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NEWSLETTER
April 2006
Volume 3, Number 4
The New York Times Now Available Online to 1980
Find a Good Book to Read With NoveList
Free Tax Preparation at Main Library / Tax Tips From the IRS
DISCOVER IT @your library: Exploring Cape Cod With Rod & Reel
Quincy Reads Together: Meet the Author: William Tapply
Quincy Reads Together: Crime & the Cultural
Landscape Reading & Discussion Series
Basic Internet Classes
DISCOVER IT @your library: The Life of Ted Williams
DISCOVER IT @your library: Introduction to Scrapbooking
Anime Feature: Read or Die
DISCOVER IT @your Library: Comics Drawing Workshop for Teens
Quincy Reads Together: Meet the Author: Jane Langton
DISCOVER IT @your library: Landscape Makeovers
Ongoing Programs for Adults: Book Discussion Groups & More
April Exhibit: Quincy Art Association
April Events for Children
What's
New in the Library's Collection
Recommended Spring Reading
Calendar of Events
Friends of the Library
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Back Issues
The New York Times Now Available Online to 1980
Comprehensive full-text coverage for the U.S. "newspaper of record" is now available on the Web back to 1980. With your library card, you can search and retrieve articles from home, office, or in the library via our ProQuest® newspaper database subscription.
This database offers superb coverage of national and international news, plus coverage of important speeches and documents, Supreme Court decisions, and presidential press conference transcripts. Each issue of the newspaper is indexed thoroughly, so you have access to not only top news stories but also detailed information on the arts, sports, business, and popular culture. Even such items as editorials, editorial cartoons, obituaries, and letters to the editor from well-known people are indexed.
Basic and advanced search options and conceptual smart searching are just a few of the features that help you find the exact information you need quickly and easily.
The ProQuest® database also includes Patriot Ledger articles back to 1995 and Wall Street Journal articles back to 1984. To access this newspaper database, go to ProQuest®. If you are searching from home or office, have your library card ready.
For assistance accessing or searching library databases, call 617-376-1316 or e-mail quref@ocln.org.
Find a Good Book to Read With NoveList
 Readers of all ages can now use this online fiction database to find just the right book to read next. Find all the titles by your favorite authors, or use a favorite title to find similar books. Find all the books in a series you like. Or find books on a topic or theme you enjoy reading about. Young and old readers alike will love this rich resource for picture books, easy readers, chapter books, books with teen appeal, and adult fiction. All you need is your library card!
To access this fiction database, go to NoveList. If you are searching from home or office, have your library card number ready.
For assistance accessing or searching library databases, call 617-376-1316 or e-mail quref@ocln.org.
Free Tax Preparation at Main Library / Tax Tips From the IRS
The deadline for filing taxes is fast approaching. If you haven't filed yet, don't forget that the Main Library is an AARP Tax-Aide site this year, providing free tax counseling and preparation services in English and Cantonese for low and middle income taxpayers, especially those over the age of 60. IRS-certified volunteers are available to assist eligible taxpayers until April 12. The service will be provided by appointment only on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Tax returns will be limited to e-filing only, for both Federal and Massachusetts returns.
Sign up for a time slot with an AARP volunteer at the Reference Desk on the top floor of the Main Library. No appointments will be made over the phone. Taxpayers are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes early for their appointment and to bring necessary documents with them. A list of required documents is available at the Reference Desk. For more information about this free service, call 617-376-1316.
For information about tax forms and other tax preparation services available in Quincy, go to our income tax information page.
TAX TIPS FROM THE IRS
E-file your return--it's safe, fast and accurate!
Before filing, check to see if there are credits for which you are eligible such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Care Credit, and Education Credits. For more information about these credits or for other tax-related information, go to www.irs.gov.
