December 20, 2013
Wowbrary! Ta-daow!
We’re pleased to announce a new service called Wowbrary which enables you to see what new books, audiobooks, music CDs, and DVDs have been added to our combined Amherst collections each week.
You may sign up to receive a weekly e-mail or view the list anytime at Jones Library.org by clicking on “Books Etc” and then selecting “New Books.”
Read about our new items in categories ranging from Arts to Cooking and from Travel to DVDs, and be among the first to place holds on new items.
December 19, 2013
All Members Welcome!
Dear wonderful Friends,
We will be having our annual board meeting on Monday, January 6th at 8:00 a.m. Please come join us in the Woodbury Room at the Jones Library to hear what we've been up to and what we're going to be up to. Maybe you could even share with us ideas you have for what the Friends can do...?
And, of course, you can find out if there really is a secret Friends of the Board password that will open all the doors of Amherst to the select few who know it.
Come into the library through the back door by the gardens. We'll see you there!
Love,
the Friends
Tonight: "The Retrospective" by Abraham Yehoshua
Please join us TONIGHT, Thursday, December 19; 7-8:30pm; in the Amherst Room of the Jones Library as John Clayton, University of Massachusetts Amherst emeritus, leads a discussion of "The Retrospective" by Abraham B. Yehoshua.
For a review of the book, click here.
To see the list of upcoming discussion dates/titles which will be a part of this scholar-led series, please go here.
To watch a video of a cat riding on a Roomba, go here.
December 16, 2013
Ellen and George Goodwin Room dedication
The Jones Library has named the most elegant (and elevated) room in its building for long-time Friends of the Jones Library board members Ellen and George Goodwin.
Below are some pictures from the dedication ceremony.
Tina Swift opening the ceremonies.
Katie George with fond memories of Ellen and George. Olé and bravo!
Katie and Emily Goodwin, one of Ellen and George's daughters.
George receiving the children's books donated to the library in honor of the Goodwins.
Trustee President Austin Sarat presenting the key to the library to George Goodwin.
Grazie! Thank you! Merci! Danke! Gracias! Takk!
On Valley Gives Day YOU, you wonderful people, you gave us $700! We can do quite a lot with that. We're very grateful to you for your generosity. Thank you, thank you.
MWAH! XOXO!
December 13, 2013
SWAG
If you're looking for a gift for that Special Someone this holiday season, look no further than the Jones Library! That's right! The Friends of the Jones Library is offering handy totes, beautiful stickers, warm mugs for your hot cocoa, and, of course the FOTJL magnet. If that's not a conversation starter, we don't know what is!
The most expensive item is $15, the least expensive is $5. You can see everything on display by the circulation desk. And right here in the photo. You can pay in the main office. Easy as pie.
And for that person who has everything? They don't have a Friends tote yet!
Come on by, shop for the holidays, return your books, and go home and enjoy a nice hot beverage in your very own Friends of the Jones Library mug.
Ho ho ho.
Legos, Legos, Legos!
December 12, 2013
Valley Gives Day!
It's here! It's here! Valley Gives Day is finally upon us! Please, won't you help the Friends?
Click here to give and help support prizes for reluctant readers in the three libraries' Summer Reading Clubs or send a second grade class to explore the Jones or open the doors to local museums with a library museum pass!
Just think of all the good you can do!
December 11, 2013
It's TOMORROW!!!!
That's right, Friends! The Big Day is nearly here! Mark your calendar, set your alarm, tie a little string around your pinkie. Do whatever it takes to remember THIS!
December 6, 2013
Less than one week!
That's right! You have less than one week until Valley Gives Day. 12.12.13. It's pretty exciting around Friends of the Jones Headquarters as we gear up for Valley Gives Day. We hope you're marking your calendars and marking this link.
And we really hope that on Thursday of next week, you'll give to the Friends of the Jones Library so we can give back to our community.
December 4, 2013
Virtual Ascendance: Video Games and the Remaking of Reality
Thursday, December 5, 2013
7pm
Woodbury Room of the Jones Library
Please join us as local author Devin Griffiths presents a reading from his new book,Virtual Ascendance: Video Games and the Remaking of Reality.
