HAPPY NEW YEAR

The Worthington Library will be closed for New Year's Day. We will resume regular hours on January 4. Thank you so much for all the donations to the Hilltown Food Pantry; there was a great response to this food drive.

January brings us not only cold and snow, but many programs at the library. Here are our regularly scheduled programs:

1st Thursdays - Genealogy Club - research your family or the history of Worthington. Help is always here!

2nd Thursdays - Movie Night - visit the library to learn of the upcoming movies - this year we move to a large screen!

3rd Thursdays - Friends of the Worthington Library meet at 6:15pm. Join this group to help raise money for library programs and extra books. Board of Directors meets at 7:00pm

4th Thursdays - Book Club - join us for a discussion of our book of the month. Stop by early in the month to check out a copy of our choice.

All programs begin at 7:00 pm unless otherwise noted. Call or email to find out more details.

November is a fun filled month

November at the Worthington Library is full of events. On Thursday, November 11, we will be showing the movie "Bottle Shock" at 7:00 pm. This is a fun movie about California wines breaking into the world scene and is based on a true story.

On Saturday the 13th, the library is hosting National Game Day from 10:00 to 4:00 pm. We're hoping to have the library filled with gamers of all kinds. We have many board and card games and some computers games, as well. If you have a favorite game, bring it to share. Our newest game is Wits & Wagers Family from the folks at North Star Games. This is the third annual National Game Day and there is a contest among libraries to see how many players we can get. Come in to play and boost our numbers. Snacks will be available and it's all free.

Last, but not least, on Saturday, November 20, the library is holding a Harvest Celebration to celebrate our recently awarded "On the Same Page" grant. This event will be held at the RH Conwell school cafeteria from 4:00 - 6:00 pm. Many local farmers and organizations will display information about their work. Demonstrations, samples and refreshments are part of the celebration as well as music performed by Sarah Stockwell. The library table will have copies of the book The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan which is the subject of the grant. This will be a fun and informative celebration that you won't want to miss!

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE STARTS NEW NIGHT FOR MOVIES

We're trying to make movie-viewing at the library easier for you to attend. Our regular monthly movie night will now be the second THURSDAY at 7:00pm. Most of our regularly scheduled programs fall on Thursday nights so this seemed like a natural. Here is our line-up of Thursday night activities:

1st Thursday - Genealogy Club - work on your own or town history using the expertise of others who have been researching for a long time.

2nd Thursday - Movie Night! Check this blog, our FaceBook page or the sign in front to see the selection. If you have a movie you'd like to see, come in and suggest it to the librarian.

SEE SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE ON OCTOBER 14

3rd Thursday - Friends of the Worthington Library meet at 6:15. This group helps to raise funds for programs and books invites new members who would like to have fun while helping the library. Following the Friends meeting is the monthly Board of Directors meeting at 7:00 pm. The public is welcome to attend.

4th Thursday - Book Club - each month we choose a book to read and discuss. It's fun and enlightening and we often have snacks.

ALL THESE PROGRAMS TAKE PLACE AT 7:00 PM

Secret Life of Bees at the library

You just missed our discussion of the book by Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees. We had a great discussion about southern society in the 60's, racial prejudices and who held them and the significance of the Black Madonna. This is a great book. For those who have read it and for those who haven't, we will be showing the movie which was made from it next Thursday evening. Be here at 7:00 pm on Thursday September 30 for the Worthington Library's showing of The Secret Life of Bees. The cast includes Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys.
Next month's book is Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book.

September at the Library

September brings us around once more to crisp nights and colorful leaves. New books are on the shelves and plans for great programs are in the works. Coming up on September 2 is the monthly Genealogy Club. If you are interested in Worthington History or your own family's roots, this is the place to be. We help each other with searches, giving ideas and advice on places to find the elusive relative or record. There is lots of great information on the internet and we can easily access it. Come by at 7:00pm on Thursday evening and join the fun.

On Saturday, September 11, the Second Saturday Movie will be a treat! We will show Blade Runner, the director's cut, which will begin at 6:00pm. Bring your own snacks and settle in for an evening's entertainment - free!

Keep the date open - September 16 at 7:00pm - the Library's Annual meeting this year will feature speakers about the changes at the R.H. Conwell School what it means for the town.

Book Club Readers can begin reading Sue Monk Kidd's Secret Life of Bees for September 23 at 7:00 pm. Not in the book club? Why not ?- we always have a great time. Books should be available by this Thursday.

Mad Science and Moving Movies

This week's Summer Reading offering is Mad Science's program: Oceans - Black and Blue. Thursday, August 12 at 10:30 the Mad Scientist will be riding the waves at the library.

On Saturday, we are moving...the movie. Due to schedule conflicts, our Second Saturday Movie will be held on the Third Saturday. Come see The Odd Couple on August 21 at 6:00 pm.

