October 2023 Franklin Library News & Events

Library Hours
The Library’s hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday, 1:30 – 5:00 p.m. The Library will be open on Sunday, October 8^th but will be closed Monday, October 9^th for Columbus / Indigenous People’s Day

Library News – Book clubs through Libby and Hoopla!
Both Libby and Hoopla sponsor seasonal book clubs! During Libby’s Big Library Read, both the ebook and audiobook are always available, so no need to place a hold. In addition, the Digital Public Library of America, with help from the Palace Project is offering The Banned Book Club. The Banned Book Club makes e-book versions of banned books available to readers in locations across the United States where title have been banned. The e-books will be available to readers for free via the Palace e-reader app. Find links to all of these book clubs here: https://www.franklinma.gov/adult-programs-services

Featured Database
Diving-test.org
Access free Massachusetts RMV car, motorcycle, and commercial driver’s license practice tests and handbooks. Includes the Massachusetts Driver's Handbook (in English & Spanish). Driving-test.org is available to Franklin residents only through our alphabetical list of free online databases: https://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-public-library/pages/free-online-databases

Museum Passes
Reserve discount passes for our area’s most popular museums, aquariums, and more! Passes are available to be reserved up to thirty days in advance.

New Materials
Check out the latest additions to the library’s collection!

Book Sale
Franklin Library Book Sale

Friday, October 20^th, 1:00-5:00 p.m. Saturday, October 21^st, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon
All books are just one dollar!

Franklin Library Bag Sale - $5 A Bag—Saturday, October 21^st, from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Come fill a brown bag with all the books you can!

Franklin Library ESL & Adult Literacy Program
Volunteer tutors needed! To volunteer please be at least 18 years old, have a High School diploma, & speak English clearly. No prior teaching experience needed! Volunteer tutors and students do not need to be Franklin residents. If interested, please fill out the registration form on the library’s website.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
In our second year of providing free tax preparation assistance through the VITA IRS program the Franklin Public Library is looking for volunteers! While tax season starts in February; planning, training, and scheduling can begin today! To sign up or to find more information please email Site Coordinator Mitzi Gousie at mgousie@minlib.net!

Massachusetts Center for the Book 2023 Reading Challenge
October: A Best Seller from the year you turned 18
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

From Friends of the Franklin Library
The Friends were delighted to support the recent author night featuring award-winning author, Emily Franklin. Ms. Franklin’s novel, The Lioness of Boston, tells the deeply evocative story of the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner, a daring visionary who created an inimitable legacy in American art and transformed the city of Boston itself. There was a great turnout for this event, with the option for the audience to participate either in person or online. Ms. Franklin, participating online, read aloud from her novel, spoke about her inspiration and research for this novel, and was available to answer everyone’s questions. If you are looking for your next new read, the Friends highly recommend The Lioness of Boston. And if you want to combine your reading with a fun field trip, sign up for one of the Library’s discounted passes to the Isabella Steward Gardner Museum in Boston.

Programs for Children and Teens

Weekly Events for Families!

Move Along! Mondays @ 10:30 AM (Ages 0-5)
This thirty-minute program features music, movement, stories, and other interactive activities to encourage social skills and promote early literacy!

Dungeons and Dragons Club for Kids & Teens! Mondays, 4:00-6:00 PM (Ages 7+)
Kids are invited to join us for a weekly Dungeons and Dragons Club! The library will supply dice, rule books, and blank character sheets! (Dungeon Masters must be ages 12 and up)

Cool Cruisers! Tuesdays @ 9:30 AM
Babies who have graduated from tummy time and are scooting all over the place are welcome to this playgroup just for them! We recognize that fun age of exploring is very different from their first few months, so join us for a special playgroup just for this exciting time!

Get Ready for Kindergarten! Tuesdays @ 10:30 AM (Ages 3-5)
This 30-minute program featuring stories, songs, activities, and a special craft will help prepare your children for preschool and kindergarten. Since a big part of getting ready for Kindergarten is practicing independence, parents and caregivers are encouraged to watch from the adjoining room. No registration required!

Toe-Tapping Tots! Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 4:00 PM (Ages 2-5)
Let’s play some music and get those toes tapping! We will have fun learning to move to the music while building coordination and confidence. No registration required!

