov, or call (413) 772-1544.

Rich Vaden is the Digital Navigator for Franklin County, offering free one-on-one tech support and digital skills training funded through the United Way of Franklin & Hampshire Region. 

Back to School Fair

Tuesday, August 19

4:00 - 6:00 pm

Community Meeting Room

Get ready for the new school year with an afternoon of fun, learning, and free resources!

Join Teen Librarian Francesca Passiglia on Tuesday, August 29, from 4:00 - 6:00 pm for the annual “Back to School Fair”, open to all youth entering 7th grade through college.

Drop by the Community Meeting Room to clean out your backpack, pick up free school supplies, and learn helpful skills from local experts, including:

How to use a combination lock

How to find a part-time job

How to make a quick after-school snack

How to manage stress

How to start your college search

How to make new friends

How to deal with peer pressure
...and so much more!

Refreshments will be served, and door prizes awarded - Start the school year calm, confident, and prepared!

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

This event, generously sponsored by the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library is free and open to all youth entering 7th grade through college.

Greenfield's Amazing Hidden Deep History

Richard Little

Wednesiday, August 6

6:30 pm

Community Meeting Room

Richard Little will explain the "hidden" stories that are under our feet and in our view and how you can discover them. And he will bring rare Jurassic Armored Mud Balls to show and touch! You can find them in Greenfield, too. What a place!

The geological history of Greenfield and vicinity explains many strange things about our commonly seen landscape. The Connecticut River used to flow across the Meadows and old meander channels can still be seen. The Poet's Seat is on Jurassic lava. Did it flow into a lake or on land? The answer is "both." 

Richard Little is Prof. Emeritus, Greenfield Community College. He came to Greenfield from California in 1969 and rapidly discovered that this is the best place in the world to study geology.  

Little has written two books about our local and regional geology plus is the discoverer of the rare Jurassic Armored Mud Balls, now being considered in the Legislature to be the official "State Sedimentary Structure". 

Please visit: https://ArmoredMudBalls.rocks to learn more and come to the talk to discover the hidden history in your view and under your feet. Prof. Little will bring Jurassic armored mud ball specimens to touch plus books for sale.

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

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

Rural Community Health Worker Training Information Session

Monday, August 11, 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Wednesday, August 20, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Are you interested in exploring or preparing for a career as a Community Health Worker

(CHW)?

Members of the Massachusetts Rural Workforce Training Network (MARWTN) will offer information and answer questions about their free training program to become a CHW and learn more about working in healthcare professions.

The MARWTN is an educational collaborative whose objective is to promote the Community Health Worker (CHW) profession across rural areas of Massachusetts. They will be starting a

new round of trainings for the CHW program beginning September, 2025 at no cost for those living and/or working in Franklin County. We value and support a bilingual/bicultural work force and encourage all to apply. Scholarships are available for qualified trainees who may need financial support with transportation or child/adult care while in training after successful completion of the 80 hour training.

For more information contact Erin Lenski at erin@newenglandrha.org.

This program is free and open to the public.

Teen Room (a teen led event)

Join us for a listening party that celebrates all things Epic! The Musical, the viral phenomenon based on The Odyssey by Homer. We’ll have theme snacks, trivia crafts and more. Costumes are highly encouraged.

For more information, please contact Teen Librarian Francesca Passiglia at 413-772-1544 x5120 or francesca.passiglia@greenfield-ma.gov

This program, made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library, is free and for teens aged 13 -20.

Conference Room Gallery

Collected works 2020 - 2025”: mixed media by Jeremy Ferris

Wooly bear flags hang above lichen encrusted paths crisscrossing the overgrown and abandoned farmlands of the Northeastern United States.

The occasional wooden relic points the way once mapped by largely illegible schematic diagrams. Unorthodox explorations of folk and fantasy art join together photo collage, sumi ink, graphite, and house paint.

Jeremy Ferris was born in Washington County, New York in 1989. They went to school to learn about art, cognitive science, and archives and have worked as a farm hand, digital archivist, cheesemonger, printmaking instructor, and now a teen librarian. Jeremy and their cat Nico live in Providence, RI. They are currently plotting and building a witch fence with their sweetheart. Jeremy also makes music and audio recordings under the name Cla-ras.

The library will be closed Saturday, August 30 through Monday, September 1, for Labor Day Weekend. We will reopen Tuesday,

September 2, at 9:30 am. Check us out 24/7 at greenfieldpubliclibrary.org, for e-books, audiobooks, movie streaming, music, and research fun.

GPL Discontinuing Kanopy

Due to budgetary issues, Greenfield Public Library will discontinue access to the Kanopy streaming service, beginning July 1, 2025, in order to shift funds to other online platforms.

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.