January 2014

VENTRESS VOICE

Newsletter of the Ventress Memorial Library

Marshfield, Massachusetts

JANUARY  2014         Volume 21, No. 1

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Ventress Library Welcomes New Director!

By Chris Woods, Assistant Director

Cyndee J. Marcoux Starts Job on January 13

The Ventress Library is pleased to welcome the New Year with a new leader at the helm – Cyndee J. Marcoux. (pronounced “Mar-COO”) It took over six months of searching to find the right candidate for the role. The Trustees, Selectmen and Town Administrator are confident that Cyndee is a very good “fit” to take over as Director of the Ventress Memorial Library. The staff is delighted as well, and looks forward to a long and fruitful relationship with their new director. Most recently, Cyndee held the position of Associate Director at the Seekonk Public Library. Before that, she was Library Director at the Blackstone Public Library and the Auburn Public Library. She brings much experience, technical ability and compatible personal qualities to her new job here at the Ventress, and we all are looking forward to a new start. Please join us in welcoming Cyndee to the community at a reception the Trustees will host in the Library on Saturday, January 25, from 2:00 to 3:00. (Snow date is Sunday, January 26) Recently retired long-time Trustee Jeanne M. Horan will also be honored at the reception. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to the library at 781-834-5535 so we can have enough refreshments on hand for this fun event. And please, join us all in one voice as we give a heartfelt welcome to Cyndee J. Marcoux!

CIRC STATS and CHAT

By Elisha S. Chandler, Head of Circulation Services

Greetings, Ventress Library community! I hope you all had an amazing time this holiday season and wish you all the very best as we enter in to this new year. I know I did, and I’m truly excited to start 2014 as one of the newest members of the Ventress Memorial Library staff. Some of you may have seen me around, or maybe we’ve already met, but in the event that we haven’t yet had the opportunity, I thought a proper, albeit brief, introduction was in order. Hopefully, in time, I’ll know each and every one of you as well. My name is Elisha Chandler, and I’ve recently been hired to fill the very big shoes of Amy Rosa as the new Head of Circulation Services.

I graduated from Simmons College in Boston with my Masters in Library Science in 2012. Before coming to Ventress, I held the position of Generalist Librarian at the Bridgewater Public Library, where I worked Circulation, Reference and the Children’s Department. Additionally, I have accrued 20 years of experience in the customer service industry, and half as many years as a member of management.

On a more personal note: I am a mother, a grammarian (or “word nerd”), a bibliophile, and a massive connoisseur of all things geeky. (If you want to talk sci-fi and fantasy, video games, and comics/graphic novels – or about how awesome the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special was – then I’m your gal!) I also have a soft spot for young adult literature and am beyond thrilled to start contributing to the Teen Pick of the Week portion of the Ventress Kids and Teens blog.

Now, I’ve only been here a few weeks, but I have to say that the staff, Trustees, Friends, and, most importantly, patrons of the Ventress Library are amazing! They (YOU) are indescribably caring, warm and welcoming, and I’ve felt like a part of this community – no, family – since day one.

I am genuinely proud and honored to be a part of this team. 2014 is going to be a banner year!

JENKS JAZZ AND JIVE

By Karen Jenks, Library Assistant

Start the New Year by listening to and enjoying some new music!  Check out these new CDs recently added to the collection:

COUNTRY

The Civil Wars – The Civil Wars

The Woman I Am – Kellie Pickler

The Muse – Wood Brothers

JAZZ

Don’t be that way – Dave Bennett

MISCELLANEOUS

Bill Cosby – far from finished - live in concert – Bill Cosby

POP

Loved me back – Celine Dion

Yours truly – Ariana Grande

Artpop – Lady Gaga

New – Paul McCartney

Prism – Katy Perry

ROCK

Mechanical bull – Kings of Leon

                        

           VENTRESS VIDEOS

               By Jed Phillips, Reference Associate

Robot & Frank (2012)

