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Spring is here, and so is the Friends of the Wellesley Free Library Book Sale

April 28, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

After two years, the Friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries is thrilled to once again hold the annual spring book sale. This is a long-awaited moment for the community and patrons who depend on the spring sale to stock up for the summer. One of the librarians told us that a patron, upon seeing the book sale sign, let out a loud, “Yeah,” coupled with a  vigorous fist pump.

We concur.

Wellesley Free Library
Photo: Barbara Marx, president, Friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries

LOCATION: Wakelin Room, Wellesley Free Library, 530 Washington St.
MEMBER PREVIEW NIGHT: Thursday, April 28, 5pm-9pm
PUBLIC SALE: Friday, April 29, 9am-6pm
Saturday, April 30, 9am-5pm
BAG SALE ($10/bag): Sunday, May 1, 1pm-5pm

If you’re not already a member of the Friends, join at the door or on the Friends website.

Masks will be available at the entrance for patrons’ comfort.

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Filed Under: Books, Fundraising, Wellesley Free Library

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Friends of the Wellesley Free Library book sale—April 28 – May 1

April 21, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley book sale

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Filed Under: Books, Wellesley Free Library

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Wellesley Free Library Foundation Gala is April 7

March 26, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Every other year the Wellesley Free Library Foundation‘s Gala is the volunteer group’s signature fundraising event, anticipated by the town for letting loose as a community as well as lifting paddles for funds. The Gala will be held April 7, 2022 at the Wellesley Country Club.

Wellesley Country Club building
The Wellesley Free Library Foundation’s Gala will be held at the Wellesley Country Club.

The event will begin with a 6pm VIP reception on the Sunset Terrace, with raw bar hosted by award-winning chef Jeremy Sewall. Dinner will begin at 7:30pm in the main ballroom and will include a program emcee’d by news anchor Lisa Hughes, and a live auction.

This year’s Gala highlights Library Foundation’s near completion of a $600,000 grant that supported the recent renovation of the library’s main branch.  Funds raised in the Gala’s “raise the paddle” appeal will support technology enhancements at the Library.

Update (4/4/22): The event has sold out

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Filed Under: Entertainment, Fundraising, Wellesley Free Library

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Wellesley Society of Artists displays at library

December 4, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Society of Artists Annual Library Show, featuring 50-plus paintings, is being held at the recently reopened main Wellesley Free Library building until Dec. 30. You can find the art in the main lobby and in the Wakelin Room.

(Updated 12/6/21): Awards were given for first, second and third place as well as the Margaret Fitzwilliam Award for Excellence in Watercolor and the Yale Nicolls Award for best interpretation of the natural world. The judge for the show was Jeanne Rosier Smith.

The first place award winner is Lori Mehta for her painting Renew.

Second place went to Kristin Conant for her painting Stormy Boston Marathon in Framingham.

Awarded third place was Fritz Kubitz for his painting Eight Rowboats at Rest.

Yale Nicolls earned the Margaret Fitzwilliam Award for Excellence in Watercolor for her painting Tanked. Dayle Bodnar
received the Yale Nicolls Award for Best Interpretation of the Natural World for her painting Maine
Morning.

Wellesley Society of Artists exhibit at Wellesley Free Library


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Filed Under: Art, Wellesley Free Library

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Children’s room of Wellesley Free Library to lighten up

November 22, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Free Library, fall 2020
Wellesley Free Library

The children’s room of the Wellesley Free Library is temporarily closed for work on the serpentine wall, and to install additional lighting.

During the main branch’s reopening celebration earlier this month we noticed that despite the recent overhaul, sections of the renovated children’s area space were cast in shadow, mostly in the  stacks over by the restroom and water fountain area. Patrons and staff noticed as well, and now work has begun to fix the problem.

Library staff hopes the work will be complete in early December.

While the lighting issues are addressed, children’s materials can be accessed in the Wakelin Room.

childrens room wellesley free library closed


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Filed Under: Construction, Wellesley Free Library

Wellesley Fells Branch Library’s garden looking good

November 21, 2021 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

Trees are dumping their leaves and plants are packing it up for winter, but the year-round garden at Wellesley’s Fells Branch library at 308 Weston Rd., just keeps looking better and better.

