Dear Library Patrons, The library staff misses you terribly and sends you wishes for good health and safety. We wanted to let you know that we are currently hard at work behind the scenes, working to put new services into place during this unprecedented time! Like many other organizations, libraries are scrambling to adapt in order to move forward. Under normal circumstances, we base our decisions and plans on fairly extensive needs assessment and usage data. In this strange time, our community has an ever-shifting menu of needs and we want to make sure we hear from you what they are so we can respond. As the library plans for an extended closure, what services would be most valuable to you and your family? Please take this 30-second survey to weigh in!

Welcome to our series of recommended things to do online! Bookmark this page and check back often… #1 – Discover Kanopy Kids: educational and engaging videos for children of all ages—as well as the young at heart! Their collection encourages social and emotional development, promotes respect for community diversity, and inspires creativity. Simply get a Boston Public Library ecard (it’s easy and free, just click here!) and then visit the BPL Kanopy page to login and start watching! #2 – Museums are closed but that can’t stop you from appreciating art! Did you know that you can take virtual tours, and view high-resolution images of renowned museum collections all over the world at Google Arts & Culture? You could spend hours roaming this site! #3 -The Cleveland Inner City Ballet is launching a FREE Virtual Online Ballet Instruction Program during the next 3 weeks while kids are off from school! Act now, classes start 3/18 at noon! #4 – While you are missing story time with our own amazing children’s room staff, try Storyline Online, videos of acclaimed actors reading children’s books along with animations and music! #5 – Join Discovery Education on a mission to inspire the world through aerospace innovation with an exclusive virtual field trip to historic Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas! #6 – Experience the National Aquarium from home! You can stream live feeds of Blacktip Reef, Pacific Coral Reef and Jellies Invasion exhibits every day by checking out the link below. 🖥️🐠 #7 – Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura and his family have started a “Kitchen Quarantine” Cooking Show, giving live cooking lessons daily. #8 – The Cincinnati Zoo is doing a daily HOME SAFARI – complete with related activities. You can see their past Home Safaris and projects here on their website. #9 – Ready to explore Yellowstone National Park? You don’t have to wait for a future trip – You can start exploring now by virtually touring some of the main attractions around the park. Learn more about geysers, paint pots and canyons at this link! #10 – The Metropolitan Opera is hosting “Nightly Met Opera Streams” on its website to audiences worldwide. The presentations will begin at 7:30 p.m. EST each night on the company’s website and will then be available for an additional 20 hours thereafter. #11 – The great children’s musician Laurie Berkner is performing live every day at 10am on her […]

Back by Popular demand.. the “Traveling Librarian” will be here every month through June to take you on a virtual journey around the world! Click for more details and times… February 11th at the Senior Center: Cornwall March 14th at the Library: France (The Dordogne) April 14th at the Senior Center: Thailand May 9th at the Library: Laos June 9th at the Senior Center: Greece (Macedonia) Jeff Klapes has been Head of Reference Services at Wakefield’s Beebe Library for over 20 years, where he is also known as the “Traveling Librarian.” Having visited more than 50 countries and five continents over the years, he does frequent armchair travel presentations showcasing the history and culture of various places, using photography to capture people, scenery, and local details. From Iceland to Namibia, Laos to Oman, Jeff has visited many off-the-beaten path places, as well as more popular ports of call. And of course, as a librarian, he also reads voraciously about his destinations to learn about their culture, history, politics, literature, nature, and cuisine. This series is funded by a grant from the Coburn Charitable Trust.