Massillon Public Library
News & Notes - November 2019
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A Message from the Director
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Hello! November already!?! What happened to 2019?!
I’m on a high after spending the day with 63 of our regular and substitute staff for our yearly Staff Enrichment Day. You’re no doubt familiar with teacher training days, but many people are surprised first that we HAVE so many staff members, and also that we have so much need for continuing education. If you ask staff, they might uniformly say the worst part of the day was spending so many hours on the Auditorium’s folding chairs! But, for my question about “what one thing I learned today,” the answers were all over the place.
Staff learned some new security tips from Capt. Maier of the Stark County Sheriff’s Department and talked about the unthinkable—active shooter situations. They watched a presenter transform herself into members of different generation groups so we can understand our coworkers and serve our patrons even better. (OK, we also laughed a LOT at ourselves, and heads turned around to see how I would take the teasing about Baby Boomers caring so much about consensus that “we invite people to meetings who don’t even need to be there!” Guilty as charged.) We learned a lot from a labor attorney about being a civil work environment, and the difference between bullying, harassment, and discrimination—none of which we tolerate. And, a favorite topic of all was the program Jessica Watkins put together about the history of MPL, including fun facts such as: getting a library card in 1899 meant that we either knew you personally or you had to have written recommendations from “reputable” citizens, and that there used to be a library “courier” who would come to your home, retrieve overdue items, and charge you for the service! By the way, if you are a member of a civic group who hasn’t heard Jessica speak on this topic, I’m sure she’ll be available to repeat it. To sum up, we are full of new information and still digesting it all…not to mention all the junk food, plus a healthy breakfast and lunch, that we ate!
I also want to share some wonderful news about a new service coming to fruition. I just proofed a draft application form that will be used by parents of babies and toddlers as we begin to open the Dolly Parton Imagination Library up to the Massillon community. (Brewster and Navarre residents, good news is coming your way as well, but it’s not mine yet to divulge!) Simple description? The Imagination Library is a free book every month mailed to your child that they can keep. You might have missed the news that Governor DeWine included funding for half the cost in the state budget. But isn’t that actually “hurting” libraries? Absolutely not! It develops a love of reading that will transform lives, and once little ones learn to love a book, we have a chance to get those children into the library for more. Far from hurting us, it insures our future. There will be a way for community members to partner in this endeavor, and even a way to sponsor a child at just $12.50 per child per year. We’re working on that piece next, but I wanted you to know that it’s becoming a reality!
As for book recommendations, for lovers of The Book Thief, I recommend Alice Hoffman’s beautiful The World That We Knew, an exploration of good and evil, love and sacrifice during WWII Europe. Hoffman is my favorite author, and this is widely considered to be her new classic. I also recommend The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney for fans of dysfunctional families made worse by fighting over money, finding peace, and a BIT of redemption.
Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Sherie Brown
Director, Massillon Public Library
Download the entire November newsletter.
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Author Fair
Stop in any time between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 9, for a Local Author Fair!
This free event is an exciting opportunity for readers to discover new authors and peruse their books, which will be available for sale. It also provides a platform allowing local writers to showcase their work, connect with interested readers, and network with other area authors.
Escape Room
Families with kids in 6th Grade and under are invited to our Harry Potter and the Escape Room challenge on Sunday, November 10. Your team must work together to find the clues to open the locks and speak the spell to break out of the room in time. Register a group for a 30 minute time slot between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Daniel Boone
Hosted by Spring Hill Historic Home and Massillon Public Library.
His Indian name was “Sheltowee” (Big Turtle) and he was known to the various tribes throughout the area as the long hunter or long rifle. Boone was one of the first real heroes on the wilderness frontier.
Join us at the library at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, November 18, as Ken Hammontree portrays Daniel Boone in first person.
Stitch Therapy
Knitters, crocheters, sewers and quilters are invited to the library's Duncan Room on Tuesday, November 19, from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 Noon for stitching and some chit chat. Bring your current project and join us!
Don't have a work-in-progress? We are partnering with Stitches for Stark County and there will be yarn available to make hats, scarves, mittens or blankets to be distributed to those in need this winter.
Winter Wonderland
Stop by the library before the Massillon Holiday Parade on Saturday, November 23, when the Children’s Department will host Holiday Traditions Around the World, an open house event from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a variety of activities taking place throughout the library.
Movie Singalong
A Massillon Last Saturday Event
Join us as at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 30, as we bridge the gap between Halloween and Christmas by singing along to the lyrics of Tim Burton's class stop-motion fantasy film The Nightmare Before Christmas. This event is for all ages. Children under age 10 must be accompanied by an adult.
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Holiday Hours
All Massillon Public Library locations will close by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 27, and remain closed on Thursday, November 28 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be no Bookmobile stops on Thursday, November 28. The Belloni Branch will also be closed on Friday, November 29. All other library locations will resume their normal business hours on Friday, November 29.
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