50 Main St., Westford, MA (1-978-692-5555), http://www.westfordlibrary.org
Director’s Corner: In observance of Indigenous Peoples Day, the Library will be closed on Mon., Oct. 14, 2024. The Library will re-open on Tues., October 15 at 10:00a.m.
Sweet Treats & Good Reads Book Club. Wednesday Oct. 9 at 6 pm. For kids in grades 6-8. Join us in the Meeting Room to discuss some great books and enjoy desserts. For this meeting, we will be discussing The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman. A copy of the book is currently available to registered participants at the main desk. Please e-mail Alexis at achrobak@westfordma.gov if you have any questions! Regression required.
Adult Book Discussion Club: Thursday, October 10 at 6:30 p.m. Join us in the Mary Atwood Room to discuss The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. No registration required. Copies are available at the Main Desk and there are downloadable copies (audio and e-copies) available from Overdrive/Libby and Hoopla Flex. Check out our Reading List for 2024.
Silk Painting Program: Thursday, October 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the Meeting Room. Do You want to explore your creative side and experiment with colors without fear of making a mistake? Come join us in this easy, magical, and relaxing adventure into the world of freedom and creativity, after which you will get a masterpiece created by your own hands led by Lidia Mikhaylova of Simple Art Forms. We aren’t going to learn how to paint or try complex techniques but observe how the paint lives and reacts on the fabric, directing it wherever our imagination wants the paint to go. All materials will be provided. Regression required.
Drop-in Storytimes! Wiggle Words will run every Tuesday until November 12 from 10:30-11:00 a.m. This weekly drop-in story time is for kids ages 2 to 4 and their caregivers. Join us as we share music, movement, and really FUN books for the younger kids in this program.
Mother Goose will run every Wednesday until November 13 from 10:30-11:15 a.m. Mother Goose is an interactive story time for children ages 0 and up with their caregivers. We include books, songs, a field trip, fun movements, and of course, dancing! Hang out for a few minutes afterwards and make some new friends or migrate up to the children's room for more play.
Book Bunch will run every Wednesday until November 14 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. This weekly drop-in story time is for kids ages 2 to 4 and their caregivers. Join us as we share music, movement, and really FUN books for the younger kids in this program.
Annual Magazine Giveaway Signup: Each fall we discard our oldest issues of magazines to make room for the incoming year, and we offer these discarded titles first to our patrons before we recycle them. We continue this tradition this year and are currently taking orders for our 2023 issues. If you would like any particular titles, contact Charles Schweppe. Call Information Services at 978-399-2304 or email him atcschweppe@westfordma.gov. This is a “first come, first serve” service. Titles will be ready in November (a bit early this year), and you will be notified when your titles are ready, when you can retrieve them through the Reference Desk.
Staff Recommends: The Fox Wife, a novel by Yangsze Choo. “Manchuria, 1908. A young woman is found frozen in the snow. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes involved, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and men. Bao, a detective with a reputation for sniffing out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman's identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the foxgods, yet they've remained tantalizingly out of reach. Until, perhaps, now. Meanwhile, a family that owns a famous Chinese medicine shop can cure ailments, but not the curses that afflicts them, their eldest sons die before their twenty-fourth birthdays. Now the onlygrandson of the family is twenty-three. When a mysterious woman enters their household, their luck seems to change. Or does it? Is their new servant a simple young woman from the north or a fox spirit bent on her own revenge?”
If you have questions or need assistance, please call us at 978-399-2300 or send us an email at westfordlibrary@westfordma.gov.

 

50 Main St., Westford, MA (1-978-692-5555), http://www.westfordlibrary.org
Unless otherwise noted, the following programs are made possible by the Friends of the Library.

Director’s Corner: Did you know that you can sign up for “Author Alerts” and you will be notified by email or text message when any library in the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC) orders new titles by your favorite authors or performers?

Drop-in Storytimes!
Wiggle Words will run every Tuesday until November 12 from 10:30-11:00 a.m. This weekly drop-in storytime is for kids ages 2 to 4 and their caregivers. Join us as we share music, movement, and really FUN books for the younger kids in this program.

Mother Goose will run every Wednesday until November 13 from 10:30-11:15 a.m. Mother Goose is an interactive story time for children ages 0 and up with their caregivers. We include books, songs, a field trip, fun movements, and of course, dancing! Hang out for a few minutes afterwards and make some new friends or migrate up to the children's room for more play.

Book Bunch will run every Wednesday until November 14 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. This weekly drop-in storytime is for kids ages 2 to 4 and their caregivers. Join us as we share music, movement, and really FUN books for the younger kids in this program.

Celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month this September with the J.V. Fletcher Library! We invite everyone to discover the incredible resources and opportunities available by visiting in person or signing up online at www.westfordlibrary.org. At the J.V. Fletcher Library you'll find electronic collections, diverse programs, job search assistance, book clubs, youth programming, and more. Whether you're looking to enhance your skills, find valuable information, or connect with fellow avid readers, a library card unlocks a world of possibilities. Getting a library card is easy! For more information please call (978) 399-2301.

Adult Nonfiction Book Club: Tuesday, October 1 at 6:30 p.m. – We’ll meet in the downstairs Meeting Room to discuss Democracy Awakening by Heather Cox Richardson. Copies are available at the Main Desk. No registration required. Email Charles Schweppe for more information.

Virtual Job Search Help for 50 & Over –Cover Letters and AI in Your Job Search: Wednesday, October 2, 9:30 -11:30 a.m. The Massachusetts Library Collaborative's 50+ Job Seekers Group meets biweekly on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month. If you are unemployed and actively looking, underemployed, seeking a new career direction, re-entering the job market after a long employment gap, or recently retired and looking for your "Encore Career", this networking group program is perfect for you! Registration required.

Animanga Club: Wednesday, October 2 at 6:00 p.m. Come to the meeting room to watch anime, draw characters, browse new manga and eat fun snacks. Open to anyone in Grade 6 and up. No registration required.

Adult Book Discussion Club: Thursday, October 10 at 6:30 p.m. Join us in the Mary Atwood Room to discuss The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. No registration required. Copies are available at the Main Desk and there are downloadable copies (audio and e-copies) available from Overdrive/Libby and Hoopla Flex. Check out our Reading List for 2024.
Art Book Club for Kids in Grades 3-4: Thursday, October 3 at 4:00 p.m. Art Book Club is a time to discuss different artists, what they create, and to practice that form of art. October’s artist will be Wayne Thiebaud. He is most famous for painting still life filled with baked goods. Participants will practice painting still life with watercolors. Registration required. You can pick up the October book in the Children’s Room.

Annual Magazine Giveaway Sign Up begins on October 1st! Each fall we discard our oldest issues of magazines to make room for the upcoming year, and we offer these discarded titles first to our patrons before we recycle them. We continue this tradition this year so we will begin taking orders for our 2023 issues beginning on Tuesday, October 1st! If you would like any particular titles, contact Charles Schweppe. Call Information Services at 978-399-2304 or email him at cschweppe@westfordma.gov. This is a “first come, first serve” service. Titles will be ready in November (a bit early this year), and you will be notified when your titles are ready, when you can retrieve them at the Reference Desk.

Staff Recommends: For the many patrons who turn to Mayleen for recommendations, one of her latest picks is The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali. "In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lived in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother's endless grievances, Ellie dreams of a friend to alleviate her isolation. Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa's warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions for becoming "lion women." But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls' high school in Iran, Ellie's memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie's privileged world alters the course of both of their lives. Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences."

If you have questions or need assistance, please call us at 978-399-2300 or send us an email at westfordlibrary@westfordma.gov

 

Share the Laughter on Sunday, September 15th from 2:00-4:30pm
At the Littleton High School Auditorium
(Sponsored by the Friends of the LCOA)
Two Shows will be Shown on the Big Screen:
"THEY'RE NO ANGELS" (2016) & "FUTURISTIC FOLLIES” (2018)
This is a FUND RAISER for the new Littleton Senior Center
Cost is $10 per person

 

September 8 at 9:30 am, 10 Church Street, Westford
The United Methodist Church of Westford (UMCW) invites the public to enjoy a special Welcome Worship Service and Church Picnic on Sunday, September 8, beginning at 9:30 am at 10 Church Street in Westford. We look forward to welcoming visitors and people who may be seeking a new church home, as well as members and friends!
Come meet and enjoy the spiritual presence and preaching of our new Pastor, Jinyong Choi, be moved by music from our Praise Band, and enjoy joyous congregational hymn singing! Stay after worship for our annual Church Picnic to enjoy a meal, fellowship, and fun. The picnic will be outdoors across from the church next to the picturesque Mill Pond. All are welcome!
Each week on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am, we offer a welcoming environment, inspiring messages, and beautiful music. Sunday School will begin September 15 during worship for kids and youth through grade 12. “The Ark” will be open and staffed during our Sunday morning Worship Service beginning September 8 to welcome infants and young children. Parking is available at the church, and our building is accessible for people with disabilities. Please visit www.umcw.org for more information or to watch our online worship service each Sunday.

