NOBLE SYSTEM CHANGEOVER

The entire NOBLE library computer system will be changing to a new format beginning Tuesday, May 29, 2012. We are trying to make this transition as smooth as possible. Please bear with us for any minor “kinks” in the system. Please make sure that we have your current email address, if you receive notices via email. The catalog may be unavailable to you during the week of May 25th but the staff will be able to provide you with the help you need to locate your books. We apologize for this inconvenience but as we continue through the year you will find that this changeover will be very beneficial. We will offer amnesty for Swampscott fines for the weeks ending May 25th and June 1st.

Holiday Closing and Summer Hours

The library will be closed on Monday, May 28th for Memorial Day. Summer hours will begin on May 21, 2012. The hours will be:
MAIN ROOM
Monday and Wednesday: 10:00-8:00
Tuesday and Thursday: 1:00-8:00
Friday: 10:00-1:00
Closed Saturday

CHILDREN’S ROOM
Monday and Wednesday: 10:00-6:00
Tuesday 1:00-8:00
Thursday 1:00-6:00
Friday 10:00-1:00
Closed Saturday

Dive in to Art!

Have you wanted to learn more about looking at art? Join Meg Winikates from the Peabody Essex Museum’s Art & Nature Center on Wednesday, May 30th at 6:00pm to take a close look at artists and their watery inspirations with works from Ripple Effect, the Art of H2O. Find out how to get comfortable looking at art, then get hands-on and create your own Ripple Effect inspired work. Ripple Effect is on view at PEM until July 8, 2012. Admission is free. Please call the library at 781-596-8867 to register beginning on Wednesday, May 16th. These activities made possible by federal funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Teen Sketch Crawl Tuesday, May 22nd @ 6pm

Tuesday, May 22nd at 6:00pm, two local artists will teach the latest art fad to 5th-12th graders. Join the latest craze in drawing and go on a sketch crawl inside and outside the library. A sketch crawl is when a group of people travel around together sketching buildings, objects and people. We will warm up for drawing by doing some exercises. Then we’ll wander around the library and even go outside and draw. Everyone will get a free sketchbook and Italian pencil, and we’ll have lots of different drawing materials available. Want more information about sketch crawls? Sketch collective is on facebook, and check out websites urbansketchers.org or onedrawingaday.com Come join us for some fun, relaxing sketching Swampscott. Please call 781-596-8867 ext. 304 beginning on May 7th to register.

Ongoing Groups Meeting in May

Knitting Club

Join the Needlers a knitting group at the Swampscott Public Library. This group meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at 10:30a.m. The May meetings will be Wednesday, May 9th, and Wednesday, May 23rd. Crocheters are welcome to join our group. We make our own projects or items to be donated to charity. Members can be beginners or experts.

Dinner Detectives

The Dinner Detectives, the library’s mystery book group, will meet at 6:00pm on Tuesday, May 1st to discuss Prisons and Mysteries. New members are always welcome.

HISTORY BUFFS

Lou Gallo and his town historians will meet on the first Friday of every month. In May, they will meet on Friday, May 4th at 10:00am. Anyone interested in the history of the town is welcome to attend.

NEXT GENERATION BOOK CLUB

The May meeting will be Monday, May 21st at 7:00pm and they will discuss The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Book Group

The book club led by Izzi Abrams will meet on Tuesday, May 22nd at 7:00pm to discuss Faith by Jennifer Haigh.

AFTERNOON TEA AND BOOKS

Interested in a day time book club at the library? Our afternoon book club meets the third Tuesday of the month at 1:00pm. The April meeting will be Tuesday, May 15th, at 1:00pm and we’ll discuss One moment, one morning by Sarah Rayner. New members welcome!

Writing Group Seeks New Members

Working on that novel or biography? Want feedback from other writers? A writers group meets at the Swampscott Public Library on Thursday nights from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. New members are welcome.

