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NEWSLETTER
January 2006
Volume 3, Number 1
New & Improved Library Catalog
Downloadable Digital Audiobooks Are Here!
Library Announces New Long-Range Plan
Great Bay State Library Fundraiser
China Beach: Treasures From the Sea
Boston Chamber Ensemble Concert
Anime Feature: Full Metal Alchemist
Basic Internet Classes
Orientation for Literacy Volunteers
DISCOVER IT @your library: Storyteller Tim Van Egmond
Ongoing Programs for Adults: Book Discussion Groups & More
The Art of the Figure Exhibit
January Events for Children
What's
New in the Library's Collection
Recommended Winter Reading
Calendar of Events
Friends of the Library
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Back Issues
New & Improved Library Catalog
In November, the Old Colony Library Network unveiled an upgraded
version of its library
catalog. One welcome improvement is the ability for you
to see all of your library account information in one place,
using the new Manage My Account function.
You can also limit your search results to adult, teen, or
children's materials by selecting an Age Range radio button
before you conduct a search.
The new catalog now offers New in the Library lists
of new titles recently added to the library's collection,
such as new books, audiobooks, DVDs, and new materials for
children and young adults. The catalog also provides an RSS
feed option, which allows you to automatically receive
updates of titles that the library has recently purchased,
without having to constantly visit the library catalog.
Other new features include a graphical Just for Kids
catalog and the ability to Contact the Library
and send questions or comments directly to library staff.
And be sure to check out the new links to the MassAnswers
24/7 online chat reference service and to the Massachusetts
Virtual Catalog.
Downloadable Digital Audiobooks Are Here!
 Now you can browse, checkout and download popular and award-winning audiobooks from the comfort of your home, anytime of day from anywhere in the world! This new online service is available by visiting the Old Colony Library Network's eAudio Collection Web site.
With over 1,000 exceptional titles to choose from, the eAudiobook online collection is sure to have something for you. From popular novels by Nora Roberts, Catherine Coulter, Dean Koontz, and Amy Tan to the classic works of Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Franz Kafka, even Homer--our eAudiobook collection spans nearly every genre. The collection also includes children's, educational titles, and a wide variety of non-fiction including business, history, and self-help.
eAudiobooks are compatible with most home computers. Enjoy eAudiobooks (digital versions of traditional audio books on tape or CD) on your PC or on hundreds of portable WMA/MP3 players. You can also burn eAudiobooks to CD and listen to them in the car or on any standard CD player.
Getting started is easy. All you need is a valid OCLN library card and Internet access. Just visit OCLN's eAudio Collection Web site, install the free software, then browse our collection and select the titles you want. When you're ready, checkout your materials by entering your library card and download the digital books to your home computer. Once downloaded, you can transfer them to your portable device, or burn the eAudiobooks directly to CD. When the lending period is up, your digital books are automatically returned - so there are never any overdue charges!
This service is intended for home use. While you may browse
this collection and check out eAudio titles within the library,
you will not be able to download the eAudio files to a library
PC. Visit the eAudio
Collection for a Quick Start Guide and
answers to frequently asked questions, or call 617-376-1316
for more information.
Library Announces New Long-Range Plan
On December 12, 2005, the Library's Board of Trustees finalized its approval of a new five-year Long-Range Plan of Service, which goes into effect on July 1, 2006. The planning process began in April 2005, when community members were invited to participate on a planning committee. Over the next several months, the planning committee and library staff worked intensively, reviewing demographic information, drafting a community vision, identifying community needs, and selecting service priorities for the library.
The resulting plan reflects the planning committee's recommendation that the library focus on encouraging children to be lifelong readers, on keeping adults intellectually engaged into retirement, on welcoming people with limited English skills, on sustaining strong neighborhoods, and on helping people attain basic literacy. We are very grateful to the thoughtful and dedicated group of community people who worked with us to develop this plan.
Great Bay State Library Fundraiser
On December 2 & 3, the Massachusetts
Regional Library Systems, the Massachusetts
Library Association, Barnes
& Noble, and libraries across Massachusetts teamed
up for a special library fundraising event, The Great
Bay State Library Fundraiser. During
the two-date event, Barnes & Noble donated a percentage
of every sale from every customer who presented a book fair
voucher at any Massachusetts Barnes & Noble store.
During those two days, $51,168 in purchases were made using library vouchers at Barnes & Noble stores across the state. Barnes & Noble will donate $12,792 (25% of the total) to MRLS and MLA to benefit libraries statewide.
Thank you to all who made a purchase and presented a voucher during The Great Bay State Library Fundraiser!
