Friends of the Jones Library System News

Although these JPEGs are small, their message is huge :  "The Amherst Police Department shall not inquire about the immigration status of any crime victim, witness, or suspect unless such information is directly relevant to the investigation. Our preK-12 schools will continue to enroll and serve every child living in our district who chooses to attend our schools without regard to her or his immigration status. The Town of Amherst is a welcoming community." And the libraries? Hey, the libraries are there for all of us. Always. Please click on them to enlarge the font (to the best of our abilities).

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Fortunately, like the SF public library, the Amherst public libraries also offer an amnesty program. And it's going on right now!  Food for fines, baby. So bring in a couple of cans of beans with that 100-year-late book and all will be forgiven.

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Some of these are going to be really hard but we have faith in you, dear Friends.  Because you are true book-lovers .

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why you should care about funding to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners:

Books.

Powell's Books, the noted independent Northwest bookseller, sent both our out-going and in-coming presidents 10 books each. Curious to see what they picked ?

"At a time when book banning is back in vogue,  libraries remind us that truth isn't about who yells the loudest,  but who has the right information." -- President Barack Hussein Obama,  44th President of the United States. Want to read a little more from President Obama today ?  The Friends  will always have your back . 

Be like the rest of Amherst and check out this book .

Despite our youthful good looks and playful banter, some of the Friends are actually over 30. And we still   enjoy a good picture book now and again. Actually? Again and again.

Some of the Friends think Meryl Streep is pretty awesome .  And here are ten of her best book-based roles .  And one of them? The fabulous Julia Child role she played in Julie & Julia . Oh Meryl...

An anonymous shopper has been leaving little poems around a Tesco grocery store in Coventry, England . "Bread," by the American poet W.S. Merwin, was discovered in the baked goods aisle while the poem "Deer," by another American poet Kenneth Rexroth, was found in the meat section on top of some venison. Of course. The Friends have a couple suggestions for the fruit section and the pasta aisle ... (Click on image to enlarge.)

The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine I was helping out at the Friends' Book Sale at the Jones Library in November. Another Friend, Edith Byron, saw me perusing the paperbacks, and handed me "The Three Weissmanns of Westport," a novel by Cathleen Schine. Edith said it was well worth its purchase price (one dollar) and was a quick, entertaining, light read. She was right! It was the perfect antidote to the darkening November days; it had the warm and pleasant feeling of a good summer read. Two sisters and their mother move out to a cousin’s beach house in Westport, CT to take stock of their lives, all of which are in transition. I found myself mostly in sympathy with the characters, especially the mother, displaced from her Upper West Side apartment and comfortable Manhattan existence when her husband leaves her to welcome into their home a young, manipulative woman from work. The serious, responsible sister worries about planning and finances ...

Only overdue fines are forgiven. Payment for lost/damaged items isn't part of this program. Overdue charges on items belonging to ANY library that get returned to the Jones or the branches during this time get waived. The Survival Center will be delivering barrels to all branches today. People are welcome to donate non-perishable food to us even if they have nothing overdue.

But first and foremost? Remember your Friends. After that? Here are some good ideas .

Because yoga isn't just for famous male movie stars .  Or famous celebrity women .  Or famous French elephants .  It's for us book-loving nerds , dear Friends. Namaste.

The Friends have an idea for you...

Are you a new year's resolution kinda Friend? Not all of us are. But if you're thinking of maybe doing one, the Friends have some suggestions for you. Need some help keeping those resolutions?  Reach out to us . Friends help Friends.

Okay, we'll fess up. This one made us laugh out loud. Because we're sophomoric like that... Want more? Click here .