Virtual Ascendance examines the cultural influence of video games and the industry behind them, illuminating the ways games and gaming are impacting society and changing how we work, play, and live. The book introduces readers to gaming in a broader context, detailing both the expanded use of video games and the audience for them. Though it’s written predominantly for self-described non-gamers, the book offers insight to casual and hardcore gamers as well.
Devin C. Griffiths has been writing all his life and gaming almost as long. He studied science journalism at Hampshire College, and launched his own PR and marketing company, Catamount Communications, in the early 2000s. He lives in Belchertown with his wife and son, and is still an avid gamer. His first book, Virtual Ascendance: Video Games and the Remaking of Reality, chronicles his six-year journey down the rabbit hole of video games and the industry behind them.
This program is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
For more information, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.
December 2, 2013
Valley Gives Day
It’s on! The Friends of the Jones Library is gearing up for Valley Gives on 12.12.13. During Valley Gives, western Massachusetts nonprofits (like us!) collaborate with the goal of getting thousands of Valley residents to support their favorite nonprofits. (Like us!) By donating here, you help charities become eligible for special prizes totaling $200,000.
The Friends raise funds to make our libraries welcoming places for all. We make possible free public programs featuring the talented musicians, poets, chess teachers, writers, and artists who encourage learning for all ages. We fund activities that give our children and teens safe, enjoyable things to do after school. The Friends museum pass program opens doors to cultural institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Mass MOCA in North Adams, and the Erin Carle Museum right here in Amherst.
This year all donations to the Friends through Valley Gives will go purely to children’s programming and museum passes. Learn more about where your Valley Gives dollars will go here.
Last year, more than 6,000 individuals donated over $1 million through Valley Gives. Won't you help the Friends help our community?
Library closings
The Jones Library will close at 3pm this Friday, December 6, so that library staff can attend the annual Town Employee Holiday Party.
The North Amherst Branch Library, however, will remain open so that residents.
If you happen to have some extra cookies and eggnog, maybe you should bring them by the North Amherst library and do a little caroling for the lovely librarians missing their holiday party for us.
Sadly, the Munson Library in South Amherst is always closed on Fridays, due to budget cuts. Bah humbug!
November 25, 2013
Oil paintings by Elizabeth Perkins
December 2013 Burnett Gallery Exhibit
Flowers: A Closer Look
Oil Paintings by Elizabeth Perkins
Opening Reception:
Thursday, December 5, 2013
5 – 8p.m.
Burnett Gallery of the Jones Library
Artist’s Statement: Elizabeth Perkins
I paint in order to explore the effects of light on forms in the natural world. Flowers, close-up, present a fascinating panorama of translucence and reflected light: transforming colors and rendering the contours of petals in abstract ways. I welcome you to the world that I enter as I paint their images. Pause, breathe and rest, in these interpretations of nature.
The Lathe of Heaven
Next Tuesday, December 3, 7-9 pm
Goodwin Room of the Jones Library
The club meets on the first Tuesday of the month, from 7:00-9:00 pm. The discussion will be moderated by Amherst resident Paul Budney, a retired mathematics professor and long-time enthusiast of science fiction and fantasy books and movies.
For the first meeting on December 3, the selection is "The Lathe of Heaven", by Ursula K. LeGuin. Copies are available at the Reference Desk.
For more information, please contact Linda Wentworth at wentworthl@joneslibrary.org or 259-3168.
November 21, 2013
Why our future depends on libraries...
As author Neil Gaiman says, "Libraries are about freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication."
The Friends of the Jones Library System couldn't agree more. To read his full article, click here.
November 19, 2013
"The Orientalist" book discussion Thursday
Please join us Thursday, November 21; 7-8:30pm; in the Amherst Room of the Jones Library as Mary Wilson, of UMass, leads a discussion of "The Orientalist" by Tom Reiss.
For a review of the book, click here.
To see the list of upcoming discussion dates/titles which will be a part of this scholar-led series, please go here.
Hope to see you there!
