All posts by Brian Herzog
MacKay Branch Open House 2010
On Wednesday, May 5th, the Board of Trustees of the Chelmsford Public Library held an “Open House” style meeting at the MacKay Branch Library. More than 70 patrons of the Library were in attendance, representing a broad cross-section of library users and neighbors.
The full notes from the Open House are available on our website, and here are some of the highlights from the evening:
- The Trustees presented an overview of how the library is funded
- The library received level-service funding for FY2011, which means no cuts are expected
- Factors that influence staffing levels and operating hours at the MacKay Branch
- The Trustees are committed to keeping the MacKay Branch open
- Questions from patrons:
- Can patron’s contribute or do fundraising to benefit the library?
- What will it take to restore hours to MacKay?
- Could a tax bill insert be used to fund the library?
Please read the full notes from the Open House. If you have comments or questions, you can contact the Trustees directly or Becky Herrmann, Library Director, at bherrmann@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521 x101.
Another Open House is scheduled at the Main Library for Wednesday, June 16th, 7:00-8:00 PM.
2010 Book Sale Drop-Off Dates Announced
The Friends of the Library have begun scheduling drop-off dates for book sale donations. These dates are listed below, and more information is available on the Friends’ Book Sale webpage.
Please consider helping make the 2010 Book Sale a success – the 2009 Book Sale raised over $27,000 for the Library!
| Date | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|
| May 22 | Saturday | 9 a.m. – Noon |
| June 12 | Saturday | 9 a.m. – Noon |
| June 26 | Saturday | 9 a.m. – Noon |
| July 10 | Saturday | 9 a.m. – Noon |
| July 14 | Wednesday | 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. |
| July 24 | Saturday | 9 a.m. – Noon |
| July 28 | Wednesday | 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. |
| August 7 | Saturday | 9 a.m. – Noon |
| August 11 | Wednesday | 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. |
| August 18 | Wednesday | 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. |
| August 28 | Saturday | 9 a.m. – Noon |
If you are unable to make one of the scheduled drop-offs, you can use the Book Sale Donation box, located on the edge of the parking lot between the Library and the Dutton House.
Or, if you are emptying a house or an estate and would like to donate a large collection of books, please contact the Friends directly to make special arrangements.
Also Remember to Visit the 2010 Book Sale:
| Friday, Sept. 24th | 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Saturday, Sept. 25th | 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. |
| Sunday, Sept. 26th | 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. |
The sale will take place in the gym behind the Town Office building, 50 Billerica Road, Chelmsford [see a map].
Ebooks Now Available
The Library’s Overdrive subscription has been expanded to offer ebooks in addition to audiobooks.
These ebooks are in the Adobe EPUB format, and work with many ereader devices, including the Barnes and Noble Nook and Sony eReader – they are not compatible with the Amazon Kindle or Apple iPad.
Anyone with a valid MVLC library card can visit http://mvlc.lib.overdrive.com to start browsing. We’re starting with a small ebook collection, but will continue to add titles.
Searching for ebooks works the same as searching for audiobooks, but you will need to download and install the free Adobe Digital Editions software. Overdrive provides instructions for getting started, and offers a great video guided tour of using our Overdrive library. We also have an introductory brochure [pdf] that gives tips on using Overdrive.
In addition to Overdrive, our Reading Room page lists other places from which Chelmsford residents can download free ebooks (including some Kindle resources).
If you’re still considering purchasing an ebook reader, here are resources to help you evaluate which device would work best for you:
- News and Advice from Consumer Reports
- Reviews from c|net
- Reviews from PC Magazine
- Reviews from Wired Magazine
- Privacy information from the Electronic Frontier Foundation: E-Book Buyer’s Guide to Privacy and privacy comparison charts of the top models
Chelmsford Town-Wide Cleanup 2010
Join in and help clean up our town!
Date: Saturday, April 24, 2010
Time: Throughout the day
Where: All roads, parks and yards
It’s in your hands. The snow has melted revealing the roadside waste that has accumulated over the Winter. Please pitch in and help get the Town ready for Spring.
Visit the Town’s Clean Up Day webpage for
- a list of the areas being cleaned by volunteers
- a list of areas that still need help
- answers frequently asked questions
- a flyer/poster [pdf] to help promote the event
Bags can be picked up from the Office of Recycling and Solid Waste Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 12 noon. The Town-wide Cleanup this year is sponsored by the Chelmsford Business Association and The Green Lawn Company.
For more information, contact Glenn Davison at davisong@comcast.net or 978-250-5203. You can also visit ChelmsfordRecycles.org for more information on recycling in Chelmsford.
