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Open chess offered at Wellesley Free Library

June 1, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

Interested in learning to play chess? Looking for more opportunities to practice or improve your game? Drop in at the main Wellesley Free Library branch (530 Washington St.) for a friendly game of chess and meet other players in the Wellesley community. Players of all levels are welcome and a volunteer instructor will be present. Chess boards are provided but participants are welcome to bring their own.

Mondays beginning June 5: 4:30-6:00PM

Thursdays beginning June 8: 7:00-8:30PM

Best for ages 10 and up, however all ages are welcome; children under 10 need to be accompanied by an adult. No registration required.

Interested in volunteering? Please contact Cara Rothman at crothman@wellesleyma.gov or 781-235-1610 x1213


Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Wellesley Free Library

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An hour in a Wellesley garden—library in full bloom at Foundation event

May 18, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Free Library Foundation celebrated spring with an opening reception for the organization’s “Books in Bloom” fundraising event. Guests moved around both floors of the library to appreciate stunning floral interpretations of much-loved fiction, non-fiction, and picture books. The opening night reception  featured live music by the Wellesley High School MTB Jazz Trio. Guests enjoyed raw bar by Wellesley’s own Row 34 chef-owner Jeremy Sewall; savories from Waski’s Cheese Shop; and treats from Ware Baking Co.

Proceeds from the event help The Library Foundation to fund enhancements such as expansion to the library’s collections in the form of new databases, evolving materials formats, expanded reference materials, and more. Their motto: “We take what you love and make it better.”

The flowers arrangements (along with the food and the open bar) are gone, but here are some pictures.

Wellesley Free Library Foundation, Books in Bloom
Pedestal sponsored by The Lara and Chelsea Collaborative. Book inspiration: The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Floral designer: Alison Campbell, Hen and Chick Gardens

 

 

Wellesley Free Library Foundation, Books in Bloom

 

Wellesley Free Library Foundation, Books in Bloom
Pedestal donated by Justin and Lisa Harrison. Book inspiration: Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea, by Elizabeth Suneby, illustrated by Rebecca Green. Floral designer: Wellesley Natural Resources Commission

 

Wellesley Free Library Foundation, Books in Bloom
Pedestal donated by Sexton Test Prep. Book inspiration: Tails with Gig: Stories from the Dog Blog, by Katherine L. Babson Jr., illustrated by Katherine K. Macdonald. Floral designer: Cindy Jaczko

 

Wellesley Free Library Foundation, Books in Bloom
Pedestal donated by Julia Marriott and David Harding. Book inspiration: The Making of Butterflies, by Zora Neale Hurston, illustrated by Ibram X. Kendi. Floral designer: Petals & Branches

 

Wellesley Free Library Foundation, Books in Bloom
There isn’t always an open bar just outside the library’s Childrens Room. More’s the pity.

 

Wellesley Free Library Foundation, Books in Bloom
Pedestal donated by The Madden Davis Real Estate Group. Book inspiration: Unaccustomed Earth, by Jhumpa Lahiri. Floral designer: Wellesley Gardeners’ Guild members Judy Terpilowski (left) and Kathleen Carney-Mark. Not pictured: Vivian Baguer Holland

 

Wellesley Free Library Foundation, Books in Bloom
Thanks to Wellesley High School Key Club members for their warm welcome to the event. From left: Seva, Maisie, Anna, Evan, and Dhruv

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Filed Under: Art, Books, Charity/Fundraising, Entertainment, Environment, Food, Gardens, Wellesley Free Library

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Get tickets now for Wellesley Free Library Foundation Books in Bloom opening night reception

May 11, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

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Filed Under: Books, Charity/Fundraising, Entertainment, Wellesley Free Library

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Friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries spring book sale: April 27-30

April 25, 2023 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

Friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries holds its spring book sale April 27-30 at the main library at 530 Washington St.

