Current Library Services as of January 10, 2022

Posted on January 11, 2022 by casnoble

Due to staff shortages caused by the COVID surge, Abbot Public Library has established new service hours. Starting the week of January 10, 2022 we will close to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the end of February. Curbside Pick Up will be offered 1:00 pm – 5:30 pm on both days. Please see our full schedule below:

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Monday: 9:30 am – 8:00 pm
Wednesday: 9:30 am – 8:00 pm
Friday: 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday: 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm from January 23 – March 13

Per the Marblehead Board of Health, masks are required inside the library.

CURBSIDE PICKUP SERVICE
The building will be CLOSED to the public

Tuesday*: 1:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Thursday*: 1:00 pm – 5:30 pm

*Please Note: Staff will be available to take calls on Tuesdays from 9:30 am – 6:00 pm and Thursdays from 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm.

To register for Curbside Pick-up service, call the library at (781) 631-1481, Ext. 217 or 237 for children’s items, or Ext. 201 or 223 for teen or adult items, or go here and click on an available date and time to pick up your items. All items can be picked up outside the back door, through the rear parking lot off Maverick Street in bags labeled with your last name.

Please wait until you have received a notification that your items are ready for pick up before registering for an appointment. Have questions? Call the library at (781) 631-1481 for assistance.

This service is generously funded by the Friends of Abbot Library.

Please see our website and Facebook for changes to the programs previously scheduled for these days.

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Did you know BookPage is available through the library? Stop by during our open hours to pick up a print copy or view it online here!

FIRESIDE SUNDAYS

Warm Up at the Library on Sundays

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm from January 23rd to March 13th, 2022.

Our popular afternoon fireside reading program returns from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Sponsored by the Friends of Abbot Public Library.

MUSEUM PASSES

The Abbot Public Library is proud to announce the return of our beloved Museum Pass Program. Patrons can log on here to reserve passes and promo codes for some of the best museums in the Greater Boston area. Thanks to the generous support of the Friends of Abbot Public Library, we are able to offer passes and promo codes to:

Patrons without access to the internet can reserve a pass/promo code right at the circulation desk or by calling (781) 631-1481, though some passes may require an email address in order to be used.

APL Service Updates Beginning 9/8/21: Open Monday Through Saturday, New Grab and Go Service, And More!

Posted on August 30, 2021 by casnoble

Abbot Public Library will be opening on Wednesdays from 9:30 am – 5:30 pm beginning on Wednesday, September 8. A Grab & Go Service will replace the current Curbside Pick-up Service on Wednesdays. All items can be picked up inside the library in bags labeled with your last name. Adult and Teen items will be located in the foyer of the front entrance of the library. Children’s items will be located at the entrance of the Children’s Room.

To register, click on an available date and time here or call (781) 631-1481 to pick up your items.

Public computers are available with limited access to printing.

*Please note: You must receive a notification that your items are ready to pick up before registering for an appointment.

Have questions? Call the library at (781) 631-1481 Monday-Friday from 9:30 am – 5:30 pm and Saturday 9:30 am – 4:30 pm for assistance.

Click on a date and time in the calendar here to register for Curbside Pickup of your library items on September 1 or Grab and Go on September 8.

Please see our full schedule below:

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Monday through Friday: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm

Saturday: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm

Public computers are available with limited access to printing.

NEW GRAB & GO SERVICE

Wednesday: 9:30 am – 5:30 pm

The building is Open to the public. If you would like to pick up your pre-checked out items, please make a reservation here, click the button below, or call (781)-631-1481, Ext. 217 or 237 for children’s items and Ext. 201 or 223 for teen or adult items. Adult and Teen items will be located in the foyer of the front entrance of the library. Children’s items will be located at the entrance of the Children’s Room.

Please wait until you have received a notification that your items are ready for pick up before registering for an appointment.

Please note: Masks are optional. However, we encourage and support the wearing of masks by those who have not been vaccinated or who would prefer to continue to do so.

With thanks to the Friends of Abbot Public Library, we are happy to announce that our popular Museum Pass Program resumes in the Fall. Please check our website for details.

Browsing By Appointment Coming in April!

Posted on March 23, 2021 by casnoble

Abbot Public Library is pleased to announce the expansion of our services to include an additional way for patrons to select and borrow tangible materials. Based on the results of our Library Services Survey, we will be offering limited browsing, by appointment, one day per week, while continuing to provide our very popular Curbside Pickup Service, five days per week.

Our hours for Curbside Pickup and the Browsing By Appointment Services will be as follows, starting the week of April 8th:

Curbside Pickup Service

Monday: 2:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Tuesday: 2:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Wednesday: 10:00 am – Noon & 2:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Friday: 2:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Saturday: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm & 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Browsing By Appointment Service

Thursday: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Appointments will be ½ hour long with ½ hour between appointments for sanitizing and cleaning.

