OLD COLONY MEMORIAL

Plymouth Public Library

Staff Writer
Wicked Local

For information on any Plymouth library program or service listed (unless otherwise noted), call the main library, 132 South St., at 508-830-4250, TTY 508-747-5882, or the Manomet branch, 12 Strand Ave., at 508-830-4185, or go to the website www.plymouthpubliclibrary.org. Registration, when required, may be conducted by phone.

The hours for the Plymouth Public Library are: Monday to Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, from the Sunday after Labor Day through June, from 12:30 to 5 p.m.

The Manomet branch library is open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. The library is fully accessible; call if you need special accommodations to attend meetings or events.

Celebrate National Library Week

Residents are invited to celebrate National Library Week from April 10-16 at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St., and Manomet Branch Library, 12 Strand Ave, Plymouth.

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country each April.

During that week, the library will hold a fine amnesty week. The fines for all currently overdue library books, DVDs and CDs returned during this week will be waived. Patron Appreciation Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 13 in the Otto Fehlow Meeting Room and at the Manomet Branch Library. Many library departments will be represented with displays highlighting library programs and services. Light refreshments will be served.

This program is sponsored by the Plymouth Public Library Corporation. For more information: Plymouth Public Library, 508-830-4250, 508-747-5882; Manomet Branch, 508-830-4185, plymouthpubliclibrary.org.

Vintage Reads, a book group for classic novels

This Vintage Reads group will read and discuss novels from the 20th century and earlier, focusing on novels and authors that have stood the test of time, meeting at 7 p.m. April 14 at the Manomet Branch Library.

Some of the classics read are popular while others are more unconventional and unfamiliar.  The next meeting will feature a discussion of the story collection, “Dubliners” by James Joyce. “Dubliners” is a collection of 15 stories candidly depicting Irish middle class life in the early years of the 20th century. Attendees are encouraged to read as many of the short stories as they would like before the discussion.

Copies of the book are available to check out at the Manomet Branch. The program is free and requires no registration. For more information about this event, contact the Manomet Branch librarian at 508-830-4185, email jenniferj@ocln.org or visit plymouthpubliclibrary.org.

Read to a Dog

Read to a Dog is held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. one Saturday per month, including April 16 and May 21, at the Main Library. Children ages 6 and older are welcome to sign up for a 15-minute time slot to read to Boswell, a Sussex Spaniel who is a certified trained therapy dog. Participants may register for one slot only, as space will be limited. This program is free. Registration is required and will begin two weeks before each session. For information or to register, call the Youth Services Department at 508-830-4250 or viist plymouthpubliclibrary.org.

Poetry Games

The library will host a series of poetry challenges in honor of National Poetry Month at 2:30 p.m. April 16 at the Manomet Branch Library.

Attendees will practice writing haiku, ransom poems, one-line poems, and more.

For more information about this event, contact the Manomet Branch librarian at 508-830-4185, email jenniferj@ocln.org or visit plymouthpubliclibrary.org.

Nonfiction History Book Discussion

History enthusiasts are encouraged to join a discussion of important topics of the past at the History Book Group.

The group meets one Thursday per month at 4 p.m. to discuss the month’s selection. At the next meeting, the group will discuss the second half of “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Succeed or Fail,” by Jared Diamond, April 21. Copies of the book are available one month prior at the branch library. This program is free and open to new members.

For more information or to join the email list: Manomet Branch library, 508-830-4185, jenniferj@ocln.org. To see a list of meetings, visit plymouthpubliclibrary.org and click on the calendar of events.

Afterschool Club for teens

The next Afterschool Club meeting is at 3 p.m. April 26 in the Otto Fehlow Meeting Room of the Main Library, 132 South St., Plymouth, and light snacks will be provided.

A librarian will be available to answer questions or help teens figure out how to download items from the library’s collections. The club is open to young adults, ages 12 to 18 with no registration necessary to join.

For more information about this event, contact the Manomet Branch Librarian at 508-830-4185, email jenniferj@ocln.org, or visit the library’s website, plymouthpubliclibrary.org.

Preschool STEAM

The Plymouth Public Library will offer Preschool STEAM, a monthly learning program about science with stories, songs and interesting hands-on activities, May 20. This program is for children ages 3 to 6 with their parent or caregiver. This monthly program is free and registration is required as the program is limited to 12 children. Registration begins two weeks before each program date. For information: 508-830-4250; plymouthpubliclibrary.org.

Family Story Time

Family Story Time is presented at 11 a.m. every Wednesday at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St., through May 11. This half-hour program gives parents, caregivers and children ages 6 and younger the opportunity to enjoy books, songs, rhymes and movement activities together while helping to develop important early literacy skills. This program is free; no registration is required. For information: 508-830-4250; 508-830-4185; plymouthpubliclibrary.org.