BIRDS OF PREY

Thursday, August 5 from 10:30 am to 11:30 am is everyone's favorite summer program - Birds of Prey. This Connie Dorrington memorial program presents Tom Ricardi and his birds. This is a wonderful and educational event for the whole family. Outside under the canopy, see the owls, eagles, hawks and vultures. Don't miss this summer reading program special presentation!

Note: the Second Saturday Movie, The Odd Couple, will be held at 6:oo pm on August 21, the third Saturday, due to a scheduling conflict.

Old to New - Making Paper

July 29 at 10:30 we'll be recycling old paper to make NEW paper! Get your hands wet and add creative elements to your sheets which you can take home. Have fun learning an ancient art! Join us and Susan Warner under the tarp.

Summer Reading Presents Indian Culture

On Thursday, July 22, the Worthington Library will have a new feature on the lawn. Jennifer Lee will be setting up her wigwam and demonstrating Native American crafts and telling stories from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. From 10:30 to 11:30, join Susan Warner inside the library to create a birch bark basket. This will be a great event for all ages. Come to the library and experience Indian culture!
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Worthington Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; and by the Friends of the Worthington Library.

Second Saturday Movie - July 10 at 6:00 pm

Saturday, July 10 at 6:00 pm the Worthington Library will be showing the movie "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" This is an action adventure film. Here's a description from MovieLicensing USA:

THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE

Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam

MGM/UA; Directed by Joseph Sargent

Rated R; 104 minutes; 1974

A ruthless criminal and his accomplices capture a New York City subway train and hold the passengers hostage for one-million dollars. Tension builds as the film examines the reaction of the captives and their captors. Walter Matthau leads the police efforts to stop the terrorists.

Bring your own popcorn and join us for this free movie. Sponsored by the Friends of the Worthington Library.

Holdings of the Massachusetts Archives

On Saturday, June 26 from 2:30 - 4:00 pm at the Worthington Historical Society, the library and the Historical Society are hosting reference librarians Janis Duffy and Autumn Haag of the Massachusetts Archives who will discuss their holdings. This will be of great interest to those doing historical or genealogical research in the Western Massachusetts Hilltowns. Please join us for this fascinating program. Refreshments will be served.

HERE COMES SUMMER AT THE LIBRARY

Summer programs are beginning to sprout here at the library. We are starting with a line-up of Second Saturday Movies. Here are our summer choices:

July 10 - The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
August 14 - The Odd Couple
September 11 - Blade Runner

All movies are free and begin at 6:00pm on the second Saturday of the month.

For history and genealogy buffs, we continue to hold our regular Genealogy Club on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00pm. On June 26, we are partnering with the Worthington Historical Society to present a program on the holdings of the Massachusetts Archives. This program will be held at the Historical Society Building from 2:30 - 4:30 pm. Come learn what fabulous resources are at hand from the Mass Archives.

Our Summer Reading Program, Go Green at Your Library, will begin on July 15 with Tales of the Earth by storyteller Diane Edgecomb. Summer Reading programs are on Thursdays from 10:30 to 11:30am. Many fine programs and old favorites are in the works for this summer - more to come.

The library Book Club is taking up the classics this summer, beginning with Virgil's Aeneid. Come join us for a discussion on June 24 at 7:00pm.

While you're browsing for a book or movie at the library, don't forget to look at the artwork on the walls. This month's artist is Joan Hicks with lovely flowers, landscapes and machines.

MAY IS FOSTER CARE MONTH

FOSTER CARE:
GIVING KIDS A SECOND CHANCE
A Talk by Tim Henry

Worthington Library
Wednesday May 19
7:00 pm

New Berkshire Museum Passes Available

Thanks to the Friends of the Worthington Library, we once again have four passes to the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield. Each pass admits up to four people. Check for current exhibits, performances and special events at berkshiremuseum.org You can also sign up for e-news at that site. Currently there is an exhibit called "Armed & Dangerous: Art of the Arsenal." It will be on exhibit until June 6.

Another pass the library has is to Historic Deerfield. There are two passes which admit four people. The Deerfield passes have been made available by the Worthington Historical Society.

All passes check out for two weeks. Enjoy!

Two Grants Award Books to Library

The Worthington Library has been awarded two grants for books. One is from the Libri Foundation which provides books for children in rural libraries. The books range from board books and picture books to junior and young adult titles. This year, we received an additional set of math and science books. In total, the library received 78 books. The Friends of the Worthington Library donated the base amount for the matching grant. Some titles are Alice Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, Night Wings by Joseph Bruchac, Mr. Lincoln's High-Tech War, by Thomas, B. Allen, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Computers by Diane Lindsey Reeves, Nanotechnology by Rebecca L. Johnson, Computer Game Designer by Don Rauf. The books are on display and most are ready to be checked out. There is something for everyone so come by and see them!