Book Fair at Barnes and Noble
Please help support the Jones Library by shopping at the Hadley Barnes & Noble on:
Saturday, November 30 & Sunday, December 1, 2013
In an effort to raise funds for children’s programming at the Jones Library, Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Hadley will be hosting a book fair during its open hours.
Barnes & Noble will contribute a percentage of every sale made with a special book fair voucher to the Jones Library. Vouchers will be available online at the Jones Library‘s website www.joneslibrary.org and in hard copy at the Jones Library.
You can also shop online in support of the Jones Library by visiting www.bn.com/bookfairs from 11/30/13 through 12/01/13 and include the book fair voucher ID: 11131935 on the payment page during checkout.
In conjunction with the weekend book fair, the following children’s events will also take place at Barnes & Noble:
Saturday: 11am, 1pm, and 3pm: Goose and Seuss
Sunday: 11am: Ukulele Sing Along
12pm: Reading and signing by author/illustrator
Diane de Groat
2pm: Ukulele Sing Along
Questions: call or email Sondra Radosh at 413-259-3091 or radoshs@joneslibrary.org.
November 12, 2013
Women's Voices Worldwide speech competition
Click on each image to enlarge it.
Girls' speech competition:
Women's speech competition:
Holiday Book Fair Saturday at the Jones!
On Saturday, November 16, thousands of beautiful, gently used books will be for sale at bargain prices at the Jones Library in Amherst. For the first time, the Holiday Book Fair will welcome sixteen local authors and publishers selling new books, as well as new books and gifts from the Emily Dickinson Museum.
Shoppers can visit with local authors, such as artist Nina Rossi, who makes craft items from old books, and children’s authors Diane DeGroat and Judith Inglese. Authors of books about Amherst’s history appearing on Saturday include Dan Lombardo, Pat Holland, Bill Robinson, Sheila Rainford and Ruth Owen Jones. Gerald McFarlane, Margaret Lobenstine, Beth Anne Moonstone, Peter Blood, Annie Patterson, Seth Sherwood, and Ed Tick will all be available to sign and sell their work. Signed books by local cartoonist Denis Kitchen will be available to purchase.
The Holiday Book Fair runs from 9:00 am-3:00 pm and admission is free. Donations of recent books in good condition are welcome before November 14.
The Holiday Book Fair is sponsored by the Friends of the Jones Library System. Visit the Jones Library at 43 Amity Street in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Questions: Bonnie Isman, 413-256-1021
Linda Wentworth, 413-259-3168
November 8, 2013
Jones Library Lego Club tomorrow!
The next meeting of the Jones Library's Lego Club will be TOMORROW Saturday, November 9, at 3pm in the Woodbury Room.
The word of the day will be "velocity," and the building challenge will be "wheeled wonders."
For more information, please call the Children's Room or email Theresa Atteridge at atteridget@joneslibrary.org.
Happy building!
The word of the day will be "velocity," and the building challenge will be "wheeled wonders."
For more information, please call the Children's Room or email Theresa Atteridge at atteridget@joneslibrary.org.
Happy building!
Jones Library Holiday Book Fair!
Sixteen (count 'em!) SIXTEEN Local Authors to Appear at the Jones Library Holiday Book Fair, Saturday, Nov. 16.
Shoppers at the fair can visit with local authors, including Nina Rossi, Diane DeGroat, Judith Inglese, Dan Lombardo, Pat Holland, Bill Robinson, Sheila Rainford, Ruth Owen Jones, Gerald McFarlane, Margaret Lobenstine, Beth Anne Moonstone, Peter Blood, Annie Patterson, Seth Sherwood, Ed Tick, and Denis Kitchen. All will be available to sign and sell their work.
Browse thousands of beautiful, gently used books offered at bargain prices. Also choose from new books and gifts from the Emily Dickinson Museum.
The Holiday Book Fair runs from 9:00 am-3:00 pm Admission is free.
Donations of recent books in good condition are welcome before November 14. The Holiday Book Fair is sponsored by the Friends of the Jones Library System.
