September 2019 Library News & Events
All programs take place at the Roslindale Branch Library and are free of charge unless noted otherwise. The library will be closed on Monday September 2 in observance of Labor Day. Call the branch at 617-323-2343 for more information. Learn more at friendsofroslindalelibrary.org.
Closing For Renovation
The Roslindale Branch closing was delayed and will now officially close for renovation on Friday, October 18 at 5 PM. Museum passes, holds, and other items will be transferred to the West Roxbury Branch. The branch will be closed for approximately two years.
Frequently Asked Questions and Library Programs During the Renovation
Over the last few weeks, we have put together answers to the most frequently asked questions about the renovation we have received from you into one FAQ list (updated last week) for your perusal. We have also finalized the list of regular programs that will continue after the library closes and takes effect on October 19. Please note the Saturday Race and Inclusion book discussion with Josh Frank will still start at JP library on September 7. A big thank you to the Roslindale Community Center, Rogerson Communities, and the Jamaica Plain Branch Library for accommodating our programming during the renovation! Please note that both lists are subject to change, and we will do our best to keep you updated with the latest information as it comes to us. If you still have questions and need more clarification, please let us know at [email protected].
Help record our iconic building before the renovation! Calling all photographers - all ages, all experience levels.
We invite you to take photos of the library building before it closes on October 18. Then submit your best three images to the Friends at [email protected] by October 19. We will use them on our website now and in the future to remind us all of the building as it is now. Champions of Reading Adult Book Bingo!
The Beautiful Struggle Book Discussion
Saturdays, September 7, 21 & 28, 1:15-3 PM
Jamaica Plain Library, 30 South Street
We are happy to announce our new collaboration with the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library and the JP Branch Library with our Race and Inclusion series during the renovation. Thanks to a recent grant from the City-Wide Friends of the BPL for making this happen! Our first book discussion will be about Ta-Nehisi Coates's memoir, The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood. We will explore how the author's upbringing has influenced his thinking about race, social justice, and politics in America. The discussions will be led by local educator Josh Frank and books can be borrowed from the Jamaica Plain Branch. Please note the time change!
Meet-and-Greet the New Children's Librarian
Saturday, September 21, 11 am - 1 pm
Come meet our new children's librarian, Celeste Bocchicchio-Chaudhri. This is a great time to learn about all the great activities she has planned coming up, especially during the renovation. We will have snacks for the kids.
Knit/Crochet Circle
Wednesdays, 1:30-3 PM
Come to the library to craft and have a pleasant conversation with your neighbors in this weekly drop-in social group. All levels of skill are welcome.
Bouncing Babies
Fridays, September 6-October 11, 11:00 AM
Babies from 0-2 are invited to join us for Bouncing Babies Storytime! Come enjoy lap rhymes, tickle rhymes, songs, and stories for our littlest friends. Playtime will follow storytime with an assortment of age-appropriate toys.
Pajama Storytime
Thursdays, September 12, 19, 26, October 10 &17, 6:30 PM
Put on your PJ’s and head over to the library for songs, stories, and rhymes before bed. Pajama Storytime is appropriate for children ages 0-5.
Adult Book Discussion
Thursday, September 19, 1:30-2:30 PM
We will be discussing Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. We will meet at the Library again October 17 at 1:30 pm. Beginning in November, we will meet at the Roslindale House community room on the Third Thursday at a new time, 12:30 PM.
Rozzie Reads Poetry and Open Mic
Thursday, September 26th, 7 pm, Roslindale House, 120 Poplar Street
Featured readers: Mignon Ariel King and William Orem
Children's Author Event with Isaac Cohen
Saturday, September 28, 11:00 AM
Isaac Cohen, author of Sambi Goes Shopping, will read from his book and show and discuss his artwork. Sambi Goes Shopping is a funny story about a boy who goes shopping for the first time by himself and all the characters, the situations and the obstacles that he faces and overcomes. Cohen's art will also be of interest to adults.
Adult Book Bingo!
Get some reading done while winning bingo prizes from the BPL this summer. All you have to do is pick up a bingo card at the Roslindale branch or online. Then, fill in your Bingo Card with what you read, did, or discovered between Monday, July 1, 2019, and Sunday, September 1, 2019. Drop your completed card off at any BPL location or send a picture of the card to [email protected] by end of day on Saturday, September 7. All are welcome to participate, but only Boston Public Library cardholders (including eCards) ages 18 and up are eligible to win a prize. If you do not have a library card, sign up for one at the circulation desk.
Note: Lego Club will start up again at the library on Thursdays, October 3, 10, and 17 at 4:30 p.m. We start meeting at the Roslindale House Community Room, 120 Poplar St, on Thursdays on October 24 at 4:30 PM.
Weekly Adult Programming
English Conversation Group
Thursdays, 6 pm - 7:30 pm
Spanish Conversation Group
Saturdays, 11 am - 12 pm
Weekly Children's Programming
Preschool Movies
Mondays, 10:30 am
Toddler Time
Tuesdays, 10:30 am
Coming Soon!
October 18
FORL at Roslindale Village Farmer's Market
October 19
October 26
Welcome Our New Children's Librarian and Custodian!
