Seekonk Public Library News Seekonk Public Library News 6.4 April 2007 A monthly newsletter about the Seekonk Public Library http://www.seekonkpl.org Greetings from the Staff Don't Forget to Vote! Election Day is Monday, April 2nd. The polls will be open from noon until 8pm. As we told you in last month's newsletter, there are three seats available on the Board of Library Trustees. Four town residents are vying for the open seats. They are Ann Borah, Michael Durkay, Sandra Foulkes, and Paul Palange. The Board of Selectmen has three candidates running for a position. They are David Viera, Carol Bragg, and Francis Cavaco. There will be a proposal on the ballot to eliminate the residency requirement for police and fire chiefs, town administrator, superintendent of schools, and the head of the Department of Public Works. Show your pride in Seekonk. Vote Monday! ************************************************** Library Hours Just a reminder that the library will be closing at noon on Friday, April 6. The library will be closed Patriot's Day, Monday, April 16. ************************************************** Spring Storytimes It's that time again to register your children for storytime programs geared to their age. Registration begins Monday, April 2. For more information check our website at http://www.seekonkpl.org/children.html or call the Yourth Services department at 508-336-8230, ext. 140. ************************************************** National Library Week April 15 - 21 National Library Week will be here soon and do we have great events planned for you! The fun begins on Tuesday, April 17. Week-Long Events Food for Fines Bring in the value of the fine in food items. Limited to overdue fines, not lost or damaged items. All food collected will be donated to Doorways, Seekonk's food pantry. Children's Movie Trivia Contest Answer a set of trivia questions and enter to win a movie-themed gift basket of goodies. Enter daily! Winners drawn on Saturday, April 21 at 3 pm. April 17 Tuesday 10 - noon Had a taxing weekend? Unwind @ your library! Come in for a free cup of coffee and some pastry as we celebrate you, the greatest patrons around. 1:30 - 4 pm Legos Workshop Register starting April 2. 6:30 pm Magic by George!* Special Family Night program. April 18 Wednesday 10:30 - noon Earth Day Recycling Craft Project with Leanne Tavares from Seekonk Recycles. Preschool through grade 5. Registration starts April 2. 2 - 4 pm Dance Dance Revolution for teens Lessons from 2 - 2:30 pm. Tournament play 2:30 - 4 pm. Beginners to advanced welcome. Refreshments served. 6:30 pm Entertainment Trivia Show* with Mel Simons Join WBZ radio personality Mel Simons for an hour of reminiscing and fun facts about movie, television, radio stars and programs. Free and open to all. April 19 Thursday 10:30 - 11:30 am Sing Along with Skye Hurlburt* Join harpist Skye Hurlburt for a movie themed sing-along. Everyone is welcome. 3 - 5 pm Spring Rock Painting with Sue Burek For children in kindergarten - grade 5. Rocks provided but wear your painting clothes! Register starting April 2. Limited to 20 participants. 6:30 pm Hooray for Hollywood with Lisa & Friends Special Family Night program. Join Lisa Manning for the glamour and excitement of Hollywood! Music includes a medley of Disney songs. April 20 Friday 10 am - 5 pm Customer Appreciation Day The library celebrates its patrons and the community with light refreshments throughout the day. 12 noon Lunch and a Movie Bring a brown bag lunch and watch Charlotte's Web (rated G). Popcorn provided. 12 noon - 2 pm Live Piano Serenade with Beverly Rathbun Background music and movie themes. April 21 Saturday 10:30 am Dedication of the Dale Den The Library's distinctive teen space will be formally dedicated in honor of the Dale family's longstanding contributions to the Library's teenage patrons. Video Game Programs with Beth Gallaway 10:30 - 12 noon Karaoke Revolution for children in grades 4 and up 1 pm Guitar Hero for teens. Refreshments served. Registration and permission slip required. 3 pm Children's Trivia Contest winners announced. 2 movie-themed gift baskets to be given away. *Sponsored by the Friends of the Seekonk Public Library ************************************************** Find Health resources on the library's website In its August of 2006 survey, the Pew Internet and American Life Project found 25% of Internet users searching for health information were overwhelmed by the amount of infroamtion they found online, while 22% were frustrated by a lack of information or inability to find what they were looking for online. As part of the Health Access grant the library received this past year we are working to make it easier for our patrons to find medical information on the Internet. In order to accomplish this we have added a “Health on the Web” page to our website. You can find it on our homepage under the category of “Library Databases.” ************************************************** BookLetters Are you looking for an easy way to keep up with the latest titles from your favorite authors or subjects of interest? The answer is easy. Subscribe to Bookletters on the homepage of the Seekonk Public Library website. You are actually viewing a portion of BookLetters as you read this newsletter. We use BookLetters to publish it. Choose from a variety of fiction and nonfiction genres and receive email updates telling you which new titles will be coming out in the near future. Audiobook lovers will enjoy receiving the Audio newsletter