Winter has arrived

The hills of Heath received their first two winter snowstorms recently. Time to hunker down and get serious about crafts for the holidays.

New Audio Books

A few of our new new audio books on CD available for adults, teens, and children.

You may also download audio books from the C/W MARS OverDrive website:  https://cwmars.overdrive.com/collection/26708

 

Closed for Veterans Day on November 11

The library will be closed on Saturday, November 11, 2017 in observance of Veterans Day.

Heath Veterans Memorial. Photo by Art Schwenger.

We have a DVD filled with 350 photos taken by Art Schwenger at the Heath Veterans Memorial Dedication Service on November 4, 2017. Stop by the Library and borrow it to view the photos on your home computer.

Cheaters

We have a stylish (?) selection of reading glasses (a.k.a cheaters) in a variety of powers to enhance your shelf browsing or puzzle-making enjoyment at the library. Look for the jar of glasses on the circulation desk and grab a pair.

Drive-In Theater puzzle

Reminder: the Library is closed on Columbus Day

The library will be closed on Monday, October 9, 2017 in observance of Columbus Day.

Friends of Library Bake Sale - Saturday October 7

Once again, BAKERS, BUYERS and EATERS are needed for the Friends of the Heath Free Public Library annual fall BAKE SALE!

Sweet and Savory treats are welcomed and available for purchase by donation on the front porch of Sawyer Hall, 1 East Main Street Heath, on Saturday, October 7 from 10 am to noon.

Coffee and tea will be available to enjoy also. This is always a wonderful opportunity to meet and greet Heath Neighbors while supporting your Library.

Donated baked goods can be dropped off starting at 8:30AM.

A view of the sale table on Saturday, October 7, 2017:

Jack, Jan, and Don

Fall Schedule for Story Hour

Preschool Story Hour

Children (birth to age 5, older siblings welcome) and their care-givers are invited to share stories, songs, socializing, crafts and a snack. Story hour is hosted in the Heath Free Public Library by Lyra Johnson-Fuller from September to June. A great way to meet local families and have some fun with your baby/toddler/young child!

Fall 2017

• Friday, September 15, 10:30 - 11:30 am
• Friday, September 29, 10:30 - 11:30 am
• Friday, October 13, 10:30 - 11:30 am
• Friday, October 27, 10:30 - 11:30 am
• More dates to be scheduled

Preschool Story Hour at the Heath Library is funded by the Friends of the Heath Free Public Library, and is offered on selected Fridays, September through early June.

Reminder: Closed on Labor Day

Dinnerplate Dahlia Kelvin Floodlight

The library will be closed on Monday, September 4, in observance of Labor Day. Be sure to stop by Saturday morning to stock up on books and movies for the holiday weekend.

The Post Office and Town Offices in Sawyer Hall will also be closed on Monday.

You are invited to visit the Heath Artisans Exhibit at Community Hall in Heath Center this weekend and next week. Hours:

• Saturday, September 2: 10 to noon and 4-7 pm
• Sunday, September 3:  2-4 pm RECEPTION
• Monday, September 4:  10-12 and 4-7 pm
• Tuesday - Friday, September 5-8:  4-7 pm
• Saturday, September 9: 10 am to noon

Bring in the Summer Reading Logs

[Update 9/2/2017:  Raffle entry extended to Saturday, September 9, 2017 at noon.]
Children who signed up for the Summer reading Program can bring in their Reading Logs from August 19 through September 2 9 at noon. They will receive 5 raffle entry tickets for the items listed below, as well as a small prize and a $10 gift certificate to a book store.

1. Eric Carle Museum Pass (for 2 adults and 2 children)
2. Two tickets to the Big E
3. Two Wax Hands at Yankee Candle
4. USS Constitution Museum Pass (for up to nine people in the visiting group)
5. Build a Better World T-Shirt (size Children's Small)
6. Build a Better World T-Shirt (size Children's Large)

Winning tickets will be drawn on Saturday, September 2 9 at noon.

The Summer Reading Program was sponsored by the Friends of the Heath Library, and supported in part by a grant from the Heath Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, & the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. 

http://massculturalcouncil.org/

Art Show at the Library

Birches
11" x 13"

Fifteen paintings by Don Dekker will be on display at the Heath Free Public Library during the month of August.

