Friday, December 21, 2018

Ventress Voice - Winter 2018


VENTRESS VOICE


Newsletter of the Ventress Memorial Library

Marshfield, Massachusetts

    WINTER  2018   Volume 25, No. 3  

Ventress Library
Changes for 2019
From the Director…
     The Library will be making some major changes in the New Year! You may have noticed the activity in the Non-fiction area of the library. The Non-fiction collection is moving out from under the lower ceilings and will be housed in the current location of the Biography & Large Print books. The Biography & Large Print books will be moving to the area that currently houses the Young Adult collection.  Why is the Library making all these changes? We thought you might ask that question!
     The answer is to create a space for the new Young Adult Room and Innovation Center. As you may know, the Library received a $15,000 LSTA Tweens and Teen grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. One of the grant requirements is to have a designated teen space complete with partitions and teen-selected furniture. Due to the extremely high ceilings in the main library the only place we could create this space was in a location with lower ceilings. Therefore, after much consideration, and hours of measuring, we decided to move the collection as mentioned above.
     The library also will be installing a new Circulation Desk to help serve patrons better and make transactions more efficient and streamlined. But, please don’t worry…staff will still maintain the personal touch when interacting with patrons at the desk. It’s what we do, and will continue to do! These projects are expected to take place during the months of January/February so stay tuned for more details to come!

~Cyndee
Children’s Corner
With Kelsey Socha, Youth Services Librarian, ksocha@ocln.org

Hello from the Children’s Room!
     We are wrapping up a busy and exciting fall! This autumn brought us new carpet, lights, and a fresh coat of paint to our Children’s Program Room, something we are feeling truly grateful about. We’ve been busy at work making our Children’s Room the best it can be--look around for new signage, more and more carefully selected new books, and a recently updated Parenting Section!

     The past few months have been rather busy with events: from reading visits from Gurnet, our volunteer therapy dog (generously brought by his dog-mom Bonnie), to our bi-weekly Lego Clubs, to slime workshops, monthly Little Hands Art Camp classes, and a very well-attended Elephant and Piggie party, we’ve had no shortage of things to do! From September to now, we’ve seen over 2200 children and caregivers at our library children’s programs (not counting all of our wonderful patrons who visit simply to borrow books or use our play area)! I know that I feel lucky for the opportunity to get to meet and talk to so many of the wonderful children and families of Marshfield.

     Looking for some fun way to get out of the house during the upcoming winter break? Join us for a Winter Drop-In Craft (Dec. 26th from 11:00 am- 12:00 pm), a family movie screening of Disney’s Frozen (Dec. 27th at 2 pm), and a Noon Year’s Eve Celebration for those too small to stay up until midnight (Dec. 31st at 11:30 am). Are you struggling to find a good children’s book or graphic novel to read for the break, or to give as a gift to someone dear to you? Our children’s room staff is always happy to give recommendations!

     In the New Year, we are looking forward to a fun-filled calendar of events (slated to be released soon!). As our next printed “Ventress Voice” won’t be for another few months, I’d love to promote one very special January event: for parents and caregivers that have ever wondered about language development, I hope you’ll join us for a special talk on January 12th at 11 am with local speech pathologist and author Suzanne Ducharme, who will be discussing the myths of language development and taking questions from the audience. For parents bringing children with them to this special talk, we will have puzzles and coloring sheets available to entertain them.

Circulation Chat
With Nikole Kelleher, Circulation Supervisor, nkelleher@ocln.org

Cha-Cha-Changes

     Happy Winter!!! As some of you may have noticed, things are moving around the library. It probably seems that every time you come in, you must find the new location of items you come to browse. This is true, as we are in the process of shifting our collection to make room for a Young Adult space. We appreciate your patience with us during this transition. Staff are here to help, please do not hesitate to come up to the Circulation Desk and a staff member will be happy to assist you!
  
     Speaking of the Circulation Desk - that is also getting a facelift! Within the next month or so we will have a brand-new, reconfigured and more modern circulation desk. This new desk is a bit smaller than the current one, and will give us more space up front for displays and new materials. We hope you will love all the changes we are making at the Ventress Memorial Library. Again, we thank you for all your patience!