Our new children's librarian was hired and her name is Celeste Bocchicchio-Chaudhri. She started on August 26. She grew up in Kent, Ohio where she got her start working in libraries as a shelver in high school. She continued to work in her hometown library on and off through college. She spent eight years in higher education studying anthropology, religious studies, South Asian studies, and gender studies before returning to library work. Celeste became a shelver at the Roslindale Branch in 2012, got her MLIS from Simmons University in 2016, and has been working as a children’s librarian ever since. When not at the library, Celeste works on her writing and painting in the hopes of someday publishing her own children’s books. Celeste lived in Roslindale for seven years before moving to Hyde Park, where she lives with her husband, two children, two cats, six fish, and two hamsters. Returning to the Roslindale Branch as a children’s librarian feels like the best kind of homecoming. The library will host a special meet and greet with Celeste on Saturday, September 21 at 11 am.
We also have a new custodian and his name is Rydell Jordan. He joined our team on July 29, and he has been busy maintaining our building ever since. Say hello to both Celeste and Rydell the next time you are in the library!
Every Membership and Donation Counts!
We plan to keep running most of the library programming during the renovation, including Toddler Time and the Race and Inclusion series. Thanks to a recent grant and donation from the City-Wide Friends of the BPL and Google, respectively, we will be able to fund some programs. However, we will need more support during the whole time the library is closed. Please consider joining or renewing your Friends membership or making a donation to keep many of your favorite programs going during this period. Having a membership will also ensure you that you stay on our email list and stay up to date with all of our events during the closure.
Library Museum Passes!
Looking to do something fun and educational with your family this summer? The Friends sponsors the library's museum pass program, which is available to any library cardholder. Reserve all passes in advance for a particular day. Plastic, returnable passes are checked out like books and must be returned to the library after your visit. To get passes, contact the circulation desk at the library or go to bpl.org. You can also visit some of these museums for free on certain days thanks to the Highland Street Foundation.
Children's Museum
One-day paper pass admits 4 people, with half-price copay per person
DCR MassParks
Returnable parking pass for $5
Franklin Park Zoo
One-day paper pass admits 6 people, $9 per adult and $6 per child
Harvard Museum of Natural History
$6 per visitor, limited to four people
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
One-day paper pass for 4 people, $5 copay
Museum of Fine Arts
One-day paper pass admits 2 people, with $10 copay per person
Museum of Science
One-day paper pass admits 4 people for free, this doesn't include parking fee
USS Constitution Museum
Returnable pass for 9 people, free admission
Wheelock Family Theatre
With a library card and calling the theater ahead of time, patrons can get 2 for 1 admission
Maker Kit Available at the Roslindale Library
The Friends purchased a K’Nex Builders Kit for library patrons to use. Build your own designs or use the included directions and choose from 52 designs. Pieces connect together in all kinds of interesting ways. Designs range from beginner to advanced. Many more ideas can be found online. You need a BPL card to borrow it. Please request it at the circulation desk.
Support Tracy Wiggins
Tracy is very grateful for all the love and support for her family in the last few weeks. You can continue to send your donations to https://www.gofundme.com/support-tracy-wiggins. We will send another email if Tracy needs special assistance from the community.
Rozzie Reads One Book!
The Friends of the Roslindale Library will host another community-wide Rozzie Reads One Book while the library is undergoing renovation. Help us decide what to read! Here are the general criteria:
--Local author preferred
--Possibilities for multigenerational programs
--Available in paperback
Please recommend a book on our nomination form.
Limited call for book donations prior to renovation closing
We didn't have our annual book sale this year because the Roslindale branch is expected to close this summer. Until then, the Friends could use some book donations for our daily sale shelves in the rotunda, our farmer's market visits, and our new community library network. Please bring in small batches of your recent fiction and non-fiction in good condition. Give your donations to the staff at the circulation desk. All sales from books will support the library.
Volunteers Wanted
We are looking for volunteers for a number of Friends' and library programming. Please view the job descriptions on VolunteerMatch. If you are interested in any of the positions, contact us at [email protected].
Books of the Month
Each month we feature themed booklists grouped for adults, teenagers/young adults, and children, and can be borrowed from the Roslindale Library!
Books about Hispanic Heritage
Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15. Here is a list of books either written by prominent Hispanic authors and/or about the Hispanic American experience. La biblioteca tambien tiene libros en español.
Banned Books Week 2019
The American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) promotes awareness of challenges to library materials and celebrates freedom of speech during Banned Books Week, which takes place this year September 22 - 28. Here are the top eleven most challenged books as reported in the media and submitted to ALA by librarians and teachers across the country in 2018.
Words of Wisdom
"Well-run libraries are filled with people because what a good library offers cannot be easily found elsewhere: an indoor public space in which you do not have to buy anything in order to stay." - Zadie Smith, Feel Free
Support the Friends!
We are a volunteer-run organization. All the work we do for library programming, publicity, and building improvements is done with support from the community. There are many ways to support the Friends, like donating, becoming a Friends member and even shopping on Amazon!
Contact the Friends
For information about the Friends, contact us. We also share information about upcoming events, photos from past events and other library news on Facebook and on our blog!
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