LIBRARY ADDS WORLD BOOK ONLINE

The library has purchased a subscription to the World Book Online. The subscription includes World Book Online for Kids, World Book Online Info Finder (for older students), and the Spanish language Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgo. This online version contains the same great articles as the print version plus science fair projects, images, video clips, ebooks and more.
To access the World Book, go to the library web site at http://www.noblenet.org.swampscott , scroll down a little, and click on the World Book button on the left side of the screen. You need to be a Swampscott resident with a library card to use the World Book Online.

Food Donation

Please remember to drop in some non-perishables in out Food donation box in the lobby. Donations are distributed to food pantries in Swampscott. This project is sponsored by the Swampscott Needlers.

Friends Name Volunteer of the Year

Janet Ernst,volunteer of the year, and Ellen Winkler, President of the Friends

The Friends of the Swampscott Public Library have named Janet Ernst the Volunteer of the Year for 2011. Janet is a very, very dedicated volunteer and neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, will keep her from getting books ready and helping with the newsletter mailings. She even recruits other volunteers for the library! Thank you, Janet, for all your hard work!

Please Support the Friends of the Swampscott Public Library

Dear Library Supporter,

Thank you for your generous support of our library. We hope you will continue to support the Friends by renewing your tax-deductible contribution as a member of the Friends of the Swampscott Public Library, Inc. for 2012.

The Friends is a tax-exempt entity that finances library programs for all ages. In particular, we fund:
* Chorover Author Series, which has featured Lisa Genova, Roland Merullo, Lois Lowry, Dennis Lehane, Elinor Lipman, Tom Perrotta, Andre Dubus III, Julia Glass, and Jane Yolen.
*Children’s Room Summer Programs, including Family Night
* Young Adult programs, including concert of local bands, teen poetry contest, etc.
*Furnishings and equipment
*Library newsletter
*Russian programs

We support the library through volunteer efforts:
*Conducting annual book sale and gala
*Planning a spring Friends event with speakers
*Providing museum passes
*Running volunteer programs to assist library staff

The Friends of the Swampscott Public Library provides museum passes for:
*Isabella S. Gardner Museum
*Museum of Fine Arts
*Museum of Science
*Children’s Museum
*Peabody-Essex Museum
*JFK Library
*Zoo New England Franklin Park & Stone Zoo
*House of Seven Gables
*Lynn Museum
*Harvard Museum of Natural History
*Institute of Contemporary Art

Your dues are our major source of funds, but other ways to give financial support are:
* Attending book sale and gala
*Bequests/endowments – contact Alyce Deveau, Library Director, for further information
*Commemorative/memorial/special occasion cards
*Book purchases in honor/memory of someone
*Purchasing book covers

We meet on the third Monday of each month at 7:00pm. Please pick up a membership envelope to pay tax-deductible dues on your next visit to the library. Thank you for your generous support in recent years, and we look forward to your continued support in 2012.

Sincerely, Ellen Winkler, President
Friends of the Swampscott Public Library, Inc.

Help Wanted: Home Delivery

We are once again putting out a call for volunteers who will bring books to the housebound. It only takes a few moments of your time. You would pick up the books requested at the library, drop them off at someone’s home and return the books that they already have back to the library. This service is very important to those individuals who are unable to come into the library. Just call 781-596-8867and leave your name for Penny- Thank you

Our Family Tree

The leaves may be falling outside, but in the library we’re adding leaves to our tree! When a family joins the Friends of the Swampscott Public Library, we’ll be adding a leaf with their name to our tree right outside the Children’s Room. Please help us grow and add your support to the Friends.

OverDrive now available for the Kindle!

Overdrive
Our library collection of ebooks is now compatible with the Kindle ebook reader and the Kindle app on other devices!

You can browse or search our collection, choose a title, and check it out using your library card. The book will be transferred to your Amazon Kindle account where it will be listed with your other Kindle books. You can then transfer it to your Kindle using WiFi (or via USB, if your Kindle doesn’t have WiFi) or send it to the Kindle app on one of your other devices, like a smartphone or iPad. Right now, only the full version of our website viewed on a computer supports the management of Kindle titles, so don’t try this using the mobile version of the site or the full version of the site viewed on a mobile device.