Shoppers at the fair can visit with local authors, including Nina Rossi, Diane DeGroat, Judith Inglese, Dan Lombardo, Pat Holland, Bill Robinson, Sheila Rainford, Ruth Owen Jones, Gerald McFarlane, Margaret Lobenstine, Beth Anne Moonstone, Peter Blood, Annie Patterson, Seth Sherwood, Ed Tick, and Denis Kitchen. All will be available to sign and sell their work.
Browse thousands of beautiful, gently used books offered at bargain prices. Also choose from new books and gifts from the Emily Dickinson Museum.
The Holiday Book Fair runs from 9:00 am-3:00 pm Admission is free.
Donations of recent books in good condition are welcome before November 14. The Holiday Book Fair is sponsored by the Friends of the Jones Library System.
November 6, 2013
Upcoming library closings
· The Amherst Public Libraries will be CLOSED on Sunday and Monday, November 10th and 11th, for the Veteran’s Day Holiday.
· We will be OPEN on Saturday, November 9th, but our circulation system will be down, as we upgrade to a new release.
You must bring your library card with you that day if you plan on checking out materials.
· From Friday, November 8th at 6 p.m. until Tuesday, November 12th, we will not be able to place holds for you and you will not be able to place holds from home.
We are very sorry for this inconvenience.
Questions: Amy Anaya 413-259-3132 or anayaa@joneslibrary.org
· We will be OPEN on Saturday, November 9th, but our circulation system will be down, as we upgrade to a new release.
You must bring your library card with you that day if you plan on checking out materials.
· From Friday, November 8th at 6 p.m. until Tuesday, November 12th, we will not be able to place holds for you and you will not be able to place holds from home.
We are very sorry for this inconvenience.
Questions: Amy Anaya 413-259-3132 or anayaa@joneslibrary.org
November 5, 2013
jubilat/Jones Reading Series!
Come hear poetry readings Sunday, 11/17, at 3 p.m. in the Woodbury Room of the Jones Library. Free and open to the public! Q&A immediately following.
Chris Bohjalian comes to Amherst!
On the Same Page -- Amherst
Bringing the local community together by encouraging residents to read the same book and by offering programming and opportunities for discussion about the book!
Read Chris Bohjalian's "The Sandcastle Girls" and come here him speak on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at the Amherst Regional Middle School Auditorium.
For further information about the “On the Same Page - Amherst,” please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.
October 30, 2013
Calling All Amherst Authors, Illustrators, and Booksellers!
Saturday, November 16, 2013
9:00 am - 3:00 pm, the Jones Library
As part of this year’s Friends of the Jones Library Holiday Book Sale, we are inviting Amherst authors, illustrators, booksellers, and nonprofit organizations to take part. We will provide tables so that they can sell their books and/or book-related materials. This is an excellent opportunity for authors to sell signed copies of their book(s).
Participation is free, and all proceeds are yours to keep. We will publicize the event in the local media and at the library.
Interested parties should contact Linda Wentworth, wentworthl@joneslibrary.org by Friday, November 8, 2013.
October 29, 2013
NEWS RELEASE -- FOR IMMEDIATE USE
Contact: Bonnie Isman, 413-256-1021 or Linda Wentworth 413-259-3168
email: friendsofthejones@gmail.com
Jones Library Holiday Book Fair
Saturday, November 16, 9:00 am-3:00 pm
Find gifts for the booklovers on your list: like-new used books, local history books, books by local authors, book bags, and more!
Donations of recently published books in good condition are welcome before November 14. The Holiday Book Fair is sponsored by the Friends of the Jones Library System. Visit the Jones Library at 43 Amity Street in Amherst, Massachusetts.
October 28, 2013
Frankenstein the movie!
at the Jones
This Thursday, Halloween, October 31!
7:00 pm
Woodbury Room of the Jones Library
Mwah ha haaaa....
October 25, 2013
October 17, 2013
The Wild Swans
This Saturday, October 19, 2:30pm
Woodbury Room of the Jones Library
Young dancers from Amherst Ballet will present an excerpt from the ballet The Wild Swans. This will be an original ballet based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.
Choreographed, directed, and narrated by Heather Reichgott, the performance will feature several dance students ages 8 – 10. The full ballet will be performed by Amherst Ballet at a later date – details to be announced.