Are you eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit? You may qualify if in 2005 you earned--
- $11,750 ($13,750 if married filing jointly) without a qualifying child: Maximum Credit: $399
- $31,030 ($33,030 if married filing jointly) with one qualifying child: Maximum Credit: $2,662
- $35,263 ($37, 263 if married filing jointly) with more than one qualifying child: Maximum Credit: $4,400
For more information go to www.irs.gov/eitc
DISCOVER IT @your library: Exploring Cape Cod With Rod & Reel
Discover the fun and rewards of fishing the productive waters of Cape Cod with Dean Clark on Saturday, April 1 at 10:00 a.m. at the Main Library.
In this fun, family-oriented slide seminar for adults and children aged seven and older, you will take a photographic cruise around Cape Cod and Monomy Island, where you will see the seals and many different birds that can be found there. Mr. Clark will also share fishing details that only someone with more than 50 years of fly fishing experience can provide. His presentation will include tips for intermediate and experienced fishermen as well as advice for youngsters on getting started fishing with success and fun.
 Dean Clark, of Shrewsbury and Marstons Mills, caught his first striped bass on a fly rod in 1946 long before the current surge of saltwater fly rodding and has been bragging about it ever since. He is an award-winning writer and photographer for Yankee Magazine, Fly Fisherman, the Atlantic Salmon Journal, Trout, and Salt Water Sportsman. He is a founder and former director of the Trout Unlimited youth fishing camp. Mr. Clark travels throughout New England giving seminars and demonstrations on fly tying and salt water fly fishing--when he is not chasing game fish in the salt. He fishes Cape Cod for striped bass, bluefish, false albacore, bonito and small bluefin tuna.
This free program is one of a yearlong series of programs and displays
highlighting the library's collections by its classification system, the Dewey Decimal System. DISCOVER IT @your library--in the 700's section this month. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
For more information, call 617-376-1301.
Quincy Reads Together: Meet the Author: William Tapply
Join acclaimed mystery author William Tapply for a reading and book signing on Sunday, April 2 at 2:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
 William G. Tapply is the author of more than three dozen books. He has written 25 novels featuring Boston attorney Brady Coyne, including Shadow of Death, Bitch Creek, and his latest, Nervous Water. Tapply's novels have won praise for their smooth style and colorful New England characters.
Tapply's mystery writing handbook, The Elements of Mystery Fiction, is used in writing classes and workshops across the country. He is a Contributing Editor for Field & Stream, a columnist for American Angler, and has written hundreds of articles, stories and essays on many subjects for dozens of other publications.
Tapply once said that he is reluctant to call his books mystery novels: "I write novels that, like most worthwhile novels, contain mysteries. I place great emphasis in my writing on characterization, motivation, suspense, and humor--all of which seem to me important in all fiction. I have been asked on occasion when I intend to write a 'real novel.' I reply, of course, that I already have." When asked what effect he hoped his books would have, Tapply said, "I hope they will keep people up all night turning the pages."
Tapply is a professor of English at Clark University in Worcester, where he teaches writing. He and his wife, novelist Vicki Stiefel, run The Writers Studio at Chickadee Farm. Tapply lives and writes in Hancock, New Hampshire.
This free event is part of this year's Quincy Reads Together: Mystery By The Book community reading program, which features mystery and detective fiction. Sponsored by the Bill Flynn Foundation. For more information, call 617-376-1301.
Quincy Reads
Together: Crime & the Cultural Landscape Reading
& Discussion Series
This six-part reading and discussion series continues on Tuesday evenings in April. Each session will include a short presentation by Curry College English Professor Fedo, followed by a group discussion. All sessions will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
The remaining books and discussion dates are as follows:
- April 4: Death in a Tenured Position by Amanda
Cross
- April 18: Bonecrack by Dick Francis
Come to one, some or all of the discussions. No registration is required. Copies of the books are available in various formats, including large print and audio editions, and can be picked up at the Main Library at least two weeks before each discussion date.
This free program is part of this year's Quincy Reads Together: Mystery By The Book community reading program. Sponsored by the Bill Flynn Foundation. For more information, call 617-376-1301.