Also, mark your calendars for the Earth Fair on the Common, May 8th, 12 noon – 3 p.m
Free ProQuest Access for National Library Week
The library subscribes to many online resources to help with research. However, for National Library Week, April 12-18, 2010, you’ll be able to access even more – ProQuest is providing free access to some of their most popular databases, including:
- CultureGramsTM explore the world’s cultures with local experts that document the history, customs, government, and daily life in multimedia reports on over 200 countries
- eLibrary® this easy to use resource brings together content about in-demand subjects from millions of multimedia-rich, global resources
- ProQuest® African American Heritage brings together records critical to African American family history research and connects users to a community of research experts
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers™ – Black Newspapers experience history firsthand via continuous runs of the following full-image titles: The Baltimore Afro-American, Chicago Defender, Los Angeles Sentinel, and New York Amsterdam News
Visit http://www.proquest.com/go/celebrate to access these resources and more, during National Library Week. No username or password needed.
If you have questions about these databases, or any online resources offered by the Chelmsford Library, please ask at the Reference Desk, email askus@mvlc.org or call 978-256-5521 x211.
Town Election April 6, 2010
Chelmsford’s 2010 Town Election is on Tuesday, April 6th, 2010.
A specimen ballot [pdf] is available for review, and there are both open positions and one question:
Question 1:
Shall the Town of Chelmsford be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bond issued in order to acquire found parcels of land, containing a total of 16.97 acres, more or less, and the 92,844 +/- square-foot building thereon located at 9 Alpha Road in Chelmsford, and to fund the design and the redevelopment of the land and building into a Department of Pubic Works facility?
Positions:
- Selectman
- School Committee
- Sewer Commission
- Planning Board
- Town Meeting Representative
- Library Trustee
- Constable
- Housing Authority
- Board of Health
- Cemetery Commission
The Town of Chelmsford’s voter information webpage has the list of polling locations [pdf] and the precinct list by street [pdf]. For more information, residents should contact the Town Clerk’s office.
Chelmsford Town Website Honored
Chelmsford has earned recognition for the way it makes Town records and information available to the public through the Town website.
Common Cause Massachusetts annually surveys municipal websites, and is presenting its 2010 e-Government Award to Chelmsford and 180 other cities and towns on Tuesday, March 16 at the State House. The Chelmsford Independent reports,
Chelmsford is being honored, with distinction, for posting key minutes, agendas, the budget, town bylaws, the Town Meeting warrant, Town Meeting results archives of meeting minutes and agendas, among other ephemera.
This program is designed to promote governmental participation of “Sunshine Week,” which highlights the need to make information collected and produced by government agencies, as well as the actions taken by government agencies, known and available to the public.
The Chelmsford Library also strives to make access to information as easy as possible for the public. Please visit and explore the Town’s website and the Library’s website, and contact Town Offices or the Library’s Reference Desk for help locating information.
Chelmsford Volunteer Fair 2010
Are you looking for interesting volunteer work?
Do you represent an organization that needs volunteers?
The 2010 Chelmsford Volunteer Fair will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2010, from 10 a.m.-noon, at the Chelmsford Senior Center, 75 Groton Road, North Chelmsford (map).
Any teens or adults looking to volunteer in the community, or for activities to add to your resume, are encouraged to attend and connect with local organizations and agencies that need help. Over 50 groups will be exhibiting this year, and a complete list, with links to their websites, is available on the Volunteer Fair webpage.
Organizations or individuals looking for more information on the Fair should contact the Library’s Community Services Department (kcryanhic@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521, x109).
ChelmsfordVolunteers.org
For more information on volunteer opportunities and organizations, check out ChelmsfordVolunteers.org – it offers a calendar of events, a searchable database of organizations, and links to other online volunteering resources.
2009 Town Report Available
The 2009 Town of Chelmsford Annual Report is available. The library has reference copies at the Reference Desk and in the Local History Collection, located on the lower level.
The Town has also been putting electronic versions of recent Annual Reports on their website. These can be accessed by visiting http://www.townofchelmsford.us/Annual_Report.cfm.
For more information on Chelmsford’s Town Reports, or the information it contains, please contact the Chelmsford Town Clerk’s office at http://www.townofchelmsford.us/Town-Clerk.cfm or
| Contact | Elizabeth L. Delaney – Town Clerk Raymonde R. Legrand – Ass’t Town Clerk |
| Address | 50 Billerica Rd Chelmsford, MA 01824 |
| Hours | Monday – Friday 8:30 AM to 4 PM |
| Telephone | 978-250-5205 or 5206 |
| Fax | 978-250-5208 |
Shutter Island, the Movie
As you may have heard, Chelmsford’s 2010 One Book selection, Shutter Island is being released as a movie this month. We’re hoping that many people will see it, in addition to reading the book.
The movie opened Friday, Feb 19th, and has been getting good reviews. If you haven’t seen it yet, how about seeing it with the Library? Details are still being worked out, but we’re hoping to have a “Chelmsford night” at a local cinema, so many of us who read the book can all watch the movie together.
More information about the movie:
- Official Movie Website
- Reviews from newspapers and websites
- Review by WBUR’s Ed Siegal or listen to his review
- Details at the Internet Movie Database
- Details at Rotten Tomatoes
In other movie news, the February and March Library Cinema Nights will be showing Dennis Lehane movies. February’s showing was Mystic River, and the March 18th Cinema Night will be another of his books. Check the Cinema Night webpage or the Library’s Calendar for more details.