  • A member preview kicks things off on Thursday, April 27, 5-8pm.
  • The public sale takes place Friday, April 28, 9:30am-6pm and Saturday, April 29, 9:30am-5pm.
  • Bag sale is Sunday, April 30 1-4:30pm, $10 per bag.

wellesley library book sale


See something, send something:  theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Books, Wellesley Free Library

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Author to discuss ‘Before Brooklyn: The Unsung Heroes Who Helped Break Baseball’s Color Barrier’ at Wellesley Free Library

February 25, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Join Ted Reinstein as he discusses his new book, “Before Brooklyn: The Unsung Heroes Who Helped Break Baseball’s Color Barrier,” at Wellesley Free Library at 530 Washington St. (online or in person).

brooklyn book


Got a unique story to share? Let us know at theswellesleyreport@gmail.com


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Filed Under: Books, Sports, Wellesley Free Library

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Rep. Peisch to address 1 of the great mysteries: How our laws are made

January 30, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Massachusetts Legislative Process: How Our Laws Are Made

State Rep. Alice Peisch, WellesleyJoin state Rep. Alice Peisch as she explains the life cycle of a bill through committee and beyond, and how you can advocate for policy change. The event takes place on Saturday, Feb 4, 11am-12:30pm, at Wellesley Free Library’s main branch (530 Washington St.)

This presentation is free and open to the public.

Registration is appreciated.

Sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Wellesley


Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Government, Wellesley Free Library

Save the date: Author to discuss ‘The Combat Zone’ at Wellesley Free Library on Feb. 7

December 29, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

combat zoneCome to Wellesley Free Library (530 Washington St.) on Feb. 7 at 7pm for an author presentation with Jan Brogan, author of The Combat Zone. This re-examination of the 1976 murder of a Harvard football player in Boston’s old Combat Zone reveals the impact the two trials had on the city, state and ultimately the nation.

Although this non-fiction account takes place in the 1970s, The Combat Zone deals with issues that are even more relevant today: race, police corruption, victim’s rights, and flaws in the criminal justice system. Beyond a suspenseful narrative, it also explores survivor grief and the fine line between justice and revenge. It was recently nominated for a 2022 Anthony award for best non-fiction and short listed for an Agatha award for best non-fiction.

Jan Brogan has been a journalist for more than thirty years, working as a correspondent for the Boston Globe, a staff writer for the Worcester Telegram and the Providence Journal, where she won the Gerald Loeb award for distinguished business writing. She is the award-winning author of four mysteries, Final Copy, Confidential Source, Yesterday’s Fatal, and Teaser. Transactional Pictures, (Steven Soderbergh and Philip Fleishman) have purchased the rights to A Confidential Source for development.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries.

Register for the in-person event or join online: https://wellesleyfreelibrary.libcal.com/event/9570818

Buy Jan Brogan books

Filed Under: Books, Wellesley Free Library

Wellesley Free Library news: Challenges of keeping part-timers; Chief DeLorie gets a book; Flash fiction contest

December 18, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The latest news from the Wellesley Free Library:

Challenges of keeping part-timers

Wellesley Free Library Director Jamie Jurgensen and Chair of the Board of Trustees Marla Robinson presented an update on the library’s operations and plans before the Advisory Committee on Dec. 14 (see Wellesley Media recording below).

A big focus of the update was reassessing and improving staffing given employment realities and demand for services, especially in the children’s and information services areas.

“I know everybody’s having problems hiring people, retaining people. We have big issues with retaining part-time people,” said Jurgensen, who shared data on how much turnover the library sees with part-time people, often because they find full-time work elsewhere (15 part-timers turned over during fiscal year ’22 and there have already been 8 in the current fiscal year).

Jurgensen is looking to combine 2 part-time children’s librarian jobs into 1 full-time and to do likewise with 2 information services part-time positions to create 1 full-time job.

