The Lawrence Library Board of Trustees is happy to announce that effective December 1, 2021, the library is no longer charging overdue fees on library materials. Fine-free materials include books, audiobooks, magazines, music, games, and DVDs. We are proud to join many libraries around the state of Massachusetts, and the country, by removing this potential barrier to library services.
“The Lawrence Library is committed to equity and to supporting literacy efforts in our community. Library fines can be a barrier and deterrent to library use, and they disproportionally impact lower income families. With the additional burden of the COVID-19 pandemic, we want everyone in our community to feel encouraged to check out reading material for their families. Staff can attest that the vast majority of patrons are respectful of each other and return materials promptly when finished so that everyone may enjoy them. We don’t anticipate this changing,” said Carol Case, vice-chair of the library trustees.
Lost or damaged items, overdue materials from other libraries, and some specialty items (WiFi hotspots and museum passes) will still incur fines and replacement costs.
The Lawrence Library, located at 15 Main Street in Pepperell, MA is part of the CWMARS consortium. For more information on the library and our services, please visit http://www.lawrencelibrary.org or contact Deb Spratt at 978-433-0330
Marley Dias, author, executive producer, and founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks, is joining the American Library Association and libraries nationwide in promoting the power of a library card this September.
September is Library Card Sign-Up Month! All Massachusetts residents aged 5 and up are welcome to get a Lawrence Library card. You can stop by the library to fill out an application for a library card in person. You can also start your registration by printing out this form, completing it, and bringing it to the library. You can also jumpstart your registration by filling out this form online. For all the details, including forms of identification we accept, please visit our website.
Another great way to celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month is by signing up for a Boston Public Library eCard! The Boston Public Library (BPL) eCards are available to anyone who lives, resides part-time to attend school, owns property, or works in Massachusetts. With the BPL eCard, you’ll get expanded access to eResources like Audiobook Cloud and Kanopy. Visit their website for all of the details and to sign up!
In honor of Library Card Sign-Up Month, the American Library Association is running a contest called “How Do #LibrariesEmpower You?” Here’s how you can play along:
“Post to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #LibrariesEmpower. Entries can also be submitted by posting as a comment or wall post on the I Love Libraries Facebook page. Don’t forget to tag your library (Instagram: @lawrencelibrarypepperell Twitter:@lawrencelib Facebook: The Lawrence Library, Pepperell MA).
The creator of one randomly-selected post will receive a $100 Visa gift and an ALA Graphics TheChild Poster. Additionally, three second-place winners will receive an ALA Graphics The Child Poster.
You could win a copy of “The Child” READ poster!
The #LibrariesEmpower promotion begins Wednesday, September 1, at noon CT and ends Wednesday, September 22, at noon CT. All librarians and library lovers are encouraged to participate. The promotion is open to residents of the United States, Washington, D.C., and U.S. Territories. Employees of the American Library Association are not eligible to participate.“
We will continue to offer Curbside Pick-Up 24/7, but starting Thursday, July 1, our default for pickups will be inside on our hold shelf behind the circulation desk. Patrons will have to opt-into curbside (either in-person, by phone or email).
Please note that the library will be closed on Saturday July 3 thru Monday July 5 in honor of the 4th of July holiday (we’re normally closed on Sundays).
Summer Reading is in full swing! Stop by the library to pick up a free summer reading packet. Each week we will be posting a new reading road trip video on our YouTube channel. We are also offering various in-person and online events for children, teens, and adults all summer long. Make sure you check out our Event Calendar for a full listing of our events, sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay in the loop!
Our LGBTQ+ Youth Group meets via Zoom on July 6 and July 20. Click on the image to register. The meetings are open to teens and young adults.