Basic Internet Classes
An Introduction to the Internet class will be offered in the Main Library
computer lab on Wednesday, April 5 at 10:00 a.m. This class covers
Internet basics such as Web browser features and how to do a Google Web search.
A follow-up class will be offered on Wednesday, April 12 at 10:00 a.m.,
reviewing basic concepts, offering time for you to ask specific questions
relevant to your own personal interests, and providing help setting up a free
Yahoo! e-mail account.
Both classes require that you have experience using a mouse and keyboard. If
you do not, or if you have any questions, please call 617-376-1316 or stop by
the Main Library reference desk (second floor).
Both classes are free and require no advance registration.
DISCOVER IT @your library: The Life of Ted Williams
Get ready for the 2006 baseball season by taking a moment to look back at the career of one of baseball's greatest at The Life of Ted Williams on Thursday, April 6 at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
Join baseball writer Bill Nowlin for a talk on this American legend, including fascinating and revealing stories about Williams' high school and semipro career, the war years, and his successful quest for a .400 batting average.
 Ted Williams was a giant of a man, the likes of whom America may never see again. Enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966, Ted Williams was also the first living athlete to be honored with his own museum--the Ted Williams Museum and Hitter's Hall of Fame. Agreed by many to be the greatest pure hitter in the history of the game, Ted Williams was much more than just a hitter. He's been honored by the Marine Corps and the President of the United States for his military service in two wars, which included 39 combat missions over Korea. And for half a century he was the leading fundraiser in the struggle against cancer in children, through his stalwart support of Boston's Jimmy Fund.
Bill Nowlin is the author or editor of over ten books about Ted Williams and/or the Boston Red Sox, including Ted Williams: the Pursuit of Perfection, The Kid: Ted Williams in San Diego, and Blood Feud: the Red Sox, the Yankees, and the Struggle of Good vs. Evil. His latest book, Ted Williams at War, is the first to explore Williams' distinguished military legacy and features a wealth of previously unseen photos. Nowlin has served for the last five years as editor of publications for the Ted Williams Museum, and was elected in 2004 as Vice President of the Society for American Baseball Research.
This free program is one of a yearlong series of programs and displays
highlighting the library's collections by its classification system, the Dewey Decimal System. DISCOVER IT @your library--in the 700's section this month. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
For more information, call 617-376-1301.
DISCOVER IT @your library: Introduction to Scrapbooking
Are your precious photos and memorabilia in shoeboxes in the attic? Would you like to see and share them in an album, but you're not sure where to start? Find out how to create an attractive, decorated scrapbook--and safely preserve your photos for posterity--at an Introduction to Scrapbooking workshop on Tuesday, April 11 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
In this hands-on workshop, you will learn the basics of the creative hobby of scrapbooking, beginning with making a layout for your "scraps". Participants should bring a collection of photos to get started. Select your photos based on one theme or event--such as a child's first birthday or your vacation trip to the mountains. You may also want to bring related keepsakes such as tickets or locks of hair. Think of each page as having a story to tell! No experience or expertise is needed for this free workshop but because space is limited, REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. To register, call 617-376-1316, e-mail quref@ocln.org, or stop by the Main Library reference desk on the top floor.
Workshop presenter and avid scrapbooker Marie Zaccagnini studied fine art and graphic design at college. She subsequently left an 11-year career as a desktop publisher and opened The Stamp Act in Marshfield, a shop devoted to paper and ink crafts such as scrapbooking, cardmaking, and stamping. Ms. Zaccagnini teaches craft workshops at The Stamp Act, and offers a large variety of stamps, papers, craft supplies, and customized die-cutting services to South Shore crafters.
This free program is one of a yearlong series of programs and displays
highlighting the library's collections by its classification system, the Dewey Decimal System. DISCOVER IT @your library--in the 700's section this month. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
For more information, call 617-376-1301.