Registration for browsing appointments will be open on Thursday, April 1st. The first appointment date will be Thursday, April 8th. Appointments will be a half hour long, and browsers will be required to wear masks (patron-provided) and gloves (library-provided). Browsing will be limited to designated areas where new and recent additions to all categories of the Library’s collections will be gathered.

Appointments will be specific to the department you would like to browse – either Children’s/Teen, or Adult. If you would like to browse multiple areas, you will need to make separate appointments for each space.

To browse the adult sections on the Main Level, please register for an Adult appointment by calling the Main Desk at 781-631-1481, Ext. 201 or 223 or emailing mar@noblenet.org.

To register for an appointment in the Children’s Room AND/OR the Teen Room on the Lower Level, please call the Children’s Room at 781-631-1481, Ext. 217 or 237, or email the Children’s Department at marchild@noblenet.org or the Teen Department at marteen@noblenet.org.

Adhering to social distancing space requirements, we are able to accommodate up to four adults on the main level, and an additional four total patrons – children, teen, or adult – on the lower level in the Children’s Room and/or the Teen Room, per half-hour appointment.

Please watch for further details of our expanded services by following us on Facebook, or by visiting our website or here on our blog.

Thank you for your patience and your continued support, as we navigate through these unprecedented times!

Check Out Our Lineup of Virtual Programs for October 2020!

Posted on September 24, 2020 by casnoble

In case you missed it on the Abbot Public Library’s website or Facebook page, our October 2020 calendar of virtual events has been revealed! This month, you can look forward to the continuation of many of our regular events, including the monthly Poetry Salon (this month featuring Major Jackson) and Story Time Yoga with Lindsey Kravitz; the weekly Songs with Spencer and Story Time A-Go-Go (see the latest video of each below); and the bi-monthly Music with Dara!

In October, you can also look forward to the return of the Teen Advisory Group, for teens in grades 7-12, which will continue on Discord! Teens will need their own library card to register for this program through our online registration service. If you do not have a library card in your name, email the Teen Librarian at marteen@noblenet.org or call her at 781-631-1481, Ext. 218 to find out how to get one. On the afternoon of Monday, October 19th, you’ll also be able to hear the Teen Librarian give reading suggestions on YouTube for ya books to enjoy this fall!

We’ll also be working with the Swampscott Public Library and JCCNS to bring Medicare 101, presented by Scott Maibor, to Zoom! This free program will help those turning 65 to better understand the Medicare system.

All the programs are free, so please join us! Read more details about them on our website, where you will find the PDF version of the print calendar we will have available in the Curbside Pickup area.

Outdoor Listens for the Great Indoors(wo)man on hoopla!

Posted on July 18, 2020 by casnoble

After an unusually cooped-up spring, the longed-for season of the great outdoors is here! If the balmy weather is stirring up long dormant wanderlust, the Abbot Public Library is here to help you with your “itchy feet”! You’ll find a library-curated, one-stop adventure guide on hoopla.

If you’d really prefer just to ponder the wonders of nature from the comfort of an easy chair placed squarely in front of your AC, you can pop on your headphones, close your eyes, and tune in to a series of three NPR Soundtrek audiobooks. Adventures will help you shake off the dog-day doldrums with “whitewater rafting on the Hudson River, mountain climbing in the Himalayas, kayaking in Alaska, air boarding in Oregon’s Cascade mountains, or bungee jumping in Australia”–take your pick, or try them all! Get up close and personal with the world’s feathered folk in Birds, which interweaves colorful stories from ornithological experts with sample bird calls. Or listen in on a plethora of creatures in their natural habitats as they communicate and go about their daily lives in Animals.

For the armchair philosophers out there, take a dive into Izaak Walton’s classic, 17th-century The Compleat Angler. Far from just a fishing handbook, this delightful text brings to vivid life the joys to be found at the riverside, from baiting the hook to cooking the catch (yes, there’s a recipe involved!)–as well as the glory of British landscapes.

If you really do want to get out there but just don’t quite know how to do it (and are too embarrassed to ask your outdoorsy friends), you can get expert advice and learn vital basic skills from the comfort of your earbuds. First stop: How to Survive Your First Trip in the Wild: Backpacking for Beginners. From the basics of tent set-up to the nitty-gritty of what–and what not–to pack, seasoned outdoorsman Paul Magnanti has the answers.

Worried that your kids aren’t getting outside enough but unable to commit to a full-on camping trip? Angela J. Hanscome’s Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children can be your playbook for creatively and intuitively improving that connection to nature on a daily basis. Get your own nature fix in a low-key fashion with a similar offering for adults who feel trapped in a concrete jungle–Sue Belfrage’s Down to the River and Up To the Trees: Discover the Hidden Nature on Your Doorstep.

