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Events

Royal Women on Screen: The Queen (2006) 103 minutes PG-13
Saturday March 13, 2:00pm
Main Library, Costin Room

Discussion Leader: Dr. Claudia Springer, Assistant Professor of EnRoyal Women on Screenglish & Film Studies, Framingham State College.
A stoic Queen Elizabeth II is unprepared for the grieving public's demands on her following the death of Princess Diana. Helen Mirren delivers a brilliant Oscar-winning performance as a queen who is torn between tradition and a new, media-driven age.

The public fascination with the lives of monarchs has made them a popular subject for films from the silent era to the present. This mini-series looks at two masterful films about British queens. We will consider how the films represent women in power, the institution of royalty (which Mark Twain called "an insult to the human race"), the tension between duty and prerogative, and the repercussions of social norms.

The series will conclude on May 1.

Sunday Concerts

Amira Acre and Todd Brunel piano and clarinet duo
Sunday March 14, 3:00pm
Main Library, Costin Room
Pianist Amira Acre and clarinetist Todd Brunel will perform the works of Brahms, Messian, Chopin and Prokofiev.
Refreshments. Sponsored in part by Bose Corporation and in part by the Friends of the Framingham Library.


Book Discussion

Wednesday March 17, 7:00pm or
Thursday March 18, 10:00am
McAuliffe Branch Library

Please join us for a discussion of the novel Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. In a perilous future era, the governments of Earth have founded an international military force as a defense against interstellar attacks. It is for training in this military that Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, a brilliant child of six, is chosen. Removed from his home, sent to the Battle School space station, and groomed to become humankind’s greatest war hero, the reluctant and sensitive Ender struggles to find the morality in his destiny.
Copies of the book are available at the McAuliffe Library circulation desk. Discussion led by Emily Donnelly. Refreshments.

Poetry Workshop on Wednesdays!
Wednesdays, January 13 – April 14, 7:00–9:00pm  
Main Library, Trustees Room

This weekly drop-in class welcomes serious poets of all ages and levels of experience who would like to participate for one or more sessions. Generally, each session will begin with a discussion of a topic in poetry leading to a brief in-class writing assignment. Poets who wish to have their work discussed will need to provide copies to be given out during the session. We will focus not only on technical issues—such as diction, or prosody—but also on helping the work to become fully realized: to express its full, intelligent complexity and imaginative potential. (The workshop will not be held on February 10 and 17.)

Alan Feldman’s The Happy Genius (1978) was awarded the Elliston Book Award for the best collection of poems published by a small, independent press in the United States. A later collection, A Sail to Great Island (2004), won the Pollak Prize for Poetry from the University of Wisconsin Press. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Poetry, Kenyon Review, Threepenny Review, The Southern Review, and many other magazines, as well as in Best American Poetry 2001 . He is the recipient of a National Endowment of the Arts fellowship, as well as a Massachusetts Artists Fellowship. A professor emeritus at Framingham State College, for twenty-two years he also taught the advanced creative writing course at the Harvard’s Radcliffe Seminars.

Friends of the Framingham Library Book Sale Friends Book Sale
Saturday March 20, 9:30am–3:00pm
Main Library

The book sale this month will feature gardening and home improvement titles to help you start planning outdoor projects in anticipation of better, warmer weather. Our monthly features can be found at the front of the book room, but check out the Collector’s Corner too. The Book Store in the lobby has these same categories (as well as many others) for shopping any time you are in the library.

Literacy Unlimited Bake Sale
Saturday March 20, 9:30am–1:00pm
Main Library

We have a café style setup with coffee, tea and pastries. The money we raise buys books to train new tutors for the program. Contact LUBakers@aol.com if you could bake something or help at the sale table.

Online Job Hunting: A Hands-on Introduction
Tuesday March 23, 10am-12 Noon
OR
Tuesday April 27, 10am-12 Noon
Main Library, Costin Room

The Internet provides a wealth of options for job searchers in this tough job market. The challenge is to locate the resources that fit your needs and put them to work for you as efficiently and effectively as possible. We’ll explore a variety of job-search and social networking websites and discuss how to select and use them and how to protect your privacy. Led by Mary Wasmuth, a librarian who specializes in helping job hunters use online sources.
Class is limited to 8 people. To preregister for a workshop send an e-mail to mwasmuth@minlib.net or call the reference department at 508-532-5570, ext 4361.

Scholar Led Book Discussion
The Power of Ideas: High Achievers

Wednesday March 24, 7:00pm
Main Library, Costin Room

Guest Speaker: Prof. Jon Huibregste, Chair, Dept. of History, Framingham State College Scholar-led Book Discussion
Moderator:
Dr. Mary Murphy, past president of the History Center
Title:
The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience by Kirstin Downey
In 1933, Franklin Roosevelt named Frances Perkins as the first female Secretary of Labor. She worked tirelessly to improve the working lives of Americans, while juggling personal and family responsibilities. Her ideas became the cornerstones of historic changes in social welfare, including unemployment compensation, child labor laws, and the forty-hour workweek. Copies of the book available at both libraries. Refreshments.

