50 Hopedale Street, 

Hopedale MA 01747

Contact: Keely Bethel-Penny, Library Director 

(508) 634-2209

[email protected]

www.bancroftmemoriallibrary.org

For more information on any programs or to register, please call (508) 634-2209 for assistance or check the Event Calendar at www.bancroftmemoriallibrary.org.

Library News

The Library will be closed on Monday, February 16th for Presidents’ Day. 

Helen Symonds Book Group – Wednesday, February 4th at 1:00pm

The group will be discussing The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali.

Community Conversations – Wednesday, February 4th at 6:30pm

Community Conversations will meet to discuss “What’s Happening in Local Politics.”  This meeting can be attended via Zoom; email [email protected] to request the link.

Get help with Jenna – Tuesday, February 10th from 10:30am-12:30pm

Need help with applications or support services? Jenna, a Community Health Worker with the Blackstone Valley Partnership for Public Health, can assist with MassHealth, Fuel Assistance, Medicare, past-due bills, and more. She works with the Hopedale Board of Health and has extensive healthcare experience. Schedule a free 30-minute appointment via the Library’s online Event Calendar or call (508) 634-2209 for assistance.

BVPL Cribbage Tournament – Wednesday, February 18th from 5:30pm-7:30pm 

The next Blackstone Valley Public Library Cribbage Tournament will be held at Millbury Public Library.  Registration is mandatory; please contact the hosting Library directly to sign up.

Maker Monday – Monday, February 23rd at 6:00pm

This month the adult crafting workshop is Make Your Own Junk Journal!  Registration is required.

News from the Friends of the Hopedale Library:

Historic Hopedale Homes with Dan Malloy  – Wednesday, February 25th at 6:30pm

Local historian Dan Malloy will present an illustrated talk exploring Hopedale’s architectural and social history through its most notable houses and residents. The program will feature the Old House, the Adin Ballou house, and the homes of the Draper, Dutcher, and Bancroft families, and will include a rare historic photograph highlighting Hopedale’s connection to national history.  Registration is required.

Maple Tree Tapping with Kelly Merchant  – Saturday, February 28h at 11:00am

Learn how to tap maple trees and make your own syrup with local historian and Hopedale resident Kelly Merchant! Participants will tap trees around the Bancroft Memorial Library and enjoy tasting a few syrup samples along the way. Registration is required.

National Clean Off Your Bookcase Day is Friday, February 20th!

Observe National Clean Off Your Bookcase Day while supporting the Friends of the Hopedale Library! This day encourages book lovers to declutter, reorganize, and refresh their shelves by donating books they no longer need, rediscovering old favorites, and creating a more inviting reading space at home.  We will gladly accept donations of gently used, like-new books to benefit our Ongoing Book Sale this day from 1–5pm. We welcome children’s books of all ages, as well as adult hardcovers and paperbacks published within the last 10 years. Please note that we are unable to accept textbooks, cookbooks, or older titles.  Your quality donations help fund library programs and services - thank you for helping keep our shelves (and yours!) fresh.

Free Seed Library! – Beginning February 14th

Beginning on Saturday, February 14th, get free seeds from our Seed Library. There is no limit! If you don't need a full packet, there are smaller envelopes available to take what you need. Sponsored by The Friends of the Hopedale Library.

About the Friends of the Library

Founded in 1983, the Friends of the Hopedale Library is a volunteer non-profit that supports the Library by funding equipment, materials, and programs beyond the regular budget. We meet on the second Wednesday of each month, September - June, at 6:30pm. New members and ideas are always welcome!

News from the Marjorie Hattersley Children's Room:

February is Check Out Challenge Month!

For the month of February, Hopedale students in grades K-6 who check out items from the Library will earn checkmarks for their class and compete for prizes! The top 3 classes win gift cards and 4th place will receive a collection of books by Jeff Kinney & Dav Pilkey.

National Take Your Child to the Library Day!  – Saturday, February 7th at 11:00am

This annual event encourages families to visit libraries and discover all we have to offer!  Take part in a book character scavenger hunt around Bancroft Memorial Library, get your face painted and pick a free book to take home!

February Vacation Week is February 16th – 20th:  All ages are welcome to join Ms. Laura and participate in prehistoric fun with DINOSAURS!

Tuesday, February 17th 11am-12pm: Join our Dinosaur Dance party filled with bubbles, music, glow sticks and disco lights!

Wednesday, February 18th 6-7pm:  Animal Adventures presents their Dino-Adventures program!  A hands-on dinosaur program featuring fossils, skulls, claws and live animals - perfect for any dinosaur lover!  Registration is required.

Thursday, February 19th  11am-12pm:  Enjoy a dinosaur story then ROAR on over to make a fun take-home craft!

Friday, February 20th 11am-12pm:  Make some Prehistoric Ooze!

Tummy Time Play – Tuesdays 2/3, 2/10 & 2/24 at 10:00am, ages 0-18 months

Join us for some infant fun in a safe environment! There are fun, developmentally appropriate toys that encourage gross motor development.  Drop in!

Toddler Tunes  – Thursdays 2/5, 2/12 & 2/26 at 10:00am, ages 18 mos– 3 years

This program is perfect for energetic toddlers!  Along with a story, we will work on gross motor skills and play with balls, a parachute, instruments, bean bags, scarves and more. Drop in!

Builder Saturday – Saturday, February 14th from 10:00am-1:00pm

If you love Legos, we’ve got thousands to play with!  Use our Legos to create a masterpiece that we can put on display for all to see. Drop in and all ages welcome!

Movie Matinee – Saturday, February  21st from 11:00am-1:00pm

Join us for a movie at the Library!  Bring some snacks, a cozy blanket, get comfy and enjoy a family friendly flick!

Volunteer Saturdays for High School Students – Saturday, February 28th 11:00am-1:00pm

Each month there will be an opportunity for high school students to earn 2 hours of volunteer time from 11am - 1pm. Registration is required.

*NEW!* F.A.I.R. - Family Adventures in Reading – Monday, February 9th 6:30-7:30pm

Six families will have an opportunity to come together to enjoy a book, a snack, and a craft. When the meeting is over the family will get to keep their copy of the book.  Registration is required.

Genre Book Club – All ages

Join the Genre Book Club and create your own bookmark with a cable ring. Read any book you choose on your own schedule; after each finished book, stop by the Children’s Room to collect a genre badge. The club has no scheduled meetings, is open to all and can be joined at any time.

Reading Dragons: A Card Game Reading Club – All ages

Reading Dragons allows readers to earn collectible dragon cards through logged reading time. Every 30 minutes recorded on a Time Tracker earns one card, and completing two hours earns all four stages of a dragon. The card game can be played with friends as additional dragons are earned. Readers are invited to add book recommendations as “Book Scales” to the dragon display in the Program Room. The program runs on a rolling basis and can be joined at any time.

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

Bancroft Memorial Library offers the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program for young families and early readers. At registration, you will be provided a starting kit with a library book bag, cable for achievement tags, program information, suggested book list and a log for books 1–100. Every 100 books read earns a tag for the cable, and reaching 1,000 books earns a lawn sign celebrating the achievement. This program runs on a rolling basis and can be joined anytime.

B.A.S.H. (Bancroft After School Hangout) – Grades 4-6

A drop-in after-school program, Monday–Thursday, 2:30–4:00 PM. Kids can play games, use laptops, or do arts and crafts in a safe, social environment. Students must be able to reach a parent/guardian and follow Library rules.

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. Our webpage is www.bancroftmememoriallibrary.org