Adult Book Groups
         Non-Fiction Book Group, first Tuesday of the month from 6-7:30 pm, Historical Room - Adult Services Librarian Nancy Hickey (nhickey@ocln.org) facilitates this group.
         Contemporary Book Group, second Wednesday of the month from 7-8 pm, Historical Room – Library Director Cyndee Marcoux (cmarcoux@ocln.org)  facilitates this group.
         Classic Book Group, second Wednesday of the month  from 4:30-6 pm, Historical Room – Assistant Director Chris Woods (cwoods@ocln.org)  facilitates this group. Special January 2019 meeting date: postponed from 1/9 to 1/16

Attention Local Area Book Groups: Did you know that the Ventress Library has bundled book kits for you to use for your book group? Contact Adult Services Librarian Nancy Hickey at nhickey@ocln.org  or 781-834-5535 for more information or to reserve a kit for your group!


Teen News
With Charlie Gluck, Young Adult Librarian, cgluck@ocln.org

Ventress Library’s fun for teens continues in the New Year! Listed below are two upcoming events in January. Register through the EventKeeper calendar on www.ventresslibrary.org  Also, make sure to check out the “Teen” tab link on the library’s webpage – event listings, homework help and the Teen Blog!!

Early Release Event: Blanket Fort Building Challenge
Thursday, January 10, 2019
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Come to the library on Early Release Day from 1:30-3 pm in the Library Plaza Program Room to build blanket forts, make a few crafts, and watch a winter movie! Blankets, craft supplies, pizza, s'mores and the movie will be provided. Feel free to bring your own blanket fort embellishments, snacks, and a friend!
7th-12th grades only, registration is required.
DIY Dungeons Challenge
Thursday, January 17, 2019
4:30 PM - 7:00 PM
This month, we'll have two open Dungeons and Dragons-related events for all teens interested in playing or leading the game! From 4:30-7 pm in the Library Plaza Program Room we'll be hosting the DIY Dungeon Challenge, a friendly team competition centered around DnD's biggest bosses. Each group of teens will get a legendary monster and must create a dungeon or lair that this type of monster could be found in. Expect to draw out maps on gridded paper, plan out tricky traps in the environment, fill out the dungeon with all the smaller, scary monsters that surround the big boss and show off your final dungeon creation to all the other teens! Supplies, monster manuals, pizza, and snacks will be provided, but you'll have to bring the creativity!
7th-12th grades only, registration is required.



Ventress Library Cultural Series Kicks Off 2019
With Chris Woods, Assistant Director, cwoods@ocln.org

Come into the library to pick up your cultural series brochure with details of all these programs. Also, follow us on Facebook and check the library website’s EventKeeper Calendar for more details on the performers and program updates!


2019 Kick-off Lecture, Monday, January 14, 2019, 7-8:30 p.m., “The Great Molasses Flood: 100th Anniversary.” Presented by Derek Gunn. Free and open to the public; no tickets required.

Join local researcher Derek Gunn as he takes you on a journey back to January 15, 1919 in Boston where a curious set of circumstances led to what became known as “The Great Molasses Flood.” Derek Gunn is an independent researcher, author and artist.  He is currently working on a full-length book, “Amazing Massachusetts.” Over the past 25 years, Mr. Gunn has spoken at many schools, libraries and museums. Visit www.amazingmassachusetts.com


2019 Kick-off Concert, Saturday, January 26, 2019,  2:00 p.m., (doors open at 1:45 p.m.), “Blues, Ballads and Bebop.”  Performed by The Bloom/Funkhouser Duo.
Free and open to public; no tickets. Library Plaza door will be open. Light refreshments served at a post-concert social hour.

