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

Interfaith Talk at Worthington Library

Andras Arthen of Worthington, along with his family and other members of The EarthSpirit Community, recently returned from Australia where they joined thousands of other international participants attending the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne.

The Parliament is the oldest and largest interreligious conference in the world, having been held initially in Chicago in 1893. That particular event marked the first time that religious leaders and dignitaries from the mainstream Western faiths met formally with their counterparts from Asian religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, giving rise in our culture to an interest in such practices as Yoga and Zen which continues to this day.

The Melbourne Parliament, from December 3-9, brought together some 6,500 delegates from most of the many spiritual traditions including Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, American Indians, Zoroastrians, Pagans, Jews, Yorubans, etc. The week-long event featured over 600 workshops, lectures, ceremonies, panel discussions, and artistic presentations which provided insight into the richness and diversity of the world’s religions and addressed the roles that those institutions can play in resolving some of the major problems that we face today.

Andras Arthen, who is a member of the Parliament’s Board of Trustees, will offer a talk about the event (including a slide presentation) at the Worthington Library on Wednesday, March 3 at 7:00 pm. For more information about the Parliament of the World’s Religions, go to http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/ .

~ Leona Arthen,  Director, Worthington Library

Free Workshop - Introduction to Genealogy - Thursday, September 24

Introduction to Genealogy

Presented by Janis Duffy, Reference Archivist of the Massachusetts State Archives

Thursday, September 24 ~3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Holyoke Public Library -Conference Room
335 Maple Street, Holyoke

This class is designed for those new to genealogy, or for those looking to brush up on their skills. Ms. Duffy will discuss how to begin your research and will review the resources available at the State Archives, the Holyoke Public Library History Room and other local and regional agencies
.
Please register by calling 413-552-2842 or emailing martorellp@ci.holyoke.ma.us

~ Penni Martorell,Curator, Holyoke History Room & Archive,Holyoke Public Library

"Haunted Williamstown" Halloween Event

"Haunted Williamstown" Halloween Event

Friday, Oct. 30th, (7-9:30 pm) and Saturday, Oct. 31st (4-6 & 7-9)

Williamstown is celebrating New England history with their annual "Haunted Williamstown" Halloween event. A hugely popular spectacle with the Northern Berkshire communities, this year they are celebrating "the strange and amazing history at 1095 Main Street." A "haunted history tour" takes visitors through 3 centuries of unusual activities at the site. There are also free shows each day: Magician, Scott Jameson, and Edgar Allan Poe reading from his work "The Raven." Food, games, jugglers and a spooky tour of the history museum round out the festivities.

This annual event is a fundraiser for the Williamstown House of Local History, and attracts collaborators from all over Northern Berkshire County, including Main Street Stage Theatre Company and various local artists. Entrance fees cover all activities and are as follows: $10/person for the Friday Night Preview Party; $5/child (11 & under); $8/person (12 & under) for Saturday's activities.

To see what they have planned this year, go to www.williamstownhistory.com/programs.php.

Parking is available at the Milne Public Library, or try the new sidewalk across Field Park and leave your car at the Williams Inn. Overflow parking will also be available along South Street.

For more information, contact event coordinator Juliana Haubrich at 413-458-5369 (Milne Library) or via email at jhaubrich@williamstown.net.

ALA Conference Materials Now Online

Read All About It!

• ALA Conference Materials Archive

• ReadsinMA Online Reading Program Featured at ALA Conference Program

From the ALA Conference Materials Archive Website:

"This site is designed to make it easier to find materials before, during, and after ALA conferences. If you are a presenter at an ALA conference, we ask that you please post your session materials here or add a link to them if they are hosted on another site. It is also our hope that working groups within ALA will use this resource to link to materials generated from ALA conferences, such as meeting minutes, collaborative documents, etc. Thank you!"

