Friends of the Jones Library System News

From Amherst Regional Public School Superintendent Mike Morris:     (Click on image to enlarge.) Posting it larger here. Because this is important: "Since our schools first closed last March, our amazing Food Services team has worked tirelessly to ensure that our students have uninterrupted access to free, nutritious meals, distributing well over 100,000 meals to date. Thanks to the extension of the USDA's universal free meals program, the District can now provide free meals for any child age 18 and under throughout the 2020-2021 school year (until June 30, 2021).  I want to stress that any child (living in any location in our towns) is eligible for these free meals and participation helps not just the children, but the District benefits from increased reimbursements.  Meals are distributed for Monday and Tuesday each Monday, meals for Wednesday and Thursday are distributed each Wednesday, and meals for Friday, Saturday and Su...

  Chandamama , a children’s magazine, was published for 60 years in 13 languages in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. More than 70 million people speak Tamil, making it even more widespread than Italian, but many popular international comics were not being translated.  M. Soundrapandian changed all that .

  Take this quick Merriam Webster quiz to find out. And if you find yourself needing to brush up on the American system, check out any of these books by Amherst author Joseph Ellis !  

  BOO! To celebrate the spookiest season, the New York Times has made a list of the scariest novel set in every state .   Want to read the one for Massachusetts? The Jones has it .  

by Austin Sarat and Sharon Sharry On October 15, the Jones Library Board of Trustees unanimously voted to approve the library’s renovation and expansion plan. The Board also voted to request that the Amherst Town Council approve the plan by the end of April. Those votes were the culmination of more than a decade of careful planning, extensive deliberation and consultation, and continuing commitment to making sure that Amherst’s libraries serve the needs of all its residents. They point us toward a bright future in which the Jones will continue to nurture democratic values and a vibrant and inclusive culture in our town. But some might ask, why move forward with the plan now? And why ask for a vote in April? As to the first question, the Trustees have completed all the work needed to move the plan to fruition. It is now ready for consideration by the people of Amherst and their elected representatives. Our planning began when the Board of Trustees launched a long-range pl...

  Friends! The day you've been long awaiting is finally here! Happy International Raw Milk Cheese Day! In addition to chowing down on your favorite local cheese, why not check out Jon Scieszka ' s Stinky Cheese Man tales?  

   

   

  Ever wonder what it would be like to hold a letter from Mr. Darcy in your hands ? A new book can bring that experience to you. "Newly released through Chronicle Books , it allows readers to pull 19 letters out of actual envelopes that are tucked into the text. 'Handwriting and letters are such strong personal connections,' the author says. 'For those of us who love Pride and Prejudice , those characters are your own friends.'"  

    Created by a team of 12 established and up and coming authors  to get more Latinos in literature :  

  Learn more with this Coming to America book discussion series.  

  Only 16% of Americans read newspapers but more than half of us get news from Facebook. Here are some easy tips on how to spot fake news . 

  You may know Roald Dahl from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" or "The Fantastic Mr. Fox." But this letter he wrote may be his most important work ever.