The stellar jazz duo of Peter H. Bloom, flute, and John Funkhouser, piano, will perform an exuberant show of Blues, Ballads and Bebop – a captivating mix of beguiling ballads, high-energy blues, and sizzling bebop numbers, by great tunesmiths like Hoagy Carmichael, George Shearing, Mercer Ellington, Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker, and others. Peter and John have performed together for more than 20 years, winning praise for their stellar musicianship and entertaining concerts. Both are veterans of the legendary Aardvark Jazz Orchestra (46th season).  Peter Bloom has shared the stage with jazz luminaries Charles Neville, Geri Allen, Sheila Jordan, Jaki Byard and others.  Praised for “amazing versatility” (Arts Fuse) and “hip, jazzy flute work” (AllAboutJazz), Bloom performs in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia, and appears on 45 CDs. John Funkhouser has appeared with notables like Luciana Souza, Tierney Sutton, Ran Blake, Herb Pomeroy, Laszlo Gardony, Stan Strickland, and piano savant Matt Savage.  He has performed at Birdland, Blue Note, Dizzy’s in New York, the Kennedy Center, and other top venues from Kansas City and New Orleans to Paris, Singapore, and Hong Kong. He teaches at Berklee College of Music.

                      Cooking With Staff
With Sharon Mara, Library Assistant

Our holiday meals always start with soup.
This one seems to be the most requested!

Italian Wedding Soup - A Mara Family Favorite

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove (crushed)
½ pound of lean ground beef
1 egg (slightly beaten)
2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp of dry basil
½ tsp of onion salt
½ tsp of garlic salt
2  32-ounce cartons of chicken broth
1 and ½ cups orzo pasta
1 cup finely chopped carrot

Putting it together:

1.    In medium bowl, combine meat, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, basil, onion and garlic salt. Shape into ¾ inch balls.
2.    In large stockpot, heat crushed garlic in the olive oil. Stir for 30 seconds and then add one carton of broth.
3.    Stir in spinach, carrot and meatballs and return to a boil. Cook for a few minutes and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook at a slow boil for 10 minutes.
4.    Add pasta and cook until tender. Add more broth depending on how much you would like. Add salt and pepper to taste
5.    ENJOY!

Note: This soup will freeze well if the orzo is not in it. If you want to save some for later, freeze part of the soup without the pasta added, and add the orzo when you re-heat.
                         Creativity Corner
Welcome to a new feature of the “Ventress Voice” paper newsletter. This space is reserved for staff, patrons and friends to express their creativity in any medium they wish. It may be poetry, prose, memoir, drawings…even music, when we post this online. Please direct any submissions for future issues to VV editor Chris Woods at cwoods@ocln.org  We would love to hear from you!
 Josie’s Story
By Nancy W. Hickey, Adult Services Librarian

In September of this year, I adopted Josie, a dog from a rescue-organization, and welcomed her into my life. Josie was described as a 2 – 3 year old hound/retriever mix, weighing 28 lbs., who was sweet and gentle.  While it was immediately clear that Josie was indeed sweet and gentle, she came with many unexpected surprises!
At Josie’s first visit to her veterinarian, I learned that Josie was actually between 5 to 7 years old and weighed not 28 but 38 lbs.! The vet also discovered that Josie needed oral surgery, as she had holes in her gums.  During her oral surgery, the veterinarian was astounded to discover that Josie had a stick stuck across the roof of her mouth which was protruding into her gums!  Poor Josie had been living with this stick for a very long time and finally found relief from the surgery.
Over time, Josie has adjusted to life in my home and delighted in the pleasures of jumping on furniture and beds, going for long walks in the woods, and showering affection on everyone.  In short, she is a joy – well at least, most of the time – even if she came with a few surprises!


The Gift of Christmas
By Nanette Schieron, VML “Let’s Write” Adult Writing Group Member
It's Christmas time-
On this cold, crisp night,
Along the snowy street,
I meet the eyes of strangers
Hurrying along, laden with
Gifts for family and friends,
I flash a smile-
Looking for connection
In this season of joy.

On my way home,
In a moment of quiet
I look up
At the winter sky
With its silver stars
Strung like seasonal lights
Across the blue velvet night,
So peaceful and still,

The golden moon,
Plump and round
Gazes down at me-
Suddenly,
Giving me a wink,
She says,
"That's the spirit, sweetie,
Spread goodwill and kindness.
It's a gift to the world,
A gift that keeps on giving,
And each time someone smiles,
It will be Christmas
All over again!"

