Welcome

Director's Welcome
Welcome to the Franklin Public Library Blog. A place to find out what's happening at the library. We invite you to explore this site and welcome your ideas and suggestions on what you would like to see and how we can better serve you. Our success depends on your constructive feedback and we thank you for your support as we continue to explore ways to inform, excite, and enrich your library experience.

December 22, 2010

Teen Advisory Board Meeting

December 20, 2010

Vacation Programs

Tuesday December 28, 2010 at 10:30 am there will be a Family Storytime for all ages.  No Registration is necessary.  Come and enjoy Seasonal Stories and songs.

Wednesday December 29, 2010 at 10:30 am  we will be presenting  "The incredible Mr. Limpet" starring Don Knox as Mr. Limpet.  The Movie has a G rating and lasts for 99 minutes.  "Join Henry as he goes from sink to swim in this victory story that celebrates the hero in all of us!"

Thursday December 30, 2010 from 10:30 am till 11:15 am  a Drop-in Craft time is scheduled.  We will make New Year's Eve noisemakers and stamp snowflakes .  Recommended for children ages 3 and up.

Wacky Wednesday is scheduled for Wednesday January 5,2011 at 3:30 pm for grades k-5.  Registration begins December 29, 2010.  A Lego Challenge will be the topic for this school aged program.

November 29, 2010

Teen Advisory Board

Teen Advisory Board Members
HOLIDAY CELEBRATION
DECEMBER 14, 6:30-8:00
LIBRARY MEETING ROOM

November 16, 2010

New Items for November 2010

Browse a list of new books, dvds, music, games and audiobooks recently added to the collection.  Click the title link to check availability in the Minuteman Library Catalog.

** New Items**

November 3, 2010

Looking Ahead

On Saturday, December 11,2010 at 1 pm David Polansky will present a Holiday Musical Performance.
There will be Christmas songs, Hanukkah songs, and winter songs for all ages.  Let Mr. Polansky put you in the Holiday mood!  No registration is required.

November 1, 2010

Teen Advisory Board





Students in grades 6 – 12 can join the Franklin Public Library Teen Advisory Board. Interested students should come on November 9, 4:00-5:00 to the library meeting room. The meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month, and they are a great way to have your say on what books, audiobooks,  playaways, CD’s, video games, graphic novels, movies, magazines and programs the library should add to better serve the teen population. Be sure to bring a friend, sign- up to volunteer and earn community service hours.

October 25, 2010

Database of the Month - Ancestry Library Edition


Everyone in the throws of a genealogy project is familiar with Ancestry.com, which is available for a subscription price to individuals.  Did you know there is also a Library Edition of Ancestry.com that is accessible for free(!) here at the Franklin Library?  Because the database does not allow for home access, you must visit the library to do your searching.  Here are some highlights of what is available inside Ancestry Library Edition:

ANCESTRY LIBRARY EDITION provides unprecedented access to family history via documents that record the lineage of individuals from North America, the U.K., Europe, Australia, and more. MAJOR CONTENT COLLECTIONS INCLUDE: U.S. collections contain hundreds of millions of records, including every-name indexed U.S. Federal Census records (1790-1930); U.S. Immigration collections, including ship lists (1820-
1960), Mexican and Canadian border crossings (1890s to 1950s), and U.S. Passport Applications (1795-1925); and vital records including the widely consulted Social Security Death Index.

Canadian collections provide nearly 60 million records, including new 1851, 1901, 1906, and 1911 Census of Canada; and vital records, such as the Drouin Collection (1621-1967), the largest and most valuable French-Canadian family history resource available.

United Kingdom collections including U.K. Census records for England, Wales, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, and Scotland—1841 to 1901, with nearly 200 million records; and parish vital records for England and Wales starting in the 1500s.

German collections including more than 8 million records from census, vital records,
emigration indexes, ship lists; and phone directories (1915-1981) with millions of
names for five of Germany's major cities.

Jewish collections developed in partnership with Jewish Gen include more than 30 individual collections covering North America, Europe, the Holocaust, and more.

Military collections deliver over 150 million records containing information often not found elsewhere; includes records from colonial to the Vietnam era.

Other worldwide collections include expanded coverage in Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Australia, and China.