Event at the Carle

At The Museum

Birthday Bash and Children's Book Festival with Western Massachusetts Illustrators’ Guild

June 13, 2009 ~ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Free with Museum Admission

Celebrate, connect and create!
In honor of Eric Carle’s 80th birthday and the 25th anniversary of the Western Massachusetts Illustrators' Guild (WMIG), The Carle is hosting a day filled with book-signings, readings, and demonstrations by WMIG artists, hands-on activities in the Art Studio, and special performances by Smithsonian Folkways Children's music recording artist Elizabeth Mitchell. Complimenting the art in the galleries will be an exhibit of original art by some of New England’s favorite illustrators as well as an art sale, silent auction, and raffle.

Featured artists include: David Costello, Diane deGroat, Elizabeth Finney, Linda Graves, John Steven Gurney, Laura Jacques, Gary Lippincott, Jeff Mack, Bob Marstall, Shelley Rotner, Ruth Sanderson, Nicole Tadgell, and David White. For more information on events, please visit www.carlemuseum.org/Programs_Events/Upcoming/WMIG

This event sponsored by FamilyFun magazine and The Bank of Western Massachusetts.

~ Rosemary Agoglia, Curator of Education, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA 01002, t (413) 658-1114, f (413) 658-1139, rosemarya@carlemuseum.org

NEW! Our new Web address is http://www.carlemuseum.org

EZ Library Programs for All Ages

From the Mid-Hudson Library System EZ Library Programs Website:

"The EZ Library Program Directory was created by the Mid-Hudson Library System to help librarians find easy, inexpensive program ideas covering a wide range of topics, activities, costs and ages--from infants to adults.

To look for a program idea, choose Search for a Program and search by one or more of the categories or search by keyword. If you wish to share programs that have been successful in your library, please use the Submit a Program section."

Agawam Public Library Presents ...

AGAWAM PUBLIC LIBRARY

Monday, May 18, 2009

SHAKESPEARE…the Lunatic, the Lover and the Poet ...Presented by Richard Clark

One Monday, May 18th at 7:00, Richard Clark of “Keeping History Alive” will return to the Agawam Public Library to give a performance entitled “Shakespeare…the Lunatic, the Lover and the Poet”.

Come and celebrate Shakespeare by seeing twelve different characters, hear twenty-five monologues and soliloquies from his most famous plays. Share some of the most memorable moments in dramatic history.

Through “Keeping History Alive”, historical characters are brought to life in performances created from the lives and work of Mark Twain, Clarence Darrow, John Barrymore and Andrew Carnegie.

Richard Clark has been acting for over 30 years and has appeared in numerous New England regional theaters. He has worked professionally in New York Theater and in television. His film credits include “Guiding Light”, “As the World Turns” and “Saturday Night Live”.

For more information on Richard Clark, please visit his website at http://www.darrowactor.wordpress.com .

This program is sponsored by the Agawam Center Library Association. Please call 789-1550, or visit the Agawam Library to register.

Local Authors Day at the Bushnell-Sage Library in Sheffield

On the first Saturday of November for the past 6 years, the Trustees and Friends of the Bushnell-Sage Library in Sheffield, MA, have hosted a Local Authors Day to celebrate local talent. Due to the space limitations at our library, we are able to host only the first 50 who accept from our database of over 230 local authors. Those 50 include authors and illustrators of children’s books, poets, cookbook writers, historians, writers of self-help books, sociologists, philosophers, and sports and mystery writers. It is a social event, not a fundraiser, for the authors and illustrators, whose profession is often a solitary one.

We are most fortunate in our corner of the tri-state area in western Massachusetts to have as much literary talent as we do. Our authors include a Peabody Award winner, an Emmy winner, and two Caldecott medal winners.

The authors and illustrators bring their books to display, sell, and autograph. The public often brings in books they already own for the authors and illustrators to sign, or they come to chat with the participants, or they bring their children to meet “real” writers. There is a coffee hour for the writers just before the public arrives and a luncheon for the participants after the morning’s event.