about the latest titles in this ever popular way of listening to a good book. Chapter a Day will bring you a daily link to a 30 minute program from the Wisconsin Public Broadcasting program of the same name. A Large Print books newsletter is available. Fiction readers can keep up with popular titles or narrow down their choices to the Mystery or Romance newsletters. Children and teens have newsletters devoted to new titles of interest to them. Check out all that Bookletters has to offer. Just click on the Bookletters icon on our homepage and follow the step-by-step directions to sign up. Enjoy! ************************************************** The Seekonk Library Trust's annual New Century Fund Campaign is in full swing. The Trust exists as a vehicle to accept gifts and bequests. Consider adding something in your will for the Seekonk Library Trust. More information is available at Seekonkpl.org. ************************************************** LIBRARY STATISTICS : February 2007 Items Borrowed 19,668 Children's programs 27, Attendance 468 Adult programs 11, Attendance 134 Reference Questions: 610 ***************************************************************** April 2007 Program Highlights Adult Services Programs for April Computer Classes The library has a number of computer classes scheduled for April. April 3 – Introduction to Computers 1:30 - 3pm April 4 – Word I 1:30 – 3pm April 11 – Word II 1:30 - 3pm April 17 – Blogging 101 6 – 7:30pm April 19 – Introduction to the Internet 6 - 7:30pm April 20 – Health on the Web 10:30 – 12pm April 21 – Excel I 10:30 - 12pm April 25 - Excel II 1:30 - 3pm April 28 - Up-to-date with RSS 10:30 - 12pm Infant Massage April 7 10:30 - 12:30pm Jean Stringham from Sturdy Memorial Hospital will lead a workshop on infant massage. Parents along with their baby will learn how to use the technique to calm the child and lessen tension aiding in better digestion, and growth and development. Registration is required. Call the Adult Services dept. to register at 508-336-8230 ext.130 This program is part of the Seekonk Public Library's Health Access grant to bring health information to the community. The grant is provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services which is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. Poetry Reading from Regrets Only: Contemporary Poets on the Theme of Regret Thursday April 12 6 - 7:30pm Local poet Martha Manno, editor of Regrets Only, will read poems from this new publication. Other local poets who contributed to the work will be on hand to read their poems included in the book. This program is free and open to all. Edible Wild Plants of the Northeast Saturday, April 14 10:30 - 12pm Naturalist and educator John Root will talk about the many locally available wild plants that are safe to eat. Learn how to identify the plants, their habitats, and seasons of availability. Instructions will be given on how to prepare these plants to cook and recipes will be shared. This program is free and open to all. It is sponsored by the Seekonk Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the Friends of the Seekonk Public Library. Alzheimer's Disease Thursday, April 26 6:30 - 7:30pm Dr. Mason Gasper, DO, Neurology, affiliated with Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, will speak about Alzheimer's Disease. This program is free and open to all. It is part of the Seekonk Public Library’s Health Access grant to bring health information to the community. The grant is provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services which is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. East Coast Swing Tuesdays, April 24, May 1, 15, 29 6:30 - 7:30pm If you've ever thought about brushing up on your dance skills, join us for this four-week session on Swing dancing learning the East Coast Swing. Taught by Marc-Andre Vachon, a member of the dance group D'sheBAM, the classes promise to be fun for all patricipants. The class is open to SAILS cardholders. Registration is required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Seekonk Public Library. FAMILY NIGHTS 6:30 pm Celebration of Story and Song with John Porcino Monday, April 23 6:30 pm Storyteller and singer John Porcino brings his special blend of stories and songs back to the Seekonk Library. John's performances are sparked with warmth, humor, a playful touch of audience participation and a twist of music from around the world. Join us! This program is sponsored by the Seekonk Cultural Council. More Youth Programs Dance Dance Revolution - Teens Wednesdays in April. Practice starts at 2pm. Tournament play at 2:30pm Dance Dance Revolution is back at Seekonk Library! Practice will start at 2pm and tournament play will be held from 2:30 - 3:30. Refreshments (especially water!) will be served. Unfamiliar with Dance Dance Revolution? DDR is an interactive video game that allows players to use their whole body rather than just their hands to play. Using upbeat music and colorful dance pads, players step on arrows while trying to keep time with the music. The object of the game is to keep up with the speed and intensity of the techno-beat. The Wednesday afternoon program is geared for teens but everyone is invited. Remember….Wednesdays in April from 2 - 3:30! Stamp Collecting Club - All Ages Saturday, April 7th and 14th at 2pm. Discover the fun of stamp collecting by selecting, mounting and exhibiting your stamps. All supplies (including stamps) are provided. Mentored by Shawn Pease, RI Philatelic Society member.