Rated PG-13

Directed by  Jake Schreier

Starring Peter Sarsgaard, Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon

Winner at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival

Easily in my top 3 list of favorite movies of 2012, Robot & Frank is a light hearted buddy comedy.  It is also a rather serious and, at times, depressing dramatic work on aging, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.  That doesn’t sound like it could work, does it?  A light hearted buddy comedy about dementia?  Nope, sounds like a bad idea.  But trust me this movie does all the right things.  Give it a chance, you will really enjoy it.  In the ambiguous, not-to-distant future, Frank (Langella) is a divorced senior living a life of solitude in rural New York. Between visits and video calls from his children (James Marsden and Liv Tyler) concerned about his seemingly deteriorating mental state, Frank spends his time with visits to the local library, flirting with librarian Jennifer (Susan Sarandon), and by shoplifting decorative soaps from the store where his favorite restaurant used to be. He is a man of the past, and his little moments of defiance in the face of change establish his character early on, so when Hunter (Marsden) arrives with a new robot caregiver (Voiced by Peter Sarsgaard), Frank is understandably offended. 

While Frank’s day to day memory slowly fades, the memories of his former 'profession' as a skilled thief remains at the front of his mind, and the robot's insistence on picking up a hobby or starting a project in order to keep Frank mentally engaged opens a window of opportunity for Frank to focus his mind and retreat back to the glory days of his youth. The planning and execution of heists sees a charming relationship form between Frank and his robot companion, complemented by a sweet potential romance with Jennifer (Sarandon) and stark moments of sadness.You will also find a clever subtext running through Robot & Frank, commenting on the potential for loss of personality in the digital age, and the disposable nature of modern life. The more we come to rely on technology for everything, from our reading material to our aged care, the less we ourselves are practically capable of, giving rise to a generation of privileged, ironic, but purposeless people ('yuppies' as Frank calls them). What Robot & Frank shines the light on is not just the fragility of, but also the value of a mind filled with life experience and skills. There's no substitute for the complex intelligence of our brains, and even the most sophisticated technology has more to learn from us than we from it. And so this leads us back to where we started.  This movie is light hearted, and funny. It is also serious and melancholy.  This film is a heist caper, but there are no car chases or shoot-outs.  There are no precisely choreographed kung-fu battles.  There is a robot, and he is very smart, almost human in his portrayal, does this qualify Robot & Frank as a sci-fi movie?  I guess when it is all said and done, who cares?  Robot & Frank is a wonderful film with good character development, high quality acting, clean sharp writing and a great story.  And in the end isn’t all we ever are looking for is a great story?  

Other “must see” films:

Featuring Frank Langella:  Good Night, and Good Luck., The Ninth Gate                Featuring Peter Sarsgaard: Blue Jasmine, Garden State, Jarhead                                                     Featuring Susan Sarandon:  Cloud Atlas, Jeff, Who Lives at Home, Bull Durham

CHILDRENS’ CORNER

By Jen Malaguti, “Miss Jen”

January Activities

Winter Story Time Sessions start on January 13th, 2014.

Please make note of our change in schedule: Tales for Tots

( Ages 0-3) is now offered on Tues and Wed. 10:30 a.m. and our new Wiggles & Giggles Preschool aged story time is Monday at 10:30 a.m. and Tues. at 2:00 p.m. Story Craft remains on Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. and registration for Story Craft begins on January 6th.

Coming in February:

Pajama Storytime/Stuffed Animal Sleepover. Listen to nighttime stories, lullabies, and enjoy milk and cookies. Bring a favorite cuddly friend (not the one you sleep with!) to spend the night at the library. Registration required – begins on Jan. 21^st.

5.

VENTRESS VIGNETTES

 by Belle Bibliotheque

 Surely all of you have noticed the wonderful improvements to the library over the last few months! The Board of Trustees and the Library Staff have been steadily instituting measures to make the library more welcoming to our patrons. Maintenant, let us begin the tour as you drive into Library Plaza. The old "Got Books" bin, which was a bit of a hulking eyesore, has been replaced with a more discreet "Donate Books" bin, which is located on the side of the building. The library continues to accept your newer, gently used books as donations. Anything old and in poor condition may be put into this new bin. The library gets paid a bulk rate for these items.

