Happy Fall, Readers!

 

There’s something about these colorful and cooler days that make me want to curl up with a book. Oh wait…that’s EVERY day!

 

I hope you all continue to stay well. I can’t say much in detail about pandemic issues, since I write this so far ahead of publication, but that’s what’s on my mind today. I don’t have a crystal ball to predict what things are going to be like in our world (and our library) by the time you read this. But for today, we are incredibly happy to have LIVE programming back in our buildings! Those first little faces in story times melted our hearts. Truth be told, I also love seeing humans in live computer classes, Vinyl Club, and having one-on-one sessions with our Technology Trainer. But some of the biggest “action” we’re seeing right now is from people coming in for the free COVID test kits being distributed by the Ohio Department of Health through Ohio public libraries. After a very slow start, the increase in demand has been exponential, and we are currently waiting for a new shipment. We have also approved the Aultman “Vax Van” to set up for COVID-19 vaccination clinics in our public parking lot every Thursday from 12 Noon until 2:00 p.m. to deliver vaccines.

 

If you follow what happens at MPL, you are probably not surprised by these nontraditional roles we fill. A new acquaintance was shocked and told me, “I know what a library is, but Massillon seems to elevate it!” I replied as I always do, that libraries have NEVER been just about checking out books, but rather about connecting you to resources in all of their forms. Along that line, we look forward to new software coming soon that will allow you to send documents wirelessly to our printers from your mobile devices. We continue to find ways to better serve you!

 

What am I reading right now? A fascinating nonfiction book about the last truly quiet town in America -- The Quiet Zone: Unraveling the Mystery of a Town Suspended in Silence by Stephen Kurczy. Green Bank, West Virginia is home to the Green Bank Observatory, where astronomers use the latest technology, but schoolchildren go without WiFi or iPads. With a ban on all devices emanating radio frequencies that might interfere with the observatory’s telescopes, Quiet Zone residents live a life free from digital connectivity. But a community that on the surface seems idyllic is a place of contradictions, where the provincial meets the seemingly supernatural and quiet can serve as a cover for something darker. Green Bank features “electrosensitives” who claim that WiFi is deadly; unsolved murder cases; neo-Nazis, and just ordinary citizens seeking a simpler way of living. Kurczy asks: Is a less connected life desirable? Is it even possible? For my book club, I look forward to starting the novel Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams, a story of Cold War espionage and family devotion called “gripping and profoundly human.” In the autumn of 1948, Iris Digby vanishes from her London home with her American diplomat husband and their two children. The world is shocked by the family’s sensational disappearance. Were they eliminated by the Soviet intelligence service? Or have the Digbys defected to Moscow with a trove of the West’s most vital secrets? Iris’ sister Ruth goes undercover in a plot to extract the Digbys from behind the Iron Curtain.

Sherie Brown
Director

 

 

Download the entire October newsletter.

 

Genealogy Workshop Open House
Wednesday, October 6
1:00pm – 4:00pm

Working on your family history? Some relatives still a mystery? Join us anytime between 1:00 and 4:00 on October 6 for genealogical research and collaboration. Be sure to bring your notes and your brick walls! This program is presented in partnership with the Massillon Local History and Genealogy Society (MLHGS). No registration necessary.

Internet Job Search Made Easy
Wednesday, October 6
6:00pm – 7:00pm

Ohio Means Jobs and the Massillon Public Library are teaming up for a live, virtual, six-part workshop series via Zoom to help job-seekers hone their Interviewing skills, learn where to look for jobs, and more! To register, call 330-832-9831, x304.

Ready To Read = Ready To Succeed!
Saturday, October 9
11:00am – 12:00pm

Children up to Grade 6 are invited to join us as we explore books about our favorite topic…BOOKS! How can books help us grow and learn? How does a love of reading help the world? Find out with some stories, activities, discoveries, and by making our own book-themed snacks!

Do Spirits Speak? History of Victorian Séances Brought into the 21st Century
Tuesday, October 12
Pam S. Belloni Branch
6:00pm

Join us at the Belloni Branch library for guest speaker Mike Bishop's presentation on the history of Victorian séances, as well as the history of séances in the United States. He will also share the origins of some cursed, antique artifacts. This program is free and open to those 15 years and older.

PowerPoint Essentials
Wednesday, October 13
5:30pm – 7:30pm

When used correctly, PowerPoint is an excellent tool to help get your message across to an audience. In this hands-on workshop, learn how to use PowerPoint to enhance a presentation. This class will be held in the Main library Auditorium.

Book Sale
Friday, October 15 / Saturday, October 16
10:00am – 4:00pm

The Friends of the Massillon Public Library will hold their October Book Sale on October 15 and October 16 in the Massillon Public Library Book Garage. For sale at bargain prices will be gently used/new hardbacks, paperbacks, CDs, DVDs, video games, and more for all ages. Entry numbers will be given out starting at 9:30 a.m. each day.

Paranormal Library
Saturday, October 23
3:00pm – 4:30pm

Join us in the Main library Auditorium for a panel discussion on all things paranormal! There will be presentations and a question and answer session featuring Sherri Brake, Author and Paranormal Researcher; Dana McSwain, Paranormal Author; and the Massillon Paranormal Research Association. This program will also be live-streamed on our YouTube channel.

Halloween Open House for Kids
Saturday, October 30
12:00pm – 2:00pm

Kids are invited to make and sample “Witch’s Brew Punch” and other eerie eats and terrifying treats, make Halloween crafts, play games, and listen to slightly spooky stories! Family-friendly costumes encouraged! This is a Last Saturday Massillon event.

Still need to get your COVID-19 vaccination? The Massillon Public Library and the Belloni Branch of the Massillon Public Library will be hosting COVID-19 vaccination clinics presented and staffed by Aultman Hospital.

 

Clinics will be held at the Main library location every Thursday from 12 Noon until 2:00 p.m. from now until December 2.

 

The Belloni Branch, located at Fairless Elementary School, will host clinics on Friday, October 22, and on Friday, November 26, from 12 Noon until 2:30 p.m.

 

All community members who are 16 and older are eligible to receive the free vaccine, and no registration is required.

 

For more information about this and other Aultman vaccine clinic locations, please visit www.aultman.org/vaccinate.