A reception will be held on Saturday, August 12 at 11 a.m.

View the paintings during our regular hours, including the Saturday of the Heath Fair weekend.

Pollinator Party & Plant Swap

Help plant flowers & high bush blueberries for a new Pollinator Garden!

Saturday, July 22nd, 2017

10:00 a.m -noon

at the Heath Center Park & Triangle.

The Benson Place Blueberry Farm generously has shared a pollinating plants grant with the town.

Local naturalist Sue Draxler will talk about butterflies and “Monarch Waystations”.

Bring plants and seeds to donate or swap!

All ages & families welcome! More details to come!

This event is collaboration of the Heath Library Summer Reading Program, the Heath Parks and Recreation Committee, Heath Rural Connections, and the Benson Place Blueberry Farm. 

Sponsored by the Friends of the Heath Library, supported in part by a grant from the Heath Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, & the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. 

Summer Reading Program Sign Up

[Update August 9, 2017: It's almost time to turn in the Summer Reading Logs. Bring them to the library from August 19 to September 2 receive prizes and free raffle tickets.]

Children ages 3-12

Sign up for the

Summer Reading Program!

Pick up a Reading Log from Don or Lyra to keep track of the books you read this summer.

Between August 19 and September 2 bring in your log to receive prizes and free raffle tickets!

Sponsored by the Friends of the Heath Library, supported in part by a grant from the Heath Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, & the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. 

Summer Reading Program Crafts

Join us for Four Fridays of Lego Building & other “Build a Better World” Summer Crafts & Stories!

July 7 10:30 a.m.

July 14 10:30 a.m.

July 21 10:30 a.m.

July 28 10:30 a.m.

at the Library: 1 East Main St. Heath, Ma

For children up to age 12. Free!

Please sign up at the Library.

*We'll have toddler-size & traditional Legos.

Call 413-337-4934 ext. 7 for more information or to sign up.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Heath Library, supported in part by a grant from the Heath Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, & the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. 

Lyme Disease Awareness

The library has a large green handbook (STOP LYME HANDBOOK) full of up-to-date information about prevention and treatment of Lyme Disease. The handbook and three other books in our collection are available to check out: http://bark.cwmars.org/eg/opac/results?query=lyme+disease&qtype=keyword&fi%3Asearch_format=book&locg=219&detail_record_view=0

There are also online resources:

• The Stop Lyme Handbook was uploaded to the state’s BiblioBoard ebook platform. Searching “Lyme” there will bring it up as the first result, or click on https://library.biblioboard.com/faceted-search-results/g%3Dlyme 
• The ebook collection can be found in the state’s Axis 360 platform by searching “Lyme disease” there, or click on http://heth.axis360.baker-taylor.com/Search?term=LYME+DISEASE&searchBy=
• The “Ick, a Tick!” forum (held at the Nahant Public Library on 04-23-17) was videotaped by local cable television and is archived on YouTube by searching “Ick a tick Nahant,” or click on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9y8UekZL4M
• The online database website, the Lymebrary, can be accessed by searching “Lymebrary,” see www.lymebrary.com. It is still in “Beta” mode, and will be updated to remove old links, and add new resources in an ongoing basis.

Friends Bake Sale: Saturday, May 27, 10am - Noon

The Friends of the Heath Free Public Library

Memorial Day Weekend Bake Sale 

(by donation) 

Saturday, May 27, 2017

10:00 am – Noon 

On the front porch of Sawyer Hall 

(If you would like to bake something for the sale please deliver it Saturday morning.)

 Please come and support your library by treating yourself to some of the best baked goods in town!

Flora White

A new book in the Heath Free Public Library collection:  Flora White: In the Vanguard of Gender Equity by Linda Morice.

Flora White  was born in Heath, her family's home for four generations, on April 4, 1860. She had a difficult early life, a remarkable career in education, and she returned to Heath in her later years. She died on February 14, 1948, and is buried in the South Cemetery in Heath.

From the publisher's website:

Flora White: In the Vanguard of Gender Equity draws on a collection of personal papers (only recently made available to scholars) to present the life of a colorful New England educator who lived from the Civil War to the Cold War. Throughout her career, White worked to promote the physical and intellectual growth of girls and young women beyond the narrow gender stereotypes of the day. Although White’s name is not a household word, this book represents a newer form of biography in which the life of a lesser-known individual serves as a lens for understanding larger social and cultural developments.