Girls Who Code! Tuesdays @ 4:00 PM (Grade 3–12)
This club is a great introduction to coding languages and concepts while building the community and group work skills needed to excel! Whether you want to try something new, build on skills, make friends, or help someone else grow... Welcome to our club!

Story Tots! Wednesdays @ 10:30 AM (Ages 18mos. – 3yrs)
Enjoy thirty minutes of interactive stories, songs, and fun! No registration required!

Bookworm Bounce! Wednesdays @ 4:00 PM (Ages 0-5)
Join us for an afternoon story time full of music, movement, stories, and other interactive activities to encourage social skills and promote early literacy! No registration required!

Tummy Time! Thursdays @ 9:30 AM
Babies and caregivers: join us each Thursday morning for Tummy Time! Nurture your baby’s development with gentle music, movement, and sensory play at the library! Please bring a small blanket or towel for your baby’s comfort!

Story and Craft! Thursdays @ 10:30 AM (Ages 3-5)
Stories, activities, and a special craft for children ages 3-5 who are able to attend on their own! Parents are encouraged to watch from the adjoining room! This program lasts around 30-minutes. No registration is required.

Artsy Afternoons Thursdays @ 4:00 PM (Ages 5-11)
Registration Required
Join local instructor Sharon Carloni for this step-by-step craft specifically for kids! All materials will be provided and you'll get to take home your very own masterpiece! Register for each session on the Library website.

Happy Feet! Alternating Fridays @ 10:30 AM (Ages 0-5)
Let’s play some music and get those feet moving! Join us for 30-minutes of creative movement and dancing fun! No registration required!

Move Along! Alternating Fridays @ 10:30 AM (Ages 0-5)
This thirty-minute program features music, movement, stories, and other interactive activities for littles! Parents and caregivers are welcome and encouraged to participate. No registration required!

Weekend Wiggles! Alternating Saturdays @ 10:30 AM (Ages 0-5)
A weekend storytime for littles and their grown-ups! Let’s play some music and dance! We will have fun learning to move to the music while building coordination and confidence. Laughter and giggles are definitely expected! No registration required!

Special Events for Kids & Families

Kids Take & Makes: Paper Plate Jack-O-Lanterns! Available Monday, October 2nd
Starting Monday, October 2nd stop by the library to pick up your very own Paper Plate Jack-O-Lantern Kit! Kits include supplies and instructions for making your very own jack-o-lantern! The perfect pumpkin-season craft! SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED! Kits will be distributed on a first come first serve basis!

Chess Group, Sundays October 1^st & 15^th 2:00 PM
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. Sets will be available. No registration is required, and there is no fee.

Doggie Tales! Monday, October 2^nd @ 4:00 PM (1st grade +)
Improve your reading skills and make a new friend by reading aloud to a trained therapy dog! Bring your favorite book or pick out one of ours to read. REGISTRATION REQUIRED. SPOTS ARE LIMITED. Register on our website to reserve your spot.

Farmer’s Market Fun! Friday October 6^th, 2:00-4:00 PM
Join the Franklin Public Library for a special monthly visit at the Franklin Farmer's Market!

Kids Paint Party! Saturday October 7^th @ 1:00 PM
For kids ages 5-11! Join local instructor Denise Palmieri for this step-by-step paint party specifically for kids! All materials will be provided and you'll get to take home your very own puppies & pumpkins themed masterpiece! REGISTRATION REQUIRED!! The same painting will be taught in Sept., Oct., and Nov. - please only register for 1 date.

Baby Sensory! Saturday October 14^th @ 9:30 AM
Join us for a 45-minute baby sensory program! Watch your little one interact and engage with a variety of sensory items! Sensory play is a fantastic way to help babies explore their worlds, stimulate the senses, and create little inquisitive explorers! Babies under 2 are welcome and encouraged! (Got older siblings? They can bring along a stuffed toy or baby and play along!)

Rainforest Reptiles presents: Creepy Crawlers! Saturday October 14^th @ 10:30 AM
It's spooky season and what better way to celebrate than with some of the creepiest and crawliest critters around! YES! There will be real live bugs and more! Creepy Fun for All Ages!

