What is a Rain Garden? April 6 @ Greenfield Public Library

Consumer Protection Program at the Greenfield Public Library

Milne Library Introduces a New Language Learning Service

You can learn a new language fast easy and effective with the new language learning service from the Milne Public Library in Williamstown. This online system is called byki (Before You Know It) and is the most feature rich language system available free from the library website www.milnelibrary.org You do not need to own a library card and can access it from any computer or smart phone with a speaker and Internet access.
Just click on byki languages, sign in with your own username and password and you can visit the site as often as you like. byki has over 70 languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu and 6 English language courses for speakers of other foreign speaking languages. More languages are being added quarterly and the system works off of flash cards with pictures on dozens of subjects. Learn basic grammar, and the quick jump start will get you speaking the language in minutes. Pronunciation analysis is available if you have a microphone for your PC and you will also be typing your answers. Keyboards for other than English characters are accessible in every language.

For more information contact Library Director, Pat McLeod at 458-5369 or pmcleod@williamstown.net

~ Pat McLeod, Library Director, David & Joyce Milne Public Library, Williamstown

South Hadley Reads…Three Cups of Tea

1993: Dangerously ill, lost, and disheartened during a climb of the world’s second tallest mountain, K2, Greg Mortenson stumbled onto the small Pakistani town of Korphe. The villagers revived and sheltered him for seven weeks; in return, Mortenson promised to build them a school. This raw promise resulted in Mortenson’s life-long dedication to promote community-based education and literacy programs, especially for girls, in the remote mountain regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan

What is South Hadley Reads?

South Hadley Reads began in 2002 as a cooperative effort of the Odyssey Bookshop, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley Public Library, Gaylord Memorial Library, and the South Hadley COA, with sponsorship from PeoplesBank.

The community is invited to participate in South Hadley Reads by reading the selected novel and by joining in book discussions and other community events. The goals of this program are to encourage reading, spark discussion, and promote community involvement.

Copies of the book are available at both libraries and for purchase at the Odyssey Bookshop at a 25% discount.

Events include the following:

Thurs. March 11, 7:00 pm Odyssey Bookshop
Three Chapatis: A Mountaineer’s Perspective on “Three Cups of Tea”
Talk and slideshow—Stuart Remensnyder of Field Touring Alpine.

Fri. March 19, 10:30 am Gaylord Memorial Library
Children’s Storytime—Listen to the Wind:
The story of Three Cups of Tea for children followed by a craft. Refreshments will be served.

Mon. March 22, 1 pm South Hadley COA
Movie: Into Thin Air: Death on Everest
Movie based on Jon Krakauer’s best seller followed by discussion of Three Cups of Tea. Refreshments will be served.

Thurs. March 25, 6:30 pm Gaylord Memorial Library
Three Cups of Tea
Group discussion of the book. Refreshments will be served.

Residents of towns other than South Hadley are warmly welcomed to join us!

~ Christine Quigley, Director, Gaylord Memorial Library

Idea from the Williamsburg library

Lisa Wenner of the Meekins Library in Williamsburg shared this idea with me and allowed me to publish it out on the WMRLS-one-blog. Great work there! We keep hearing from legislators that they need to hear from library users re: WMRLS, not just library staff alone.

"Today I bought 100 stamped postcards and am handing them out to people at the library, asking that they write to legislators outside our district. Have downloaded the email addresses from Friends page for those who want to send email, copied the talking points from Friends page. Also printed the addresses of all legislators with special emphasis on President of Senate, Chair of House and same for Ways and Means Committee chairs. "

Thanks Lisa