In the first stages of exterior renovations, the facade of the building has been painted a soft gray. Some of the overhead trim and the front benches have also been painted. The new landscaping has been put in place, with more to come next spring. Some were sad to see the old evergreen tree come down, but I'm sure we will all agree that the new granite boulder, complete with Marshfield seagulls, is a great addition to the library entrance! Be sure to notice the planters flanking the front walkway. The Y'ise Gardeners (pronounced "Wise" and affiliated with the YWCA) designed the barrels with red twig dogwood, contorted willow and fresh greens for the winter season. In March or April try to be the first to spot the "green noses" of the spring bulbs poking up amongst the greens.

Now, on to the foyer of the library. This past autumn, the staff created a harvest display, which has been replaced with a holiday, winter scene. Accented with books as part of the decor, this attractive display will change seasonally. We just finished with our annual "Season's Readings!", of holiday books and displays, and will be presenting our 13^th annual Books in Bloom on Saturday April 19th. Mark your calendar for this lovely breath of spring!

On the art scene, we will soon be mounting two paintings by Marshfield artists, which had been purchased with funds from the Marshfield Cultural Council and the North River Arts Society. There are plans in the works to revamp the gallery area, and to spruce up the Program Room, which is the library's meeting room and performance space. When you attend our library events this coming spring you will surely be pleased with the beautiful changes.

781-834-5535     www.ventresslibrary.org   “Like” us on Facebook!

Hours   Mon. – Thurs.   9 – 8, Fri. and Sat.  9 – 4:30 ,   Closed Sundays

The library will be closed on Monday, January 20 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

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Newsletter staff:   Chris Woods, Editor; Jaclyn Robinson, Artist

November 2013

    VENTRESS VOICE

Newsletter of the Ventress Memorial Library

Marshfield, Massachusetts

NOVEMBER  2013         Volume 20, No. 11

VENTRESS VALUES

By Chris Woods, Acting Director

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” 

John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

This month marks fifty years since President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and it is time to pause and reflect on values. It was an event that shaped our lives, and still promotes discussions among us about the value of service and the need to make a personal commitment to bring about positive changes in the world.

In my temporary role as Acting Director, I am able to step back a little bit and observe the whole. What I see is the Ventress Library staff and Trustees making this commitment to service every day. I think of the current Board of Trustees, who now number seven, and the changes they are enacting such as building improvements, landscaping and advocacy to gain resources for Marshfield patrons while cultivating community pride. Appointed and unpaid, the Trustees volunteer their time because they believe in the value of our public library. I think of former Trustees whose contributions are remembered, some of whom continue to participate as active members of the Friends of the Ventress Memorial Library. Which brings me to the book sorters, the program planners, the ESL tutors and the volunteers who give countless hours to the library because they believe in their library and its value to the community. Everyone is working together here for the greater good. And that should make us all proud!

VENTRESS LIBRARY WELCOMES THREE NEW TRUSTEES!

E. WALLACE COYLE

Wally Coyle, President of E. Wallace Coyle Associates, Marshfield, Massachusetts, a management  training and consulting firm,  has presented many different programs for both the public and private sector including:

New Managers Program                            Dealing with Public Boards

Customer Service                                  Dealing with Difficult People

Dealing with Change                              Effective Public Speaking

Making the Transition to Manager                  Learning Self Esteem

Strategic Planning                              Safety in Public Libraries                

          

Dr. Coyle previously worked at Boston College and the University of Massachusetts at Boston in a variety of positions such as: Director for Writing Proficiency, Assistant Director in Graduate Studies and Research, and Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.  He also served as Assistant Director of the MBA Program at the university and currently serves as consulting editor for a number of distinguished publishing firms. He is a member of the American Society for Training and Development, the American Association of Professional Consultants, the Boston Facilitators Roundtable, and the Ventress Library Board of Trustees.

