July 26, 2016

Tomorrow night!


Make your reservations now: 413.253.3811!
Tomorrow night is the July Literary Feast at Chez Albert!

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And? They have sangria...

July 23, 2016

Know what next Wednesday is?


The July Literary Feast, baby!

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Take your favorite dining companion along with you on July 27th and dîne Chez Albert. Enjoy a kir on the terrace. Have a burger at the bar. Cozy up with your cutie in a booth. No matter what, you'll be eating tasty food, helping a local non-profit, and supporting the good folks at a local restaurant.

You'll feel as virtuous as that time you let someone with only two items in front of you in line at the grocery store. Maybe even better.

July 20, 2016

Free Fun Friday at the Eric Carle Museum

July 22, 2016
10:00 am - 4:00 pm 
FREE Admission


Come celebrate picture books with art activities, special story times with authors/illustrators Lita Judge and Brian Lies, films, music by the Harmaniacs, and more!

Click here for more information.

July 19, 2016

July Literary Feast


It's too hot to cook. 
Next week go enjoy a lovely dinner at Chez Albert instead! 

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It benefits the Friends, a local restaurant, and your AC bill.

July 8, 2016

Authors Respond to Disinvites from Schools


Instead of banning books, many school districts are simply not purchasing controversial books for their libraries and asking authors of those books not to visit.

"When we decide a book is inappropriate for a school library because it deals with a tough subject, we're telling kids in that situation that their problems can't even be talked about."



July 7, 2016

Massive Bookstore Chain Will Soon Sell Beer and Wine


Even Barnes & Noble is going to start tending bar. 
The Friends think this is an idea whose time has come


We're looking at you, Jones Library.


July 6, 2016

Adding Classes and Content, Resurgent Libraries Turn a Whisper Into a Roar


The New York Times nails it: "Far from becoming irrelevant in the digital age, libraries in New York City and around the nation are thriving: adding weekend and evening hours; hiring more librarians and staff; and expanding their catalog of classes and services to include things like job counseling, coding classes and knitting groups."


Just a little food for thought, Friends.

July 1, 2016

** Friends Book Recommendation of the Month **


Summer is a time for creating memories, while also revisiting past adventures and remembrances. One of the things I most look forward to in summer is sitting outside with my best friend on Adirondack chairs, sipping a glass of Prosecco and watching our children play together. We have done this for several years now, and while the basic tableau remains the same, there are nuances and changes from year to year as our children grown and the bounds of our friendship unfolds in its various permutations.


Like this summer tradition, each time I reread The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, something new and different unfolds, while also remaining consistent. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton was the first book by a female author to win the Pulitzer Prize. The descriptions of the physical world in which Newland Archer and Ellen Olenska inhabit are visually palpable. Her characters' intentions, flaws and struggles are some of the best ever written. Since reading this book in high school, I have identified with, and found wisdom from, all three of its leading characters. Acclaimed author Ta-Nehisi Coates deemed Ellen Olenska his favorite fictional character. Newland and Ellen are flawed characters, trapped within in the bounds of society's expectations and ultimately their own. More than a story of the fading gilded age, The Age of Innocence offers timeless insight into the human heart and our self-inflected expectations. Each time I read the book, or listen to it, I find something new and different.

In Amherst, reading The Age of Innocence should include a visit to The Mount, Edith Wharton's summer home in Lenox. A visit to The Mount allows the reader a greater appreciation for the world in which Wharton's characters inhabit. Not to be missed as well as are the beautiful gardens and rotating outdoor art exhibits.

-- Hallie, member, the Friends of the Jones Library