A group of volunteers prepare all the refreshments, the Selectmen and Town Administrator take part, the police direct the traffic, and the Friends of the Bushnell-Sage Library host the coffee hour and the luncheon. Those who work on the event feel privileged to celebrate our local talent at this popular annual event.

~ Nancy Hahn, Director, Bushnell-Sage Library, Sheffield

Programs for ALL ages

In an effort to provide programming for our youngest patrons we have expanded our services for this group beyond the usual Toddler Time and Pre-School Story Times. There was a demand and need to fill the gap that faced families with very young children. In January 2008 we started a "Tummy Time" program for babies birth through active crawlers.
The response to this program was overwhelming!

Every Monday morning for two hours we host between 20-25 Mommy/Daddy/Baby participants. It has become an important social and networking group for new parents as well as active playtime for their babies. Not long after we began to hear comments from the graduates of this program (active crawlers and pre-walkers) who were not yet old enough for Toddler Time and Story Time that they wanted a program of their own. Out of these conversations came the idea for a "Baby Play Group". This program fills the gap for our youngest, but still very valuable patrons.

This group meets weekly for two hours. The wide variety of ages, birth-18 months, ensures that it is a lively and very social event. We at the Forbes wanted to be inclusive to all of our patrons, regardless of their age. The Children's and Young Adult Department now offers programming for ages birth-age 14. It is a wise investment to spend time with these young patrons because today's toddler will be tomorrow's adult patron and voting citizen! Besides the fact that they are incredibly fun to be around!!!

~ Lisa Downing, Assistant Director, Forbes Library, Northampton

Mickey and Minnie Mouse visit the West Springfield Library

Mickey and Minnie Mouse visit the West Springfield Library

M.T. Anderson to speak at Westfield State College

M. T. Anderson, author of "Feed" and "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing" among others will be speaking at Westfield State College on February 26. He'll be in the Scanlon Living Room from 3:30 - 5:30 pm.

~ Barbara Diamond Goldin, Emily Williston Memorial Library, Easthampton

Arms Library Event - Western Mass. Writer Brings War Home

At the Arms Library in Shelburne Falls on February 6 at 7 p.m.

Tyler Boudreau's powerfully written Packing Inferno: The Unmaking of a Marine is the subject of a reading on February 6, 2009 at 7 p.m. at The Arms Library, Shelburne Falls, Mass.

There is no charge for this event, which will be held in the downstairs Langford Meeting Room. Information: 413-625-0306; or, email armslibrary@gmail.com .

Boudreau will be speaking at a number of local public libraries through the months of February and March, as well in Los Angeles with Scott Ritter and Nadia McCaffrey. Information on those readings: www.tylerboudreau.com

Writes David Bowne Wood, National Security Correspondent, The Baltimore Sun and author of A Sense of Values: American Marines in an Uncertain World.

"This is a deeply stirring book, angry and funny and insightful, about war and those whom war envelopes. It will bring knowing nods of recognition from veterans; it may shock others. To all of us, Tyler Boudreau offers a profound gift: the moral clarity we need to welcome the warriors back home."

With twelve and a half years spent serving the country's Marine Corps on active duty, Captain Tyler E. Boudreau was on March 1, 2004 deployed to Iraq as the Assistant Operations Officer for 2d Battalion, 2d Marines (2/2) based in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Upon his return from Iraq in the fall of 2004, Boudreau assumed command of a rifle company (Fox 2/2), and prepared to deploy again to Iraq. But by April 2005, his concerns about the war combined with his deep affection for his Marines, made him unable to remain in uniform any longer. He relinquished his command and resigned his commission.

He spent his final days in the Marine Corps calling parents and wives to let them know their Marines had been wounded in war.

Boudreau has been published in Progressive, in The New York Times Op/Ed, Huffington Post, The Daily Hampshire Gazette, and, The Seattle Times, and, has made a number of media appearances.

The Stockbridge Library News and Events

The Stockbridge Library News and Events

Roy Blount to appear in the Stockbridge Library's Winter Reads Series

For Immediate Release: Contact: 413-298-5501 STOCKBRIDGE, MASS.