In Flora White’s case, this newer biographical approach produced findings to inform research in both educational history and gender studies. For example, White’s papers correct some longstanding misconceptions about the origins of the progressive education movement and the role women played in it. White’s sources also shed light on the complicated relationships of educated (but marginalized) U.S. women and the prominent men who mentored them. In addition, White’s papers show that--in order to protect herself from those who might find her words objectionable—she used coded language (such as poetry) to counter sexist stereotypes and advance her desire for a fuller life for her students and herself. Although, upon her death, a newspaper obituary praised White for being recognized by “men of note” in educational circles, her efforts to promote the physical and intellectual development of girls and women helped to create opportunity that is still unfolding today.

Art Show at the Library

Reception:  Saturday, April 1, 2017, 11:00 AM.

Everyone is welcome!

Come and see the wonderful paintings from our fellow Heath townspeople.

All new works of art on display from the Monday Heath Senior Center Painting Workshop. Paintings by Don Dekker, Juliet Seaver, Lynn Perry, and Nancy Thane. One example from each artist is shown below.

Workshop: Caring for Our Own After Death

Sponsored by The Friends of Heath Free Public Library. Pre-registration is required.

People have been caring for deceased loved ones at home for millennia. The experience, while sad, is ultimately healing and beautiful. Beginning the grieving process in the privacy of our homes allows for sharing and support on a deeper level.

You may not realize that... You can care for your loved one at home... Embalming is not required... A family can fill out and file the death certificate... A family can transport the deceased to the cemetery or crematory.

Saturday, March 25, 1 PM to 4:30 PM

Pre-Registration is Required 
Contact Rol Hesselbart 413-337-6659 rolhesselbart@gmail.com
Registration will be limited.

Location
Heath Community Hall
1 West Main St. Heath, MA
The Workshop is offered free of charge. Donations will be accepted

This program will introduce you to home wakes and funerals. It will describe the enormous personal benefits that come with this profound moment in a family’s life. It will also include the legal facts and logistical details. There will be time for discussion, questions and answers. An excerpt from the PBS documentary “A Family Undertaking” which follows the story of four families who chose home funerals will be shown. The final hour will include a hands-on demonstration for those who are interested in the details of a home wake and funeral such as bathing, dressing, cooling and carrying the body.

This workshop will be led by Peg Lorenz, home funeral guide, consultant and founder of Peaceful Passage at Home. Peg has 20 years of experience with hospice care. Peg was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Home Funeral Alliance. She has a certificate in end-of-life care from the University of Southern Maine and has completed the training taught by Crossings: Caring for Our Own at Death, a resource center for home funeral care.

Herons of Heath Exhibit

The Herons of Heath photographs by Henry Josephson are on display in the library through the second week in March.

Two week old herons. Photo by Henry Josephson.

The nine photos were taken last summer while floating in an inner tube in a beaver pond on Swamp Road. Beautiful closeups of the Great Blue Heron chicks at age two weeks and six weeks.

Henry wrote:

This past July I ventured out with paddle and inner tube to photograph Great Blue Herons at the beaver pond on Swamp Road. Two males arrived in early April, with one to repair and occupy an existing nest, while the other began to construct a new one in the same tree with the female that showed up a week or so later.

The lower nest collapsed and I began to wonder about the second family. One day while on a casual hike in June I found the second nest in a nearby tree. The development of the first family (two chicks) looked to be a couple of weeks ahead of the newer nesters (four chicks)shown in the photos.

On the left the birds are two weeks +/-, while the more mature (on the right) are about six weeks old. The center picture (black and white) captures the first nest which produced only two young.

Click on the image for a larger view.

I didn't witness the fledging of either family but the trip was well worth it in spite of the leeches enjoying a liquid lunch coutesey of my leg. Thanks to the McNays for allowing access to their pond.

If interested in purchasing a photo please contact Henry Josephson at 339-4212 or proot65@gmail.com.

Water lilies photographed on the beaver pond by Henry Josephson.

Reminder: Closed on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

The library will be closed on Monday, January 16, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day . Be sure to stop by Saturday morning to stock up on books and movies for the holiday weekend.

 The Post Office and Town Offices in Sawyer Hall will also be closed on Monday.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D. C.