China Beach: Treasures From the Sea
 After winter storms, the ocean frequently washes up mysterious shards of pottery, porcelain, china, and sea glass on Quincy beaches, each with its own unique story to tell. By studying the shape, color, and decorative details, beachcombers can trace some fragments back a century or more! Find out more about these treasures from the past at "China Beach: Treasures from the Sea", a free slide presentation at the Main Library, followed by a winter beachcombing walk in Hough's Neck.
Quincy resident Norma Jane Langford will show slides, display her own collection of treasures, and explore the story of her finds on Thursday, January 5 at 7:00 p.m. Langford will also discuss the history of garbage disposal and ocean currents.
Try your hand at winter beachcombing with Ms. Langford on Saturday, January 7 at the Edgewater Drive beach where she found her treasures. The walk will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Brill Field at the end of Sea Street where it meets Island Avenue. The rain date for the beachcombing walk is January 8 at 1:00 p.m.
Norma Jane Langford's interest in beachcombing began during a winter walk along Edgewater Beach in Hough's Neck. Her interest deepened after she consulted an archaeologist about her finds and discovered that her collection included pre-WWI amethyst glass, hand-blown glass circa 1820, redware from the late 1800s, and a tiny porcelain doll from Europe. Ms. Langford is a senior lecturer at Northeastern University and writes and lectures on a variety of topics, including historic houses and gardens, archaeology, urban farming, and travel.
Join the beachcombing walk or the slide presentation--or both--to discover more about the fascinating history of sea shards. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library and the Quincy Park Department's Environmental Treasures program. For more information about the slide presentation, call 617-376-1301. For more information about the beachcombing tour, call 617-472-0799.
Boston Chamber Ensemble Concert
The Boston Chamber Ensemble presents a free concert of classical and contemporary music on Sunday, January 8 at 3:00 p.m. at the Main Library. Selections will include the Bach-Mozart Prelude and Fugue, Timothy Macri's Chorale and Variations, and Beethoven's Adagio, Menuetto & Finale. Children aged 6 and older are welcome to attend, accompanied by an adult.
The Boston Chamber Ensemble was founded in 1989 as a group of 40 instrumentalists who comprise a chamber orchestra from which smaller, more intimate groups are formed to provide programs of great diversity and interest. The trio that will perform at the Crane consists of Elisa Birdseye, viola, Peter Zay, cello, and Timothy Macri, flute. The trio has performed at most of the Boston area chamber music series, including King's Chapel and Gore Place. Individually, they have performed concertos and recitals both in the United States and Europe.
 Violist
Elisa Birdseye is principal violist for the New Bedford
Symphony Orchestra and executive director of the Boston Chamber
Ensemble. As a recitalist, she has played solo and chamber
concerts throughout New England, in California, New York,
and in the Palffy Palace, Bratislava, Slovakia. She has been
featured twice on both WCRB's New England Concert Halls and
WGBH's Off the Record.
Flutist Timothy Macri is principal flute
of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra and the Manhattan Chamber
Sinfonietta and is a frequent guest with the Boston Pops Esplanade
Orchestra, the Boston Philharmonic and the Portland (ME) Symphony.
Last season he performed in concert with members of the Metropolitan
Opera Orchestra under the direction of James Levine.
Cellist Peter Zay's musical achievements
have taken him to concert halls throughout the United States,
Europe and Central America. He performs regularly at the International
Musical Arts Institute summer chamber music concerts in Fryeburg,
Maine. He has recorded for New World Records, Natural Soundfields
and Moving Together Productions. Mr. Zay is a member of the
Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Hartford Symphony Chamber
Orchestra.
This free concert is sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library. 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, January 11 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, January 18 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.
Anime Feature: Full Metal Alchemist
Join us for a screening of the anime series Full Metal Alchemist on
Tuesday, January 10 at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library.
 Fullmetal
Alchemist has regularly topped viewer polls in Japan
since its debut in 2003. The fantasy-adventure by director
Mizushima Seiji offers a satisfying blend of slapstick comedy,
exciting adventure, and genuine warmth. Young Alphonse and
Edward Elric delve into forbidden knowledge when they use
alchemy to try to bring their mother back from the dead--and
pay a terrible price under the principle of "equivalent
trade". Al becomes a disembodied soul in a suit of armor;
Ed loses an arm and a leg, but later receives mechanical prostheses.
The brothers wander through a world that resembles late 19th
century Europe, seeking the legendary Philosopher's Stone,
which they believe can restore their bodies.
Three or four episodes of this series will be shown, depending
on available time. 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.
Orientation for Literacy Volunteers
The Thomas Crane Library's literacy program, LVA-Quincy, is offering an
orientation for people interested in becoming basic reading tutors. LVA-Quincy
provides free, one-on-one tutoring in basic reading and writing to adults on
the South Shore. Orientation is provided twice a year and gives potential
tutors information about the basic reading program so that you can decide if
the program is compatible with your skills and interests and whether you want
to make this volunteer commitment. For more information about LVA-Quincy and
the orientation, go to About LVA-Quincy.