Literature Sessions: Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Thursdays March 25 & April 1, 10:00am–12:00noon - Please note the corrected datesTwelfth Night
Main Library, Costin Room

Guest speaker: Dr. Helen Heineman, past President of Framingham State College
No other writer in the language has so penetrated our common knowledge and vocabulary as has William Shakespeare. Over the centuries, he still depicts and reveals the dilemmas of mankind and provides materials that help us to judge and evaluate our own lives. In these sessions, participants will read the comedy, Twelfth Night, and join a group of shipwrecked characters that will pursue their passions in a charmed, timeless land and discover the true nature of love without the interference of real life. Participants may use any edition of the plays. Refreshments.

“A Visit with Isabella Stewart Gardner: America’s First Patroness of the Arts”
Portrayed by: Jessa Piaia
Wednesday March 31, 7:00pm
Main Library, Costin Room

Character reenactor Jessa Piaia will present a dramatic portrayal of Isabella Isabella Stewart GardnerStewart Gardner (1840-1924). The drama is set in 1909, six years after the opening of Fenway Court, which Mrs. Gardner designed and built for her extensive art collection and willed to the City of Boston. A recognized leader of Boston’s emerging salon scene, Mrs. Gardner, with characteristic verve and candor, relates episodes about her luminous circle of family and friends, relives journeys to exotic lands, and shares other potentially scandalous encounters. Piaia uses drama to reveal the accomplishments, struggles, and contributions of women to American history. Clad in period attire, she is acclaimed for “recreating history in the fullest sense.” Refreshments provided by Trader Joe's.

Tax Program – Rescheduled! Tax Talk
Thursday, April 1, 7:00pm
Main Library, Costin Room

Guest speaker: Mr. Marc Krell, Senior Tax Consultant, H&R Block
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear about some of the key tax code changes impacting families, homeowners, retirees, the unemployed and others! Mr. Krell will discuss timely topics such as the new rules for unemployment, Cobra health benefits and related job search expenses. In addition, he will cover some key family benefits such as: child tax credit and the American Opportunity Credit for college, and as well as energy credits, new IRA rules, and first-time homebuyer credits. Refreshments.

You Must Read This! You Must Read This!
Saturday April 3, 10:00am
Main Library, Costin Room

Want to share your favorite titles with other readers and get some tips on what to read next? Come to this monthly Saturday morning coffee hour. Bring books or titles others may enjoy, and gather suggestions for great reads you may have missed. View a list of books recommended at previous book chats.

Main Library Book Club Main Library Book Club
Tuesday April 6, 7:00pm
Main Library, Costin Room
Birds in Fall: A Novel by Brad Kessler
An innkeeper witnesses an airplane crash into the Atlantic off the coast of Nova Scotia, and braces for the arrival of the victims’ families and search crew members. Kessler’s “entrancingly beautiful and psychologically incisive second novel” (Booklist) is a study in grief and survival and was named by the Los Angeles Times as one of the ten best books of the year in 2006. Led by Andrea Taylor. Refreshments

Shir Madness, Klezmer Band
Sunday April 25, 3:00pm
Main Library, Costin Room

Sponsored in part by Bose Corporation. Refreshments.

Emil Altschuler & Artem Belogurov violin and piano duo
Sunday May 2, 3:00pm
Main Library, Costin Room

Sponsored in part by Bose Corporation. Refreshments.

Main Library Book Club Main Library Book Club
Tuesday May 4, 7:00pm
Main Library, Costin Room
Out Stealing Horses: A Novel by Per Petterson

Trond Sander is a widower nearing seventy when he moves to remote eastern Norway. A chance meeting with the brother of his childhood friend Jon causes him to reminisce about the summer of 1948 when he and Jon set out to steal horses from a nearby farm, an afternoon which ended abruptly in an act of unexpected cruelty. “A gripping account of such originality as to expand the reader’s own experience of life.” (New York Times Book Review). Led by Ruth Evans. Refreshments

You Must Read This! You Must Read This!
Saturday May 8, 10:00am
Main Library, Costin Room

Want to share your favorite titles with other readers and get some tips on what to read next? Come to this monthly Saturday morning coffee hour. Bring books or titles others may enjoy, and gather suggestions for great reads you may have missed. View a list of books recommended at previous book chats.

Main Library Book Club Main Library Book Club
Tuesday June 1, 7:00pm
Main Library, Costin Room
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
In 1962, Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan returns to her parents’ cotton farm following graduation and decides to write a book about the black maids that serve the”cake-eating Tab-drinking, cigarette-smoking” white women of her hometown. With the assurance that their names will be disguised, black maids Aibileen and Minny agree to share their stories, which starkly outline the opposite sides of the racial divide. “This heartbreaking story is a stunning debut from a gifted talent.” (Atlanta Journal). Judy Zorfass will lead the discussion. Refreshments

You Must Read This! You Must Read This!
Saturday June 12, 10:00am
Main Library, Costin Room

Want to share your favorite titles with other readers and get some tips on what to read next? Come to this monthly Saturday morning coffee hour. Bring books or titles others may enjoy, and gather suggestions for great reads you may have missed. View a list of books recommended at previous book chats.


