FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK:
As I
have reported in a past newsletter, the Athenaeum received a Federal LSTA
(Library Services & Technology Act) grant of $20,000. The grant is administered by the Mass. Board
of Library Commissioners and is entitled, “Improving Services and Technology
for the Disabled.” With these monies we
have purchased a new computer with software such as JAWS, which converts the
computer screen to speech for the blind; Kurzweil
3000 that converts scanned or electronic text to speech for low-vision and the
learning disabled; and Inspiration 6 and Kidspiration
which is software that helps formulate and organize ideas into written form for
the learning disabled; personal amplifiers to use in the library; magnifiers
which will be used for our Outreach patrons; and large print books, described
videos and high interest/low reading level materials.
Within
the next few months we will be having an open house and family programs
teaching beginning sign language. Watch
for these events in future newsletters.
Patricia Thompson Cramer
Public Service Videos,
What Are They? The library has a large collection
of what we classify as Public Service
Videos. The subjects these
videos cover vary widely from flower arranging to pet care. The videos may be charged out for one week
and there is no fee. Some of our recent
additions are: Arthritis, A Natural
Approach; It’s Not Your Fault You’re Fat; Ken Burns, The West; Natural Pet
Care; Islam, Empire of Faith; Boston, The Way It Was; Overcoming Cardiovascular
Disease. The videos are kept at the
rear of the Reference Department, next to the regular videos.
FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE
WESTFIELD ATHENAEUM: The Annual Book Sale will be held Thursday, April 4 through Saturday, April 6 in the
Lang Auditorium. Look for signs with
specific days and times. Books (except
text books) are still being accepted. If
you need to have them picked up, please call 562-3224.
JASPER RAND ART EXHIBIT
FOR MARCH is entitled, “Working the Woods: The Cultural
Heritage of the Woods in
2 Volume
2, Issue 3
Folklife Program. Many
programs and performances are planned for the last week in March. Please check the calendar in the back of the
newsletter for all events planned. The
cost of having this exhibit at the Westfield Athenaeum has been underwritten by
the Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum.
Please
meet our Artist in Residence, Mr. Rodney Richard from
Thursday, March 21 from
in the Lang Auditorium Mr. Richard will present a carving
demonstration. Bring a bag lunch – the
library will provide drinks and dessert.
PLEASE JOIN US THURSDAY,
APRIL 4 AT 1 OR 7 PM in the Elizabeth Reed Room for the next Book
Discussion. We will discuss Big Stone
Gap by Adriana Trigiani. Just in time for Spring!! “…as comforting as a
patchwork quilt, as charming as a country cottage. Readers will do well to fall into the nearest
easy chair, cup of tea in hand, and savor the story of Ave Maria Mulligan. A story about simple people with complex
emotions … as mouthwatering as fried chicken and biscuits.” (
UPCOMING MARCH PROGRAMS IN
THE ADULT LIBRARY:
Thursday, March 14: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the wee gift of gab. Tracing Irish poetry back to the bard Osisn, we’ll look at what constitutes Irish poetry (Yeats,
Heaney, Swift, Murdoch), and discuss our favorite(s). Packets of poems will be available at the
March, 2002
reference desk beginning March 6, but please bring your own favorite
Irish poems and your brogue to the Elizabeth
Reed Room on March 14 from
Thursday, March 21:
Join us at
CELEBRATE APPALACHIAN
SPRING IN MARCH IN THE BOYS AND GIRLS LIBRARY!
Appalachian Story
Time: Preschool children ages 2-5 years will enjoy stories
from
Appalachian Quilt Blocks:
Children of all ages may come to the library to discover the Appalachian
tradition of quilting. They will craft a
different paper quilt block for display at the library on the following
Saturdays: March 2, Flying Geese; March
9, Log Cabin; and March 15, Shoo Fly.
Appalachian Movies:
Christy will be shown in the Lang
Auditorium on Wednesday, March 13, at
3 Volume
2, Issue 3
Soap Carving for grades 2 through 5 is offered
on Tuesday, March 19 at
Story Time, 10 AM Friday,
March 22 with Mr.
Rodney Richard, wood carver. For children ages 4 and 5.
Wood Carving with artist in residence, Mr.
Rodney Richard is on Thursday, March 21 at
Chainsaw
Bear Carving by Mr.
Rodney Richard on Friday, March 22 at
Throughout
the month music from the
In
addition to the Appalachian Spring programs, the following programs will be
offered:
Preschool Movies – Tuesdays at 10 AM in the Lang
Auditorium.
Mother Goose Time for baby through age 2 – Tuesdays
at
Two’s Too -- Thursdays at
March, 2002
Join
the 225 children who are already enrolled in THE READING CLUB at
the Boys and Girls Library. The
Reading Club is a year-round reading incentive program for preschool,
school-age, and teenage children. Each
child is required to have an adult reading partner and keep a reading log. Based on the child’s reading ability, the
child will either be a Junior Reader or a Reader. As children fill their log sheets they earn
prizes and patches as rewards for their reading. So far the children currently enrolled in
this club have read a combined total of 1,775
books as Junior
Readers and 24,000 pages as Readers! If you are looking for a fun way to enhance
your reading, join THE READING CLUB today!
The
BOYS
& GIRLS NEWS FLASH!!
Coming in April:
An All Day
Read-A-Thon!
Storytelling
for Teens!
Poetry
Writing Contest!
Watch for details.
LIBRARY
HOURS:
Monday-Thursday
Friday
& Saturday
LIBRARY
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Adult Library 568-7833
Reference
Dept. 562-0716
Boys
& Girls Library 562-6158
CONTRIBUTING
TO THIS NEWSLETTER WERE: Susan Kingra, Editor, Kate Deviny,
Joyce
Peregrin and Mary Ann Tourjee.