50 Hopedale Street, Hopedale MA 01747

Contact: Keely Bethel-Penny, Library Director 

508-634-2209 / [email protected]

Reminders:  Our regular Friday hours (1 p.m.-5 p.m.) resume on Friday, Sept. 11. The Library will be closed on Saturday, Sept. 5 and Monday, Sept. 7 for the Labor Day weekend.

Community Conversations – Wed., Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m.

Community Conversations will meet in the Program Room for a planning meeting to discuss “Understanding Municipal Government”.

Helen Symonds Book Club – Wed., Sept. 9 at 1 p.m.

The Helen Symonds Book Group will meet downstairs at the Library in the Program Room to review Buckeye by Patrick Ryan.

Drop in Cribbage – Fridays 9/11, 9/18 & 9/25 at 1:30 p.m.

Join us in the Program Room where we offer a relaxed, come-when-you-can atmosphere to enjoy friendly games with players of all levels.

News from the Friends of the Hopedale Library:

Hopedale Day in the Park – Sat., Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Stop by the Friends of the Hopedale Library booth at Day in the Park. Browse our selection of books and puzzles for sale, purchase a beautiful 125th Anniversary Glass Ornament, or sign up to become a member of the Friends and support the library throughout the year.

Mindful Mondays: Digital Decluttering with Susan McCarthy – Mon., Sept. 21 at 6 p.m.

Is your computer, phone or tablet filled with files, photos, emails and downloads that are difficult to find when you need them? Susan McCarthy of A Less Cluttered Life will offer practical solutions, focusing on simple ways to organize digital information and make everyday technology less frustrating. This non-technical presentation will cover strategies for organizing files and folders, managing email and saving useful information online. Participants will learn techniques that can be used with almost any device or operating system, along with practical ideas they can put to work at home right away. A downloadable handout will also be provided for future reference. To register for this free program, sign up online through the Library's Event Calendar, stop by the Library or call 508-634-2209.

The Family Letters of Abby Kelley and Stephen Foster – Mon., Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m.

Join us in the Program Room at Bancroft Memorial Library for a special program cohosted by the Friends of the Hopedale Library and the Taft Public Library in Mendon. Lynne McKenney Lydick and Thomas Lydick bring the Fosters to life through their personal letters, offering an intimate look at their family life and their work as passionate abolitionists and advocates for women’s rights. As traveling lecturers for the American Anti-Slavery Society, Abby Kelley and Stephen Foster often spent long periods apart while speaking throughout the country against slavery. Their letters reveal the personal sacrifices behind their activism, as well as the love and commitment that sustained their family through years of separation. This program offers a unique connection to the history of Hopedale, Mendon, and the surrounding Blackstone Valley. A Q&A will follow the performance. Registration is required.

This program is funded in part by a grant from the Hopedale Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency and the Mendon Taft Memorial Library.

FlowerPower Fundraiser

Please support The Friends of the Hopedale Library by shopping our FlowerPower.com fundraiser through Oct. 15. You can order fall bulbs online and have orders shipped directly to you. The Friends of the Hopedale Library earns 50% which goes right back to the Library! Shop at http://hopedalelibrary.fpfundraising.com.

Ongoing Book Sale

Visit the Friends of the Hopedale Library Ongoing Book Sale located downstairs outside of the Program Room. The sale is open when the Library is open and the selection is refreshed weekly! We offer a wide selection of books for adults and children as well as puzzles. All proceeds support Library programs and services. Prices start at 50¢. 

The Friends of the Library Monthly Meeting – Wed., Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

The Friends of the Hopedale Library, founded in 1983, is an active volunteer, non-profit organization with a town-wide membership and a representative executive board. We work with the Library staff and the Trustees to support the Library in providing funds for equipment, materials, and programs not covered by the Library's regular operating budget. The Friends of the Hopedale Library meets the second Wednesday of the month, September through June. New members and ideas are always welcome.  

News from the

Marjorie Hattersley Children's Room:

B.A.S.H. (Bancroft After School Hangout) resumes Tues., Sept. 8

This is an after-school, drop in program held Mondays through Thursdays for students in Grades 4-6 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. 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.

Tummy Time for ages newborn to 18 months – Tuesdays, 9/8, 9/15, 9/22 & 9/29 at 10 a.m.

Welcome parents and newborns! Drop in for some infant fun in our Program Room. Tummy Time will have a story time and free play with developmentally appropriate assorted toys that encourage gross motor development and social interaction.  

Toddler Tunes for ages 18 months to 3 years  – Thursdays, 9/10, 9/17 & 9/24 at 10 a.m.

Toddlers are full of energy and this program is perfect for them!  Each class we will do an assortment of story time, movement games, parachute fun, ball movement skills, instruments, bean bags, scarves and bubbles.  Drop in!  

Donations Wanted for the 2nd Annual Bancroft Library Costume Swap

Do you have old costumes or dress-up clothes that you no longer need? We would love to give them a new life! Miss Laura is collecting gently used costumes and dress-up clothes to add to the collection for our 2nd Annual Costume Swap, which will take place on the first Saturday in October. If you are cleaning out a closet, attic, or dress-up trunk, please consider donating your unwanted costumes to the Library. Donation bins are available upstairs and downstairs at the Library.  

Holiday Toy Swap

We are planning a Toy Swap on the first Saturday in November, giving families a chance to pass along gently used toys their children have outgrown and discover something new. Participants sign up for free table space to display toys they no longer want and arrange swaps with other participants. At the end of the event, any remaining toys may be taken home or donated to the Library. Donated toys will be offered to local preschools and schools, with any remaining items donated to Savers.  The Toy Swap is a fun, community-focused way to give gently used toys a second life while helping families find new treasures without having to buy something new. More information will be forthcoming so keep an eye out!

Rolling Programs:

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

The Reading Dragons program allows kids 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. As they collect more dragons, they can play the card game with friends. Readers can also share their favorite books by adding recommendations as “Book Scales” to the dragon display in the Program Room. 

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. 

For updates throughout the month, Like 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