A graduate of both Boston College and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Dr. Coyle has taught at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Northeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts prior to his current assignment. He has presented numerous management training seminars for: Massport, the State Police, the Massachusetts Board Of Library Commissioners, Partners HealthCare Inc., Mass Highway, Harvard University, Babson College, Wellesley College, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and the Department of Revenue.  He is a certified trainer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Division of Human Resources and has served as Adjunct Professor in the Carroll Graduate School of Management at Boston College. 

Dr. Coyle was the recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished University Service at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and the Distinguished Teaching Award from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

GREGORY J. GUIMOND

Greg Guimond is currently the Town Planner for the Town of Bridgewater.

He earned Bachelor’s Degrees in both history and planning from Westfield State University in Massachusetts and a Master’s Degree in community planning from the University of Rhode Island.

Mr. Guimond previously worked as a regional planner for 19 years at Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District, a regional planning agency serving 27 cities and towns in southeastern Massachusetts.  Mr. Guimond also served 7 years as a regulatory planner for the Cape Cod Commission and was the town planner for Winchendon, Massachusetts.

He served on the Marshfield Planning Board for 17 years and previously was a Library Trustee.  Mr. Guimond was also a member of the town’s Local Housing Partnership, Solid Waste Committee, Growth Management Committee, and served as the town’s representative to Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and on the Greenbush Commuter Rail Citizens’ Advisory Committee.

A Marshfield resident, Greg is married with three children.

JAMES P. O’GARA

Jim O’Gara has spent his life as a supporter of books and libraries. After earning a B.A.  in History from Providence College and an M.A. in History from Rhode Island College, Jim worked for 35 years at Addison-Wesley pubishing company in sales and marketing.

A resident of Marshfield for 45 years, Jim and his wife, Judith, have two children, Daniel of Marshfield, and Elizabeth of Boston. Jim has been active in community politics and, an avid reader himself, he has always been a supporter of the library system. He was on the original Ventress Library Building Committee in the mid-1980s. Now, as a grandfather of four, with three currently attending schools in Marshfield, he enjoys sharing his love of books with the next generation.

CIRC STATS and CHAT

By Amy Rosa, Head of Circulation Services

Amy Rosa, Head of Circulation Leaving Ventress This Month

Sadly, I will be leaving my position as Head of Circulation Services this month. My last day here at Ventress will be November 16. A new opportunity has become available for me within the Old Colony Library Network. It has been wonderful working with such a great staff over the past four years and my departure is bittersweet for sure. I will miss many things about the Marshfield library most of all the amazing staff and friendly patrons that visit the library regularly. I have learned many things here, have met some great people, who made memories that I will always cherish and look back upon fondly. I want to encourage people to still keep in contact and feel free to send me an email here and there. I wish you all the best. Think of this not as goodbye, but as “see you later!”

Circ Stats: The library circulated 15,384 items in October!

JENKS JAZZ AND JIVE

By Karen Jenks, Library Assistant

Holiday Music Arriving Soon!

Another year is drawing to a close, and it will soon be time to prepare for the holidays.  Set the mood for the season with some music from the library’s Holiday collection.  You’ll find a range of music from Popular to Classical and Jazz to Celtic.  Our offerings include CDs by Michael Bublé, Jimmy Buffett, Nat King Cole, Sting, Barbra Streisand and James Taylor.  Country music fans will enjoy selections from Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Blake Shelton and Sugarland. And of course, we have classics by Perry Como, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.

Look for the Holiday music cart to make its appearance during the week of November 18th.  We’ll also be adding new titles – you’ll find some of this year’s latest releases in the new CD area just below new fiction books.

                       Enjoy the sounds of the season!

