Bellingham Public Library http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home The hub of the community ... where people and ideas come together Fri, 20 Jan 2017 16:41:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.1 Community Room Renovation Update – Temporary Occupancy Permit Issued http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2017/01/20/communityroomtemp/ http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2017/01/20/communityroomtemp/#respond Fri, 20 Jan 2017 16:09:12 +0000 http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/?p=7607 As of January 20, 2017

Community Room Temporary Occupancy Permit Issued

After more than 3 months of construction, the interior of the Community Room has been renovated and the town Building Inspector has issued us a Temporary Certificate of Use and Occupancy.  The final permit will be issued once the kitchen renovation and exterior of the building is completed.

In addition to the parking space curb stops that were put in place soon after the accident, this week boulders were moved in front of the exterior Community Room wall to create a second barrier between the parking lot and the building.

Starting on January 23rd we will resume holding library events in the Community Room.  We will not be taking reservations from the community until the kitchen and exterior are completed and we have a final occupancy permit.  We hope that will happen within a few weeks.

We are looking forward to opening the room, with its new carpeting, lighting and windows and thank the community for its patience during this time.  And still, every day, we remain thankful no one was injured in the accident.

As of December 

Repairs are proceeding to the Community Room and Community Room Kitchen .  The earliest the room will be available is mid to late January.  We will update the library website each month with details about the progress of the repair. We ask for your patience while we work through the details, and remain very thankful that no one was injured.  The library staff looks forward to continuing to offer services and programs to the Bellingham Community.  The room will not be available for booking by outside groups until we have an exact reopen date.

As of November

Repairs have begun to the Community Room and Community Room Kitchen and have an estimated 8-12 week time frame.  The earliest the room will be available is early to mid-January.  We will update the library website each month with details about the progress of the repair.

We ask for your patience while we work through the details, and remain very thankful that no one was injured.  The library staff looks forward to continue offering services and programs to the Bellingham Community.

As of October 27, 2016

We have received a preliminary estimate from J Brian Day, the emergency restoration and cleanup company that responded to the library accident on October 7, 2016.  The estimate will be reviewed by the insurance companies and once details are ironed out, the repair of the room will commence.

We are working with the estimating company on the reconstruction plan.  The timeline for the repair of the community room and kitchen, once it begins is 8 to 12 weeks of construction.  Therefore, both rooms  will not be available to us until sometime in mid-December at the earliest, and we are planning on it not being available until  mid- to late January.

Last week the DPW installed curb stops along the 12 parking spaces that are facing the library building. In addition, the room will not open to the public until a second barrier is placed between the sidewalk and the building.  That barrier may initially be jersey barriers or some other temporary structure until we can secure funding for a more permanent solution.

The Library Trustees have consulted with the DPW and Police Department on Parking Lot Safety, and as a result would like the community to know the following:

Library patrons, especially children, when leaving the library building often do so without exercising proper caution in the parking lot, both on foot and on bicycles.  When we witness it, we make clear to them that cars are coming and going from the lot and they need to be more cautious.  However, library staff does not routinely supervise the outside of the library building.

Occasionally, we have had issues with children disrespecting library property by climbing trees, going into staff only and mechanical areas.  In addition, they often congregate in the parking lot impeding automobile and patron access by playing or just standing in groups. This is simply unsafe.   Too often we see groups of children congregating in areas that are meant for automobiles, or playing on the edge of a sidewalk where one step could put them into the path of a car, and although we ask them to move, as stated above, we do not routinely supervise outside of the library building.

We ask that you aid us in informing your children that the parking lot is not a congregating or recreation area.  If your child is NOT using library services, we ask that they not loiter on library property.

We are very thankful that no one was injured in the accident earlier in the month and thank the community for their support and understanding during the reconstruction time.

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Backyard Astronomy Star Party! http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2017/01/19/backyard-astronomy-star-party/ http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2017/01/19/backyard-astronomy-star-party/#respond Thu, 19 Jan 2017 20:16:05 +0000 http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/?p=7793 With the Aldrich Astonomical Society
Wednesday, March 29th at 6:30 pm
Register here

This program will Kick Off our Enlighten Bellingham Programs!  At this event we will not only talk about the exciting upcoming programs in the “Enlighten Bellingham” series, but we will highlight the library telescope, how to check it out and how to use it.

The Aldrich Astronomical Society will present an indoor backyard astronomy program for ages 6 through adult, to assist in the use of the library’s telescope to explore the night sky through a technique called star hopping.  After the indoor presentation, attendees will go outside for a telescope stargazing event, if the weather permits.