Roy Blount, a local Western Massachusetts author, will speak at the Stockbridge Library on Sunday February 22 at 4pm. The discussion is part of the Winter Reads Series held on Sundays throughout the fall and winter. The author of 21 books, Roy Blount seems to have written in just about every form about most things, including the first woman president of the United States, football, and what barnyard animals are thinking. The most recent, Alphabet Juice, is the topic of this Stockbridge discussion. A contributing editor of The Atlantic Monthly, he writes a regular column ("Gone Off Up North") for The Oxford American, and has done so in the past for Esquire , The New York Times, Atlanta Magazine , Inside Sports , The Soho News , Men's Journal, Conde Nast Traveller, The San Francisco Examiner, Spy, and The Atlanta Journal. His work has appeared in 174 books and many magazines and journals. His first book, about hanging out with the Pittsburgh Steelers, About Three Bricks Shy...And the Load Filled Up , was named one of the 10 best sports books ever, by Jonathan Yardley of The Washington Post, and called, by Adam Gopnik in The New Yorker , "the best of all books about pro football." Norman Mailer said of his second book, Crackers, "Page for page, Roy Blount is as funny as anyone I've read in a long time," and Time placed Blount "in the tradition of the great curmudgeons like H.L. Mencken and W.C. Fields." Blount is also featured regularly as a panelist on the NPR news/comedy quiz show, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me . Winter Reads includes writers from the region, in the warm and friendly atmosphere of a casual literary salon. This year, Chauncey Loomis, Jim Shepard, and others have been part of the series. Each writer comes to talk about a specific book, play or story, and leads a discussion as well. Members of the public are invited to read the book and join the discussion, or simply come to listen and to enjoy refreshments and literary companionship. The series is free and open to the public, but space limited. For further information, or to confirm date and book titles, please call the Stockbridge Library at=20 413-298-5501.

Remaining Winter Reads Schedule:
(Discussions are scheduled for the third Sunday of the month at 4 p.m. unless otherwise noted):

March 15: Michelle Gillett, poet & Berkshire Eagle columnist, will discuss The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton.

April 19: Peter Bergman, Executive Director of The Edna St. Vincent Millay Society, will discuss Millay poetry book to be announced.

Upcoming Library Events: West Springfield Public Library

From the West Springfield Public Library

Upcoming Events!

One Town & Seven Railroads: Author Talk with Larry Lowenthal ~ Larry Lowenthal, contributor to "One Town & Seven Railroads" will speak about the creation of the book, published through cooperation with the Palmer Public Library. This comprehensive book chronicles the story of the railroads of Palmer "Past, Present and Never Were." November 19, 7 PM. Free.

Guilt Free Holiday Eating ~ It is especially difficult to make healthy food choices from Halloween to Easter. But can you let your healthy eating plan lapse for half a year, every year, and not suffer from the consequences? The answer is no, of course not. Nutritionist Jennifer Giffune will teach strategies and techniques to put in place when holidays hit, so that you can enjoy them without risking poor health afterwards. November 20 at 7 PM. Free.

~ Anna Popp, Assistant Reference Librarian, West Springfield Public Library

Upcoming Library Events: Emily Williston Memorial Library

From the Emily Williston Memorial Library, Easthampton

Upcoming Events!

Send a soldier a smile & some treats for the holiday ~ On Wednesday, November 19, we will decorate bags and fill holiday stockings with season's greetings and candy to send to our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sponsored by registered volunteer of booksforsoldiers.com, Linda Fortin. Complete information posted on the library's website

A Special Evening with local author and illustrator, Jeff Mack ~ On Wednesday, December 3, at 5:30 p.m. our patrons are invited to a special evening with local author and illustrator Jeff Mack. Jeff will read from his new picture books and talk about how he writes and illustrates children’s books. His newest books will be on sale and will make special holiday gifts since they will be personally signed by Jeff. It’s exciting that his new Halloween book Boo, Bunny was recently featured in People magazine! That evening we will also unveil a new mural that Jeff has created for our Youth Department and offer some yummy holiday refreshments.

