On Top of New England: A Portrait of the Hills

Nicholas Shaw, from Amherst Regional High School, will present a slide show exploring the geography and ecology of the New England highlands as well as the colonial, romantic, and modern periods of our highland history.  A discussion will follow.

Saturday, May 4 at 2:30 pm - Woodbury Room

Channel your inner Julia!

You know how everyone loves your meatloaf? Or your pineapple upside down cake? Or your broccoli with peanut sauce?  Share it with FRIENDS!

We're creating a community cookbook and we need YOUR help.  Just click here to submit your amazing recipe (or hey, just send it in an email to us here).

Bon appetit!

A People’s Guide to the Federal Budget

You paid your taxes but where did that money go?   Want to learn?  

The Jones Library is hosting a book discussion of A People’s Guide to the Federal Budget, led by Jo Comerford, Executive Director of the National Priorities Project, on Tuesday (that's TOMORROW!!), April 30, from 7 – 8 pm in the Woodbury Room of the Jones Library.  She will also provide an update on the 2014 federal budget process.

Copies of the book are available to borrow at the Jones Library reference desk.

Free and open to the public.  For more information, please contact Linda Wentworth at 413.259.3168.

Bridging Cultures Muslim Journeys Bookshelf Grant awarded!

The Jones Library is one of 842 institutions throughout the country selected to receive a Bridging Cultures Muslim Journeys Bookshelf Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.   The Bookshelf Grant is composed of a collection of 25 books and 3 DVDs, as well as other supporting resources and access to Oxford Islamic Studies Online, an online resource of primary source documents and current works of scholarship.

Programs exploring the themes of the Muslim Journeys bookshelf will take place in the fall of 2013.  The Jones Library will partner with ION (Interfaith Opportunities Network), a local interfaith organization, which will help support the programming and extend the audience for the public programs.  Lee Bridegam, ION Co-Convener, stated,  “The ION membership is gratified to learn that Jones Library received this important grant, that will provide significant material to aid us all in the further understanding and clarification of our perception of Islam.”   Having this local organization in collaboration with the Jones Library will enrich the experience for the entire community.

“I am proud of the Jones Library for winning this grant, but, frankly, I'm not at all surprised," State Senator Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst) said. "The Jones has always been one of our community's main focal points for gaining knowledge and, perhaps even more importantly, understanding. This grant will allow the library and its staff to continue that fine tradition.”

For further information about the "Bridging Cultures" grant, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.

Who is helping give out half a million free books across America on April 23rd?

The Jones Library is!

On April 23, 2013, 25,000 volunteers will give away half a million free books in more than 6,000 towns and cities across the country.

World Book Night U.S. is a campaign to give thousands of free, specially printed paperbacks to light or nonreaders across America on one day. Volunteer book lovers help promote reading by going out into their communities and sharing free copies of books they love. The mission of World Book Night is to seek out those without the means or access to printed books.

Some of the volunteers in our community will be picking up their books at the Jones Library and sharing them in locations as diverse as VA hospitals, roller skating rinks, mass transit, nursing homes, schools, food pantries, and more.  We at the Jones Library are proud to be a partner in World Book Night U.S. for a second year.

The Jones Library will be holding a pre-World Book Night reception the week before April 23.  We will invite our local givers to a reception at the Jones Library, providing the opportunity to pick up their books, chat with other givers, and share their plans for giving away the books.  Each giver will receive a personal invitation to attend.

For more information about World Book Night, please go to www.WorldBookNight.org or visit them on Facebook and Twitter:

*** Are You Homebound? ***

If you are an Amherst resident who is unable to get to the Library, let us come to you!

             o   Books
             o   Audiobooks
             o   Videos & DVDs

To request this FREE service, call Amy Anaya at the Jones Library:
413.259.3132.

"Too Human" in concert TONIGHT at the Jones!

TONIGHT!  TONIGHT!  TONIGHT!

(although they'll be in the Woodbury Room, not outside...)

Enjoy jazz standards from the American Songbook, as well as some original pieces, with "Too Human" in concert on Tuesday, April 9, at 7 pm in the Woodbury Room of the Jones Library.

"Too Human" regulars Roger Bruno and Ellen Schwartz will be joined by Lou Bocciarelli on upright bass as the band explores a celebration of song with jazzy, bluesy originals and jazz standards.  There will be CDs available for purchase at the event.

This program is sponsored in part by a grant from the Amherst Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Free and open to the public.  For more information, please contact Janet Ryan at 413/259-3223.

Marketing for Artists

Thursday, April 11, 2013

7-9pm

The Jones Library, Inc.

$7 Admission, including refreshments and networking

Open to all members of the public

The Amherst Art Walk presents, “Marketing for Artists,” a lecture intended to help inform artists about online self-promotion. The two-part lecture will be given by Boston based social media expert Catherine Weber and Northampton web designer Carey Baker.

Weber will discuss how artists can successfully use blogs, Facebook, and photo-sharing sites to promote and sell their art. The talk will integrate examples of artists who are successfully using these tools, cover common misconceptions about having an online presence, and emphasize the importance of online etiquette.

Baker will discuss the WordPress platform and how it can be used to optimize search engines, utilize keyword and Google analytics, and communicate to customers via social media platforms. Baker will also teach users how to update and personalize websites, even for those with little or no web experience.

Artists will leave the lecture with a broader understanding of why, how and when to use different sites and tools to promote their work.

For more information, please contact Michelle @ michelle@hopeandfeathersframing.com or check out the Facebook link! 

Multicultural Folktales at the Jones Library

Join us on Sunday, April 7, 2013 from 2 to 3pm in the Woodbury Room of the Jones Library as Eshu Bumpus and Motoko Dworkin present tales from Africa and Asia.

This event is for children ages 5 and up and their families and is being sponsored by the Amherst Cultural Council.

Budgeting Essentials

Money Smart Week programs continue with Sean Capaloff-Jones, from the UMass Five College Federal Credit Union. This budgeting overview presents five basic steps to better money management in an easy-to-understand manner. Learn how to set realistic financial goals, create a budget, and understand how to use credit wisely.

Saturday, April 27 at 2 pm - Woodbury Room

A People's Guide to the Federal Budget

As Americans, we possess the inherent power to change our government - and the course of our history - but we can’t do that unless we understand exactly how the government goes about spending our money. Join us for a book discussion of A People's Guide to the Federal Budget with Jo Comerford, Executive Director of the National Priorities Project.

Tuesday, April 30 at 7 pm - Woodbury Room