Anime Feature: Read or Die
 Join us for a screening of the original Japanese anime series Read or Die on Thursday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
Yomiko Readman is "The Paper" a secret underground operative for the British Library with the incredible power of complete control over paper, including the ability to make it solid as steel. She is called to duty when a book that could spell the end of the world is stolen, and she must take it back. Going with two other operatives, she attempts to take it back and save the world.
"This slight, off-the-wall sci-fi adventure boasts handsome designs, polished animation, and skillful direction." (Amazon.com)
The program is intended for adults and
teens aged 13 and older and is not suitable for younger audiences.
For more information, call 617-376-1301.
DISCOVER IT @your library:
Comics Drawing Workshop for Teens
Are you an aspiring cartoonist? Do you dream of creating your
very own manga series? Or maybe you just like to read comics
and doodle? Learn how to create comics from pros Andy Fish
and Veronica Hebard at a free Comics Drawing Workshop for
young artists aged 13-18 on Saturday, April 22 at 2:00 p.m.
at the Main Library.
In this hands-on workshop, you will learn the tips and tricks
cartoonists use, including film techniques to enhance your
work. If you have a sketchbook, bring it with you for a critique
of your work and suggestions for further development. Paper
and pencils will be provided. If you like comics and you like
to draw, this workshop is for you--no experience or special
expertise is needed!
Artist and writer Andy Fish has been drawing comics for 30
years--14 of them as a professional cartoonist. He has worked
for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Marshall Comics and Blue Monkey
Comics, worked in film and animation, and created the daily
Adam Bomb comic strip which ran on thousands of websites
around the world and was read by nearly two million people
a day. Andy is a senior faculty member at the Worcester Art
Musuem, where he teaches various art forms to students from
middle school through college, and the founder of UnderCoverFish.com.
Veronica Hebard is an accomplished painter, writer and cartoonist.
She has produced a number of graphic novels and comic stories,
including A Comic Book Life and a critically acclaimed
look at mortality in a story which ran in the New York SVA's
Inkstains Magazine. Currently she is working on Stocking
Feet, a serialized story about growing up in the loneliness
of an inner city neighborhood, and assisting Andy Fish with
a Batman graphic novel for DC Comics. Veronica has also directed
several short films and is developing ideas for her next one.
This free program is one of a yearlong series of programs
and displays highlighting the library's collections by its
classification system, the Dewey
Decimal System. DISCOVER IT
@your library--in the 700's section this month.
Sponsored by the Friends
of the Thomas Crane Public Library. For more information,
call 617-376-1331.
Quincy Reads Together: Meet the Author: Jane Langton
Join acclaimed mystery writer Jane Langton for a reading and book signing on Sunday, April 23 at 2:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
 Jane Langton is the author of mysteries for adults as well as novels for children that focus on history, mystical adventures, and sometimes mystery. Two of her mystery novels have been nominated for Edgar Awards.
Her Homer Kelly series, 18 strong and growing, feature Homer and his wife Mary, both instructors at Harvard, who become sometimes unwilling sleuths in games of life and death. Known for their witty edge, elegantly constructed plots, and historical backdrops, the Kelly series has attracted a large audience of both adults and young adults. In the latest installment, Steeplechase, Langton weaves her usual spell "with a sure hand, a dose of whimsy, and a heavy sprinkling of wry humor", according to the Boston Globe.
In 1980, Langton received a Newbery Honor Book award for The Fledgling, a book about a girl whose dreams of flying come true when she rides on the back of a Canadian goose. She also writes a series for young readers about the Hall family of Concord, Massachusetts, most recently The Mysterious Circus.
Langton's love of stories began early. "My brother and sister and I were lucky in our relatives. Two librarian aunts kept us supplied with new children's books. And could anything match the delight of crowding up against our father on the sofa while he read aloud? It didn't matter what the book was. The rapture of being read to was even more important than the story. We would have listened to the phone book." Langton lives around the corner from Walden Pond in Concord.
