The Friends of the Milne are asking you to rummage through your book shelves and donate any unwanted books to their annual booksale. The sale is scheduled for April 23 and 24 at the Williamstown Elementary School on Church Street. Books may be hard or paper bound but please make sure they are in very good condition. It costs the Friends a considerable amount to discard old or damaged books and volunteers have a tough enough job sorting and categorizing the keepers. Please remember that we do not accept Reader’s Digest condensed books, popular magazines, text books, or encyclopedia sets. This year we are also discontinuing videos. For more information on the sale or guidelines for donations, see the “Friends of the Milne” link on our main page.
Friends are seeking book donations for the big April sale
February 5, 2010 at 7:12 pm (Book Sale, Books, Community)
Milne on Facebook!
February 5, 2010 at 7:03 pm (Books, Community)
We are joining the world of instant communication by creating a Facebook Fan Page. Check us out at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Williamstown-MA/Milne-Public-Library/291857796377
“Singing in the Sheaves” at Rural Lands
February 4, 2010 at 3:22 pm (Uncategorized)
Local musician and Williamstown native Deborah Burns is relieving our winter doldrums by starting up a singing group hosted by the Rural Lands Foundation at Sheep Hill. Meeting dates will be Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. in beginning February 11 with a brief change to Wednesday evening Feb. 24 and no meeting scheduled for March 11. Previous experience is not required and Burns will have sheet music for traditional American folk songs as well as tunes from South Africa and Europe. A suggested donation of $10 will benefit Rural Lands and you don’t need pitch perfect pipes to join the fun. Contact Maggie Bye at 458-9443 or e-mail her at singinginthesheaves@gmail.com to sign on or get more information.
Mid-winter ALA in Boston, January 15-19
January 19, 2010 at 12:42 am (Community)
Tags: ALA, Library Conferences
A full-day workshop on “writing for the web” reminded us that the blog needs to be updated regularly. This page will be updated weekly and we hope to start a conversation about the public library and libraries in general using this as our forum. We will also begin making gradual changes to the library’s website and invite you to use this white space to tell us what is and isn’t working. Is the main page readable in the current color scheme? Can you find the information you need without a lot of scrolling or searching? Should some links or buttons be moved? Do you find the Reference and Database pages helpful?
Other activities at the mid-winter meeting included a packed and attentive house to hear former Vice President Al Gore discuss his latest book, Our Choice. Gore is very positive about our ability to meet the current environmental crisis provided we summon our collective will to legislate change. Although he is very proud of the popular movement to carry our own grocery bags, switch to CFL bulbs, change our windows, shorten our showers, drive a hybrid, and run energy audits on our homes and offices, Gore insists we must create new laws to protect the environment.
Last Minute Gift Idea
December 23, 2009 at 9:15 pm (Books, youth)
Here’s Robert Sabuda’s instruction for making a cool “pop-up” book spec_athr.cgi?pid=4234&a=1
Sampling a Gift from the Friends
December 8, 2009 at 4:22 pm (Uncategorized)
It’s that time of year. And in keeping with the season, the Friends decided the library should have a new camera. Not just any camera, but one with enough bells and whistles to keep the librarians occupied (with a technical manual) for a few days. Here is our first attempt at taping and transferring a movie file from the new Canon SX20 IS. If any of you out there are masters of this technology, stop by the children’s room and help Mindy figure out this new-fangled thing. You may thank the Friends in person at the December 9 festivities at the Williams Inn. It promises to be a beautiful New England evening with loads of snow. And we’ll be taking pictures, too. We are working on a shoestring budget here so instead of upgrading our blog for video we will show the story time clip on our web page. Check it out.
Friends Party Down
December 7, 2009 at 4:36 pm (Uncategorized)
Since December 1989, the Friends of the Milne have gathered together to provide financial support for the Williamstown Public Library. Over the years and through many book sales, the Friends have provided computer labs, professional training, fine furniture, special collections, and art work (to name just a few of their contributions) to make our library a special place. We hope you will join us at the Williams Inn this coming Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. to meet and greet these wonderful supporters and say thank you for all they do. Entertainment will be provided by “Northern Spy,” tables will groan with treats to sample, and ambiance will be provided by Marilyn and Carl Faulkner. See you there.
Haunted Williamstown
November 3, 2009 at 4:10 pm (Uncategorized)
The second Haunted Williamstown, brain child of Juliana Haubrich, was a successful “fun-raiser” for the House of Local History despite a downpour on Halloween evening. On Friday night, about 70 teens and adults danced, in costume, to the tunes of local band DaFe Brudajo. Sean McHugh was and believable Edgar Allen Poe and his escort a remarkable “Raven.” Lisa Sheldon took first prize as “Medusa.” The historical tour was deemed a rousing success with local actors telling the history of the Pine Cobble grounds and buildings. Food and friends for a perfect evening.
The following night featured a “pre-treat” party for children with magician Scott Jameson and a huge hay fort in the courtyard. Children also met Laura Ingalls Wilder and Beatrix Potter retelling their favorite stories in the children’s room. The later tours were dampened by a sudden downpour but several daring souls enjoyed another tour through the haunted House of Local History. It was a great event and kudos go out to Juliana, her crew of talented actors, and legions of volunteers.