The orientation will take place at the Main Library on Thursday, January 12
from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
For more information or to register for this program, call
617-376-1314 or fill out an online application (select
"Volunteer", scroll to the bottom of that page and select "Application").
DISCOVER IT @your library: Storyteller Tim Van Egmond
Storyteller and folksinger Tim Van Egmond will present engaging
traditional stories and songs from around the world on Sunday,
January 29 at 2:00 p.m. at the Main Library. "You Say
Potato, I Say Pomme de Terre" explores
the fascination of language in a program suitable
for adults and children aged 7 and older. A variety
of folk traditions and languages will be represented, including
Shona, Bengali, Irish, Italian, Chinese, Seneca, and Spanish.
 Tim Van Egmond creates performances for a wide range of topics and themes, but feels especially drawn to the subject of this program. He has an ear for languages, having earned his college degree in Romance Languages, spent a semester studying in France, and traveled widely. He has been delighting audiences of all ages throughout the country since 1978, appearing at hundreds of schools, libraries, and community centers, as well as various folk festivals and on a number of television and radio programs. A resident of Montague, he is a featured artist in the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Education Programs and its Touring Program.
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 400's section this month. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
For more information, call 617-376-1301.
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 January 4, the group will be discussing The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. 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 January 6,
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 new 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 January 13, the group will be discussing The Almond Picker by Simonetta Angello Hornby. 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 January 18, the group will be discussing Bone by Fae Ng. 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.
The Art of the Figure Exhibit
 Quincy artist Daniel A. Myers III will exhibit works of sculpture, drawing and painting that feature the nude human figure, from January 3 to January 31. A public reception will be held on Saturday, January 7 from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Dan Myers is a native Kansan and member of the Quincy Art Association. He has won numerous awards for his work at the Quincy Art Festival and the Marina Bay Boardwalk show. Mr. Myers is a continuing education student at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts and has exhibited in their shows. His work is also represented at galleries in Boston and Hull. Mr. Myers specializes in human figure drawing, painting, and sculpture. His figures range from nude athletes, dancers, and allegorical figures to poignant portraits of mother and child.
January Events for Children
WINTER STORYTIME REGISTRATION
Registration for winter storytimes will begin Friday,
January 20 at 9:00 a.m. For storytime schedule details, visit the library or go to Program Information.
Registration is limited to Quincy residents and each child may only register
for one storytime. Children must be of age by the first meeting. Call or stop
by the storytime location to register. Programs fill very quickly.
DISCOVER IT @your library:
UNSEEN BORDERS: STORIES IN SIGN & VOICE
Storytellers Karen Glickman and Tony Toledo will present a program of stories told in both American Sign Language and Spoken English on Saturday, January 14 at 10:30 a.m. at the Main Library. Participants will learn some signs and meet Karen's assistance dog Shana. This program is for families with children ages 5 and older. No registration required.
This program is one of a yearlong series of programs highlighting
the library's collections by its classification system, the
Dewey
Decimal System. DISCOVER
IT @your library--in the 400's section this
month. Sponsored by the Friends
of the Thomas Crane Public Library. For more information,
call 617-376-2411.
MAD SCIENCE: DRY ICE
Take an exciting look at the world of dry ice in this very
"cool" workshop on Saturday, January 21 at the Main Library.
Learn about the three states of matter and sublimation, whereby
a solid turns directly into a gas. Blow up a balloon without
air, take a chemical "shower" and participate in a spooky
scene straight out of a movie!
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 Tuesday, January 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.
SATURDAY FUN FOR LITTLE ONES
Join Instructor Sheryl White for an introductory workshop on using sign language with babies and toddlers on Saturday, January 28 at 10:30 a.m. at the Main Library. Learn about the benefits and how to teach your hearing baby how to communicate before they can speak. 52 ASL signs will be introduced. This program is for families with very young children. No registration is required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
DISCOVER IT @your library:
STORYTELLER TIM VAN EGMOND
Storyteller and folksinger Tim Van Egmond will present engaging
traditional stories and songs from around the world on Sunday,
January 29 at 2:00 p.m. at the Main Library. "You Say
Potato, I Say Pomme de Terre" explores
the fascination of language in a program suitable
for adults and children aged 7 and older. A variety
of folk traditions and languages will be represented, including
Shona, Bengali, Irish, Italian, Chinese, Seneca, and Spanish.
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 400's section this month. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thomas Crane Public Library.
For more information, call 617-376-1301.
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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