Saturday Strum Along, Saturday October 14^th 2:00 PM
No Registration Required.
Join the fun and strum along to simple songs and chords. Practice makes perfect, but when you play the Ukulele it's not practice it's play time! This music circle is all ages. While Ukulele is the primary focus all instruments are welcome!

Doggie Tales! Monday, October 16^th @ 4:00 PM (1st grade +)
Improve your reading skills and make a new friend by reading aloud to a trained therapy dog! Bring your favorite book or pick out one of ours to read. REGISTRATION REQUIRED. SPOTS ARE LIMITED. Register on our website to reserve your spot.

Book Baddies Scavenger Hunt! Friday October 20^th – Sunday, October 22^nd
Some of the baddest baddies have escaped their books! Help us search the Children's and Teen Rooms to get all the baddies back where they belong!

ALARM Scratch Hack-A-Thon! Saturday October 21^st @ 11:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Registration Required.
Calling all 3rd-8th graders to be part of a day-long Hackathon!
Participants will create games or animations in Scratch 3.0. Bring your own laptop/Chromebook or use one of the Library’s. Register with friends or we'll help you find some coding pals. ALARM Mentors will be around to help you debug projects and stay on track. New coders are welcome!
Register Here: https://www.eventkeeper.com/code/ekform.cfm?curOrg=FRANKLIN&curName=2023/10/21_ALARM_Hack-A-Thon

Trunk or Treat! Saturday October 28^th, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Families! Dress up and join us in the library parking lot for a safe, little-kid friendly morning of trick-or-treating in the daylight! The parking lot will be full of decorated trunks and activities! In case of rain, the event will move indoors!

Weekly / monthly Events for Teens

Dungeons and Dragons Club for Kids & Teens! Mondays, 4:00-6:00 PM (7+)
Kids are invited to join us for a weekly Dungeons and Dragons Club! The library will supply dice, rule books, and blank character sheets! (Dungeon Masters must be ages 12 and up)

Girls Who Code! Grade 3 - 12 Tuesdays @ 4:00 PM
This club is a great introduction to coding languages and concepts while building the community and group work skills needed to excel! Whether you want to try something new, build on skills, make friends, or help someone else grow... Welcome to our club!

Teen Advisory Board, 2nd Wednesday of the Month @ 6:30 PM
Join us each month for Teen Advisory Board! The Teen Advisory Board is a GREAT opportunity to get involved here at the library! You'll help plan events and programs, create displays and decorate the teen space, and help drive decisions around the kinds of materials we bring to the YA collection, from books and beyond, all while eating snacks and getting volunteer hours! It's a win-win-win!

Game Bytes Weekly on Thursdays @ 4:00 PM
Bring a snack and talk shop about the latest and greatest in Video Games! New Releases, Events, Streamers, Speed Running, AND PLEASE bring your own devices to play! No registration required!

Chess Group, Sundays, October 1^st & 15^th @ 4:00 PM
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. Sets will be available. No registration is required, and there is no fee.

Special Events for Teens
Teen Paint Party! Wednesday, October 4^th @ 6:00 PM (12+)
Join local instructor Denise Palmieri for this step-by-step paint party for teens! All materials will be provided and you'll get to take home your very own sugar skull painting! REGISTRATION REQUIRED!! For Teens Ages 12+

Community Conversations, Thursday October 5^th @ 6:30 PM
No Registration Required
Everyone is 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!
Our Topic for Discussion: Book Banning

Start the Conversation with information!

Explore the database…Gale in Context: Global Issues offers international viewpoints on a broad spectrum of global issues, topics, and current events. Featured are hundreds of continuously updated issue and country portals that bring together a variety of specially selected, highly relevant sources for analysis of social, political, military, economic, environmental, health, and cultural issues. You will need your Minuteman Library Card number to log in.
https://link.gale.com/apps/portal/00000000LVVK/OVIC?u=frk&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=d1767240

Teen Pumpkin Painting! Wednesday October 11^th @5:30PM
Teens! Join us outside on the library lawn before Teen Advisory Board for pumpkin painting and fall snacks! If it’s cold/rainy we’ll meet in the Teen Room!

Saturday Strum Along, Saturday October, 14^th @ 2:00 PM
No Registration Required.
Join the fun and strum along to simple songs and chords. Practice makes perfect, but when you play the Ukulele it's not practice it's play time! This music circle is all ages. While Ukulele is the primary focus all instruments are welcome!

