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.
Visit www.gladiusmusic.com
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