I love the life of the library. In our library this morning we have kids and parents attending Story Time, people checking email, volunteers shelving books and sharing book recommendations, people reading the newspapers, people picking books and audiobooks and movies. People have all sorts of questions for us to research and answer, from information about historical stores in the village to ideas for where to eat on vacation in a far-off city and urgent questions about writing resumes and applying for jobs. People are asking for the latest thriller and for voter registration forms; they are looking for hot movies and tax forms; they are dropping off last week’s reading and town census forms.
I wish all the people who don’t use the library, and who still think it is a big building full of books and nothing more, could come in today to wander and listen and find out what the others already know. It’s a lovely building full of wonderful books, but so much more.
The Barnstable Village Libraries present programs both within our buildings and outside them. We have downloadable audio and e-books that you can check out from the comfort of home (or from wherever you may be traveling, as long as you can find an Internet connection). We have online learning tools and databases also available from home. Insomnia a problem? Learn French at 2:00 am if you like, all for free and courtesy of the library.
Here’s a sample of what you can enjoy through the Barnstable Village Libraries this week:
On Saturday, 1/21:
HYANNIS: A Trip to China 2:00 p.m.
CENTERVILLE: Author Talk with Martin Sandler 2:30 p.m.
WHELDEN: Family Supper Night 5:00 p.m. at the Community Building
On Monday, 1/23:
CENTERVILLE: Drop-in Story Hour 10:15 a.m. Infant-Preschool.
MARSTONS MILLS: Homeschool Club 2:00 p.m. Grades K-5 (please sign up in advance)
On Tuesday, 1/24:
MARSTONS MILLS: Story Time 10:00 a.m., followed by After Story Activities 11:00 a.m.
COTUIT: Preschool Story Hour 10:30 a.m.
CENTERVILLE: Mid-Cape Chess Club 1:00 to 7:00 p.m.
OSTERVILLE: Storytime 3:30 p.m.
MARSTONS MILLS: Tuesday Night Kids’ Clubs 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
HYANNIS: Family F.U.N. Night 5:30 p.m. Call 508-775-6240 x512.
MARSTONS MILLS: Kneedlers Knitting Group 6:00 p.m.
STURGIS: Intellectual Seeds: The Bounty of William Sturgis, Past and Present Discussion Series 6:30 p.m. “Silas Marner.” (Registration requested. Sponsored by Mass Humanities.)
On Wednesday, 1/25:
OSTERVILLE: Storytime 10:00 a.m.
COTUIT: Preschool Story Hour 2:15 p.m.
HYANNIS: Family Literacy Class 6:30 p.m. (Sign up through Barnstable Schools)
COTUIT: Book Club 7:00 p.m. “Last Night in Twisted River.”
On Thursday, 1/26:
STURGIS: Storytime 10:30 a.m. Ages 2 to 5.
COTUIT: One-on-one Tech Help (call Library for appointment)
CENTERVILLE: Mid-Cape Chess Club 1:00 to 7:00 p.m.
CENTERVILLE: Family Story Time with Miss Donna 6:00 p.m.
On Friday, 1/27:
COTUIT: Stitch in Time Handcrafts Group 10:00 a.m. to Noon
MARSTONS MILLS: FUN Family Playgroup 10:00 a.m. (Birth through age 4. Call 508-775-6240 to sign up.)
HYANNIS: Pre-school Story Time 11:15 a.m.
CENTERVILLE: Knitting 3:30 p.m.
CENTERVILLE: Mixed Up Story Time with Miss Jessie 4:00 p.m.
And this is Winter, our “quiet” season.
Libraries: buildings with books, community centers, homes of lifelong learning, and anything else we can devise to help bring people together with vital information they need and enlightening entertainment they want. Stop by some time soon.