After Hours Scary Bad Horror Movie Night, Saturday October 28^th @ 4:45 PM
No Registration Required.
Are you ready to die... laughing? It's time for the annual after hours Bad Horror Movie at the Library! Join us for popcorn, candy, and a movie so bad it's scary! Doors open at 4:45 PM. Movie starts after the last announcement at 5:00 PM.

Musical Bingo: Disney Edition! Wednesday, October 25^th @ 6:30 PM
Join us for our new monthly Musical Bingo series! Part Bingo, part trivia, participants will listen to the music as it plays and fill in their bingo cards! This month's Bingo theme: Disney music!

Events for Adults

Knitting Group, Fridays 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Love to knit or crochet? Hang out and stitch with 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.

Adult Take & Makes: Pressed Flower Candles! Available Monday, October 2^nd
Starting Monday, October 2nd stop by the library to pick up your very own Pressed Flower Candle kit!
Kits include supplies and instructions for making your very own candle! The perfect craft for a cozy fall day! SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED! Kits will be distributed on a first come first serve basis! *LIMIT 1 PER PERSON*

The Weekend Watercolor, Sunday October 8^th & 15^th @ 2:00 PM
Registration Required.
Relax with a Sunday watercolor class for adults 18 and over. Register on the Library Website.

Chess Group, Sunday, October 1^st & 15^th @ 2:00 PM
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. Sets will be available. No registration is required, and there is no fee.

Friends of the Franklin Library Meeting, Wednesday October 4^th @ 7:00 PM
Love the Library? Then how about we be friends! Join us at the Friends of the Franklin Library meeting!
Contact the Friends at: fofl02038@gmail.com | Follow on Twitter: @FriendsFranklin

Bridge of Flowers: A Unique Garden, Tuesday October 3^rd @ 7:00 PM
No Registration Required
Explore Shelburne Falls' Bridge of Flowers with Kirsten Torkelson through her photos and stories!

Kirsten is a versatile photographer based in Foxboro Massachusetts with a passion for nature photography especially flowers and gardens and has been registered as a Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts speaker since 2017. Her work has been published in the Foxboro Reporter and her nature photography has won ribbons in NECC club competitions and Hopedale's Day in the Park. Her photographs have been shown at the Foxboro branch of the Hockomock YMCA, the VA Employee Art Show, Stony Brook Camera Club exhibit at the Norfolk Library, Hunakai Studio of Fine Arts, a 4 month show at the Hawthorne Suites by Wyndham, and currently has prints on display at Bethany Congregational Church. She also volunteers her talents as a candid event photographer to causes like Christmas for Kids, Friends of Camp Saint Augustine, and Bethany Congregational Church. Her garden club presentation topics range from local garden tours, travelogues, and the one you are seeing today “The Bridge of Flowers”.

Start the Conversation with information!

Explore the database…Gale in Context: Global Issues offers international viewpoints on a broad spectrum of global issues, topics, and current events. Featured are hundreds of continuously updated issue and country portals that bring together a variety of specially selected, highly relevant sources for analysis of social, political, military, economic, environmental, health, and cultural issues. You will need your Minuteman Library Card to log in.
https://link.gale.com/apps/portal/00000000LVVK/OVIC?u=frk&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=d1767240

Wildlife Photography Showcase, Thursday October 12^th @ 6:00 PM
No Registration Required
Come see the pictures from the Wildlife Photography workshop! Show off your best from the event, get feedback on your photos, or see what you missed!

Table Top, Tuesday October 10^th & 24^th @ 6:00 PM
Registration Requested. No Experience Necessary.
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!

Talk Taxes with Jill Maniacci, Wednesday October 11^th @ 6:00 PM
No Registration Required

Calling all Small Businesses and Gig Economy Workers! Filing season is coming up fast! Take this opportunity to talk to a Tax Specialist and figure out what you are doing right and what you need to fix! Get the details you need to make the IRS work for you this year!

