Check out a book that the library staff are reading and enjoying!
Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
In The Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein
The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Check out a book that the library staff are reading and enjoying!
Obsessed by Allison Britz
Love in the Country by Rebecca Shaw
The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman
I’m Not Hungry But I Could Eat by Christopher Gonzalez
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
The library, Medfield TV, and the Cultural Alliance of Medfield are partnering on a Poetry Project as a way for community members of all ages to engage in creating and reading poetry, culminating with a temporary installation of poems at the former Medfield State Hospital in the fall. Check out the ways to participate below!
Pick our your favorite poem and share it with the community by reading it aloud on Medfield TV. The readings will be available to view through the Medfield TV website. Open to anyone in Medfield and surrounding communities. Contact Brett Poirier at Brett@Medfield.TV to schedule your reading.
Bring your kids to Lunch Bunch in the Gazebo on August 7, August 15, August 21 at 11:30 and in additional to normal outdoor storytime activities, get creative in decorating plywood boards on a theme. Or stop by the End of Summer Celebration, August 23, 2-4 pm to decorate. Then come see the great work installed at the State Hospital in the fall!
What’s blackout poetry? It’s so much fun and will be available for teens to do in the lower level of the library for the rest of the summer. Come check it out!
Stop by the lobby of the library to write a Haiku that could be picked to be featured at the State Hospital in the fall! Also, check out the library on Facebook to participate there.
Lisa Genova, author of Still Alice, centers her newest novel around Richard Evans,an accomplished concert pianist who loves the attention and applause when performing. He regards every finger on his hands as a finely calibrated instrument. His life, as he knows it, is full of accolades and adoring fans. However, Richard develops ALS and begins to lose movement in his right arm ad then his fingers. He knows his left arm will be next and to Richard, this is a death sentence.
Richard’s estranged wife,Karina, is living an unfulfilled life as a piano teacher, having abandoned her dream of becoming a ballet dancer. Katrina becomes Richard’s reluctant caretaker as he loses his muscles and voice,
Genova explores the devastation of ALS on the body and on the caretaker. Because Genova is a neuroscientist, she is able to explain the story of the disease also. Her storytelling is both poignant and devastating . The reader learns how love and redemption are possible under the worst circumstances. Every Note Played is a must read for the summer of 2018!
We now have an awesome Flickr feed with all of our event photos! Find yourself, see what fun stuff we’ve been up to or just browse past library happenings. If you see anything you particularly like, let us know. Maybe we’ll do it again!
Here’s a bit of a preview:
 Author Lisa Halliday |
 Senior Cap Decorating |
 Kwame Alexander |
 Royal Tea Party |
Pictures of Food for Thought
A couple of weeks ago I facilitated an origami workshop here at the library. I say “facilitated” because normally I “teach” a workshop, meaning I impart my knowledge and experience of a skill or activity that I am familiar with to others, but as I know very little about origami and even less about how to actually fold paper into tiny sculptures, I think “facilitate” is a more appropriate word. It was school vacation week so I wanted an activity that patrons of all ages could just pop into without needing to be there for a whole hour in order to complete the project. So, in this case “facilitate” means I collected the library’s books on origami from the art and children’s areas and got packages of very beautiful squares of colored paper and laid it all out on the table, and waited. Let me just say I was very uncomfortable with this situation.
“What if someone needs help and I (gasp!) can’t help? What will happen??”
Well, as it turns out, people did need help because (guess what?) origami is hard. And I’ll tell you what happened: we had so much fun figuring out how to fold paper into tiny sculptures! We laughed at ourselves for not being able to understand instructions that were written for children. We laughed at the mangled legs on our first attempt at a jumping frog and we laughed when, no matter how many different ways we tried it, that frog could jump but would only land upside down with its poor little mismatched feet in the air. And when we got really good at making jumping frogs, we laughed at how much fun a group of grown-ups could have making jumping frogs and holding jumping contests. We did not get good at making anything else. We will probably never do origami again. (Ever. It’s, like, seriously hard.) But we had a great time. And when we were putting our supplies away I was so excited about the whole thing I blurted out, “I’m gonna write about this in The Blog!”