NOBLE’s OverDrive Collection — This is our digital collection where you can search for ebooks and audiobooks to download. To check out books, you must have a valid library card and be a resident of one of our public library communities or affiliated with one of our academic libraries.

For Kindle users, here’s a link to a video to help you get started:

Using Overdrive with your Kindle

NEW!LEARNING EXPRESS LIBRARY & UNIVERSAL CLASS Now On Website

The library has just subscribed to two powerful new online resources, LearningExpress Library and Universal Class. Together they add a new dimension to what the library can offer our patrons.

LearningExpress Library: Whatever your goal, LearningExpress Library’s resources will help you succeed. Each Learning Center offers the practice tests, exercises, skill-building courses, eBooks, and information you need. Looking to land a job? You’ll find an entire Learning Center dedicated to helping you get the one that’s right for you. You will be able to do some practice tests for College Board exams and MTELs. Check out the career section and learn how to create a perfect resume and prepare for a perfect interview.

To log in:LearningExpress Library — Tutorials and practice tests for the SAT, Civil Service Exams and much more.

Recorded Books Universal Class: Learn something new today! You can log on to over 500 non-credit Continuing Education Courses, from pet care to computer skills. You can enroll in up to 5 courses at a time and you have up to 6 months to finish your course work. You can access these courses 24/7 via the Internet. Each class has its own instructor and you can contact someone through email if you have questions or problems.

Universal Class – Universal Class is a collection of over 500 free non-credit continuing education courses. Register — Log in

Patrons can also log in through the library web site http://www.noblenet.org/swampscott and register for any of the classes offered. Classes are self paced and can be accessed any time from the library or from a home computer. You must be a Swampscott resident with a valid library card to use these resources.

Making Donations to the Library

Friends of the Swampscott Public Library is a 501c3 non- profit organization that accepts donations. It is dedicated to support the library by purchasing museum passes, providing a bi-monthly newsletter, and funding adult and children’s programming. The Friends also support other various needs of the library.
Swampscott Public Library investment Trust
Trustees of the Swampscott Library established this 501c3 to fund major capital improvements to the library. Donations can be made on a one-time basis or through
a bequest.
General Monetary Gifts
At the discretion of the Selectmen, the library can accept restricted and non-restricted monetary donations.

Suggestion Box – Your opinion, please

We have set up a suggestion box in the lobby for our patrons. Please feel free to make any suggestions that would improve our library.

Parking Information

Please be aware that patrons may park in the town hall parking lot in the evening and on weekends.

And we have tote bags!

The Friends of the Library tote bags feature the new logo and are only $2.00! Next time you are at the library, pick a few up for yourself and for friends.

Learning a Language? Try Mango!

The Swampscott Public Library now subscribes to Mango Languages, a web site that teaches practical conversation skills for more than 20 different foreign languages as well as English as a second language. It’s available to any Swampscott resident with a valid library card and an internet connection. It’s the fast, easy and effective way to learn to speak a foreign language! To access Mango Languages go to the library web site at
Mango Languages
You will need to type in your library card number and your last name before getting started.

Interested in more information from home? We subscribe to all the following resources that Swampscott residents can access from our web site with their library cards:

Critical Survey of Long Fiction – Biographical and critical analysis of the most studied novelists and their works.
HeritageQuest – Census and other records for genealogists. We also subscribe to Ancestry.com but due to licensing restrictions this can only be accessed from library computers.
Literary Reference Center – Critiques of authors and their works.
Magill’s Medical guide – Articles from the current Magill’s health encyclopedia
Novelist – A guide to fiction that includes book reviews, author read-alikes, book discussion guides, lists of award winners and much more.
Reference USA – The No. 1 source of information on businesses for researchers, students and job seekers.
Swampscott Reporter – Articles from 8/11/05 to the present.

NextReads

Looking for a great book to read?  Check out NextReads, our monthly e-mail newsletter service which will send you great book suggestions by email.  For details click on the NextReads picture or click on Readers Advisory link on the top left of this page.