Jill A. Maniacci is a Senior Stakeholder Liaison with the Internal Revenue Service. As a Sr. Stakeholder, she collaborates, informs, and communicates priority outreach messages to all taxpayer communities, to provide significant messages that affect taxpayers with an emphasis on underserved as well as multilingual communities. Prior to becoming a Senior Stakeholder Liaison, she was an Internal Revenue Agent with the IRS’s Large Business and International (LBI) Division, as well as the Small Business / Self-Employed (SBSE) Division for over 18 years in New York. As an Internal Revenue Agent, she worked on a multitude of high profile / sensitive cases, including, but not limited to, kingpins and potential fraud cases, Ponzi schemes and National Research Project (NRP) cases. She was also a collaborating Agent for the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID). She has been a Leadership Succession Review (LSR) participant for years and had appointments as an acting group manager within LB&I and SBSE.

Q&A with Mystery Writer Andrea Penrose, Thursday October 12^th @ 7:00 PM
Virtual. Registration Required.
We are so excited to be in conversation with Andrea Penrose! Her newest book, "Murder at Merton Library" is right up our alley. A Regency-era mystery set in a library - Yes, Please! Join us for what is going to be a fun and fascinating discussion. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and is presented in partnership with a group of MA Libraries.

About the Book:
A scientific innovation stokes deadly rivalries in Penrose's engrossing seventh Regency-era whodunit featuring the Earl of Wrexford and cartoonist Charlotte Sloane. Distraught librarian Neville Greeley summons his family friend Wrexford to Oxford with a cryptic letter. Shortly before Wrexford arrives, however, a mysterious stranger stabs Greeley to death at his desk. After Wrexford discovers Greeley's body, he launches an investigation in London, where his wife, Charlotte, is looking into a mystery of her own: a suspicious fire has destroyed the laboratory of inventor Henry Maudslay, who was on the cusp of building a ship that could cross the ocean powered by steam rather than sails. This perplexing murder in a renowned Oxford University library and a suspicious fire at a famous inventor’s London laboratory set Wrexford and Lady Charlotte on two separate investigations in this masterfully plotted, atmospheric Regency-set mystery
Please register here to attend: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/9216902367434/WN_Y9zFVuzRToS4HCj5B0EZ0g

Saturday Strum Along, October 14^th @ 2:00 PM
No Registration Required.
Join the fun and strum along to simple songs and cords. Practice makes perfect, but when you play the Ukulele it's not practice it's play time! This music circle is all ages. While Ukulele is the primary focus all instruments are welcome!

Board Game Group, Tuesday October 17^th @ 6:00 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!

Ghosts and Legends with Jeff Belanger, Monday October 23^rd @ 7:00 PM
No registration required
But attendance is definitely required for this supernaturally fun evening! Jeff will be live and in-person to present his ghostly multi-media program that will take you on a journey through the haunts in your backyard, and around the world.

About Jeff: Jeff Belanger is one of the most visible and prolific researchers of folklore and legends today. A natural storyteller, he’s the award-winning, Emmy-nominated host, writer, and producer of the New England Legends series on PBS and Amazon Prime, and is the author of over a dozen books. He also hosts the award-winning New England Legends weekly podcast, which has garnered over 4.5 million downloads since its launch.

Genealogy Club, Thursday October 26^th @ 6:30 PM
No registration required. Open to everyone!
“How to share your home movies and genealogy videos” presented by Marian Pierre-Louis. In this presentation we'll cover how to convert your old home movies and then we'll move into how to share the old movies and any new genealogy videos you've created. We'll cover a great variety of possible sharing locations such as file sharing sites, genealogy sites and social media.

Continuing the Conversation, Saturday October 28 4:30 PM
At Dean College Main Stage, Paula Rooney Student Center
Join us after the Saturday, October 28th, 2:00 p.m. matinee performance of "The Play That Goes Wrong" to explore through conversation the close tie between murder and comedy, and why they so often go hand in hand in literature and onstage.
Our panel experts are Dr. Liz Faber, Assistant Professor of English and Communication at Dean College and Julie Hennrikus, Executive Director of Sisters in Crime and author of mystery novels written under Julia Henry and Julianne Holmes. Discussion will begin at approximately 4:30pm following the performance.

Franklin Residents can get discounted tickets to the October 28th 2:00 showing of The Play That Goes Wrong through the Library! Email mgousie@minlib.net for details.

Departments

Boards & Committees

October 2023 Franklin Library News & Events

Town of Franklin