Smiling up at her radiant face,
I wink back-

"Merry Christmas, moon!”


Health and Wellness
With Carol Fairbanks, Library Assistant

Well winter is officially here.  The time for comfort food, sitting by the fire and snuggling deep down under flannel sheets and down comforters.
One thing that often gets overlooked in winter is movement. Just a quick 10 or 20 minute daily walk is enough to get your heart pumping,  keeping your body healthy and your mind sharp.  And those bright blue skies and the crisp fresh air are good for the soul.

So let's put on our boots, hats, jackets and mittens and get outside!


Jenks Jazz and Jive
With Karen Jenks, Library Assistant

Make the season merry and bright with some timely tunes from the library’s collection of holiday music. Here are the latest selections just added to the Ventress Library’s collection!

Now That’s What I Call Merry Christmas (2017 and 2018)
  A Motown Gospel Christmas
 A Legendary Christmas (John Legend)
 Christmas is Here! (Pentatonix)
 Something’s Happening: A Christmas Album (CeCe Winans)
 Happy Xmas (Eric Clapton)
 Irish Country Christmas.

Music today reaches listeners in so many new and innovative ways. With your Ventress Library card, you can create an account on Hoopla, a free digital media service for public libraries. You’ll have access to an enormous collection of music, movies, audiobooks, ebooks, and more. Titles can be streamed instantly or downloaded for enjoyment later on your computer, tablet or phone. Your digital items are automatically returned and removed from your device at the end of the lending period. Inquire at the library about this service and get started today!

Still enjoy perusing cover art and lyrics? At the Ventress, you’ll find a vast assortment of CDs including new music by popular artists being added regularly to the collection.  According to an article in the June 14, 2018 issue of “Rolling Stone” magazine, CD sales have fallen 80% in the past decade. Companies such as Ford and Toyota have recently begun manufacturing cars without CD players. Music downloads have dipped nearly 60% since 2012. One of the hottest trends today is music streaming. Streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and others allow listeners to enjoy music anytime and anywhere on a myriad of personal devices. And what goes around comes around. Sales of vinyl records in 2017 were at 14.3 million units, up from a little less than one million in 2007.  The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was the best selling vinyl record last year.

Bob Dylan said it best – “The times they are a-changin’”


                   Ventress Memorial Library, 15 Library Plaza, 1837 Ocean St.,  Marshfield, MA 

Library hours:  Mon-Th 9-8, Fri/Sat 9-4:30,  Sundays 1-5  (December through April)


 visit www.ventresslibrary.org         781-834-5535


“Ventress Voice” paper newsletter staff (published four times per year):
 Chris Woods/Editor   Jaclyn Robinson/Illustrator

“Ventress Voice” Enewsletter staff (published monthly):
Chris Woods and Nancy W. Hickey, Editors