 

Adult programs are funded in part by the Friends of the Framingham Library Association.

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News

Why Use The Library? - Economics
Libraries do more than help Americans save money; they also spur economic growth. People without home computers or Internet access rely on library computers to find and apply for jobs. Beyond that, libraries offer a range of programs aimed at employment, career training and small-business development.

How can we measure that impact? Research shows that $1 invested in a library yields a return of more than $4 for the average community. Some cities see even higher numbers. That’s less than the price of a night out or a new hardcover book.|

In good times or bad, libraries provide the kind of economic stimulus that benefits everyone. Take a look at how much your library can save you each year:How much your library can save you each year 
2009 American Library Association

Calculator What is your library worth to you?
Try the library value calculator to see how much money using the library saves you.

Did You Know?
When you reserve an item and receive a notice that you is has arrived and you need to pick it up by a certain date, you can call ext. 4351 and extend the date if you cannot get to the library by that time.

SOAR 55 Office Hours
SOAR 55’s Satellite Office is now open in the Young Adult section of the Main Library. Office Hours: Tuesdays 2:00–4:00pm and Wednesdays 10:00am–2:00pm.

To schedule an appointment or for more information please contact: Lois Levick, SOAR 55 Volunteer Outreach Coordinator at Framingham Public Library at 508-532-5570 x4353 or llevick@minlib.net. Visit on the web at www.ncscweb.org/programs/soar55.

SOAR 55, Service Opportunities After Reaching 55 is a program of the Newton Community Service Center and part of a national network of volunteer agencies that connects individuals 55 and over with volunteer opportunities in Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Newton, Wellesley, Weston and Newton.

Free Training in Videotape Production at FPAC
The Framingham community has been able to view some of the library programs on the Framingham Public Access Channels or via FPAC web video. To offer more library programs through FPAC, we need volunteers to register for FPAC training classes that come with the library FPAC membership and then videotape some library programs. Contact Jeanne at 508-532-5570 x4358, the FPAC studio at 508-875-5434 or email info@fpac-tv.org, for more information.

Thanks to Russell’s Garden Center!
We wish to thank Russell’s Garden Center in Wayland for their generous donation of gorgeous floor plants to brighten up the Internet Café on the main floor! Come and check out our new “green” café!

New at the McAuliffe Branch: A Friends’ Ongoing booksale!
The booksale is located in the DVD section and has the same low prices as the Main Library sales.

Donate Your No-Longer-Needed Books, Dvds, and CDs To The Library
We welcome your surplus books which are in good condition. Small donations of 1 or 2 bags are gratefully received any day. Larger donations are welcome on Friday mornings or the day of the monthly book sale. You may also call 508-532-5570 x4333 to arrange for drop-offs. Thank you.

Want to Receive The Library's Monthly Newsletter by Email?
Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Framingham Library, the Framingham Public Library has a new service to inform you of upcoming events. You can receive the monthly newsletter and timely announcements of program changes or cancellations by email.

Sign up for Email Updates of Library News and Events!
Email:

 

Download Audiobooks and eBooks 24/7OverDrive Downloadable Audiobooks and Eboos
Free downloadable audiobooks and ebooks are now available from the Framingham Public Library! To get started go to www.framinghamlibrary.org and click the Download audiobooks and ebooks icon. Install the free software, then browse the collection of bestselling titles, classic fiction, and non-fiction. Check out titles using your library card and download to a computer or laptop or transfer titles to a portable device. At the end of the lending period, titles automatically expire and are returned to the collection. There are no late fees!
For more information and help resources, visit www.framinghamlibrary.org and click the Download audiobooks and ebooks icon.

If you have ever thought about helping an adult learn English or learn to read and write, we can train you to be a volunteer tutor!
Our next tutor training to teach English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) will be held at Morse Institute, Natick, and will begin on Tuesday March 23, 6:00–9:00pm, and continue for five additional weeks: March 30, April 6, 13, 20, 27 and May 4.
Send an email to fplmail4@minlib.net or call 508-532-5574 for more information.

We have drop-in conversation classes for those who want to practice or learn more English on Mondays from 7-8:30pm (beginners) and Wednesdays from 1:00-2:30pm (intermediate and advanced).
We also have a drop-in computer workshop on Thursdays from 1:00-5:00pm for English learners who want to improve their computer skills and for people who want to improve their literacy in English.
Call 508-532-5574 for more information or stop by during workshop hours.

Art Gallery
March 1-31: Framingham Public Schools
Lexington Street Case
March 1-31: Framingham Public Schools

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Newsletter

Look here first - The Framingham Public Library Newsletter
2010
February 2010
January 2010

2009
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009

January 2009

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Volunteer Opportunities

Library Shelf Reading Volunteer Program    
We are accepting volunteer applications for shelf readers. 

Library Volunteer Options 

Call 508 532-6347 or email michellelm@minlib.net to learn more.

 

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Last modified on 03/10/2010 04:26 PM
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