This program is made possible by funds provided to the Bellingham Library as a pilot library and partner in the “Make Public Libraries Science Resource Centers in their Communities,” an Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant Program administered through Cornerstones of Science.

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Importance of Play to Child Learning and Development http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2017/01/19/importance-of-play-to-child-learning-and-development/ http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2017/01/19/importance-of-play-to-child-learning-and-development/#respond Thu, 19 Jan 2017 20:08:52 +0000 http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/?p=7787 Mind in the Making:  The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs

Saturday, March 25th
10:30 am
Register here

The Bellingham Library is pleased to announce this very special nationally recognized speaker that will be coming to the library in March.

Come and hear Los Angeles-based national speaker Nicole Gardner present “Mind in the Making: the Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs,” a program of the Bezos Family Foundation (co-founded by Jackie and Mike Bezos, parents of Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.) Nicole is a Program Associate for Mind in the Making and Vroom. Mind in the Making is an unprecedented effort to share the science of children’s learning and development with the general public, families, and the professionals who work with them. Nicole will bring the science of early learning to life through engaging content and video field trips to labs of leading researchers.

There will also be opportunity for discussion on how to put this research into action and time for Q&A. Participants will come away with resources, tools, and strategies that they can immediately begin using with the children in their lives. This program is made possible by a “Mind in the Making” Institute of Museum and Library Services grant through the Library Services and Technology Act. The grant is administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. Doors open at 10:00 am. Please register.

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February Holiday Hours http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/12/18/newyearshours/ http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/12/18/newyearshours/#respond Sun, 18 Dec 2016 15:24:04 +0000 http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/?p=5429 The library is open Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 8 pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm.

The library will be closed on Monday February 20th for Presidents’ Day.

 

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Be a Savvy Internet Consumer of News and More – Evaluate Your Sources! http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/12/12/be-a-savvy-internet-consumer-of-news-and-more-evaluate-your-sources/ http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/12/12/be-a-savvy-internet-consumer-of-news-and-more-evaluate-your-sources/#respond Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:30:01 +0000 http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/?p=7735 truth“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light.”  George Washington

 In a year when the Oxford English Dictionary has selected “post-truth” as the word of the year, we librarians have a lot of work to do and we need your help.

One of the major reasons I made the decision to become a librarian in 1999 was I saw the explosion of the Internet as a source of information.  Sure I loved books (although I wasn’t a prolific reader as a child – I was the teen that read the Cliff Notes in high school for things I just couldn’t get into) but I saw the Internet as new and different and somewhat instinctually knew it could simultaneously be a wonderful way to spread valid news and information as well as used to spread rumor, lies and vitriol.

In 2003 I started teaching people how to evaluate websites.  In those days I spent a lot of time teaching people how to find valid information about medical issues and topics, specifically how to avoid online “miracle cures,” as well as researching consumer topics to make wise purchasing decisions (my former career was with the Better Business Bureau).  I did discuss finding news online, but have no recollection about having to help people evaluate web sources for news.  I do remember after 9/11 talking about how online news had changed from websites that were updated daily (like newspapers) to being constantly updated throughout the day.  In the course of a one hour class, I would show the boston.com home page and 90% of the time, it would look different at the end of the class than it did at the beginning of the class.

The lessons I taught in the past about evaluating websites may have been simpler and for different topics, but the methods are still valid.  My lesson plan asked people to consider the authority of the author of the page, consider the source (was it a commercial, nonprofit, educational or other type of site), is it comparable to other sources, is it dated/current, is it biased or incomplete?

A recent study (2015-2016) from the Stanford Graduate School of Education that evaluated students’ ability to assess information sources described the results as “dismaying,” “bleak” and “[a] threat to democracy.”   It may have taken decades to get as bad as it has become, but here we are.

So, what can we do about it?  How can we all do our part to not exacerbate the situation?

In the changed Internet world the following additional or expanded steps should be considered.  To avoid sharing false or misleading information consider taking these additional steps outlined by  factcheck.org,  in their November 18, 2016 article, “How to Spot Fake News” by Lori Robertson & Eugene Kiely, summarized below:

  • Consider the source – abcnews.com.co is a fake news site that is not ABC News. The .co after the .com indicates the site is from Columbia.
  • Read beyond the headline – if the headline is shocking read further before sharing.
  • Check the author – google the author’s name, does he/she have an authority on the topic of which he/she is writing?
  • What’s the support – bogus stories often site official or official sounding sources. Google those sources directly to verify the claim.
  • Check the date – Some false stories aren’t completely fake, but distortions of real events, that are twisted to relate to current events.
  • Is it a joke? – Remember there are parody and satire sites!
  • Check for bias – what other stories have been posted to the site that is the source of the story?
  • Consult the experts – Debunking takes time, but there are reliable fact checking sources, use them: org, snopes.com, Washington Post Fact Checker and PolitiFact.com.  Most of the time one of these sources has evaluated a viral claim.