This free event for adults and children in grades 4+ is part of this year's Quincy Reads Together: Mystery By The Book community reading program, which features mystery and detective fiction. Sponsored by the Bill Flynn Foundation. For more information, call 617-376-1301.
DISCOVER IT @your library: Landscape Makeovers
Come and see what a difference the right plants in the right location will do for your landscape or yard at a free Landscape Makeovers slide presentation on Tuesday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the North Quincy Branch Library.
Before and after slides of real projects will show the dramatic results that you can achieve working with landscape professionals or on your own with the right plan. Get advice on how to evaluate your personal goals and assets to determine the best course of action for short-term sprucing or long-term renovation, front yard "curb appeal" or backyard oasis. Specific recommendations will be given for which plant species to use and maintain, which can or should be moved to a different location, and which should be sacrificed to the greater good of the entire project. There will be a question and answer period after the slide presentation.
Cathy deVeer spent 18 years as a landscape designer serving South Shore residents with Garden Craft, Inc. of Hanover. Cathy is currently the children's librarian at the North Quincy Branch Library.
This free program is one of a yearlong series of programs and displays
highlighting the library's collections by its classification system, the Dewey Decimal System. DISCOVER IT @your library--in the 700's section this month. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
For more information, call 617-376-1331.
Ongoing Programs for Adults
FIRST WEDNESDAY BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
This group meets the first Wednesday of each month from 10:00-11:30
a.m. at the Main Library. On April 5, the
group will be discussing The Human Stain by Philip Roth. Copies of the book are available
at the Main Library checkout desk. For more information, call
617-376-1301.
FIRST FRIDAY BOOKED FOR LUNCH
Read any good books lately? Looking for something new to read?
Bring a brown bag lunch and join other readers in a lively
exchange of authors and titles on the first Friday of each
month. The next meeting is on April 7,
from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. in the Main Library atrium (outside
the cafe). If you have read a book you would like to share
or are looking for something new to read, this is the group
for you.
SECOND FRIDAY BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
 This book discussion group meets on the second Friday of each month at
9:30 a.m. As a convenience to parents with small children, the group will meet
in the Main Library Children's storytime room and little ones are welcome. Age appropriate activities will be available to entertain the children while we talk.
On April 14, the group will be discussing The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Copies of the book are available at the Main Library
Children's Room desk. For more information, call 617-376-2411.
 THIRD WEDNESDAY BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
This group meets the third Wednesday of each month from 7:00-8:30
p.m. at the Main Library. On April 19,
the group will be discussing Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie. Copies of the book are available
at the Main Library checkout desk. For more information, call
617-376-1331.
WEEKLY WEDNESDAY MATINEE
See a variety of films selected with older adults in mind at this weekly
program held at the North Quincy Branch Library at 2:15 p.m. every Wednesday.
Films include travel, humor, and biography as well as full-length feature
films. For more information, call the North Quincy Branch at 617-376-1320.
April Exhibit: Quincy Art Association
The Quincy Art Association presents an exhibit of works by its members from April 1-30 at the Main Library. A public reception will be held on Sunday, April 9 from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
April Events for Children
STORYTIME WITH MICHELLE
Saturday drop-in storytimes return on April 1, 18, 15 and 29. Join storyteller Michelle Andrews for stories, songs, rhymes, and more for children aged 2-5 accompanied by an adult. No registration required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
DISCOVER IT @your library: Exploring Cape Cod With Rod & Reel
Discover the fun and rewards of fishing the productive waters of Cape Cod with Dean Clark on Saturday, April 1 at 10:00 a.m. at the Main Library.
In this fun, family-oriented slide seminar for adults and children aged seven and older, you will take a photographic cruise around Cape Cod and Monomy Island, where you will see the seals and many different birds that can be found there. Mr. Clark will also share fishing details that only someone with more than 50 years of fly fishing experience can provide. His presentation will include tips for intermediate and experienced fishermen as well as advice for youngsters on getting started fishing with success and fun.
