Winter is a great time to visit your local library. Cold snowy days are perfect for reading a book or watching a DVD. Need ideas for holiday crafts or recipes? In addition to our ongoing new book and DVD displays, we have holiday fiction and non-fiction books and DVDs prominently featured in the Carnegie Library in Turners Falls, Millers Falls and Montague Center libraries.
We also have a variety of fun seasonal events and parties. An annual gingerbread party will be held at the Carnegie Library on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Children of all ages and their caregivers are invited to make easy gingerbread houses. Candy, graham crackers and icing will be provided at this free event. A pirate party will be held at the Carnegie Library on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 10:30 a.m. Activities will include crafts, games, and snacks. The annual Valentine’s Day party will be held on Saturday, Feb. 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will make valentine inspired crafts, cards and other heart-themed projects.
People of all ages will have multiple opportunities for holiday card making at two of our libraries. The Friends of the Montague Libraries will sponsor a holiday/olstice card-making table at the Carnegie Library during the week of Dec. 9 through Dec. 14. Come in any time the library is open and make a card for family, friends, or consider making a card to be donated to a local nursing home. There will be an ornament and card making party for patrons of all ages at the Millers Falls Library today from 3:30 to 6 p.m., run by the Millers Falls Community Improvement Association.
The annual Snow Off the Avenue Contest has returned earlier than usual to the Carnegie Library. Last year, there was not enough snow until March — guess the date when the giant snow pile in the Food City parking lot across from the library will melt. One free raffle entry per person, please. The winner(s) will receive a Second Street Bakery gift certificate.
The Friends of the Montague Public Libraries continue to hold their book sales in the Carnegie Library basement on the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thousands of carefully sorted books, DVDs, CDs and audio books are sold for a dollar or less each. The proceeds are used by the Friends to provide public programs and improve the libraries.
Multiple events will be held during the February school vacation. Crafts-to-go for children will be available all week at the Carnegie. Tom Ricardi will bring live birds of prey on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. to the Carnegie. Lego pieces will be available for play on Friday, Feb. 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Our weekly programs are popular throughout the winter. A story time with Karen Wartel is held on Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. at the Carnegie Library, except for Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Homeschool Science series is held on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. at the Carnegie Library. Through Dec. 18, Jean Daley, a.k.a. the “Lego lady,” will lead classes with circuits, codes and coding. The series will then take a break for the holidays, then return Jan. 9. Music and Movement for young children with Tom Carroll and Laurie Davidson is at the Millers Falls Library through December on Thursdays at 10 a.m. It will not be held the day after Christmas. In January, the popular music series will rotate to the Carnegie Library through April.
The Montague Public Libraries will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. We will close at 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. For more information about our libraries and events, please stop by or visit our website, montaguepubliclibraries.org, our Facebook page or call 863-3214.
Linda Hickman is the director of Montague Public Libraries.