50 Main St., Westford, MA (1-978-692-5555),http://www.westfordlibrary.org. Unless otherwise noted, the following programs are made possible by the Friends of the Library.
Director’s Corner: To Westford’s Wonderful Summer Reading Program Participants and Families -Congratulations, Readers of All Ages, on your unprecedented participation and support of the Fletcher Library’s 2024 Summer Reading Program! This summer:768 children were “WILD ABOUT READING!” – and registered for this program where the rumpus truly began! 335 Young Adults joined the YA Summer Reading Program, 544 Adult registrants read under the “Let’s Go Wild” Theme. We thank the Friends of the J. V. Fletcher Library, Inc. for supporting and funding all aspects of our three Summer Reading Programs, as well as the KDK Foundation which generously funded both the “Whalemobile” and “Yo-Yo Man.” Westford consistently hosts one of the highest-attendance Summer Reading Programs in the Commonwealth and it has been so gratifying and rewarding to encourage so many enthusiastic readers of all ages! We look forward to hosting Fall Programs and remind you that registration for Fall Book Clubs is now open.
The book for the September meeting will be available after you sign up your child - you can pick up the book in the Children's room - just ask us at the desk. The book for the October meeting will be available after the September meeting; the book for the November meeting will be available after the October meeting. Please sign your child up for the grade in which they are enrolled. Book clubs are open to Westford residents and non-resident FAMILY level members of the Friends of the J.V. Fletcher Library. Registration required.
Friends of the J.V. Fletcher Library September Book Sale: Friday, September 6, Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8. A Friends Members Only Sale will be held on Friday evening from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. A Friends membership (which may be purchased at the door) is necessary for attending this sale. The entire public is invited Saturday for an all-day sale, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and for the $10.00 Bag Sale on Sunday, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. So much stock! So little time!
Sweet Treats & Good Reads Book Club. Wednesday Sept. 11 at 6:00 p.m. For kids in grades 6-8. Join us in the Meeting Room to discuss some great books and enjoy desserts. For this meeting, we will be discussing A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd. Copies of each month's book will be available at the Main Desk two weeks prior to the meeting. Please e-mail Alexis at achrobak@westfordma.gov if you have any questions! Registration required.
Adult Book Discussion Club: Thursday, September 12 at 6:30 p.m. Join us in the Mary Atwood Room to discuss The Best Minds: a Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions by Jonathan Rosen. No registration required. Copies are available at the Main Desk and there are downloadable copies (audio and e-copies) available from Overdrive/Libby. Check out our Reading List for 2024.
VIRTUAL: Travel Tips with the Traveling Librarian –Tuesday, September 17 at 2:00 p.m. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email. Join Jeff Klapes, the Traveling Librarian, for another of his popular armchair travel presentations. Having visited more than 50 countries and four continents over the years, he does frequent armchair travel presentations showcasing the history and culture of various places, using photography to capture people, scenery, and local details. This month, Jeff will present some of his favorite photos from all over the world and talk about how to plan and improve your travel photography, focusing on landscapes, people, architecture, color and detail, and his personal favorite – black and white photography. Jeff is the retired Head of Reference Services at the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library in Wakefield, Massachusetts, and an avid traveler and photographer. Registration required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library and presented in collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library.
Pre-School Concert with Steve Blunt: Wednesday, September 18 at 10:30 a.m. The big kids are back to school so that means the younger kids get an energetic show just right for preschoolers with dancing, singing, and playing along with Steve. This free program will take place on the back lawn. If it rains, we will move the show inside to the Meeting Room. No registration required.
Staff Recommends: You will be touched by the magical story of The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer. "A retired bestselling author hosts a one-of-a-kind competition, with high risks and high rewards-giving the winner a chance to change lives. Lucy Hart has come a long way since feeling the cold neglect of her parents, whose attention always centered around her chronically ill sister's needs. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher's aide, Lucy is able to share her love of books with bright, young students, and one in particular, a seven-year-old orphan named Christopher, has her yearning for a family of her own. The Clock Island books were Lucy's passion and refuge as a child, and now she shares them with Christopher, who's become as big of a fan as she ever was. No matter how badly Lucy wants him in her life, even the idea of adopting him seems out of reach without proper funds and stability. Then a blue envelope arrives at her school, inviting Lucy to compete for the one and only copy of Jack Masterson's final novel in the iconic Clock Island series. No one has seen or heard from Jack Masterson in years, but now four diehard Clock Island fans have received the invitation of a lifetime to stay on his private island and compete for the final installment, and unpublished manuscript, of the well-loved series. For Lucy, a chance to read the last-ever Clock Island book is a prize worth playing for, but the possibility of winning and securing a better future for her and Christopher means everything. But first, she must contend with opportunists, cheaters, and, perhaps most distressingly, Jack's illustrator and companion on the island, Hugo Reese, whom Lucy has admired since first reading the books as a girl. All the while, the master of ceremonies, the prolific author himself, has his own secrets to keep-and a larger plan in the works that will change everything for all of them." If you have questions or need assistance, please call us at 978-399-2300 or send us an email at westfordlibrary@westfordma.gov