ABINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS          July 29, 2010

Yo Yo People

The Abington Public Library is pleased to announce that the Yo Yo People! will be performing on Wednesday August 18 at 11:00am to help wrap up the annual Summer Reading Program. John and Rebecca Higby have appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, PBS Kids, Discovery Chanel, and are 2008 Guinness World Record Holders. Prepare to be amazed! This program is for Abington residents ages 4 and up and is funded by the Friends of the Library. Registration begins on Monday August 9. Caregivers with questions should contact the library at 781-982-2139 or ablib@ocln.org.

Little Groove Musical Program

Join in the musical fun at the Abington Public Library with a performance by Little Groove! Little Groove performs groovy, fun, educational music for children. Their 2008 debut CD, Building Blocks , was named a Parent's Choice Award Winner, and received a National Parenting Publication Award. Little Groove will perform on Tuesday August 3 at 11:00 AM. Registration begins on Tuesday July 20 and is limited to Abington residents. This program is generously funded by the Anderson Foundation Cultural Series. Caregivers with questions should contact the library at 781-982-2139 or ablib@ocln.org .

Teen Book Discussion – The Hunger Games

Teen readers entering Grade 7 and older are invited to attend a discussion of Suzanne Collins' young adult novel The Hunger Games on Tuesday August 3 at 7:00 PM. Teens need to read the novel prior to the discussion, in order to fully enjoy the program. The third book in Collins' popular series will be published at the end of August, and discussing the first book provides an opportunity for fans to review the action and adventures of the original novel. Teens may contact the library at 781-982-1239, or via email at ablib@ocln.org to register. Copies of the book are available at the library; space is available for twenty-four Abington teens at this program which is funded by Gap/Old Navy.

To see a complete list of summer programs, view the “Get Your Green On” calendar of events. 

Summer Reading Program - Join the Fun!

Registration continues for the annual Summer Reading Program! “Get Your Green On” invites children of all ages, from toddler to teens, to enjoy reading for pleasure over the summer months. From June 21 to August 18, participants can earn a token for every hour spent reading. At the end of the summer the Friends of the Library will fund animal adoptions based on the number of tokens earned. This year participants will be able to help adopt a red panda and kiwi birds from the National Zoo in Washington, DC. Performers and supplies for the summer reading program are funded by outside sources including:  The Friends of the Library, the Anderson Foundation, the J.L. Bumpus Fund, and Lowe's Home Improvement of Abington.  The Board of Library Trustees and Acting Director Deborah Grimmett regret that due to reductions in the Library budget, and the recent resignation of the the Children's Librarian, summer program offerings have been reduced by 35% from 2009.  Programs are limited to Abington residents. As always, caregivers with questions or concerns should contact the library at 781-982-2139 or ablib@oln.org.  

ABINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS          May 25, 2010

Changes in Library Hours

The Abington Public Library will close on Saturdays for the summer beginning June 5; Saturday hours will resume in early fall. The Board of Library Trustees reluctantly voted to close the library on Fridays beginning June 25, due to the reduction in the library budget for fiscal 2011. Questions may be addressed to Acting Director Deborah Grimmett at ablib@ocln.org or via telephone at 781-982-2139.

Adopt-a-Library-Book Thank You

Thank you to all who adopted books during the library's recent event.  More than 40 books were adopted by members of the community!  Library users chose a book, contributed the cost of the book to the Library's gift fund, and a customized message was placed in the book. Questions about this program may be addressed to Acting Director Deborah Grimmett at ablib@ocln.org or via telephone at 781-982-2139.

Friends of the Library Book Sale

The Friends of the Library are pleased to thank the community for a successful book sale!  The April Book Sale raised more than $2100.00 for library programs and services.  The Friends of the Library fund family passes for museums and area attractions, and also fund children's programs, books and other library materials, and other items.  The Book Sale is a major fund-raiser for the Friends, and the group thanks the many people who donated books, and the people who visited the sale and purchased books and other materials.   

ABINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS          December 14, 2009

Donation from the Friends of the Library

The Board of Library Trustees of the Abington Public Library is pleased to announce that the Friends of the Library have generously donated $2850.00 to the Library Gift Account. This donation will be used to purchase children's books and for other library needs. At a recent meeting the Friends discussed the reduction to the library budget and evaluated ways to help. The town budget appropriation for purchasing library books and audiovisual materials is now underfunded by more than $15,000 and while the Friends' primary mission is to provide resources for programs, and for special materials such as museum passes, the group has taken the unprecedented step of making an unrestricted donation for general acquisitions of books for preschool and early elementary school aged children.

As part of the certification process, the Abington Public Library is required to spend 15% of the total library budget on materials such as books, DVD's and reference databases. Additional monetary donations are needed to meet this requirement for the current fiscal year. Donations may be made to Abington Public Library Gift Account or to the Friends of the Library. The address for both is 600 Gliniewicz Way Abington, MA 02351.

Donations of used books do not fulfill the requirements of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners for library materials expenditures; however the Friends of the Library are looking for donations of recently published paperback and hardcover books, as well as CD's and DVD's for the Friends Book Sale shelf. All donated materials must be in good condition, and residents are asked to donate no more than ten items at one time, in accordance with library policy. Questions may be addressed to Acting Library Director Deborah Grimmett at 781-982-2139 or via email at ablib@ocln.org.

ABINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS          November 12, 2009

Library staff volunteers to take additional unpaid furlough time

Each member of the Abington Library Staff Association has generously offered to take 3 more days of unpaid furlough time, for a total of 10.5 days per staff member for this fiscal year. The Acting Director has also volunteered to take 3 additional furlough days, totaling 10.5 days. One part time non-union employee will also participate; other non-union employees' hours were severely reduced or eliminated as a result of the budget reduction voted at the October 26 town meeting. Closing the library on Monday evenings, and cutting hours on Saturdays reduced the library salary line by $6,748.00 and the extra voluntary furloughing of the library staff further reduces this account by $2,712.00. The reduction to library salaries voted at the Town Meeting totaled $10,233.00. The Board of Library Trustees is exploring options for raising the remaining 773.00 necessary to balance the library salary budget. Due to the necessity of restructuring the library schedule and the reduction in hours of the Reference Librarian's position, the Board of Library Trustees announces that there will be a 20% decrease in children's programming and that library outreach at the Abington Council on Aging facility has been reduced by 50%.

Henry DiCarlo, Chairman of the Board of Library Trustees said: “The Trustees appreciate this generous and unselfish act on the part of the library staff. The Union indicated that their decision to voluntarily take additional furlough hours was influenced by the support for library services shown by the Board of Selectmen, the Finance Committee, and most mportantly the residents of Abington at the Town Meeting.”

Reduced hours of service at the Abington Public Library began the week of October 19 th . The library now closes earlier on both Monday and Saturday. Current library hours are:Monday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Tuesday 10:00 AM – 8:30 PM, Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Thursday 10:00 AM – 8:30 PM, Friday 12:30 PM – 5:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM. Library users with questions may contact Acting Director Deborah Grimmett at 781-982-2139, or via email at ablib@ocln.org .

ABINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS          October 19, 2009

Library Hours Reduced

Hours of service at the Abington Public Library will be reduced by 10% beginning the week of October 19 th . Effective immediately, the library will close earlier on both Monday and Saturday. Reduced library hours are: Monday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Tuesday 10:00 AM – 8:30 PM, Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Thursday 10:00 AM – 8:30 PM, Friday 12:30 PM – 5:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM. This change in hours was authorized reluctantly, and with grave reservation, by the Board of Library Trustees and is necessary due to the impending reduction in the library budget. Library users with uestions may contact Deborah Grimmett at 781-982-2139, or via email at ablib@ocln.org .

ABINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS          Recent and Noteworthy

Email Addresses Wanted

For the last few months, the Library staff has been asking users for their email addresses. For the customer, email notices eliminate telephone calls at inconvenient times and lost messages. For the Library, email notices help keep expenses down by greatly reducing the number of telephone call notifications made by staff. Due to the conomic downturn, the Library budget has been reduced, and the Board of Library Trustees are asking library users to help save money by adding email addresses to their library accounts. This can easily be accomplished during a visit to the Library. Please note that for security and privacy reasons, email addresses must be supplied in person.

Book a Librarian

Do you need some help learning to navigate the computer to use the public library's online resources? Abington residents may reserve time for a 30-minute training session with the reference librarian from Abington Public Library. One-on-one instruction on the following topics is offered: using the library Web page; searching the online catalog; placing holds and renewing items online; finding information in databases; setting up an e-mail account. To schedule an appointment, call the reference librarian at 781-982-2139 on Mondays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. or on Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Tumblebooks Database for Kids

The Abington Public Library is pleased to announce the arrival of its newest database, TumbleBooks. TumbleBooks is an online collection of animated, talking picture books. These e-books were created by taking existing picture books and adding animation, music, sound and narration to create an electronic picture book that you can read or have read to you. This is the first database the library has offered exclusively for young children. For more information, or help accessing TumbleBooks please contact Children's Librarian Emily Miranda at 781-982-2139 or ablib@ocln.org.  Visit the Children's Page to try Tumblebooks Now!

Museum Pass Reservations Online

The Abington Public Library is pleased to announce that library users may now make reservations for Museum passes online from the Library website, www.abingtonpl.org . Abington residency and a valid Library card are required to reserve all museum asses.The Library has a variety of passes which offer discounted admission to local museums. Attractions include the Children's Museum in Boston, the Children's Museum in Easton, he John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science, the Mystic Aquarium, Plimoth Plantation, the Roger Williams Park Zoo, and the Sports Museum of New England. The Abington Lions Club funds the pass for the Children's Museum in Boston, the Mystic Aquarium donates the pass to the Aquarium, and all other passes are provided through the generosity of the Friends of the Library. Discounts and admission rules vary for each pass; visit the Library website for more information.

Library Wireless Internet Service

The Abington Public Library provides free Internet access points or “hot spots” for users with portable computers capable of receiving wireless  signals. This service, provided as a free community service by Comcast, may be used during regular library hours and allows users to access the Internet from their laptop computers when sitting at tables in the main areas of the library within range of the access points. Printers however, are not available via the wireless connection.

All wireless access users should have up-to-date virus protection on their personal laptop computers or wireless devices. As with most public wireless “hot spots,” the eless connection in the library is not secure. Another wireless user could potentially intercept any information being sent or eceived.

All users of the library's wireless access are expected to use the service in a legal and responsible manner, consistent with the educational and informational purposes for which it is provided. Those choosing to use this free wireless service are also expected to abide by the Abington Public Library's Internet Use Policy. Copies of this policy are available at the circulation desk.