Monday, September 24, 2018

Ventress Voice - Fall 2018


VENTRESS VOICE

Newsletter of the Ventress Memorial Library

Marshfield, Massachusetts

FALL   2018         Volume 25,   No. 2
Ventress Library Goes Fine-Free!
From the Director…
The Ventress Memorial Library is closing the book on overdue fines! We are excited to announce that we are going fine-free beginning in September (National Library Card Month): general overdue items will no longer accrue fees. We determined as a library that we wanted to open up the opportunity for as many passionate readers and library users to borrow our materials as possible. After the success of removing fines for senior citizens in the last few years, it was an obvious choice to eliminate the barrier of overdue fines for all of our materials.  You might be wondering--what does this mean for me? Books, DVDs, puzzles, and CDs from the Ventress Memorial Library will accrue no overdue fines. Patrons will still be charged for books that are marked as LOST or DAMAGED. The fines for LOST items may be removed if items are returned in good condition within a year.
The Library will still charge fees for lost or damaged items, and materials requested and/or checked out from other libraries in our network will accrue fines if they are late. Museum passes and special equipment checkouts (such as hotspots, Kindles, or ukuleles) will still incur $5 per day fines when they are returned late, and rental books will incur a 25 cent per day fine when returned late.
September is a special month for many reasons: it is National Library Card Month around the country, it is the start of the school year here in our town of Marshfield, and it is a time to remind parents and caregivers that a library card is the most important school supply of all. In celebration of National Library Card Month, we will ALSO be offering unconditional amnesty to Marshfield youth for the entire month of September--during the month of September only, everyone age 17 and under who owes fines and/or charges for lost items and comes to the library to borrow materials will be given a clean slate. The library will include current students aged 18 and older in this special September amnesty.  The Ventress Memorial Library would like every child in Marshfield to have a library card!
Now is the perfect time to get a new Marshfield library card if you don’t currently have one, and to take advantage of our National Library Card Month celebration and get your children’s fines cleared if they have any items outstanding on their accounts! We’re looking forward to seeing you at the Ventress Memorial Library all September long!
Children’s Corner
With Kelsey Socha, Youth Services Librarian, ksocha@ocln.org
Kelsey reports that September is off to a spirited start in the Children’s Room with a special “Dads and Donuts” Saturday storytime, attracting local children and their caregivers in for stories and activities while socializing and enjoying treats together. This fun family event was closely followed the next week with a special “PJ Storytime: Stuffed Animal Sleepover.” Children brought in their special animal friend to leave here and spend the night in the library – and what adventures they had! Check our Facebook page for photos of the stuffed animals doing activities, having snacks, and frolicking while the library was closed!
So many other programs and activities are planned for a busy fall including: a range of storytimes for ages 0-6 years old; a monthly art program for 18 month olds--4 year olds,; a bi-weekly Lego Club and bi-weekly opportunities to practice reading with Gurnet, a local therapy dog! For the first time this fall, we are also offering a Young Authors Club and Tween Interest Group for 4th--6th graders, as well as “Girls Who Code” (boys are welcome!)  classes for 6th-8th graders.
WOW!! Stop in to the Children’s Room to pick up a calendar of activities and learn more about those in which you and your family would like to participate. Follow us on Facebook for updates and announcements.
Ventress is the place to be!!

Circulation Chat
With Nikole Kelleher, Circulation Supervisor, nkelleher@ocln.org
Nikole reports that last summer was one of the busiest ones in years at the Circulation Desk. Both year-round residents and summer visitors came into their library to take out books, DVDs and more for their leisure enjoyment. Many also took advantage of obtaining books, movies and music on their devices using Overdrive, Hoopla and RBdigital apps. A big change at the Ventress is that we are going “fine-free”; details are provided on page 1 of this newsletter. We are all really excited about this positive and innovative change (first in OCLN library network to do so!)  Some exciting changes are planned for the Circulation area in the coming months, including a new and reconfigured desk is on the way! Watch for a streamlined self check-out station that uses an iPad. We also welcome some new faces on staff.  Just a reminder: if you need more information on any of the library’s programs, policies and materials, please don’t hesitate to ask. We are here to serve you, and always with a smile!
Thanks to all for being our treasured library patrons!
Adult Book Groups
        Non-Fiction Book Group, first Tuesday of the month from 6-7:30 pm, Historical Room - Adult Services Librarian Nancy Hickey (nhickey@ocln.org) facilitates this group.
        Contemporary Book Group, second Wednesday of the month from 7-8 pm, Historical Room – Library Director Cyndee Marcoux (cmarcoux@ocln.org)  facilitates this group.
        Classic Book Group, second Wednesday of the month  from 4:30-6 pm, Historical Room – Assistant Director Chris Woods (cwoods@ocln.org)  facilitates this group.

New members always welcome; contact each group leader for more info!

Attention Local Area Book Groups: Did you know that the Ventress Library has bundled book kits for you to use for your book group? Contact Adult Services Librarian Nancy Hickey at nhickey@ocln.org  or 781-834-5535 for more information or to reserve a kit for your group!