I told you it was hard.
So I went to the computer and sat there staring at the screen and wondered what I was supposed to say about a workshop that wasn’t really a workshop because we didn’t really do much and we certainly didn’t accomplish anything, unless of course you count giggling. But then I realized I do count giggling! This got me thinking about adults and play and how rarely we allow ourselves to do it. So I googled it. And it seemed like all the legit articles on the subject were quoting a Dr. Stuart Brown, so I googled him and it turns out he wrote a book called (guess what?) Play. So I looked up Play and, wouldn’t you know, it was in the stacks of your very own Medfield Public Library!
One jumping frog is cute. Four are just plain menacing!
Dr. Brown says, “The ability to play is critical not only to being happy, but also to sustaining social relationships and being a creative, innovative person. If that seems to be a big claim, consider what the world would be like without play. It’s not just an absence of games or sports. Life without play is a life without books, without movies, art, music, jokes, dramatic stories. Imagine a world with no flirting, no day-dreaming, no comedy, no irony. Such a world would be a pretty grim place to live. In a broad sense, play is what lifts people out of the mundane. I sometimes compare play to oxygen—it’s all around us, yet goes mostly unnoticed or unappreciated until it is missing.”
The Elusive Wild Pink Panda
If you’re feeling like you could use a little lift out of the mundane, I highly recommend you check out this book. (But not for another week–It’s still mine for another week!) It will help you figure out your own “play personality” so you can choose beneficial activities for yourself (because while kids are good at figuring out how to play, adults not so much.) Dr. Brown will also tell you what play actually is in case you’re such a fuddy-duddy you’ve forgotten. If you can’t wait for me to turn the book back in, here is a list of the “Properties of Play” to get you started. I’ve added the parenthetical bits for clarification…
My apologies to Dr. Brown for so ineloquently summarizing his research.
Play is
-Apparently purposeless (What’s the point of this? Nothing? Awesome!)
-Voluntary (You can’t make me have fun if I don’t want to!)
-Inherent Attraction (That looks fun!)
-Freedom from Time (Time flies when you’re having…you get it.)
-Diminished consciousness of self (Do I look stupid? Oh, who cares!)
-Improvisational potential (What are the rules? What? We have to make them up? Great!)
-Continuation desire (I don’t want to stop doing this even if it is dinner time!)
I felt really good all day after the origami play session. And I have watched the video of the Jumping Frog Jumping Contest several times since then and it makes me smile every time, not because the video itself is all that entertaining, but because I am remembering how good it felt to be silly. And while I don’t plan to “facilitate” rather than “teach” workshops from now on, it was good for me feel a diminished consciousness of self for a little while.
The moral of the story here is that I can tell you all day long to go outside and have a water balloon fight with your neighbor (but remember, your neighbor’s participation should be voluntary), or to facilitate a workshop on something you know nothing about, or to get into the library Makerspace to play with some of our fun stuff (Shameless plug: see my previous blog post for a complete list of our toys and tools) but like Dr. Brown says, “…there is no way to really understand play without also remembering the feeling of play. If we leave the emotion of play out of the science, it’s like throwing a dinner party and serving pictures of food.” So, go do it! Throw away those pictures of chicken wings you’re snacking on and get off the computer right now and GO PLAY!
Make One Of These and Call Me In The Morning
Welcome back to the Medfield Library Makerspace Blog! This time, instead of talking about what we’re making over here, I want to talk about what you’re making over there. Or maybe I want to talk about what you’re not making. Hey, why aren’t you making anything?!? Is it because you don’t have the tools or supplies and you don’t want to spend your hard earned cash on something you might not end up enjoying that much? Or maybe you’re not sure you’ve got the time? I get it. I have a tendency to get overexcited about a new idea and shop my little heart out and then five years later, while cleaning out the closet, I discover a bag filled with hand-dyed alpaca wool, knitting needles still in the wrapper and one million sequins…So, yeah. Don’t do that. But don’t let it stop you, either. I know you’ve got Creative Juices and if you don’t let them flow, you’re putting yourself at dangerously high risk for Crankiness. Creative expression really does help relieve stress. (I promise. Go ahead and Google it.) So, even if you’re holding back because you’re just not sure what you want to make, we may have just what the doctor ordered!
