Friends of the Jones Library System News

The ARPS Nutrition Services Department, the ARPS Family Center, and, beginning Monday, the UMass Baby Berk Food Truck that assisted with our summer food program are doing the critical work of ensuring that students who rely on the schools for breakfast and lunch have access to those meals even though school is closed. Here's information about when and how to get some food to your kids. (Click on image to enlarge.) Please share this information.

Yup, they're also ads. But they're still fun. Here's Amy Poehler revisiting fairy tales but with a twist .

Hint: most of them weren't books . But you probably already knew that. Sticky fingers.

The New York Public Library lions, Patience and Fortitude, like big books . 

Even if St. Patrick's Day parades have been cancelled and you can't go to the pub to have a pint with friends, the Friends still want you to have a good St. Patty's Day. Toward that end, we present you with 13 lucky facts about the day.

The Odyssey Bookshop's 26th Annual Spring Writing Contest This year’s prompt: One day you wake up and realize that you can talk to animals! Maybe you were part of a science experiment or given the gift by a friendly animal you saved. What animals do you talk to? What do they say? What happens next because of this new power you have?   Children in Grades 1-5 are eligible and encouraged to enter. An entry form must be attached to each submission. Contact details for the child’s parent or guardian must be provided so we can easily contact the winners.   The entries will be judged on the originality of the story, the creativity of the idea, and the quality of writing, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling.   The deadline for entries is 7:00 PM on Friday, April 24th. Winners will be notified by Friday, May 1st in time for the Awards Ceremony at 6:00 PM on Thursday, May 7th, at the Odyssey Bookshop. We will award priz...

Apparently FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover used America's public libraries for "tracking adversaries, hiding evidence, and other no good dirty deeds."  Surprised?

Go on, smartypants. Take a guess. Now check and see if you guessed right .

Effective Monday, March 16, 2020 all Town of Amherst municipal buildings, including the Town Hall, Senior Center, Jones library and branches will be closed to the public, with a tentative reopening date of April 3, 2020. This does not include the Amherst Police Department building. The Amherst Regional Public Schools will close for two weeks starting on Monday, March 16th, with a tentative return date of Monday, March 30. The Amherst Transfer Station will also be making changes to their operations starting on March 13, 2020. More details on this can be found here. Meetings of public bodies, except governing and adjudicatory bodies, will be canceled. Governing bodies include the Town Council, School Committee, and Board of Library Trustees. Adjudicatory bodies include the Board of Health, Planning Board, Local Historic District Commission, Historical Commission, Conservation Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals. All meetings until April 3rd will be co...

"What would happen if Netflix swept up a ton of really excellent YA novels and turned them all into movies? Here are our picks , not that anyone was asking."

When he died last month, Larry McMurtry left behind a lot of books.  Take a look at his home library here .

  Beginning today, all programs scheduled to take place at the Jones Library , the North Amherst Library, or the Munson Memorial Library are CANCELLED until further notice. This includes public and private use of the Woodbury, Amherst, Goodwin, and ESL Tutor Rooms. The 2020 Sammys Award Ceremony is also cancelled.    Be well and keep washing those hands. 

Do those words strike fear in your heart? Here's a book-giving guide. Hint: "Good etiquette is to 'choose for the recipient, rather than what you think they should read.'"

In case you're stuck inside in the coming weeks and are looking for something to keep you busy, the Friends suggest you try your hand at this Lego bookshop .  We think it's so cool! Do you think there are tiny Lego books in it??

Test your knowledge. Not going to lie.  It was harder than we thought it'd be, Friends.

A stunningly broad swath of society feels welcome within a public library and not a museum. Why? Read more to find out...

Created in the 17th century, L'Academie Française is supposed to regulate the French language, keeping it pure. And, solely in the interests of doing their intellectual duty, L'Academie has some vocabulary guidelines for you on the correct way to swear at people en français . Parce que c'est vachement important!