                        

           VENTRESS VIDEOS

               By Jed Phillips, Reference Associate

Revolutionary Road (2008)    Rated R

Directed by Sam Mendes

Starring Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio

Nominated for 3 Oscars

“It haunted him all night, while he slept alone; it was still there in the morning, when he swallowed his coffee and backed down the driveway in the crumpled old Ford. And riding to work, one of the youngest and healthiest passengers on the train, he sat with the look of a man condemned to a very slow, painless death. He felt middle-aged.”

-Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite in this powerful adaptation of Richard Yates’ acclaimed novel and the result is magic.  This isn’t your Disneyland fairytale magic though, things get dark and difficult and you may find yourself a little bit introspective when the credits stop rolling.

 

Revolutionary Road is directed by Sam Mendes, known for such films as Road to Perdition, American Beauty, and Skyfall.  Clearly, he knows what he is doing.  And with a team like Leo and Kate, it isn’t hard to make something great.  Simply turn on the camera and get out of their way, and you are likely to get an Oscar nod.  (3 Oscar nominations to be exact, and a Golden Globe win for Winslet to boot.) It's 1955 and

 

Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) Wheeler, in the seventh year of their marriage, have fallen into a life that appears to most as being perfect. They live in the Connecticut suburbs with their two young children. Frank commutes to New York City where he works in an office job while April stays at home as a housewife. But they're not happy. April has forgone her dream of becoming an actress, and Frank hates his job but has never figured out what his passion in life is.   This movie is about how a relationship grows and changes over time.  It is a movie about the hard work necessary to keep a relationship going.  On screen, we see hope, love, hate, passion, disappointment and the bitterness of a life not intended.   But most of all, this movie is about dreams and aspirations, and the cold reality that so many of us give up on our dreams and passions out of necessity or circumstance.

I love this film.  It is so good in fact, that after watching it the first time, I went out and saw it again the next day.  But don’t confuse “good” with “happy”.  This is not a happy film.  I repeat:  NOT A HAPPY FILM.  You’ll feel a little of Frank and April’s sense of being trapped.  You’ll share a small measure of their bitterness and resentment.  And by the end, you will feel just a little worn out. You’ll experience this tiny piece of anguish all in the best of ways and this is only made possible by the magic of the movies.  Find this film in the DVD section under REV here at the Ventress Memorial Library. 

Other must see films:

Featuring Leonardo DiCaprio:  Blood Diamond, The Aviator, Inception

Featuring Kate Winslet:  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Finding Neverland,

VENTRESS VIGNETTES

 by Belle Bibliotheque

Since last we met, I have made some inquiries regarding our Library's acquisition of the portrait of Adelaide Phillips. Like many stories about the past, this one has a soupcon of melancolie. We left our story last month with the untimely death of Adelaide in Carlsbad, Germany. Adelaide was a very wealthy woman in 1882, but she had worn herself out travelling for years and performing on all of the world's greatest stages. She felt the weight of responsibility for her entire family of siblings, and provided a beautiful, gracious home for them in Marshfield with lovely gardens and furnishings. They entertained simply, but well, and had many guests. As you can imagine, they were tres desole upon the death of their beloved sister. Their sadness continued, and Adelaide's home was ultimately sold.

Slowly, like a grande dame fallen upon hard times, the house fell into disrepair. A gentleman, we will call him Mr. H, a bit of an eccentric, bought the house. Some of you, my dear readers, will remember the once stately place on Webster Street, with goats and chickens roaming the wide front porch, picking their way across the rotten floorboards. What we didn't know was that inside Adelaides's former home, with tattered curtains

rustling in the drafts, and the echoes of song and laughter whispering from room to room, hung our magnificent portrait! Next to it stood her grand piano!  Take a stroll

over to the new book area, and hanging above are four (soon to be five) pieces of art acquired by the library through the Marshfield Cultural Council, or as gifts of the artists. The second painting, by the late Carolyn Harvey, is of Adelaide's home, in all its faded elegance. As you can imagine, the townspeople did not react well to the goats on the porch of this once lovely home. A kindly man , a trustee of the library, went to speak with Mr. H and was able to convince him to allow us to hang her portrait in the library for all to enjoy, and to remember, our world famous opera singer. The grand piano? We do not know. But wherever it ended up, we hope the spirit of Adelaide Phillips plays on!

