Friends of the Jones Library System News

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The Jones Library is pleased to present a program by local author Martha Johnson.  If the New Year finds you choosing a career, contemplating a change, or re-entering the work force, then join us for a program that provides an opportunity for career reflection. Based on the book "Why Not Do What You Love?  An Invitation to Calling and Contribution in a World Hungry for Your Gifts," local author Martha Johnson offers attendees of any age a chance to engage with questions and possibilities that may provide clarity and enrichment as you seek to achieve current work/life goals. Join us in the Large Meeting Room at the Jones Library on Thursday, January 19, 2012 from 7 – 9 pm.  The snow date is February 2. Martha Johnson has lived a long life of doing what she’s loved, as a school teacher, Peace Corps volunteer, National Park Ranger, founding principal of her own consulting and training practice, and leader coach.  She is currently a resource for wom...

Join The Jones Library System on Friday, December 30, 2011 from  5:15-7pm at the UMass Mullins Center for the second annual "Kids Day  at the Mullins Center." Local businesses and museums, including The Jones Library, will set up  stations on the concourse featuring interactive and educational  activities. Afterwards, stay for the UMass Men's Basketball game as the Minutemen  take on Central Connecticut State at 7pm.  Tickets are only $6 per  person. Hope to see you there!

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We are so excited to introduce our new, first ever, Jones Library book discussion group! We will have its first meeting on Wednesday, January 18th, from 11-12:30 and then will meet (tentatively) on the 3rd Wednesday of each month through June. It is being organized by volunteer Lee Wicks and group members will take turns leading the discussion. The theme for these first six months will be political books and the first selection is " All the King's Men " by Robert Penn Warren. This is an adult book group and pre-registration is required as unfortunately, we must limit the number of members. Please pre-register at the Reference Desk, or by calling Reference at 259-3096.

The Friends of the Jones would like to thank Amherst Books for their wonderful donation of 10% of all proceeds on Amherst's Bag Day. Amherst Books presented the Friends with a very generous $706 check. The Friends use donations like these to, among other things, purchase books for the town libraries, fund music and art programs, and support the Jubilat/Jones poetry series. Thank you, Amherst Books!

Joe Blumenthal of Northampton's Downtown Sounds will be leading a "Ukulele Jam Session," with a special performance by AEIOUkes, at The Jones Library on Sunday, January 8, 2012, from 2 to 3:30pm. Come strum, learn to play, sing along, or just listen. All ability levels are welcome. Please call Amy Anaya at 413.259.3132 if you would like to borrow a Uke for this event. This FREE program is intended for ages 13+.

From Monday, December 5th through Friday, December 30th, The Jones Library, Inc. invites you to bring in your overdue library materials along with a non-perishable food donation to any branch library in Amherst. In return, the libraries will send your donations to the Amherst Survival Center as well as waive your overdue fines. Help our libraries and those in need at the same time!

Annual Meeting News At today's meeting, the Friends of the Jones Library voted to sponsor  the family-friendly Children's Music Series presented in February & March,  the monthly Chess Club for Kids,  emergency cleanup and plant care for the Kinsey Memorial Garden,  extra supplies for frame conservation, and  support for the Library Legislative Breakfast in January.   More Friends projects are underway, including a reception for new Director Sharon Sharry (cancelled earlier due to snow, now tentatively set for January 10) and the Friends Fabulous Valentine Basket Auction coming in February.  Many thanks to all members of the Friends! Your membership contributions make these events and library improvements possible.

This Saturday, December 3rd, is Bag Day in Amherst. Amherst Books has once again graciously agreed to partner with us, donating 10% of every purchase to the Friends. Please help support the Friends and shop locally this Saturday at Amherst Books.

Frame Restoration Project a Success! Many thanks to Chief Preparator William Myers and his students at the Smith College Museum of Art who donated their time and expertise to repair and conserve the ornate frame of "The English Lord" oil painting that greets visitors to the Jones Library. The Friends of the Jones Library System funded the conservation materials needed to clean the frame, create replacements for missing ornamentation, repaint and polish the frame to a golden luster. Details of the restoration procedures are documented in a display next to the artwork. It took over a year to bring the painting's ornate frame back to its former glory and back to the hallway where has been on display since 1928.

New Date for Friends Annual Meeting Because of the destructive snowstorm, the Annual Meeting of members of The Friends of the Jones Library System (all who have contributed to the Friends' fund drive in the last year) has been postponed. Instead of the original date, it will be held the morning of Monday, December 5 at 7:45 AM in the Young People's Reading Room on the ground floor. All members are invited. There will be an election of Board members. The following persons have been nominated to serve on the Board of the Friends for a 3-year term: Edith Byron, George Goodwin, Lucy McMurrer. These three, along with the recently elected Bonnie Isman and Mary Elizabeth Strunk, are members of the class of 2014. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.

Sign up to get the latest library news delivered to your email address! Library Director Sharon Sharry shares news about our busy libraries and ways they can make your life easier and more fun. All you have to do is sign up on the Library website at www.joneslibrary.org OR fill out a short form on your next visit to the library. Here's a recent example: ************************************************************* "The Jones Library now has a scanner available for free public use. The scanner is located in the Reference Room. In addition, we continue to offer inexpensive printing, copying, and faxing. Costs are as follows: * Black & white printing is $0.10 per page. * Color printing is $0.50 per page. * Black & white photocopying is $0.10 per page. * Domestic faxing requires a credit card and is $1.50 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page. We hope to see you soon at The Jones! Sharon *********************************************************...

The Jones Library System needs MORE Friends! Now is the perfect time to join or renew your membership in the Friends of the Jones Library System and support Amherst's three Town Libraries. Friends donations benefit the entire community and make possible the following: new materials and books ($18,000); diverse workshops and programs such as Chess Club, art series, Community Sing, Sing With Your Baby ($3800); jubilat/Jones poetry series, bringing nationally recognized poets to Amherst ($2150); and various museum passes ($1685). We hosted a retirement party for the community to celebrate the work of outgoing Jones Library Director Bonnie Isman. Members of the Friends also participated in the search this summer for a new Director of the Jones Library. And the Friends supplied hospitality with edible treats for the Emily Dickinson Museum’s “Emily Dickinson Big Read” series held at the Jones. The Friends have been working hard to honor the gift of Richard and Nathalie Wood...

On a Fall Cleaning Spree? Don't forget the Friends! You can help make the Friends' Basket Auction fundraiser a success by "re-gifting." We especially need donations of large (laundry sized wicker baskets, decorative metallic baskets, and/or reed baskets) donations of 'new' or 'look like new' books tissue paper donations (in colors) would be appreciated Sign up now to volunteer your time in January and February. Are you someone willing to catalog the baskets, type up descriptions and print out descriptions once the baskets are made? We also need someone good at "pricing the baskets to sell" - a retail savvy Friend who puts a value on baskets once they are 'ready to go.' Contact Angela Mills at pavs4all@yahoo.com to be part of the fun.

2011 Friends Annual Meeting November 1 -- Meet Sharon Sharry! Join the Friends of the Jones Library on Tuesday, November 1 at 7 p.m. in the downstairs meeting room to welcome our new Library Director, Sharon Sharry. A brief Friends business meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. before the reception. Everyone is welcome.