Teen News
With Charlie Gluck, Young Adult Librarian, cgluck@ocln.org

Charlie Gluck, our new Young Adult librarian, started in June and is up to speed, and then some! 2018 is an exciting time to be a teen in Marshfield; so many new activities and programs are going on at the library!! In addition, a new teen space is coming your way to be completed within the next year thanks to a $15,000 LSTA grant awarded to the library recently (see details below). Charlie shared with us some of the programs she has planned for local youth with the help of the new Teen Advisory Group (TAG), including ongoing programs “Dungeons and Dragons” and “Girls Who Code”, as well as an Early Release Day “Banned Books Special Event” on September 27!  New members are welcome to join our TAG group – next meeting is September 20 from 5-6. Bring your ideas!! Stop by the library to pick up a Teen Services Calendar to stay up on all the events from students in 7th-12th grades.
Join in the fun with friends at your library!!


Ventress Library Awarded LSTA Grant
With Kelsey Socha, Youth Services Librarian, ksocha@ocln.org

Ventress Memorial Library was recently awarded a federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant for $15,000 from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC).  “This year’s grants illustrate the vibrant and dynamic ways that libraries connect with their communities, “said Robert Favini, Head of Library Advisory and Development at the MBLC. “The grants help libraries expand service offerings, impact lives and demonstrate why libraries continue to be a vital part of the civic landscape. We are proud of the work that is done by Massachusetts libraries through the LSTA grant program.”
Ventress Memorial Library plans to use this two-year grant for developing and enhancing services to tweens and teens. The library will create a defined teen space in the library, update certain areas of the young adult collection, and organize a series of programs for the teens and tweens in the library. In order to better serve Marshfield’s youth and ensure that this grant is being best used for their needs, the youth services department plans to develop both a Teen Advisory Group (TAG) and a Tween Interest Group (TWIG) to help plan and implement young adult programs and assist in the creation of a teen space.


Ventress Library Cultural Series Kicks-off 2018-2019 Season
With Chris Woods, Assistant Director, cwoods@ocln.org
Come into the library to pick up your cultural series brochure with details of all these programs. Also, follow us on Facebook and check the library website’s EventKeeper Calendar for more details on the performers and program updates!

Season Kick-off Performance, Wednesday Night Program, September 19, 2018, 7-8:30 p.m., “Sailing Towards My Father”, a one-man play presented by actor Stephen Collins, written and directed by Carl Rossi.

Season Kick-off Concert, Saturday, September 22, 2018,  2:00 p.m., (doors open at 1:45 p.m.), performed by Hungrytown, a folk duo featuring Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson. Visit www.hungrytown.net

Saturday Concert, October 13, 2018, 2:00 p.m., (doors open at 1:45 p.m.), performed by Paul Speidel Jazz and Blues Duo. Visit www.paulspeidel.com

Monday Night Author Talk/Book Signing, October 22, 2018, 7-8:30 p.m., "Engaging Archaeology: 25 Case Studies in Research Practice”, presented by Stephen Silliman, Ph.D., Anthropology Department Chair and Professor, UMass Boston, and author. Visit http://www.faculty.umb.edu/stephen_silliman/

Wednesday Night Program, October 24, 2018, 7-8:30 p.m., “Welcome to the Graveyard: A Tour of Marshfield’s Cemeteries”, presented by Brenda Sullivan of the Gravestone Girls. Visit www.gravestonegirls.com

Saturday Concert, November 10, 2018, 2:00 p.m., (doors open at 1:45 p.m.), “Flamenco Guitar!”, performed by Gladius, composer and instrumentalist.

Wednesday Night Author Talk/Book Signing, November 14, 2018, 7-8:30 p.m., “The Black Cats of Amherst,” presented by Jim Hamilton, author. (Part of Ventress Library’s “Veterans Day Stories” programming.)

Saturday Concert, December 8, 2018, 2:00 p.m., “Home for the Holidays”, performed by cabaret singer John O’Neil. Visit www.johnoneilatlast.com

Monday Night Author Talk/Book Signing, December 17, 2018, 7-8:30 p.m., “Christmas Traditions in Boston,” presented by Anthony Sammarco, author.

Ventress Memorial Library, 15 Library Plaza, Marshfield, MA 02050 781-834-5535
Library hours:  Mon-Th 9-8, Fri/Sat 9-4:30,  closed Sundays visit www.ventresslibrary.org
Newsletter staff:  Chris Woods/Editor   Jaclyn Robinson/Illustrator