March Adult Programs 2023

Library Hours

The Library’s regular hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Book Sale

Franklin Library Book Sale
Friday, March 17, 1:00-5:00 p.m. Saturday, March 18, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon.
All books are just one dollar!

Bag Sale - $5 A Bag—Saturday, March 18, from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Come fill a brown bag with all the books you can!

Volunteer Tutors Needed for ESL & Adult Literacy Program

The Franklin Public Library is starting an English as a Second Language and Adult Literacy Program to serve Franklin and its surrounding communities. If you have the time and interest to help adult learners improve their English reading, writing, speaking and listening, please consider volunteering!

To volunteer, you must have a high school diploma or equivalent, have patience, and be able to speak English clearly. Prior teaching experience is not required. Volunteer Tutors will be given training and all supporting materials will be provided. The time commitment is one orientation session, 18 hours of tutor training, and to meet with your student 2 hours per week for one year. Volunteers and students do not need to be Franklin residents. If interested, please contact Assistant Library Director Kim Shipala at kshipala@minlib.net, or fill out the registration form on the library’s website .

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program

SITE IS OPEN - By Appointment Only!

The Franklin Public Library VITA site is by Appointment only and is certified for Basic returns.

The VITA program has operated for over 50 years. VITA sites offer free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:

People who generally make $60,000 or less
Persons with disabilities; and
Limited English-speaking taxpayers

Before going to a VITA or TCE site, see Publication 3676-BPDF for services provided and check out What to Bring to ensure you have all the required documents and information our volunteers will need to help you.

Learn more here: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers

Massachusetts Center for the Book 2023 Reading Challenge

March: Mass Book Awards Honoree

Do you have a cozy reading corner you’ve been wanting to spend more time in? Do you have a group of friends who like to select books together? Maybe a little constraint helps you choose what to read next.

If you are looking for a fun, unique reading challenge to take on in 2023, Massachusetts Center for the Book has you covered.

Check it out today! https://www.massbook.org/readingchallenge

Events for Adults

Adult Take & Makes: Shamrock Shadow Box!

Starting Wednesday, March 1^st, stop by the library to pick up your very own Shamrock Shadow Box kit. Kits include supplies and instructions for making your very own hanging shadow box! SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED! LIMIT 1 PER PERSON! Kits will be distributed on a first come first serve basis!

Knitting Group, Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Love to knit or crochet? Join our group of local fiber artists who will be meeting in the Friends of the Franklin Library Community Room on Fridays 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Chess Group, Sundays, 2:00-4:30PM

Chess - The Game of Kings has resumed play! All ages and ability levels are welcomed. If you would like to learn how to play chess, you are welcome as well! Learn an opening, develop strategic & tactic abilities, improve endgame skills. Remember: Chess makes you smarter; Smart people play chess. Sets will be available. No registration is required, and there is no fee.

Community-wide Read! Winter 2023

Beginning January 1, 2023, copies of Kindred: A graphic novel adaptation by Octavia E. Butler, adapted to a graphic novel by Damian Duffy and John Jennings will be available. Find out more on the library’s website. Kindred: A graphic novel adaptation is also available on Hoopla!

Friends of Franklin Library Meeting, Wednesday, April 5^th, 7:00 PM

Love the Library? Then how about we be friends! Join us at the Friends of Franklin Library meeting!

Mid-Week Reset Wednesday March 1^th 7:00 PM

No registration required

Join us for a mid-week breather at our guided meditation. This event is open to all levels and no prior experience is required. The only thing necessary is the desire to disconnect for a few moments and allow yourself some peace.

Historical Sites of Massachusetts Series March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 12:00 PM Virtual Events

Brought to you with Tewksbury Public Library

Enjoy a Luncheon Talk on Multiple topics from our National Parks Service! Presentations are:

March 1: Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site Presents 'Olmsted's Life & Legacy'

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/1216757242761/WN_VwFcvdvHSquSbJu5rg6s7A

March 8: Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site Present 'Past & Present Here Unite'

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5016757242878/WN_GMJ6VZ8iQWm-Ahj5XwUFzQ

March 15: Boston African American National Historic Site Presents 'Explore The Black Heritage Trail'

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/8916757242975/WN_8_5PCIFxTQe-Z91evDpvIQ

March 22: New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Presents 'Stories From The Whaling Port'

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7216757243070/WN_i5r2Hk1qSlCEtQ8qi6zi6g

March 29: John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site Presents 'From Beals St. To The White House'

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2816757243159/WN_d8CYB3VlTFalQwewDwpC4Q

Adult watercolor class: Asian brush painting waterfall, artist Hokusai, March 5^th, 2:00 PM

Registration Required

This month is Asian Brush Painting of waterfalls; inspired by the artist Hokusai.

YA Book Club (For Adults!), Tuesday, March 7^th 7:00 PM

March Book: Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa

Real talk; Young Adult Books are not just for young adults... Join a book club celebrating favorites young and old! Getting cozy STRONGLY encouraged!

