HOLIDAY CLOSING & CHANGE TO SUMMER HOURS

The library will be closed Monday, May 27th for Memorial Day. The last Saturday the Swampscott Public Library will be open is May 18th from 10am to 2pm. After that, we begin our summer schedule and are closed on Saturdays till the fall.

SUMMER SCHEDULE:
MAIN ROOM HOURS:
Monday & Wednesday 10:00-8:00
Tuesday & Thursday 1:00-8:00
Friday 10:00-1:00
Closed Saturday

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

BEER TASTING: A “KICKOFF TO SUMMER” CRAFT BEER TASTING

What a long, grueling winter it was! Thankfully, summer is right around the corner. What better way to welcome the warm weather than with a beer tasting featuring a range of summer brews? The craft beer industry is thriving and the summer beer season is by far the most popular and dynamic! On Friday, May 31st from 7:30pm-9:30pm, Maia Gosselin, the owner of Sip Wine Education and a beer, wine and spirits magazine editor, will lead us as we sip and sample the tastes of the season from Kolsches to Shandies to Saisons. And we’ll be sure to have a crisp, fruit beer in there as well (perhaps a raspberry or watermelon!). Craft beer pairs beautifully with food and we will be featuring an array of delectable pizza bites from Uno Chicago Grill with different toppings to complement the summer brews. Goat cheese, mozzarella, eggplant, kalamata olives, roasted peppers, chicken and more…mmmm. The event is Friday, May 31st from 7:30-9:30pm and $20 per person. Must be 21+ to attend. Tickets should be purchased in advance. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Swampscott Public Library. Call the library at 781-596-8867 for more information.

ONLINE AT THE SWAMPSCOTT PUBLIC LIBRARY

Join us June 5th at 6:30pm to learn about these great resources!

LEARNING EXPRESS

Wednesday, June 5th at 6:30pm the library will present a program “Online at the Swampscott Public Library.” We will highlight all of the resources shown below. Would you like to learn a new language, write a resume, or find the address of a long lost friend? Come learn how to access these free resources from the comfort of your own home.
These resources are available both at the library and from the library web site at www.noblenet.org/swampscott. You will need your library card and a password, which can be obtained at the library’s Main Desk. Anyone may use these resources at the library. However, due to licensing restrictions, home use of these resources is limited to Swampscott residents only.

MANGO LANGUAGES: Mango is the easiest way to learn a foreign language. It’s fast, fun, and free. Over 40 languages are available, plus English for Spanish, Russian and other speakers.

LEARNING EXPRESS: Tutorials and practice tests for the SAT, GED, Civil Service Exams, Citizenship test, and much more.

UNIVERSAL CLASS: Universal Class is a collection of over 500 free non-credit continuing education courses. You can learn everything from Arts and Crafts to Web Development. Improve your business skills, train your dog or write the next Great American Novel!

CYPRESS RESUME: Helps you build your own resume quickly and easily.

AtoZ DATABASES: AtoZdatabases is the Premier Job Search, Reference & Mailing List Database including 30 million business profiles & 220 million residents.

Join us June 5th at 6:30pm to learn about these great resources!

Computer Club: THE TECHNOLOGY TRAVELERS

Do you feel left out when people begin talking about Facebook, or social networking, Internet, emails and Pinterest? Would you like to become part of the 21st century? Then join our new computer club. It will meet on Tuesday mornings from 10am -11am. This club is basically for all the newcomers to technology; so don’t feel intimidated if you don’t know how to access any of these sites. Come in and learn with others who want to become computer literate. It should be a fun group with no pressure, just some exposure to all of these new things that are around for us to see. This, however, is also a club where those knowledgeable in technology might want to come by and share their knowledge with others. The club will begin meeting on Tuesday May 7th at 10:00am. Call the library to register at 781-596-8867.

BRUNCH BUNCH BOOK GROUP NEW GROUP!

Join us at noon for a book discussion/playgroup time. Moms can have light lunch and coffee while they discuss the month’s selection and children can have lunch and juice/water and play or do a craft. This is a novel way to host a book discussion group but we thought it may answer the needs of some of our patrons. The group will meet in the Children’s Room and three staff members will be present. The June 24th at noon title will be The Art Forger by Barbara Shapiro. You do need to register for this group so that we can order the books and the food. Come and give it a try, we think that this may be an enjoyable way to spend a lunchtime. To register call Alyce or Izzi at 781-596-8867.

Swampscott Library has its own droid app!

Yes, there’s an app for that! Who says libraries aren’t cutting edge? The Swampscott Public Library has its very own android app! It allows you to search the catalog, view the hours, and send a message. The application is free to download, but is only for android phones.

This app designed to be viewed on an android phone. It does not support android tablet devices, just phones. The best way to access this app is via the Google Play Store. Select the play store from your phone’s list of applications. There you can type “Swampscott Public Library” into the search function, and you will be able to download the Swampscott Public Library application directly to your phone.

You can also view the Google Play store on your PC at https://play.google.com/store. On the left hand side of the page select android applications. At the top of the page, you will see a search bar. You can type “Swampscott Public Library” into that bar and the Swampscott Public Library App will appear. If you click install, you will be prompted to enter your gmail account.

Enter the account that you have associated with your android phone and the Google Play store will automatically find you phone and install the app. The phone DOES NOT need to be hardwired to the PC for this transfer to occur.