The second grant from the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities is called "We the People Bookshelf on a More Perfect Union". The seventeen books in this grant are on themes that range from the Declaration of Independence to the Civil War. There are novels as well as history books for children and adults. As a bonus, we received a copy of Ken Burns' DVD, The Civil War. Look for programming around this grant in the future.

Margaret Dondiego to give energy healing talk

Thursday April 8 at 7:00 pm, local practitioner, Margaret Dondiego, will give a talk at the Worthington Library entitled: Self Healing Using Your Body's Energy System. This program is free and open to the public.

About Margaret Dondiego

Margaret is a graduate of the Institute of Healing Arts and Sciences (IHAS) four-year Energy Medicine Practitioner program, including a two year internship at Hilltown Community Health Center in Worthington, MA. She has been a teaching assistant at IHAS and a supervisor of Junior and Senior students in Energy Therapy internships and has taught in Energy Medicine trainings with Dorothy Martin-Neville.

Margaret is a certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor and Reiki II practitioner, has studied Jin Shin Jytsu and Pranic Breathwork with Andy Caponigro, and has a BA in religion from the University of Massachusetts. She takes a special interest in treatment and support for people with pain problems and is completing Level II certification with Anodea Judith and Sacred Centers, applying the chakra system and Energy Medicine to the treatment and healing of chronic pain.

Find more information at www.margaretdondiego.com

HELP KEEP LIBRARIES SERVICES

Ok, here's the rallying cry. Go to We Love Western Mass Libraries on Facebook and become a fan. Not on Facebook? Go to http://friends.wmrls.org You'll find great ideas for helping us get the word out to the government that we need to reinstate funding for libraries. When the 6 regional libraries are consolidated into one entity, Western Mass is liable to get the short end of the stick. Make a noise - let the governor know we're important, too!

Pastel Workshop on March 27

The Worthington Library Offers “Van Gogh’s Starry Night,” an Expressive Pastel Painting Workshop For Adults

The Worthington Library will host award-winning pastel artist Gregory John Maichack’s workshop: “Van Gogh’s Starry Night: How to Pastel Paint
Expressively” on Saturday, March 27, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. This pastel painting workshop is designed for beginners and experienced artists. Seats may fill quickly so please call 413-238-5565 to pre-register. All materials included.
Participants will freely experiment with hundreds of the artist’s professional grade hard Nupastels and soft Rembrandt pastels, white charcoal and pastel pencils, assorted Canson pastel paper, indigo and black paper, and more in this fun pastel painting workshop.
“This project is supported in part by a grant from the Worthington Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.”

Interfaith talk at the Worthington Library March 3 at 7:oo pm

Andras Arthen of Worthington, along with his family and other members of The EarthSpirit Community, recently returned from Australia where they joined thousands of other international participants attending the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne.

The Parliament is the oldest and largest interreligious conference in the world, having been held initially in Chicago in 1893. That particular event marked the first time that religious leaders and dignitaries from the mainstream Western faiths met formally with their counterparts from Asian religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, giving rise in our culture to an interest in such practices as Yoga and Zen which continues to this day.

The Melbourne Parliament, from December 3-9, brought together some 6,500 delegates from most of the many spiritual traditions including Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, American Indians, Zoroastrians, Pagans, Jews, Yorubans, etc. The week-long event featured over 600 workshops, lectures, ceremonies, panel discussions, and artistic presentations which provided insight into the richness and diversity of the world’s religions and addressed the roles that those institutions can play in resolving some of the major problems that we face today.

Andras Arthen, who is a member of the Parliament’s Board of Trustees, will offer a talk about the event (including a slide presentation) at the Worthington Library on Wednesday, March 3 at 7:00 pm. For more information about the Parliament of the World’s Religions, go to http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/ .

Book Club to discuss The Great Gatsby

When was the last time you read The Great Gatsby? You have the opportunity to read it again and discuss it with your library neighbors on February 25th at 7:00 pm. Now you can express your opinions without being graded! Come join us and have a great time with this classic F. Scott Fitzgerald book. Copies of the book are available at the library if you need one.

BUY A BOOK - SEE A MOVIE ON FEBRUARY 13

On Febrary 13, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, the Friends of the Worthington Library will hold their annual Mid-Winter Book Sale at the Worthington Town Hall. Early Bird Browsers may come at 9:00 am for a $10 donation. If you have books to donate, they may be left on the stage at the town hall through Friday. Accepted are hard covers, paperbacks, fiction, non-fiction, CDs, DVDs, videos and audio tapes. Please, no textbooks or software. If you would like to volunteer your time or if you have questions, call Laurie at 238-4229 or Susan at 238-0047.

This is a great book sale and there will be a bake sale to benefit the library as well!

After you have found those wonderful bargains, come experience another - a free movie at the library! We have chosen a wonderful film for our February Second Saturday Movie. Look for the posters to see our selection. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Worthington Library. Join us at 6:00 pm and bring your own snacks.