Peonies: Love of My Life March 7th 7:00PM

No registration required

Christine Paxhia has been a Massachusetts Master Gardener since 2012. Her appreciation and admiration for “growing things” started as a child on woodland hikes with her mother. At the age of ten she saw her first peony; today her Milton home garden is filled with 38 varieties (and growing!). A member of the Milton Garden Club, Christine is a Garden Club of America Photography Judge. She is the MMGA’s Project Manager for the Fletcher Steele Garden, Milton, which is home to an impressive peony collection. Christine is a graduate of the MMGA Speakers Bureau Training Program.

Peonies: Love of my Life: Go back in time to the origin of peonies and learn a bit about their history. The “how to” part of this presentation will teach you to select, install, care for and divide these beautiful and much-loved plants. Then sit back and feast your eyes on a colorful photographic showcase of the many different varieties and types of peonies.

Friends of the Franklin Library Book Club, Tuesday, March 7^th 6:30PM

Join the Friends for an evening book club! Enjoy discussion and fun with some of the best advocates a Library could ask for!

Reading: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia

Irish in America Concert March 11^th 3:00 PM

No registration required

A musical journey celebrating the ‘Irish in America ‘, for all ages! Irish immigrants captured the heart of the nation with their mix of Irish jigs, ballads, folk songs, storytelling and humor. Get your green on, warm up your voices and enjoy the warmth, spirit and hilarity of the ‘Irish in America’.

An America Divided March 14 7:00 PM Virtual Event

Join Emma Green in this exploration of the ways that Americans are divided - politically, religiously, economically, communities, and even families. What has caused these ruptures and what are some ways for us to come back together?

RSVP here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/3316717232220/WN_w2fjNMsER0-OLQzFdkqx-A

Table Top, Tuesday, March 14^th & 28^th 6:00 PM

Registration Requested!

It's time to dust off your dice, grab a source book and role play your way through hijinks and horrors! Table Top is a Monthly game of Table Top Role Playing Games for Adults!

Email mgousie@minlib.net to sign up or get more info!

Navigating College Admissions in 2023! Wednesday March 15 @7:00PM

A virtual seminar for all high school students and their parents. Join Ron Feuchs and Jackie Tepper, from Stand Out For College, LLC. as they help you understand how the lingering effects from the pandemic have changed the college admissions landscape and how students can position themselves to develop a compelling narrative to increase their chances for college admission. For the zoom link, email Bree at bcomeau@minlib.net.

Cassatt & Company: The Women Impressionists March 20 3:00 PM Virtual Event

You've heard of Monet, Renoir, and Degas. Leading men of the Impressionism movement, but what about the women? Join us online for a journey of discovery with Jane Oneail through the works of Marie Bracquemond, Berthe Morisot, and more! RSVP here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/3216757052274/WN_2IsBq_WPQn6f3K1FxHby6g

Board Game Group, Tuesday, March 21^th 6:30 PM

No registration required

Try and new game! Introduce your favorite! Most importantly... Play games!

This a monthly group dedicated to the great board games out there and a space to find some new people to play with! All ages welcome! No registration required!

Sustainable Edible Landscaping March 25 11:00 AM

No registration required

Join Naturalist and Landscaper John Root to learn about the variety of beautiful and edible plants that are hardy for our region of the world. Begin your more sustainable, eco-friendly yard adventure here!

Remote Option: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvce2hpzsvGdAYfC4LeBhclAZbJ6nQCuje

Franklin Public Library Book Club Tuesday, March 28, 7:00 PM

The book for discussion is Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michelle Richardson.

Cussy Mary Carter is the last of her kind, her skin the color of a blue damselfly in these dusty hills. But that doesn't mean she's got nothing to offer. As a member of the Pack Horse Library Project, Cussy delivers books to the hill folk of Troublesome, hoping to spread learning in these desperate times. But not everyone is so keen on Cussy's family or the Library Project, and the hardscrabble Kentuckians are quick to blame a Blue for any trouble in their small town. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman's determination to bring a little bit of hope to the darkly hollers. -- Provided by publisher.

For more information, please contact Deputy Library Director Kim Shipala at kshipala@minlib.net .

Community Conversations! Thursday March 30 @6:00PM

Folks of all ages are welcome to join us each month as we unpack, discuss, and engage with topics relevant both within our community and beyond. Come with an open mind, leave with plenty of food for thought! This month’s topic: Food Insecurity!

Genealogy Club, Thursday, March 30, 6:30 p.m.

DNA & Endogamy: Making sense when your matches don’t make sense, with Dr. Adina Newman. Endogamy is the custom of marrying only within the limits of a local community, clan, or tribe over the course of many generations. In endogamous populations, genetic cousins may share much more DNA than would normally be expected, which may provide you with some puzzling genetic relationship results. Dr. Newman will share tips for untangling these complicated DNA matches. Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82256936182?pwd=VmE5YTFKUzlWVTYvMmxJTWtrS2t3QT09

Genealogy Database Spotlight! MyHeritage Library Edition– MyHeritage Library Edition is one of the largest, most internationally diverse genealogy databases of its kind, with access to billions of historical documents, millions of historical photos and other resources in thousands of databases that span the past five centuries.

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March Adult Programs 2023

Town of Franklin