Freedom of Expression: Resistance and Repression in the Age of Intellectual Property ~ On Tuesday, December 9, at 6:30 p.m. (snow date December 10), we will be showing the fascinating documentary film, Freedom of Expression: Resistance and Repression in the Age of Intellectual Property. This film was produced by Kembrew McLeod and our staff member Jeremy Smith, in conjunction with the Media Education Foundation in Northampton. This evening is a wonderful opportunity for patrons interested in creative freedom and the legal issues of copyright to converse together and with the film’s editor. Refreshments will be served.

~ Johanna Douglass, Program Director, Emily Williston Memorial Library, Easthampton

Western Massachusetts Library Club Annual Meeting

Caption: Three Western Massachusetts Library Club members are, from left to right, Frank Taplin, Dorothy Carmody and James Craig.

The Western Massachusetts Library Club (WMLC) held it's annual meeting on October 29, 2008 at the Holyoke Public Library. WMLC has been in existence since 1898, and this group of active and retired librarians supports the services of the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System, donates money from its Humphry Fund for the purchase of professional titles at WMRLS, and offers programs of interest and education for western Massachusetts librarians and library users. This fall's program was Mountain Park by Jay Ducharme, local author of the book by the same name. Mr. Ducharme's slides and conversation about the history of this local landmark were fact-filled and entertaining, and his enthusiasm for his topic is infectious!

~ Mary King, Regional Librarian, WMRLS

Transformations at the Wheeler Memorial Library in Orange

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PHOTO CAPTION: Some of the creatures recently seen in the Wheeler Memorial Library. Bottom to top to left to right: Zoe Basque, Baylee Rousseau, and Hailey Sousa, Colleen and Taylor Basque, Alyssa Rousseau and Saydie True

Imaginations ran on the wild side at the Wheeler Memorial Library when volunteer Zita Bridges came to work her magic with face paints. Children and adults took part in the fun of pretending to be everything from pumpkins to spiders, butterflies to tigers, and even a fairy or two. Librarian Candy Cross, looking like the Cat and the Hat, supervised the making of Oobleck, miniature scarecrows, monster goop, and spiders. It was a fun free time for all who attended.

~ Candy Cross, Children's Librarian, Wheeler Memorial Library, 49 East Main St Orange MA 01364; 978-544-2495, ext 103

Going Green Institute - December 4, 2008

From the Library Journal Going Green Institute Website:

Going Green Institute

December 4, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Connecticut Legislative Office Building

Admission is free ~ Register soon as seats are limited

"The fourth Library Journal Design Institute moves to Connecticut for a one-day think tank on green design. We will bring together leading architects, designers, librarians, and vendors to hone in on the challenges and solutions we face in making libraries sustainable. As previous Green Design institutes have shown, there is much more to sustainability than making our libraries green. With every Green Design Institute, we've taken a leap forward in knowledge and understanding, but there is so much more we can learn from these experts and each other. Join us for a day-long series of green-themed presentations, panels, and breakout sessions, and learn the latest developments, options, costs and strategies being adopted.

We'll also reprise one of the most successful features of the day: hands-on breakout sessions with architects. Each librarian attendee will have a chance to have their design challenge be the focus of one of the six architect-led breakout sessions. The design challenges do not have to focus solely on going green, but the breakout session will incorporate green solutions into the design.
Limited to 100 attendees, the seminar is for those considering a new building project or renovation, in the fundraising or pre-bond stage, or in the early building process."

Berkshire Athenaeum Blog Reports on Current Economic Crisis and more

Read All About the latest Berkshire Athenaeum News!

Risky Business Series: A librarian's guide to finding information on the current economic crisis reported in the Berkshire Athenaeum's About Business blog.

A review of the Berkshire Athenaeum's first Video Game Night reported in The Geeky Librarian blog.