Manomet Story Time

Manomet Story Time is presented at 11 a.m. every Monday at the Manomet Branch Library, 12 Strand Ave., Plymouth. This half-hour program gives parents, caregivers and children ages 6 and younger the opportunity to enjoy books, songs, rhymes and movement activities together while helping to develop early literacy skills. This program is free; no registration is required. For information: 508-830-4250; 508-830-4185; plymouthpubliclibrary.org.

Stepping Stone Stories

Stepping Stone Stories is presented at 10:30 a.m. every Tuesday at the Main Library through May 10. This half-hour story time is for children ages 3.5 to 5 who are ready to listen attentively unaccompanied by an adult. The program includes stories, songs, early literacy and kindergarten readiness skills. This program is free and no registration is required. For information: 508-830-4250; 508-830-4185; plymouthpubliclibrary.org.

Hoopla Digital 

Plymouth Public Library announced the public availability of thousands of movies, television shows, music albums, e-books, audio books and comics, all available for mobile and online access through a new partnership with Hoopla Digital.

Plymouth cardholders can download the free Hoopla Digital mobile app on their Android or iOS device or visit hoopladigital.com to gain access to thousands of titles from major Hollywood studios, record companies and publishers available to borrow 24/7, for instant streaming or temporary downloading to their smartphones, tablets and computers.

“We are excited to offer our patrons mobile access to this collection of movies, music, e-books and more through hoopla digital,”  Ann Clarke, technical services librarian of Plymouth Public Library, said. “You must have a library card to access this content on the hoopla app or website. Patrons can borrow this content free of charge. It’s digital so there is no waiting period for popular titles and hoopla’s automatic return means no late fees.”

Plymouth Public Library is the 24th library system in the state of Massachusetts to partner with Hoopla Digital. Current partners include Tufts Library in Weymouth, Ventress Memorial Library, Duxbury Free Library, Lincoln Public Library, Storrs Library, Wayland Free Public Library, and many others.

“With Hoopla Digital, it is our mission to empower the evolution of public libraries while helping them to meet the needs of the mobile generation. We’ve worked for years to create a best-in-breed service that is fun, fast and reliable. And we continue to secure content deals to expand our offering of popular and niche movies, TV shows, music, e-books, audio books and comics,”  Jeff Jankowski, founder and owner of Hoopla Digital, said.

Access to U.S. military service records

The Plymouth Public Library is now offering its cardholders access to Fold3 Library Edition by Ancestry. This subscription database provides convenient access to U.S. military records, including the stories, photos and personal documents of the men and women who served. This continually growing collection contains millions of records from world-class archives, many of which are exclusively available on Fold3. With content from the Revolutionary War onward, Fold3 Library Edition is an invaluable research resource for historians, genealogists, researchers, military enthusiasts, veterans and their families, teachers and battle reenactors. Researchers can access more than 440 million records beginning with the Revolutionary War. The new user interface makes it easy to search historical documents from diverse sources including the War of 1812 Pension Applications and Service Records, Civil War Widows’ Pensions, and records of the United States Colored Troops, and, unique non-military sources such as Native American records, FBI Case Files, and Holocaust records.

The Fold3 name comes from a traditional flag folding ceremony in which the third fold is made in honor and remembrance of veterans who served in defense of their country and to maintain peace throughout the world.

The new library edition can be used from any location and also provides access to personalization tools. Library patrons may choose to create a personal user account to build memorial pages, submit annotations to any image, or leave comments. See www.plymouthpubliclibrary.org/databases/.

Great Courses series

Plymouth Public Library is now offering an expanded selection of more than 40 titles from the Great Courses series. Produced with the goal of creating engaging, immersive learning experiences for lifelong learners, these courses are available either in audio format on CDs or as DVDs. Subjects range from history to science, “better living,” fine arts and music and literature. Available courses include such titles as “Forensic History: Crimes, Frauds, and Scandals,” “Great American Music: Broadway Musicals,” “Our Night Sky” and “Fundamentals of Sustainable Living.” Visit the website at www.plymouthpubliclibrary.org to see all of the titles and course descriptions.

The Great Courses are meticulously produced following the vision of the company’s founder, Tim Rollins. As he puts it, his idea in founding the company was to “record lectures by the greatest professors in America – professors who were not just experts in their field but who were also passionate and truly gifted communicators – so anyone could enjoy learning from them, without the pressure of homework or exams.” The company conducts a painstaking search for the best professors in each subject.

“Of the more than 500,000 college professors in the world,” Rollins said, “only the top 1 percent are selected to teach one of the Great Courses. Our esteemed faculty includes award-winning experts and professors from the most respected institutions in the world, selected by our customers exclusively for their ability to teach.”

The Great Courses titles are now available at the main library in the Reference Department shelved in the computer room. They can be checked out for 14 days and can be renewed, provided they are not on reserve for another patron.