(Can you blame me? Alpacas are the cutest!)
We have a lot of stuff here for you to play with. And all you have to do is come to the Medfield Library, make your way down to the basement, say “Hey” at the desk then step approximately four feet to your left and into The Makerspace! I feel it’s important to publish a list of everything we’ve got in there because last week this guy walked in, looked around and then fainted. When he came to he was like, “Whoa. I just didn’t understand before, but now…so many options…” and then he passed out again. Turns out he hadn’t eaten yet that day, but still, I don’t want anyone else hurting themselves so be sure to read through the following list very carefully before you come to The Makerspace for the first time, or at least have a sandwich.
Wow! Look what happens when you Google “felt sandwich”…you can make one of these here, by the way. We have everything you need.
THE LIST
-Two Lulzbot 3-D printers
-Two Mac computers loaded with the full Adobe Design Suite including Photoshop and InDesign
-Silhouette Vinyl Cutter (and tons of vinyl colors to choose from)
-VHS to DVD transfer station
-Heavy Duty Sewing Machine and all the notions you need to complete your project including thread, scissors, needles, etc. and rotary cutters and cutting mats, an iron and an ironing board. We also have a large selection of fabric that you are welcome to use.
– Embroidery hoops, needles, embroidery thread
-Needle felting needles, foam, finger guards and wool roving
-Crochet hooks and knitting needles of various sizes
-Knifty Knitter Looms
-Two small rigid heddle looms
-Lots of yarn!
-Jewelry making findings and pliers
-Screen printing screens, squeegees and ink
We also have supplies that will appeal to a younger crowd. You have to be 15 years old to use the space on your own but parents and caregivers are welcome to bring the kiddos.
-Perler Beads
-Origami Paper
-Patterned Duct Tape
-Button Maker with blank templates & colored pencils, plus a great supply of old magazines to cut up
-Craft Oven for use with:
-Polymer Clay
-Shrinky Dinks
Mother-Daughter Button Making
Mother-Son Shrinky Dinks!
Proud Little Makers!
Still not quite sure what to do or how to get started? Come by on a Monday or Wednesday from 3-5 p.m. or a Thursday from 4-6 p.m. and I (or the fabulous Matt, 3-D Printer Guru and all around good guy) will be in the Makerspace, ready to help and answer your questions. If those times don’t work for you, drop me a line at MedfieldMakers@minlib.net and we can set up an appointment.
Still not ready? How about taking a class? We offer workshops at the library on Tuesday evenings and Thursday mornings. Check out our events page for a complete listing. Still not ready? Fine. You’ve left me no choice. Doctor’s Orders: GET MAKING!
Sorry. Just kidding. But seriously. Get Making.
See you in The Makerspace!
♥, Bri
P.S. No Alpaca or Library Patrons were harmed during the writing of this blog post.
The classic, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is a novel of romance and suspense. After her marriage, the young Mrs. de Winter arrives at Manderly and is met by the sinister Mrs. Danvers. Mrs. Danvers is the longtime housekeeper for Mr. de Winter and his deceased wife,Rebecca. The second Mrs. de Winter feels burdened by the shadow of Rebecca and the secret no one will talk about.
What did happen to Rebecca? Why does Mrs. Danvers insist on not touching Rebecca’s bedroom? The young Mrs. de Winter is determined to uncover the dark secret that threatens her happiness and her marriage.