This program is free and open to the public.
For more information, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.
October 16, 2013
Ghostology 101
Friday, October 18, 2013
6:30 pm
The Woodbury Room of the Jones Library
Agawam Paranormal presents:
GHOSTOLOGY 101 --
a Basic Introduction to the Paranormal World
For ages 12 and up...If you dare....
Questions: please call Tomi Eve, Young Adult Services Coordinator, at 413-259-3091.
Pentimento
Please join us tomorrow, Thursday, October 17, 7-8:30pm, in the Amherst Room of the Jones Library as Maddy Blais, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, leads a discussion of "Pentimento" by Lillian Hellman.
For a review of the book, click here: http://www.clivejames.com/books/pillars/hellman.
To see the list of upcoming discussion dates/titles which will be a part of this scholar-led series, please go to http://guides.library.umass.edu/people.
Hope to see you there!
October 10, 2013
"Light in August" by William Faulkner
Come discuss "Light in August" on Saturday, October 12, at 2:30pm Amherst Room of the Jones Library!
Join the Classics Book Club this October to discuss William Faulkner's "Light in August." We'll meet on Saturdays from 2:30-4:00 on October 12th, 19th and 26th. Copies of "Light in August' are available to check out at the Jones Library’s Reference desk.
Contact Seth Rothberg at 413-259-3092 with any questions, and check out the Classics Book Club blog athttp://classicsbookclub.wordpress.org/.
Haven't read it yet? You still can! It's Faulkner! He's a quick read.
Join the Classics Book Club this October to discuss William Faulkner's "Light in August." We'll meet on Saturdays from 2:30-4:00 on October 12th, 19th and 26th. Copies of "Light in August' are available to check out at the Jones Library’s Reference desk.
Contact Seth Rothberg at 413-259-3092 with any questions, and check out the Classics Book Club blog athttp://classicsbookclub.wordpress.org/.
Haven't read it yet? You still can! It's Faulkner! He's a quick read.
October 9, 2013
October 8, 2013
jubilat/Jones Reading Series!
Come hear poetry readings Sunday, 10/20, at 3 p.m. in the Woodbury Room of the Jones Library. Free and open to the public! Q&A immediately following.
Go see some art!
If you want to road trip on a beautiful fall afternoon in New England or if you're just looking for something to do on a rainy Saturday afternoon, the Friends of the Jones can help you out.
We've purchased museum passes to all the places below (We even hyperlinked them here for you, too. Because we're good Friends.) to make your museum outings that much more pleasant!
Amherst Historical Society & Museum
Boston Museum of Fine Arts
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
Historic Deerfield
Children's Museum at Holyoke
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
MASS MoCA
Mass State Parks Pass
Mystic Aquarium
Smith College Museum of Art
Zoo in Forest Park
After you've decided which museum you want to visit, swing by the Jones (the branches also have some of these passes), pick up a pass, and you're on your way. Enjoy!
TOMORROW! All teens: get your craft on!
Join us as we create monsters to be used to decorate your rooms, backpacks or lockers.
Wednesday, October 9, 3:30-5pm
Woodbury Room of the Jones Library
Questions: please call Tomi Eve, Young Adult Services Coordinator, at 413-259-3091.
Wednesday, October 9, 3:30-5pm
Woodbury Room of the Jones Library
Questions: please call Tomi Eve, Young Adult Services Coordinator, at 413-259-3091.
October 4, 2013
Donating is a snap!
You know how you have the best of intentions and you keep meaning to donate to the Friends but then...you forget? Or you lost that Friends membership letter you got in the mail last week? Or your checkbook is waaay over there and you're right here?
The Friends want to make life just a little bit easier on you. Click here. You can donate to us from the comfort of the chair you're sitting in right now. Or the couch you're lounging on right now.
But if you're reading this in the tub, you really shouldn't. You can ruin your computer that way.
What Congress should be reading...
Quirk Books, an independent book publisher in Philadelphia, has compiled a list of books for our senators and representatives to read during this government shutdown:
(click on image to enlarge.)