October 14, 2010

Adventures on the Web: Learning in your jammies



My sister is a preschool teacher.  Today she came from the school to the library to pick up her requested books and I happened to notice that she was wearing this comfy looking cotton outfit covered in little black and gray Halloween bats. It looked suspiciously like…p-jays.  “It was pajama day at school!” she informs me. Then I started thinking how cool it would have been if my sisters and I could have gone to school every day in our jammies instead of scratchy sweaters and noisy corduroys.  Two great things could have happened:

  1. We would have been relaxed and mellow and happy to learn and expand our minds!!!
  2. We would have made it to school on time…occasionally.

Okay, maybe not. But today, with the internet at our every whim and disposal, we CAN learn in our jammies  Here are some free websites where you can learn anything from Pythagorean theorem to ballroom dancing.

Teach yourself sign language - http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/
Free online courses from the University of Washington (Shakespeare, Civil War, Greek Mythology & more - http://www.extension.washington.edu/openuw/
Links to many websites to learn math, math and more math - http://math.whatcom.ctc.edu/content/Links.phtml?cat=3
Christian Theology courses - http://worldwide-classroom.com/
CPR courses from University of Washington School of Medicine - http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/
John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s wide range of health courses from Genetics to Nutrition- http://ocw.jhsph.edu/
Tell your friends you went to MIT! Good selection of courses in a variety of disciplines - http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
Math, Science and computer programming at Better Explained - http://betterexplained.com/
Khan Academy – enormous selection of courses in Algebra, Physics, Calculus, Statistics, History, etc - http://www.khanacademy.org/
As Promised, Ballroom Dancing! - http://www.ballroomdancers.com/

October 6, 2010

Halloween Fun at the Library

October 4, 2010

Sparky's Puppets


Saturday, October 30,2010  Sparky's Puppets presents "A Halloween Harvest" at 1 pm.  This show is suitable for ages 3 and up.  No registration is required and is funded by the Friends of the Franklin Public Library.

TEEN MOVIE

TEEN NEWS

September 16, 2010

FUN MEETING TUESDAY 9/14.  It was great to see all of you.  Halloween Party meeting will be Tuesday October 21,  7-7:30. 

September 15, 2010

Database of the Month - Overdrive (Digital Media Catalog)

Franklin Public Library and the Minuteman Library Network provide many entertaining, informative, and educational databases that residents can access for free with a Minuteman Library Network card.  Each month we would like to one to you and hope you find your new favorite resource.

Visit the library and get one today!


The Digital Media Catalog (OverDrive) provides popular audiobooks and eBooks for users to download to a computer, mp3 player, or eReader.  All you need is a Minuteman Library card and PIN number to checkout or make requests for items you select.  You will also have to download Overdrive Media Console software to your computer. Click on the link below for an video explanation of what digital media is, and how Overdrive Media Catalog works:
Overdrive video introduction

Click here to watch a video on how to download the free Overdrive Media Console software to your computer.
Click here to watch a video on how to browse, checkout and download digital media.

Enjoy!

September 14, 2010

Signing for Babies

Instructor Sheryl White CIMI will give an hour long class on teaching babies to sign on Tuesday October 5, 2010 from 10:30-11:30 am.  Recommended age is 2 months and up.  No Registration is Required.  Learn how to teach American Sign Language to babies.  Program is funded by the Friends of the FRanklin Public Library.

Birthday Party

Come celebrate the Franklin Public Library's birthday on Saturday October 2, 2010 from 12pm -2pm.  We are 106 years young! There will be a birthday cake and games for the children.  No registration is required.

Museum of Science Program

Wednesday, October 6,2010 at 4PM the Museum of Science Travelling Programs will present  "Rockets:There and Back Again" for children ages 6 and up.  This hands on workshop explores the science behind rockets and space exploration and lasts about 45 minutes.  We will be presenting  "Science Wednesdays"  quarterly throughout the school year and this is our first program in that series.  Registration is required and you may register by calling the Children's Room at (508) 520-4940  ext. 2.

September 1, 2010

Thank You Mrs. Taylor

Behind Closed Doors

Sign ups begin Wednesday September 1st for grades 2-5 for the Special Library Tour "Behind Closed Doors".  This tour will be on Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 9:30 am till aproximately 11 am.

August 16, 2010

Welcome

Welcome to the Franklin Public Library Blog.  A place to find out what's happening at the library.