Even more disconcerting is the fact that the people create truly “Fake News” sites.  And beyond that they are making money every time you click and share their made up stories.   NPR News tracked down one of these people, Jestin Coler, listed online as the founder and CEO of a company called Disinfomedia.  In its November 23, 2016 article Coler states:  “The whole idea from the start was to build a site that could kind of infiltrate the echo chambers …  publish blatantly or fictional stories and then be able to publicly denounce those stories and point out the fact that they were fiction.”

Coler was amazed at how quickly fake news could spread and how easily people believe it. He wrote one fake story for NationalReport.net about how customers in Colorado marijuana shops were using food stamps to buy pot.   “What that turned into was a state representative in the House in Colorado proposing actual legislation to prevent people from using their food stamps to buy marijuana based on something that had just never happened,” Coler said.

The Washington Post found that 6 out of 10 people are sharing stories that they have not read beyond the headline.  In fact, according to a new study  quoted in that article, computer scientists at Columbia University and the French National Institute, 59 percent of links shared on social media have never actually been clicked.  In other words, most people appear to share news and other stories without ever reading them.

“People are more willing to share an article than read it,” The Washington Post study co-author Arnaud Legout said in a statement. “This is typical of modern information consumption. People form an opinion based on a summary, or a summary of summaries, without making the effort to go deeper.”

In the past, if you read a false story you might have told a few people about it.  With social media, one share can reach hundreds, if not thousands, of people.  And if it goes viral, millions will see it within hours.  So… let’s all take the time to be better news and information consumers, and more importantly, think twice about the stories we choose to share.  When in doubt, don’t share!  Who is with me?

Let us honor George Washington’s wish that truth prevail by taking the pains to bring it into the light.

Bernadette Rivard is the Director of the Bellingham Public Library, a position she has held for the past 8 plus years.  She has held a variety of positions in public and academic libraries and has been teaching evaluation of Internet resources since 2003.  If you wish to learn more about evaluating web sources, email the library or sign up for a “Book a Librarian” Session – see the library calendar for details on dates and times.

Sources cited:
Domonske, Camila. “Students Have ‘Dismaying’ Inability To Tell Fake News From Real, Study Finds.” NPR. NPR, 23 Nov. 2016. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.
Robertson, Lori, and Eugene Kiely. “How to Spot Fake News.” FactCheckorg. Factcheck.org, 18 Nov. 2016. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.
Sydell, Laura. “We Tracked Down A Fake-News Creator In The Suburbs. Here’s What We Learned.” NPR. NPR, 23 Nov. 2016. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.
Dewey, Caitlin. “6 in 10 of You Will Share This Link without Reading It, a New, Depressing Study Says.” The Washington Post. WP Company, 16 June 2016. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

Photo credit:  https://pixabay.com/en/truth-newspaper-news-printed-text-166853/

 

Contact:

Name of Media Contact:        Bernadette Rivard,
Title of Media Contact:          Library Director
Company Name                      Bellingham Public Library
Contact Phone Number          508-657-2776
Contact E-mail                        brivard@bellinghamma.org
Website URL                          www.bellinghamlibrary.org

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Survey for Parents/Caregivers of Preschoolers! http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/12/01/survey-for-parentscaregivers-of-preschoolers/ http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/12/01/survey-for-parentscaregivers-of-preschoolers/#respond Thu, 01 Dec 2016 17:47:09 +0000 http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/?p=7727 If you are a parent/caregiver of a preschooler that lives in Bellingham or uses the Bellingham Library, we ask that you take a few minutes to complete the attached survey.  Thank you!

As you might know, at Fall Town Meeting funds were approved for new carpeting in the Children’s Room of the library.  Once the renovation of the Community Room is completed, that project will begin.  In conjunction with the funds received from town meeting, the library is also the recipient of a $10,000 federal Library Services & Technology Act Grant, called Mind in the Making, a grant to enhance the play space in the library.  One of the grant requirements is a survey of parents of preschoolers prior to the program starting.

Click here for the survey!