CHILDRENS’ CORNER

By Jen Malaguti, “Miss Jen”

NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER ACTIVITIES

GRADE SCHOOL BOOK CLUB ( You must be registered-and slots are open!)

Grades 4-5 meets on Nov 21 at 4:00 p.m.

MAMA STEPH November 23rd at 11:00 a.m. Family music with no registration.

 STAR WARS SYMPOSIUM Saturday Dec 7th @ 1:00 p.m. Presented by the Friends of the Ventress Memorial Library. Do you love Star Wars?! Join the hundreds of people all over Massachusetts who have already participated in this family fun program of everything star wars: Trivia, games, toys, costumes! All ages. Drop-in.

SPECIAL DROP-IN CRAFT Wednesday, December 18th at 11:30 am. Children ages 4+ are invited to stop by the Children's department and decorate their own foam shaped snow globes. Supplies provided. Registration required and limited to 15. Reserve today!

Ventress Memorial Library, 15 Library Plaza, Marshfield, MA 02050 

781-834-5535     www.ventresslibrary.org   “Like” us on Facebook!

Hours   Mon. – Thurs.   9 – 8, Fri. and Sat.  9 – 4:30 ,   Closed Sundays

The library will close at 4:00 on Wednesday, November 27 and will be closed Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 and will re-open at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 30

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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Newsletter staff:   Chris Woods, Editor; Jaclyn Robinson, Artist

October 2013

VENTRESS VOICE

Newsletter of the Ventress Memorial Library

Marshfield, Massachusetts

OCTOBER 2013         Volume 20, No. 10

Books in BOO !         

By Jaclyn Robinson, Library Assistant

From October 21 through October 31, the library staff will be using our favorite Halloween and Autumn books to create some scary, creepy and delightful displays throughout the library.

Also, each day, hidden somewhere in the library, will be………

Jacky O’Lantern!  Find Jacky, who will be dressed up as a favorite character from literature, and write down who you think it is. The character’s book will be nearby so you can see if you have guessed correctly! Children, teens and adults are welcome to participate.

Come back to the Circulation Desk and put your entry form in the pumpkin. Children will receive a small prize each day, and will be entered into a daily drawing. New this year, teens will also be entered into a daily prize drawing. Adults will be entered into a drawing for one grand prize at the end of the event. The more times you come and find Jacky O’Lantern, the more chances you’ll have to win!!!!

We had lots of fun last year, and hope to see you all for our second annual Books in  BOO  !  Don’t miss this great new tradition at the Ventress!

OCTOBER EVENTS AT THE LIBRARY

By Chris Woods, Acting Director

Friday, October 18, 10:30-noon, Free “Job-Ready Workshop” presented by the non-profit employment advisory group “One Life at a Time.” Receive resume and cover letter writing tips,  research online job hunting techniques and learn how and where to network. Free, no pre-registration required.  Ongoing job search support available!

Saturday, October 19, 2:00 p.m., Saturday Concert, “Jazz at the Ventress.” Back by popular demand, the Ed Sorrentino Quartet will play sweet jazz at the library. Special guest Melodee Savage-Roderick will delight again with her sultry vocals. Free, no tickets required. Refreshments!

Tuesday, October 29, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Tuesday Night Lecture, “Genealogy for the Very Beginner.” Professional genealogist Michael Brophy will help you get started researching your family tree. Introduces the nuts and bolts of Ancestry Library Edition and Heritage Quest, October’s featured databases at Ventress Library Reference Desk. Free, no registration or tickets required.

                            SAVE THE DATE FOR THESE NOVEMBER EVENTS

Ø       Saturday, November 9, “Veteran’s Day Stories” 2:00 p.m.

Ø       Tuesday, November 12, VML Classic Book Group 4:30-6 p.m.