Other takeaways from the presentation:

  • The library will explore the concept of going fine-free during as part of its next strategic plan, which will be filed next September. About 300 of the 367 libraries in the state have already gone fine-free, Robinson said.
  • The library is on the verge of contract negotiations with its supervisor and staff unions for fiscal year 2024.
  • A traffic study will be pushed into FY ’25 to get a handle on how the new Hunnewell Elementary School opening will affect traffic around the library.
  • The library is making a concerted effort to attract a more diverse staff, and part of that simply involves placement of job openings in more general places (like Indeed.com) vs. only library-centric job boards.
  • A cybersecurity audit, like the 1 the town has done recently, is in the plans.

 

2021 wellesley free library from above

 

Fire Chief DeLorie honored, gets a book

The Library Board of Trustees presented retiring Wellesley Fire Chief Rick DeLorie with a proclamation and a copy of one of his favorite books (“Team of Rivals”). The library also purchased a copy of the Doris Kearns Goodwin book for the library dedicated to DeLorie’s 30-plus years of service to the town.

“The Library has always been a special place with very special people,” says DeLorie, who recent read books to kids at Fells branch for the Heroes Garden celebration.

Library board of trustees with Rick DeLorie
Library Board of Trustees honors retiring Fire Chief Rick DeLorie

delorie proclamation

 

Flash fiction contest

Wellesley Free Library is holding a flash fiction contest, with winners’ stories being uploaded to the Short Story Dispenser at the main branch.

All ages are welcome to submit an entry, which must be fictional, though can deal with historical or biographical topics in a literary way.

Maximum length: 8,000 characters, including spaces. Most flash fiction is around 500 words.

Submit entries via email in the body of the email, single-spaced. Include a story title, your full name, and a 2-sentence statement about yourself.

Flash fiction workshops for adults will be held as well on Jan. 11 and 18 from 10am-noon. Register for these programs.

A creative writing program for tweens (5th-8th graders) will be held on Jan. 5 and 12 from 3:30-4:30pm. Register beginning Dec. 29.


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Filed Under: Wellesley Free Library

Wellesley Free Library display recognizes signing of U.S. constitution

September 5, 2022 by admin 1 Comment

The Daughters of the American Revolution, a service organization for women who are directly descended from people involved in the United States’ efforts towards independence, celebrates Sept. 17 annually to recognize the day the U.S. constitution was signed in 1787.

The local chapter, the Amos Mills-Lucy Jackson Chapter, has organized a display on the second floor at Wellesley Free Library’s main branch for September.

 

Daughters revolution wellesley free library
Terry Horrigan, Liz Becker, Lorelei King, Nathalie Pommier, Jane Kettendorf, and Ann Foley

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Filed Under: History, Wellesley Free Library

Wellesley arts news: Davis Museum previews fall exhibits; Abstract art welcomes you to the library

August 9, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Our roundup of the latest Wellesley arts news:

Davis Museum previews fall exhibits

Wellesley College’s Davis Museum, closed as usual for the summer, will return this fall with a handful of new exhibits open to the school community and the general public.

Among the exhibits, slated to be shown from Sept. 15 to Dec. 18:

  • Lisa Reihana: in Pursuit Of Venus [infected] The exhibit was shown at Brown University in the spring and was described as offer “a lush land and soundscape, one that reimagines 18th century European exploration of the Pacific as a cycle of colonial reinfection and Indigenous recuperation rather than singular moments of contact.”
  • Gold, Glass, and Pearls: Ancient Mediterranean Jewelry
  • Freedom of Expression: African American Printmakers Abroad
  • Telling Time: Recent Acquisitions

Davis Museum, Wellesley

Abstract art welcomes you to Wellesley Free Library

Wellesley Free Library’s hallway exhibit features the colorful, abstract work of self-taught artist Clare Daniels, who lives in Framingham.

clare daniels


Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Filed Under: Art, Wellesley College, Wellesley Free Library

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