 

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Library Update http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/10/08/library-update/ http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/10/08/library-update/#respond Sat, 08 Oct 2016 16:05:02 +0000 http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/?p=7603 As most of you have heard, late in the morning of Friday, October 7th Bellingham Police & Fire responded to the library on Blackstone Street for a vehicle that had crashed into the community room section of building.  Arriving personnel discovered the vehicle had driven completely inside the building.  Thankfully the room was unoccupied and no one was injured in the crash.

We’d like to thank our first responders for their prompt response and assistance in assuring everyone was safe.  The building was evacuated for a time, but after inspection by the Bellingham building inspector, reopened shortly later.

Until insurance adjusters and engineers inspect the room, we are not able to use it for public functions.  At this point, we have no idea how long that will take.  We will be investigating options to prevent this from happening again.

However, we will do our best to continue to offer library services and programs in alternate spaces in the building, although some events may have to have attendance limited or be cancelled.

We plan on holding many morning programs, including Ring a Ding in the new Teen Room.  Because the capacity of that room is smaller, and Ring a Ding does not require registration, we will initially be limiting attendance to the first 50 people who arrive.  It might helpful if those of you who usually attend both weekly sessions of Ring a Ding pick one session to attend.

Our Monday through Wednesday after school program for 4th to 7th graders that is normally held in the community room will be moved to the children’s program room.  We hope to offer all of the same services there.

We will be updating the library calendar with cancellations and location changes of library events.

If you are registered for library programs, we will be sending emails to update you on the status of those programs.

We ask for your patience while we work through the details, and remain very thankful that no one was injured.  The library staff looks forward to offering continuing services and programs to the Bellingham Community.

Bernadette Rivard, Library Director
Steve Fowler, Senior Youth Services Librarian
Sue Garten, Chair, Library Board of Trustees

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Drive-Up Book Drop is Open! http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/09/16/drive-up-book-drop-is-open/ http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/09/16/drive-up-book-drop-is-open/#respond Fri, 16 Sep 2016 18:05:57 +0000 http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/?p=7579 The library’s new drive-up book drop is installed and is open 24/7.  It is checked for the last time each day one hour before closing (at 7 pm Monday – Thursday and 4 pm on Friday and Saturday).  Items returned after that time will be checked in the following business day, so if your items are due the same day, please return them in the library if it is within one hour of closing time.

bookdrop

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NEW! Online Music & Art Lessons! Free with your Bellingham Library Card! http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/08/30/new-online-music-art-lessons-free-with-your-bellingham-library-card/ http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/08/30/new-online-music-art-lessons-free-with-your-bellingham-library-card/#respond Tue, 30 Aug 2016 20:15:10 +0000 http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/?p=7543 ArtistWorks

 

 

 

ArtistWorks for Libraries provides patrons with world-class instruction through self-paced video lessons from Grammy Award-winning music and artistic professionals. ArtistWorks for Libraries offers users everything they need for musical and artistic instruction, from introduction to advanced performance. Students now have access to this kind of instruction, regardless of reductions/eliminations of school music programs and without the high cost of private instruction.

 

 

  • Beginner to advanced music instruction for the most popular string and band instruments
  • Professional musicians provide instruction
  • Art and voice classes also included
  • Video based with bookmarking features
  • On-the-go learning
  • Remote access for 24/7 availability
  • Browser enabled for desktop and mobile devices

 

Click here to sign up!

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Library awarded $10,000 Grant http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/05/23/mitm/ http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/2016/05/23/mitm/#respond Mon, 23 May 2016 14:44:53 +0000 http://www.bellinghamlibrary.org/home/?p=7380 Mind in the MakingThe Bellingham Library is one of 9 libraries in the state that was awarded a federal LSTA (Library Technology & Services Act) Mind in the Making grant by the MBLC at their July meeting.

Mind in the Making grants assist libraries in developing innovative programming and spaces that encourage invention and tinkering, where children ages 0-6 can explore simple concepts in tactile, real ways. This kind of space fuels a child’s natural curiosity and teaches valuable lessons by helping them develop fine motor skills, problem solving abilities, and peer relationships.

Activities also include family programs on the Brain Building in Progress website and creativity kits that can be borrowed by parents and caregivers, or used in local preschools.

The funds will arrive sometime in the fall, and we will coordinate the roll out of the program to coincide with our planned project to install new carpeting in the children’s room with funds requested at the Fall 2016 Town Meeting.

We see our children’s room as being a newly organized, newly carpeted, bright space for the preschool and elementary school children of Bellingham.

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