50 Hopedale Street, Hopedale MA 01747

Contact: Tricia Perry, Library Director  508-634-2209 [email protected]

Holiday Hours

Sat., December 24 CLOSED                                               

Mon., December 26 CLOSED

Sat., December 31 (open regular hours) 10am-2pm

Mon., January 2 CLOSED

Santa’s Porch Drop Off Location

The Bancroft Memorial Library is now a drop off for Santa’s Porch! Donations of new, unwrapped gifts will be accepted through Saturday, December 17. Need inspiration? Santa’s Porch is always in need of gifts for teenagers, such as LED lights, makeup kits, Bluetooth speakers, curling irons, bath sets, etc.

Hopedale Downtown Winter Stroll 

The Library will be open from 12-6pm on Saturday, December 3 as part of the Winter Stroll with plenty of fun activities! Make a Pinecone Elf Craft, try our hot cocoa as part of the Cocoa Crawl, along with hot mulled cider (4-6pm) and don’t forget to enter the free raffle for our “Cookery and Crafts” Basket!

Listen to the sounds of the season with the local acapella group Holiday Harmony Quartet, presented by the Friends of the Hopedale Library. This free event will take place in the upstairs Reading Room at 2pm. To register, please sign up at the circulation desk or call 508-634-2209.

The Friends of the Hopedale Library will also be hosting their Holiday Book Sale at the Library from 12-6pm and invite you to participate in “A Book On Every Bed”, based on a long-standing Icelandic tradition called Jolabokaflod, which encourages sharing the gift of reading with the special people in your life. With any book purchase during the Winter Stroll, you will receive a packet of hot cocoa, courtesy of the Friends to start your own “Book On Every Bed” tradition for your special holiday celebrations.

Intellectual Freedom: Fighting the Good Fight with Martin Garnar, PhD 

On Wednesday, December 7 at 7pm, the Hopedale Unitarian Parish and The Friends of the Hopedale

Library invite you to join in a community conversation led by Martin Garnar, Director of the Amherst

College Library, Chair of the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee, and Editor of the 10th edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual.  Across the country there has been an overwhelming increase in the number of materials challenged in school districts and public libraries. Join us as we explore the themes of freedom of expression, the intersection of intellectual freedom and social justice, and the rights of readers. To sign up, please call the Library at (508)634-2209.

2023 “One Book, One Town” Community Read (December 1 through March 22nd (World Water Day) will feature A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park.  A STORYWALK® on the Community House Lawn from December 5 - 23 will showcase The Water Princess (Written by Susan Verde, Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds).

Please support Hopedale Public School Students in raising funds for Heifer International.  Their goal is to raise $750 to finance a solar-powered well that will allow families access to clean, life-sustaining water. Program is sponsored by the Hopedale Public Schools in partnership with the Friends of the Bancroft Memorial Library and other community organizations. Copies of the community read book, as well as companion books for younger readers will be available at the school and public libraries. Companion Books: Nya’s Long Walk: A Step at a Time; The Water Princess; My Great-Grandmother’s Gourd; and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

Ongoing Monthly Library Events

Helen Symonds Book Group: The Helen Symonds Book Group meets in the Library Program Room at 1:00 pm on the first Wednesday

of every month. Everyone is welcome to join the group. If interested, please call the Library at (508)634-2209 to request a copy of the discussion book.

Join the Helen Symonds Book Discussion Group to discuss A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens on December 7, 2022 at 1:00 pm. We will get ready for the holiday season, by exploring this Christmas classic. Why did Dickens write this story and what are the messages for us in this book written in 1843?

Wednesday Needlework Group: Join us for an evening of needlework every Wednesday night from 6:00pm until 7:45pm. Bring your latest project. No commitment required – come when you can!

News from the Marjorie Hattersley Children’s Room

Registration is required for all events. Please call Mrs. Kraimer at (508)634-2209 to register!

Mother Goose: It’s Mother Goose time! Enjoy stories, puppets, music, and rhymes on Thursday mornings at 10:30am (Dec 1, 8, & 15). Ages 2+

Homeschool Hangout!: Join homeschool families from the Hopedale area to learn, engage, and socialize on Tuesday mornings 11am-12pm. All ages invited!

Story Hour with Mrs. Kraimer: Stories, flannel boards, music, and crafts on Tuesday afternoons at 3:30pm (Dec 6 & 13)! Ages 3-6

Colorful Stories: Listen to Crayon stories, make a craft, and decorate the walkway with chalk on Saturday, December 10 at 11am! Rain(snow) or shine! Ages 4+

Craft Challenge: Ready for a challenge? What can you make with a special, secret material and only 45 minutes on Thursday, December 15 at 3:30pm? Ages 6+

Holiday Bookmark: Stop by the Library the week of December 19 to check out a holiday book and make a holiday bookmark!

Lego Challenge: Embrace the Lego Challenge on Tuesday, December 27 at 2pm! All ages                                                                                     

Interactive Rudolph Movie Fun: Join the fun and have an interactive experience with the movie, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, on Wednesday, December 28 at 3pm. Ages 4+                                                                                                                   

Game Day: Play a board game at the Library on Thursday, December 29 at 2pm. We have over 30 games from which to choose! Ages 4+                   

Good Neighbor Mitten Tree:                                                                                                                                      We invite our generous patrons to donate handmade or newly purchased hats, scarves, mittens and gloves to be given to the Milford Food Pantry and the MA National Guard, who will distribute the donations to military families. Please add your name to one of the holiday angels decorating our tree, along with your donation. You can make this winter a bit warmer for someone! Donations will be collected until December 21. Please contact Mrs. Kraimer (508)634-2209 with any questions.

For updates throughout the month, Friend us on Facebook and sign up at www.wowbrary.org to discover the Library’s newest books, movies and music. The library webpage is https://www.hopedale-ma.gov/bancroft-memorial-library.