On July 10, kids ages 6-10 are welcome to participate in Cartoons with Bob. This is a Zoom program where Bob teaches kids how to draw various cartoon characters, animals, and superheroes! Bob is an illustrator who has had work published for major comic book companies and gaming companies. Just give your kids some paper and crayons and let them enjoy drawing and jokes. This program is sponsored in part by a grant from the Pepperell Cultural Council, a local agency that is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. This is also sponsored by the Shrewsbury Public Library and the Friends of the Lawrence Library. Please register online.
Our Youth Chess Club will meet outside on Monday, July 19 at 1 PM
Our Super Smash Bros. Tournament is back! Click on the link to register.
Come visit our virtual library in Animal Crossing New Horizons on July 28 at 3:30 PM. Register by clicking on the image.
School’s out for summer! Come visit the library’s Animal Crossing island, Athenaeum, and meet its residents Pepper, Reneigh, and more! Search the island for free prizes, fossils, and DIY recipes. This all-ages program is limited, so make sure you sign up in advance! On the day of the program, we’ll be emailing a “Dodo code” so that you can fly to our island. NOTE: You’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online account to visit us. Play with Us Anytime: Join us on Discord to chat about Animal Crossing New Horizons, schedule visits between islands, and more. If you’d like to become friends with the library, our Nintendo Switch Online code is SW-4125-4566-5513
On Saturday, August 7, we’re hosting Playful Engineers: Chain Reactions & Creative Contraptions at 11 AM. Come build with the Playful Engineers Traveling Maker Space. Teaching artist Jay Mankita will demonstrates his favorite techniques then, kids plan, gather materials, build, and test each simple part, linking them to make machines. Fun for all ages and abilities. Space is limited and registration is required. This outdoor event is weather permitting. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Pepperell Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
We’re starting a new book club – all about cookbooks! Every month we’ll choose a cookbook to explore and try recipes from, and then we’ll get together to talk and eat. We are going to start with dessert! For the first meeting, we’ll be making recipes from Bravetart: Iconic American Desserts by Stella Parks. Request a copy through our catalog, or ask any staff member for help. Our first meeting will be held at the library’s outdoor tent on Tuesday, August 10 at 6:30 PM. Please register online!
Appointments are available on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve
Spend winter break with the library! We have a slew of online programs happening in the next few weeks. We even have appointments to visit us during the day on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Just visit our Event Calendar to book an appointment. Please note that the library will be closed on December 25 and 26.
First on our slate of upcoming programs is an all-ages Animal Crossing program on Monday, December 28 at 1 PM. There’s only one spot left to visit the library’s island, Athenaeum, and meet its occupants Pepper, Reneigh, Patty, Static, and more! You’ll need a Nintendo Switch Online account and Discord to participate. To register for this program, visit our website. To chat about Animal Crossing and learn more about our Animal Crossing program guidelines, join us on Discord! To be friends with the library on Nintendo Switch Online, our friend code is SW-4125-4566-5513.
Join us for a free writing program for teens and young adults
We still have a few spots left for our writing program for teens and young adults. On Tuesday, December 29 at 3:30, author Bethany Snyder will lead an online writing prompt class. Participants will be encouraged (but not required!) to share their work. Sign up on our website in advance!
Also on Tuesday, December 29 at 7 PM, we’re offering our free meditation class taught by Pepperell resident Brian Findlay, a longtime meditation practitioner. You can find information on how to attend on our Event Calendar.
More gaming!
Have you been missing our in-person Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournaments? Well, you’re in luck because on Wednesday, December 30, we’ll be hosting our first online tourney! You’ll need a Nintendo Switch Online account and a Discord account to participate. Register on our website and we’ll email you all of the information you need to play.
The LGBTQ+ Youth Group is moving to Tuesdays!
New year, new day of the week for our LGBTQ+ Youth Group! We’ll be meeting on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 5:30 PM via Zoom. Please register in advance.
Also, in the new year, we’re offering a free Zumba class via Zoom. We’re calling it “Zoomba”! Sign up for the class, which is being held on Saturday, January 9 at 11 AM. Make sure you wear comfortable clothes and have some water handy.
