Happy New Year!

2023 brought much change to the Athenaeum, including a new library system and catalog, a new resource sharing community (CW MARS), and a new leader at the helm. Though it's been a solid and consistent community presence since 1888, the Athenaeum is like any library - it is always evolving in order to consistently meet the ever-changing information needs of our community. We look forward to continuing down this path of growth in 2024.

On behalf of all of us at the library, I want to say thank you to everyone who participated in our Silent Auction and the local businesses who generously donated to make it a success. And, we are so grateful to everyone who has made a donation to our End-of-Year Appeal! If you haven't done so yet - there's still time - you can donate online or mail in a check. Thank you in advance - we feel so fortunate to be a part of such a supportive and dedicated community.

Did anyone receive a holiday gift that was handmade at the library? We delighted in seeing the creativity of the crafters who spent time at our gift-making table in December. We expect to offer this free service again next December so let us know if you have any feedback.

Finally, we're kicking off 2024 with a challenge to all of you - a reading challenge of course! Stop by the library to pick up a 2024 Reading Challenge Book Bingo card and start filling in your bingo squares to enter our raffle! There will be prizes at the end of the challenge, but everyone wins when they spend a year reading. More info below!

Happy Reading,
Nicole

We will be closing at 6pm on January 24.

Keep scrolling for our upcoming events including our rescheduled Movie Night and details on two different reading challenges. At the bottom of this email, you'll find community announcements as well as other local and virtual events that might be of interest.

Expand your horizons through reading this year!

All ages are welcome to participate in one or both of these reading challenges:

Enter our drawing by reading books within the categories on our Book Bingo card (available at the library and online). Each book counts for a single square. When you finish a book that fits that theme, cross it off or color it in. Five in a row - horizontally, vertically, or diagonally - earns you one chance in the drawing for gift certificates to local businesses.

Drop off your completed card at the library by December 31, 2024. Enter as many times as you want by completing more cards - you have all year to read and play!

Massachusetts Center for the Book 2024 Reading Challenge gives you the chance to win a free book each month! Click here for the monthly themes and more information.

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturdays, 10:30am: Storytime & Craft
Saturday, February 10, 10:30am: Creative Movement & Storytime
Wednesday, February 21, 5 to 7pm: Game Night

Funding for our programs is provided by grants from the Becket Cultural Council, Washington Cultural Council, Berkshire Bank, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, The Feigenbaum Foundation, and Mass Humanities, a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Funding is also provided by the following grants from Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation: ARTS Build Community: Innovation Initiative, ARTS Incubation Grant, and the Central Berkshire Fund

Community Info Share:

Becket Annual Town Report Cover Photo Contest
Deadline: January 31, 2024
Photographers of all ages and abilities are invited to join the fun!
Complete details here.

Guild of Berkshire Artists Presents:
Meet the Artist Shany Porras, painter
January 23, 3pm on Zoom

Shany Porras is a creative translator who takes one abstract language, music, and translates it into another abstract language, abstract painting. Many painters create art inspired by music; however, Shany's process of creating art inspired by music goes beyond inspiration.

Shany explains, "As I plan to start a painting, I dive into the music mindfully and study the music scores.  I render key phrases, runs, or themes as I translate the sounds visually in my sketchbook.  Different chords and phrases translate to unique colors, textures, and styles, resulting in truly unique paintings." ShanyPorrasArt.com; Instagram; ClockTowerArtists.com

Zoom link to attend "Meet the Artist: Shany Porras" on January 23 at 3pm (click link no earlier than 5 minutes before the event starts)
Meeting ID: 815 9465 5341
Password: 531713

Me, You, We Social Emotional Learning Playgroup
Tuesdays, 1 to 2pm
Dalton Library (462 Main St, Dalton)
For ages 2-5
For more information, contact Wendy Provencher 413-655-0146 X2 or [email protected]

ParentChild+ Program
This free school-readiness program is a home visiting program for families with a child ages 1.5 to 4 (before PreK). They come to you twice a week, 30 minutes per visit. The first visit of the week, you are given a free book or toy & talk about how you can use it with your child. The second visit is to talk about how the use of the item went.  
For more information, contact Wendy Provencher 413-655-0146 X2 or [email protected]

Junior Duck Stamp Contest
sponsored by MassWildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Deadline: February 15, 2024
This dynamic program teaches wetland habitat and waterfowl conservation. Using scientific and wildlife observation principles, students communicate visually what they have learned by creating an entry for the contest. The pairing of these subjects brings new interest to both science and art and teaches greater awareness of natural resources. The art is judged in four age categories in a statewide competition, and the entry judged Best of Show moves on to represent Massachusetts in the national competition.
Complete details here.

New StoryWalk Book:
Share Some Kindness, Bring Some Light by Apryl Stott is the new book on the storywalk at Pinegrove Park in Dalton, MA. Check it out!