Additions to the Fells Branch garden haven’t received as much fanfare as recent changes at the Wellesley Free Library’s main branch but if you haven’t been by lately, it’s worth a look.

The garden includes a handful of benches that surround the burbling fountain, plus new woody hut and chair structures via Frank Hamm, the designer known locally for Weezie’s Garden at Elm Bank Reservation. The nice thing here is that you can check out this garden for free, whereas you need to pay now to visit Weezie’s.

The library garden features a couple of musical sculptures as well that kids can bang on.

Garden at #Wellesley's Fells Branch Library looking & sounding good pic.twitter.com/Opr4fCFnZL

— swellesley (@swellesley) November 20, 2021

Between the garden’s transformation and the library’s indoor makeover from 2018, the Fells Branch has a whole new look. Library hours are 10am-5pm Tuesday-Saturday, though the garden’s always open during the day.

The Wellesley Free Library Foundation and Wellesley Garden Study Group have supported the garden project.

fells branch library garden

fells branch library garden

fells branch library garden


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Filed Under: Books, Wellesley Free Library

Re-opening day at Wellesley Free Library

November 7, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Wellesley Free Library‘s main building, closed since last spring for a $2.8M overhaul, welcomed back a masked-up public on Saturday during a grand opening event put on by the Friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries. The fun featured music by members of the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, butterfly-shaped shortbread cookies supplied by Wellesley’s own Quebrada Bakery, a ribbon cutting, big puppets, and children’s activities.

We were granted a sneak peek a month ago, but there was plenty new to see during the first real test of the official grand re-opening.

2021 wellesley free library from above
View from the second floor of the newly oriented circulation desk. The holds area is nearby, no longer shunted off to an awkward corner that also was home to the wall phone (yes, there are patrons who make use of that technology). We’re not sure where the landline is now located, but likely it’s in an area that affords more privacy.

 

Kids took part in craft projects at the entrance as puppeteers helped human-sized butterflies flit about.

2021 wlf butterfly

Inside, over 300 origami butterflies created by artists Michael LaFosse and Richard Alexander of Origamido Studio hovered over visitors to the revamped children’s room.

2021 ceiling art wellesley free library

We investigated the whole place, taking in the relocated fish tank in the spacious Commons room and catching music from Wellesley Symphony Orchestra players that wafted from the second floor to the rest of the library. Overall, the renovation has been beautifully done from the choice of jewel colors for the carpets and comfortable soft furnishings to the sight lines and traffic flow from the front of the building to the back.

2021 wellesley free library fish tank

#Wellesley Symphony supplies the tunes at @WellesleyLib reopening pic.twitter.com/emtaw1ftQP

— swellesley (@swellesley) November 7, 2021

2021 wellesley free library childrens room screen
It’s hard to resist the interactive screen in the children’s room.

 

hh hunnewell portrait wellesley free library
H.H. Hunnewell, whose funding allowed the library to start in 1883, would not recognize the place. His portrait, once behind an information desk, has a new view.

 

2021 wellesley free library meeting rooms
Modernized meeting rooms, second floor.

 

As for additional improvements we’d like to see, we hope shadows will be chased away with additional lighting in the Children’s Room, where considerable effort has been focused on making the library friendlier to its youngest patrons.  Also, we hope electrical outlets will be made available for the library carrels area on the second floor. We remember the days when we had to jockey for position to score one of the few carrels with outlets, so hope that won’t be the case going forward. Plus, the days of carrels with a view of the outdoors are over—some of the new meeting/conference rooms took over the coveted space that looks out over to Hunnewell School. At $25-$35 per hour to reserve, that view isn’t cheap.  There are, however, many other spots in the library that afford lovely views, for those who simply must have them.

Overall, we’re excited that the town’s unofficial happy place is up and running again. Thanks to the Hills and Fells branches, as well as the Temporary Main Library in Wellesley Square for picking up the slack for the past 6-plus months.


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