Ø       Tuesday, November 12, eBook Instruction Class, 6-7:30 p.m.

Ø       Tuesday, November 19, “Strong Boy” book signing and lecture, 6-7:30 p.m.

CHILDREN’S CORNER

By “Miss Jen”

There are some spooktacular events coming up this month, and some family fun programs to follow:

Books in Boo! Oct. 21 through Oct. 31 - Come visit the library and see our creepy displays this month! All children will receive a small prize each day and can also enter a daily drawing!

Bubbleology with Keith Johnson is presented by the Friends of the Ventress Memorial  Library. Saturday Oct 26^th @ 2:00 p.m.  Learn the science of bubbles with this family fun show presented by the amazing bubble artist, Keith Michael Johnson. DROP-IN.

Thanksgiving: the Real Story Saturday Nov 16^th  @ 10:30-11:30 REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Bring in a can of food for the Food Pantry and learn about the REAL history of Thanksgiving.

Star Wars Symposium - Saturday Dec 7^th @ 1:00 p.m. Presented by the Friends of the Ventress Memorial Library. Do you love Star Wars?! Join the hundreds of people all over Massachusetts who have already participated in this family fun program of everything star wars: Trivia, games, toys, costumes! All ages. DROP-IN.

CIRCULATION STATS AND CHAT

By Amy Rosa, Head of Circulation Services

NEW LIBRARY BLOG FOR KIDS AND TEENS!

The library has a new blog that just started this month with the joint efforts of Amy Rosa, Head of Circulation Services and Teen Librarian by proxy, and Jennifer Malaguti, Head of Children’s Services. The Ventress Kids and Teen Blog will be updated weekly alternating between Teen Pick Thursdays and Small Fry Fridays where each week a pick will be featured in either the teen area or childrens. Check it out on the library’s homepage www.ventresslibrary.org.

Circ Stats: The library circulated 14,795 items in September!

JENKS JAZZ AND JIVE

By Karen Jenks, Library Assistant

FEATURED CD COLLECTION OF THE MONTH – INTERNATIONAL

The library has a wide assortment of music from around the world.  For students who have a geography or social studies project, check out the offerings in our collection which are sure to enhance any presentation.  Are you having an internationally themed dinner party at home?  Create ambience at your gathering with friends and family – your guests will feel transported to another land while sampling new cuisines and flavors.

Begin your world adventures with our Rough Guide series of CDs where you’ll find the music of Brazil, Greece, India, Ireland and even Salsa dance music.  Other music represented in our collection includes Arabic, Chinese, Cuban, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Moroccan.

With an international twist, musical group Of Monsters and Men hails from Iceland and you’ll find the band’s debut album My Head Is An Animal (2011) in our Popular music collection.  Sung entirely in English, the album reached the No. 1 position on music charts in Iceland, Ireland and Australia, and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 album chart here in the United States.  The album’s lead single, “Little Talks,” was highly successful, appearing in the Top 10 on most European music charts and spent nearly a year on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.  The group’s well-crafted memorable songs impress with lyrics expressing lush imagery and male and female counter vocals that both soar and soothe.

Enjoy traveling without leaving home and listen to some of the eclectic and interesting music in our International collection!

 

VENTRESS VIDEOS

By Jed Phillips, Reference Associate

Doubt (2008)

Directed by John Patrick Shanley

Starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams

Nominated for  5 Oscars

Doubt, the first film that writer/director John Patrick Shanley has directed since the 1990 film  Joe Versus the Volcano (A grossly under-rated modern classic, but that’s another story altogether) is a complex and compelling drama set in 1964 at St. Nicholas, a Catholic school in the Bronx.  The charismatic, young new priest, Father Flynn, is introducing reform to the school’s strict customs.  This is at odds with the fear-based iron-fisted principals of discipline of Sister Aloysius Beauvier.  When a subordinate, Sister James, confides to Sister Aloysius that she feels Father Flynn is spending too much personal time with the school’s newest addition, and first black student, Donald Miller, Sister Aloysius takes it upon herself to find the truth and get Flynn removed from his position at the school.  The resulting battle of wills has profound and lasting consequences on the school, the community, and the individuals involved   