This free program is one of a yearlong series of programs and displays
highlighting the library's collections by its classification system, the Dewey Decimal System. DISCOVER IT @your library--in the 700's section this month. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
Quincy Reads Together:
MYSTERY MOVIE MARATHON
Mysteries intrigue readers and moviegoers of all ages. This marathon of mystery movies will include something for everyone. All movies will be shown on Wednesday, April 19 at the Main Library.
10:00 a.m.: The Great Mouse Detective features legendary mouse super sleuth, Basil, matching wits with Professor Ratigan, the world's greatest criminal mind. With the help of Dawson and a sweet little mouse named Olivia, Basil must outwit the ruthless rodent to save all of Mousedom. This animated classic is suitable for all ages.
2:00 p.m.: That Darn Cat--Come along for a wild ride as a teenager and a detective with the help of D.C. (Darn Cat) unravel a kidnapping plot like a ball of yarn, much to the chagrin of the bungling kidnappers. This live action film is suitable for school age children.
7:00 p.m.: Clue--In this comedy-mystery based on the board game, several guests accept mysterious invitations to a party at a large house on a hill. By the end of the evening, six people have been murdered, presumably by one of the houseguests--but who? This all-star comedy based on the world-famous board game is unique in that there are three different endings to the "who-done-it". This movie is most suitable for ages 13 and older.
This free event is part of this year's Quincy Reads Together: Mystery By The Book community reading program, which features mystery and detective fiction. Sponsored by the Bill Flynn Foundation. For more information, call 617-376-2411.
MAD SCIENCE: MOVIE EFFECTS
Mad Science of Greater Boston Workshops presents Movie Effects on Saturday, April 15 at the Main Library. Exciting demonstrations and hands-on activities allow you to explore how amazing special effects in movies are achieved through science and technology. Investigate the concept of 3-D using red/blue anaglyph glasses. Make your own mini animation booklet to take home.
There will be a 10:00 a.m. session for children ages 7 and older and an 11:15 a.m. session for ages 4-6.
Registration is required, beginning Monday, April 3. Stop by the Main
Library Children's Room or call 617-376-2411 to register. Sponsored by the
Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
DISCOVER IT @your library: ORIGAMI WORKSHOP
Learn how to make two classic origami shapes--the star and the crane--in this hands-on introduction to origami on Thursday, April 20 at 2:00 p.m. at the Main Library. Registration is required, beginning Monday, April 3, and is limited to Quincy residents. This program is for children ages 10 and older.
This free program is one of a yearlong series of programs and displays
highlighting the library's collections by its classification system, the Dewey Decimal System. DISCOVER IT @your library--in the 700's section this month. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
SATURDAY FUN FOR LITTLE ONES
Puppeteer Sparky Davis presents "The Kingdom of Riddles" on Saturday, April 22 at 10:00 a.m. at the Main Library. Join us for a delightful tale of kings and queens, knights and dragons in this puppet show especially for very young children.
This program is for families with very young children ages 0-4. No registration is required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
PHOENIX BOOK CLUB
This book discussion program for children in grades 5-8 meets
on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Main
Library. Stop by the Main Library Children's Room or call
617-376-2411 for more information or to register.
NIGHT OWL BOOK CLUBS
These discussion and activity groups for children in 3rd and 4th grades meet monthly at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library. Night Owl 3 (for 3rd graders) meets on the second Monday of each month. Night Owl 4 (for 4th graders) meets on the third Monday. Stop by the Main Library Children's Room or call 617-376-2411 for more information or to
register.
Friends of the Library
Become a Friend of the library! Your Friends membership fee
($10 for individuals, $15 for families) helps support museum
passes and events for all ages. For more information about
the Friends, go to the Friends
of the Thomas Crane Public Library page or pick up a brochure
at the library.
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