Don’t forget that we still offer curbside pickup. The library is open to the public by appointment: to browse the collection, use a computer, the fax machine, copier, or to study. Click here to book an appointment.
Here are some tips to deal with isolation and quarantine. If you are stuck at home, and there’s anything we can do at the library to help, give us a call at 978-433-0330! Stay safe everybody! And if you miss us, you can watch our virtual Tree Lighting!
Catch up on some of Miss Jennifer’s storytimes on Facebook:
Our free meditation class is held every Tuesday, via Zoom, at 7 PM
Are you feeling stressed out? Join us via Zoom next Tuesday, November 10 to learn meditation techniques to help you with mindful breathing. Visit our Event Calendar listing for details on how to join this free class!
A reminder that the library is open to the public by appointment only. You can book an appointment to browse the collection; use a computer, fax, or copier; or book a slot for work/study through our online Event Calendar or by calling 978-433-0330. Please note: No one will be admitted to the library without an appointment.
The library will be closed on Wednesday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day.
Now, onto the roundup of upcoming library programs and links we’ve shared on social media! All links were functional as of November 6, 2020.
Library Programs
Join our new Dungeons & Dragons campaign!
Join brave adventurers as we begin our next virtual Dungeons & Dragons campaign, The Lost Mine of Phandelver! This is an adult (18+) program run using Roll20 and Discord. Sessions for this campaign run every second and fourth Wednesday of the month with a start date of November 11. There are currently three slots available for new players. Click here to register.
Mark Lotterhand’s nature and aerial photography will be on exhibit in our Art Gallery October 10 – November 20. Take a look at his work in this promo video, and make a browsing appointment through our online calendar to see his show in person.
Our program Suffragettes and Corselettes is being held on November 9 at 6:30 PM. Click on the image to be brought to the registration page.
What exactly does the women’s right to vote have to do with underwear? Find out on November 9 at 6:30 PM in Suffragettes and Corselettes presented by the Grounded Goodwives. In this fun and funny Zoom presentation, they give you a tour of the wild fashion of the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries and show how social change is wrought in all facets of our society – including our underwear!
Learn how to make your own kombucha on November 13 at 6:30 PM. Click on the image for the registration link!
On November 13 at 6:30 PM you can learn how to make that fizzy, tart, good-for-your-gut healthy drink kombucha at home with the Grounded Goodwives. In this online presentation, you can learn how to make DIY Kombucha, by fermenting your own sweet tea and making it fizzy and delicious.
Our next LGBTQ+ Youth Group meets on November 18 at 5:30 via Zoom
Our next LGBTQ+ Youth Group meeting is happening on Wednesday, November 18. Registerin advance for the online version of our LGBTQ+ youth group! We welcome teens and young adults to chat in a safe and welcoming environment. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Click on the image to register for Christmas in the Colonies being held on December 11 at 6:30 PM via Zoom.
Celebrate Christmas the old fashioned way! The Grounded Goodwives will bring you back to colonial times when Christmas was illegal in Boston with their presentation Christmas In the Colonies being held on December 11 at 6:30 PM. Register online for the Zoom link.
Register now for Art to Go and reserve a creative project in a bag to pick up curbside beginning on November 30. The bags will include all the materials you will need for a fun project. All you need to do is add your own imagination! Project Bags will be available to pick during our curbside hours. Ages 3 & up.
Books and Education
Black Freedom Struggle in the United States: A Selection of Primary Sources (ProQuest) Check out this great new resource from ProQuest – it features primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history. The intention is to support a wide range of students, as well as independent researchers and anyone interested in learning more about the foundation of ongoing racial injustice in the U.S. – and the fights against it. Access to the website is free and available to anyone!
Wowbrary (Wowbrary) Find out what’s new in our collection! You can sign up for a weekly email update from Wowbrary.
The Inside Page 