It's Summer!

Happy June!  Here at the Library, we have so many exciting things happening this month that we can't wait to share with all of you!  From our the Holbrook Library Fund's "Putt and Pour" 2 part event, to our Summer Reading Kickoff's Live Clue Game, to Pride Fest, to the Mass Audubon's Visit and our usual monthly programs, there is something for everyone to enjoy.  There is also a special goodbye note from our Library Director at the bottom of this newsletter, as she says farewell to Holbrook.

We hope to see a lot of you all this Summer!

Special Events

Putt and Pour
June 9 4pm-8pm  over 21+

June 10 9:30am-2:30pm all ages

To buy tickets to either day, please visit: 

www.givebutter.com/ HolbrookLibraryFund

Summer Reading
Summer Reading will kickoff on Friday, June 16 with a our version of Live Clue and ends on Monday, August 8 with One Up Games' Retro Gaming Event

For the complete event list, please visit

www.holbrookpubliclibrary.org

Holbrook Pride Fest
Saturday, June 17

11:30am-2:30pm

Co-Sponsored by Holbrook United For Change, Holbrook DEI Committee, and the Holbrook Library

For more details, please visit

www.holbrookpubliclibrary.org

Youth Services Regular Programs

Steph and Cat will be running their regular programs during June in addition to the Summer Reading Program Events.  Be sure to checkout the Summer Reading Calendar to see what other fun things will be happening in the Library this month!

Weekly Programs 

We also have Wednesday's Krafty Kids, Thursday's Read to Polar Bear, & Saturday's Block Party.

For details, visit www.holbrookpubliclibrary.org

Teen Crafternoon
Steph is now offering a monthly Friday after hours teen program! Once a month, the library will be open for a special teen craft & pizza session. For details, please visit:

www.holbrookpubliclibrary.org

Youth Services Special Programs

Check It Out!

Breakerspace                                                    Mass Audobon Society "Nature Tales"

Friday, June 23 At 12pm                                                Saturday, June 24 At 11am

Open To Ages 10-18                                                       Registration Is Required

Tween Craft Club                                                      Dungeons And Dragons: Session Zero

Thursday, June 24 At 3pm                                             Wednesday, June 23 At 5pm

Open To Ages 8-12                                                         Open To Ages 11+

Check It Out!

Dial A Story  

24 hours a day / 7 days a week you can dial in and choose from a selection of childrens' stories, a Young Adult novel first chapter, or an Adult Novels first chapter!

Introducing

Sumner Field's Castle Canyon Playground

You may have been wondering what those odd kiosks are that have appeared in Castle Canyon recently.  Some people have guessed they were for solar panels and others just weren't sure what they were.  Well, we are excited to be able to finally share the news!

Holbrook Public Library now has a StoryWalk!! 

Each month, there will be a new childrens' storybook on display at the playground so that children and families can walk the path, stop to read the pages of the book as they go, enjoying time as a together, and promoting early literacy. 

We would like to extend our special thanks to Scout Garren Nordquist for building and installing the kiosks as his Eagle Scout project! We would also like to thank the Holbrook Select Board for approving the project and the Holbrook DPW for assisting Garren.

Adult Programs

Friends of the Holbrook Public Library

News From the Friends

Begining June 1, the Friends of the Library will be raffling off a BBQ themed Gift Basket that is just perfect for Summer!  This great basket is filled with great goodies to help you host all of those backyard cookouts.  The items include: $20 in scratch tickets, $50 Trucchis Gift Card, $50 Shaws Gift Card, Lindt Chocolates, Red, white & blue Jelly Beans, Patriotic Decor, BBQ supplies, and much more!

Friends of the Holbrook Library Meeting

Wednesday, June 14 at 6:30pm 

All are welcome to attend to learn more about the Friends or to get involved!

News and  Announcements

New Database Offering

Available now on the Library website, is our newest addition to our digital services: CreativeBug.

Creativebug.com has thousands of award-winning art & craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists. 

Holiday Closure

The Holbrook Library will be closed on Monday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth.

Message From Our Library Director, Kim

“Today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want.” - Ken Poirot

You may have already heard, but I have resigned from my position as the Library Director of the Holbrook Library. I am heading back to Rhode Island to be closer to family and friends, and my last day in Holbrook is Wednesday, July 5th. But before I go, we have a PACKED calendar of activities for you to enjoy in June - so I hope to see you all at some point throughout the month.  

Although my time here hasn't been as long as I had hoped, I want to leave you all with some thoughts. I believe there is a tremendous amount of opportunity here in Holbrook right now. What the library needs, or rather, what the entire town needs, is your involvement, and to seize these opportunities and turn them into something amazing through your collective vision and action.

When I first arrived in Holbrook, I was faced with a crumbling building structure and confusion over who was responsible for it. The library has been an integral part of Holbrook's history since its early days, with an endowment given to build both a town hall and a library. Yet when we moved to our current location in 1967, it seems like the library was forgotten to some extent. We aren't even mentioned in the town bylaws! We rely on the Massachusetts General Laws concerning libraries, which states that the elected Board of Library Trustees is responsible for managing the library. That management includes establishing a mission and vision, hiring the director, and deciding on policies to be implemented. There is a difference, however, between managing what goes on inside the library and maintaining the building and land. The Town of Holbrook owns the building and land. I like to think of it as a landlord-tenant relationship. The landlord takes care of maintaining the building and basic amenities like heating, AC, and water. The tenant shouldn't have to worry about fixing floods, repairing elevators, or dealing with leaky faucets. Since I've been here, we've worked with the town to tackle some of the ongoing building issues, but there's still more to be done.

However, there's one thing we can't fix with our current building: the lack of space to meet the needs of our incredible patrons. We receive constant requests for private study areas, small group spaces, and meeting rooms. We don’t have a program room, and our one meeting room isn’t ADA accessible currently due to the ongoing flooding issues. Believe it or not, in our historical records, former library directors left plans for expanding this building. But, to avoid competing with other town departments, we put those plans on hold when the public safety building, schools, and now the COA required attention. We wholeheartedly support these plans and departments, but as I bid farewell to Holbrook, I urge you all to prioritize the library next.

We have a whole box filled with packets containing a library expansion design from 2005, just sitting here, waiting for your curious eyes. Back then, it would have cost the town less than 2 million dollars, with a total project cost of just over 4 million dollars. Trust me, those figures won't be going back to 2005 levels. The cost of fixing this building will only keep increasing, just like the cost of expansion or constructing a new one. We need a clear direction and decisions regarding renovation, expansion, or a new building - and the longer this is pushed off, the more expensive it will be.

So here's my heartfelt plea to you all: Get involved! Join a town committee or a local nonprofit group and be the catalyst for change in your community. The library has two amazing organizations supporting us, the Friends of the Library and the new Library Fund, and both would love for you to join and get involved. We also need your engagement on a town-wide level. Whether it's developing a master plan, re-writing town bylaws, or exploring open spaces to envision where a new library could flourish, every bit of involvement is important.

I genuinely look forward to returning to Holbrook one day and witnessing the incredible transformation that comes from seizing this golden opportunity and turning it into remarkable action. Remember, today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want!

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