You, too, can read, reread, watch or listen to this classic by checking out the book, movie or audiobook through the catalog HERE
Ombré Like You Mean It
Welcome back to the Makerspace Blog…my apologies for the delayed posting! I got a little behind last week with Nor’easter Number Three, so I want to get this posted so you’ll have something to read while you’re snowed in by Nor’easter Number Four.
Those who were brave enough to come out to our Tuesday night workshop two weeks ago {was that the night before Nor’easter Number Two? I can’t even remember now. All I know for sure is that last week’s workshop, Upcycled Sweater Mittens, was (ironically) cancelled due to snow. We’ll reschedule that one come Fall ‘cause, I’m gonna be honest, in my mind it’s bright and sunny and warm out and mittens are the last thing I want to think about.} Wait, what was I saying? Oh yeah, our Tuesday night workshop two weeks ago…so, those who were brave enough to come out for it had a great time making Polymer Clay Jewelry. We made beads for necklaces and dangly earrings and one enterprising participant made rings. With some basic instruction on construction and color mixing, my little artistes went to Polymer Clay Town and came up with some fabulous designs!
In my opinion, one of the best parts of working with polymer clay is the incredible variety of colors available, but with some basic mixing that palette can be infinitely expanded. So, today I’m going to teach you how to mix a polymer clay gradient, or Ombré. Not familiar with the term? You’ve definitely seen Ombré gradients out in the world recently, maybe even downstairs at the library reference desk…
Here are the Ombré inspired earrings I made, and then this pair that has nothing to do with color gradients because the other best thing about polymer clay is making really tiny sculptures of food that you can wear.
Okay, back to teaching you something: Polymer clay colors can be mixed together just like mixing paint. For this Ombré gradient I started with yellow and green. I set aside a ball of each of my original colors and then I got to mixing. It’s important to always start with more of your lighter color then add the darker color to it little by little. I’m going to use some technical lingo here, so try to keep up. First, I got a blob of yellow, then I added a much smaller blob of green to it. To mix them, I used a very precise smooshing motion to fully integrate the two colors. Then I made a ball of that new color, set it aside, added another small blob of green to my bigger blob, and smooshed. Repeat, repeat, repeat and voilà: Ombré!
Sound fun? Join us next month for another polymer clay jewelry workshop on the evening of April 24th or the morning of the 26th. To see all of our other great upcoming classes, check out our Events page. See you back here next week at the Makerspace Blog where I’m going to discuss our nation’s current political climate. Just kidding. I’m going to talk about Making!
Welcome back to the Makerspace Blog! Today I want to tell you about the awesome screen printing workshop we held in the library a few weeks ago. As you probably know, screen printing is the technique used to put images onto t-shirts but it can also be used to print on paper to make things like flyers, holiday cards, and invitations. As I long for the days of decorating an old shoebox and finding it stuffed full of cards and candy from all my friends, I decided we should print Valentines! Why should kids get to have all the fun, right?
The Makerspace is outfitted with a Silhouette Vinyl Cutter, which is basically a big sticker maker that can cut decals 12” wide by as-long-as-your-little-heart-desires. It’s easy to import images downloaded from the internet as well as your own designs, and text-based compositions can be whipped up in no time! I made vinyl stencils and stuck them to the printing screens ahead of time. Participants then teamed up and took turns holding the screen while their partner used a squeegee to drag ink across it. Just like using a cardboard stencil with a can of spray paint, the vinyl stencil protects the paper or fabric under the screen from the ink so it only seeps through the screen where intended. So easy!
We made a great variety of prints that night using plain and patterned paper, and everyone had a stack of Valentines to take home with them. Best of all, two of the workshop participants came back the very next night, designed a decal on the computer, cut it out, made a screen and printed their design onto fabric which they then took home and sewed into pillows! Seeing those two put their new skills to use was an even better treat for me than finding a shoebox full of chocolate!
Thanks for stopping by to see what we’ve been up to in the Makerspace. I’ll be sure to post again next week. In the meantime, be sure to check out our events page…the April workshop schedule will be up soon and (surprise!) we are adding daytime classes into the mix!