As a rule, there are three things that have proven to improve with age.  The first is cheese.  The second is wine.  And the third is the brilliant Meryl Streep.  She has always been a phenomenal actress, as evidenced by her 14 nominations and 3 Oscar wins.  But Doubt, shows that not only does Streep “still got it”, but she’s got it in spades.  She was nominated for Best Leading Actress for her role as Sister Aloysius, an award robbed from her by Kate Winslet in The Reader. She dove deep into this character, and it shows in a big way.  But no matter how good you are, in a drama like this if you don’t have a counterpart just as talented and just as commanding, well then you’ve got nothing. 

Fear not, fellow acting heavyweight and overall superb performer, Philip Seymour Hoffman delivers a brilliant show as father Flynn, a role that brought him a nomination for best Supporting Actor. (and he should have won)  The moments containing Hoffman and Streep both in the same scene are dynamic, tense, and grip you hard, resulting in a subtle slow build that suddenly barrels to the inevitable conclusion with the last 30 seconds driving the whole thing home with devastating effect.

See this movie.  Find it listed under DOU in the DVD collection here at Ventress Library!

 Other must see films:

Featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman:  Capote, The Master, Jack Goes Boating

Featuring Meryl Streep:   Out of Africa, the Deer Hunter, The Iron Lady       

VENTRESS VIGNETTES

by Belle Bibliotheque (nom de plume of Jaclyn Robinson)

Welcome to our new column, where I, Mlle. Bibliotheque, will tell you about the many beautiful aspects of our wonderful library! S’il vous plait, may I draw your attention to the magnificent portrait of Miss Adelaide Phillips which hangs in our lobby?  She was a world famous opera singer, and in 1860 purchased a lovely home here in Marshfield, which she owned until her death in 1882.

Adelaide was born in England around 1835, moved with her family to America as a child, and started performing on the Boston stage in 1842 at the Tremont Theater. She was a child prodigy, who could act in dramas and comedies, dance, play piano, and had a fabulous singing voice. She was also a favorite because of her intelligence and fine manners. When the famous Jenny Lind heard Adelaide sing, she was so taken with her, that she gave her a check for $1000 for her to study with her own teacher, Emanuel Garcia, in London. After two years, she went to Italy to learn Italian and start training in opera. Again, she dazzled, and was offered her first operatic role, where she would be paid the amazing sum of $400 a month for 4 months.  One dollar in 1850 would be worth $28.06 in 2013, so for her first role, she was paid approximately $44,800.96!!! To put that into perspective, according to the “Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1855”, their bookkeeper was paid $200 per year, and their janitor was paid $400 per year!

Adelaide continued to travel the world to much acclaim, and with much success. She supported her brothers and sisters here in their home on Webster Street. It was a fine country home where she went to rest and recuperate between performances. She also loved entertaining her friends at garden parties. More about her home in our next column!

Sadly, she suffered ill health, having endured a bout with small pox during a trip to Havana, Cuba as a young woman.  She never fully recovered, which was why her country home in Marshfield was so important to her. In 1882, she and her sister traveled to Europe hoping her health would be restored. But, it was not to be. She died in Carlsbad, California on 3  November, 1882. We do not know how or when the library acquired her portrait, but we feel “tres heureux” to have her with us!

NEW!! EXPANDED LIBRARY HOURS!

Ventress Memorial Library, 15 Library Plaza, Marshfield, MA 02050 

781-834-5535     www.ventresslibrary.org   “Like” us on Facebook!

Hours Mon. – Thurs.   9 – 8, Fri. and Sat.  9 – 4:30, Closed Sundays

Closed on Monday, October 14, for Columbus Day Holiday

Newsletter staff:   Chris Woods, Editor; Jaclyn Robinson, Artist