Ongoing Groups Meeting in May

Knitting Club

Join the Needlers a knitting group at the Swampscott Public Library. This group meets weekly, every Wednesday at 10:30a.m. 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. NOTE: ON MAY 15th at 10:30AM, JUDY GATES WILL SPEAK ABOUT MONGOLIA TO THE KNITTERS!

Brunch Bunch Book Group – NEW GROUP!

Join us at noon in the Children’s Room for a book discussion/playgroup time. Moms can have light lunch and coffee while they discuss the book; and children can have lunch and play. The May meeting will be Monday, May 20th at noon and the book will be Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. You do need to register so that we can order the books and the food. Register by calling Alyce or Izzi at 781-596-8867.

Dinner Detectives

The Dinner Detectives, the library’s mystery book group, will meet on Tuesday, May 7th at 6:00pm and discuss the theme Insanity & Mysteries. New members welcome–you bring your dinner and we supply the dessert and coffee.

HISTORY BUFFS – MAY MEETING CANCELLED

THE MAY MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE FRIDAY, JUNE 7th AT 10AM.
Lou Gallo and his town historians will meet on Friday, May 3rd at 10:00am. Anyone interested in local history is welcome.

Book Group

The Swampscott Library Book Group led by Izzi Abrams will meet on Tuesday, May 28th at 7pm to discuss Wild by Cheryl Strayed.

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 May meeting will be Tuesday, May 21st, at 1:00pm and we’ll discuss Love Anthony by Lisa Genova. New members welcome!

Help Support the Friends of the Swampscott Public Library & SAVE $ ON YOUR ENERGY BILL!

The Friends of the Swampscott Library and Next Step Living have partnered to promote the Mass Save® energy program for our community. The Massachusetts-based residential energy efficiency company, NSL is able to provide no-cost energy assessments to NSTAR and National Grid electric and gas customers.

Home energy assessments are an excellent way for home owners to learn where they can make cost-saving updates to their homes, as well as to learn about state and federal incentive programs to reduce the cost to make those updates.

For everyone who completes an assessment, Next Step Living will make a $10 contribution to the Friends of the Swampscott Public Library. Please note: This is a program for Massachusetts residents, you DO NOT need to be a Swampscott resident!!

Use this link to sign up for an assessment Next Step Living http://www.nextstepliving.com/libraryfriends or you may call (866)867-8729 and be sure to reference 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 2013.

The Friends is a tax-exempt entity that finances library programs for all ages. In particular, we fund:
* Chorover Author Series, which has featured William Landay, 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 art classes, concert of local bands, and teen poetry contest
*Furnishings and equipment
*Library newsletter
*Russian programs

We support the library through volunteer efforts:
*Conducting annual book sale
*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 other fund-raising events
*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 on your next visit to the library and return it with your tax-deductible dues. Thank you for your generous support in recent years, and we look forward to your continued support in 2013. 100% of your donations go directly to support the library.

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

Food Pantry

Now that the holidays are over, please don’t forget those less fortunate. Our box for donations to the Food Pantry at St. John’s Church will still be in the lobby.

Follow us on Pinterest

Check out our book lists on Pinterest. Looking for some suggestions of new books to read? We have lists for children, teens and adults.

Library Adds Tumblebooks

The Library now subscribes to Tumblebooks, which are animated, talking picture books for children. Tumblebooks start with an existing children’s book then add motion, music, and narration to make a new experience that children are sure to enjoy. The collection includes story books, read-a-longs, games, and non fiction books.

Click on Tumblebooks to get started enjoying these great books. To log in you will need a library card and password. You can get these at the Main Desk of the Library if you don’t already have them. You will also need the Flash plugin which can be downloaded for free at Adobe. You need to be a resident of Swampscott to access Tumblebooks.

New Databases–including investment and resume writing resources!

The library now subscribes to five new databases. Most of them can be used anywhere you have an internet connection, your library card number and a password. Passwords can be obtained at the Main Desk of the library.

Morningstar Investment Research – Investment data from a leading financial research company. Our license allows one user at a time so if you cannot log in, try again in a few minutes.
Cypress Resume – Helps you build your own resume quickly and easily.
World Geography and Culture – Packed with information for world travelers and interested students.
Bloom’s Literary Reference – Literary critiques of authors and their works as well as essays on literary themes, movements and genres.
American Ancestors – 200 million genealogical records for New England, New York and beyond. Due to licensing restrictions, American Ancestors can only be used within the library and is not available from home.

Some of our other resources include Mango language learning software, Universal Class online classes, Learning Express test preparation, Heritage Quest genealogy records, the World Book Encyclopedia, and Overdrive downloadable ebooks and audiobooks. These resources are all free to Swampscott Residents with a valid library card and a password.

Friends Name Volunteers of the Year

Ellen Winkler, President of the Friends, Harriet Weinstein & Jackie Downs

The Friends of the Swampscott Public Library have named Jackie Downs and Harriet Weinstein the Volunteers of the Year for 2012. Jackie and Harriet are our Friday team, coming each week for many years to prepare our new books so they are ready for you to check out. This dynamic duo is so conscientious, coming week in and week out to help the Swampscott Public Library. We couldn’t do it without you two!

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.

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

LEARNING EXPRESS LIBRARY & UNIVERSAL CLASS – tools to help you land a job

The library subscribes 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 SATs, MTELs and more. Check out the career section and learn how to create a perfect resume and prepare for a perfect interview. To log in:LearningExpress Library

Universal Class: Learn something new today! You can log on to over 500 free 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. Register — Log in

Patrons can also log in through the library web site http://www.noblenet.org/swampscott/online-resources/ 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.

Parking Information

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