October 3, 2013
North Amherst Library closed tomorrow
Thanks to the Town of Amherst, insulation is being installed in the North Amherst Library tomorrow, Friday, October 4.
Thus, the Branch will be CLOSED.
We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. But in February when it's really toasty in the North Amherst Library, you'll be so happy...
Thus, the Branch will be CLOSED.
We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. But in February when it's really toasty in the North Amherst Library, you'll be so happy...
October 2, 2013
TOMORROW NIGHT!
Thursday, October 3, 7pm
Woodbury Room of the Jones Library
Local author Susannah Sheffer presents a reading from her new book, Fighting for Their Lives: Inside the Experience of Capital Defense Attorneys. A time for discussion will follow the reading.
Susannah Sheffer is the author of several books and articles, most recently Fighting for Their Lives: Inside the Experience of Capital Defense Attorneys (Vanderbilt University Press, 2013).
This program is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
For more information, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.
September 30, 2013
Cook with a Nook!
Beginning Tuesday, October 1, 2013, 3:30pm
at the Boys & Girls Club of Amherst
The Jones Library, Inc. and the Boys & Girls Club of Amherst invite teens ages 12 and up to join us as we use Nooks to search for recipes which we will then cook together.
This program will take place every Tuesday (except the 15th) throughout the month of October, but you are welcome to attend as many or as few of the sessions as you wish.
Questions: please call Tomi Eve, Young Adult Services Coordinator, at 413-259-3091.
Western Mass Newspapers Now Available!
Want to read the local paper in your pjs with your bedhead and NOT venture out into your front yard to pick it up? You can!
Effective immediately, library users have in-library and remote access to 10 local newspapers throughout the 4 Western Mass counties!
ACCESS – If you currently or previously used NewsBank, you can probably just continue using it as you did in the past. If you don’t have or know that URL, go to http://infoweb.newsbank.com from your library’s computers. If you get right into the NewsBank welcome screen and it contains a listing for “Massachusetts” (which lets you access these new titles) you should be all set. If you encounter problems, contact NewsBank Customer Service by phone at 1-800-243-7694 or email at custserv@newsbank.com.
Remote access is also available for people to use outside the library or on their own devices. They should use the same URL http://infoweb.newsbank.com. Remote users will be prompted to enter their library card number, and they should get right in. Once again, if you learn of remote access issues, contact NewsBank Customer Service by phone at 1-800-243-7694 or email at custserv@newsbank.com.
Keep those bunny slippers on!
September 27, 2013
"Bridging Cultures: Muslim Journeys" at the Jones Library
Earlier this year, the Jones Library was selected to receive a
bookshelf grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. During
the month of October, a series of programs will be presented to continue the
exploration of the themes of the Muslim Journeys bookshelf
grant.
The Jones Library is pleased to be partnering with ION (Interfaith
Opportunities Network), a local interfaith organization, in offering these
programs to the Amherst community. The programs are free and open to
all, and will be held in the Woodbury Room of the Jones Library.
· October 1 at 7 pm: Reflections of an
American Muslim Woman
Hanan Yacteen will reflect on women and Islam as she shares her
experiences as an American Muslim.
· October 5 at 2:30 pm: Koran By Heart:
Screening & Discussion
Join us for a screening of this documentary about three 10 year
olds at the annual International Holy Koran Competition. A
discussion follows, led by Muhammad Ashraf.
· October 17 at 7 pm: Book Discussion of Minaret by
Leila Aboulela
Join us for a discussion led by Matt Goodwin from UMass-Amherst.
· October 22 at 7 pm: Islamic Art and
Architecture: A Window into Muslim Cultures and Societies
Prof. Walter Denny, from UMass-Amherst, will discuss the role that
art and architecture have played in the Islamic world.
· October 29 at 7pm: Pathways of Faith
Dr. Ali Hazratji will speak on the basic beliefs
of the Islamic faith.
For more information about the Bridging Cultures: Muslim
Journeys initiative, visit the website athttp://bridgingcultures.neh.gov/muslimjourneys/
For further information about the Muslim Journeys grant and
programming, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.
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