So whether your idea of an escape into nature’s paradise is literal or virtual, you’ll find plenty on this audio bookshelf to aid you in your quest!

If you’re new to hoopla, have a look at the FAQs page. If you need a library card, you can get started here.

*Quoted material from publisher description via hoopla.

For more about nature, find out how to go on a backyard safari and connect with nature during difficult times.

Thinking About Adding a Dog to Your Family?

Posted on May 18, 2020 by casnoble

Many people during lockdown are considering or have acquired a new dog as a family pet. With so many people at home, there is time available for training a new animal companion. But people should still consider carefully before getting one.

We have ebooks that are geared for young children who are beginning readers to learn about different dog breeds and about the specifics of pet care. All family members can help take good care of a pet dog. If they understand what animals need. These three easy books contain fun and informative facts that are entertaining whether or not readers are getting a dog.

Start with Choosing a Dog: How to Choose and Care for a Dog by Laura Jeffrey

What age dog should you get? What breed? An easy to read book that covers the ways to find the right sort of dog, steps to getting a dog, and taking good care of one.

For the beginning reader, we have Amazing Dogs, a DK Reader by Laura Buller. Charming pictures with very easy text reveal fascinating facts about dogs.

The next one won’t help with whether or not to get a pet dog, but early readers will enjoy world record facts and stories about dogs. The Guinness World Records’ I Can Read Series: Daring Dogs by Cari Meister describes truly amazing feats by dogs.

These and more ebooks about dogs are accessible on Overdrive/Libby and hoopla through the Abbot Public Library. Learn more about breeds and dog care at all reading levels!

Pen Pals in Lockdown!

Posted on May 15, 2020 by casnoble

Are you missing your friends? It’s tough not to see your favorite people at school every day! Maybe you’re tired of texting or Zooming with them–it’s just not very fun anymore.

Maybe you feel like the very bored giraffe in this funny chapter book: Sincerely Yours, Giraffe.

Or maybe you’re here but want to be there – with your friends – like the characters in this wonderful picture book: From Here to There.

Here’s an idea: write your friends letters instead! REAL letters. On paper. With a pen or pencil. Sound like a plan?

Okay, so maybe this is a new thing for you. It really can be fun! You don’t just have to write words. Think about the pictures in books you like. Could you draw what you want to say to your friend? Maybe a picture of the place where you spend most of your day. Or your favorite lockdown food. Or your pet. Who knows where your crayons will take you?

Oh, and don’t forget the stickers! And maybe just a teeny bit of glitter…

On to the next step: what will you put your letter in to keep it safe? Maybe you don’t have any envelopes at home right now. What to do? Don’t worry–here’s a video that shows you just how to make one yourself! All you need is paper and glue:

What next? Ask a grown-up for a stamp and some help with addressing your letter. That way you can send it through the mail. If you can’t find a stamp, try taking great photos of the envelope and letter and sending those to your friend by text. Maybe they’ll write you back, and you’ll become real pen pals!

What’s a pen pal? Sometimes it’s someone you don’t even know. You can become friends by writing letters. But you can definitely be pen pals with someone who’s your friend already. You might even learn things about them that you didn’t know before! Here’s an audiobook on hoopla –featuring a favorite character–to give you some inspiration: Arthur’s Pen Pal.

Be careful to wash your hands before creating your letter and envelope, as well as before you send it, after touching the mailbox, and after you touch a letter you’ve received. Talk to your parents about whether you should put letters you receive in a safe place for a while before reading them. And be sure not to touch your face when you’re handling letters.

Threads of Connection – Make a Quilt Square for the ICA’s Virtual Quilt

Posted on May 11, 2020 by casnoble

At a time when community is more important than ever, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, has found a unique way to foster this connection through their Threads of Connection Virtual Quilt. Originally an installation by Merrill Comeau in ICA’s Art Lab, this community quilt project has now gone virtual!

The ICA is inviting participants to create a quilt square, using materials from home, that represents what makes you, you. They ask: “What makes you special? What do you love about your community? What are you proud of? What do you believe in?” Think about what makes you unique, have fun making your quilt square, and submit your quilt square to the ICA for a chance to be a part of their virtual quilt community. Be sure to also check out their website as well as their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages for inspiration and further instructions.

After creating your quilt square, take a moment to enjoy these family-friendly titles — available from Overdrive/Libby and hoopla with your library card number — and their stories of community, memory, quilts, and the threads that connect us all:

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson
The Nesting Quilt by Catherine Falwell
Cloth Lullaby by Amy Novesky
The Quilt by Gary Paulsen
The Quilt Walk by Sandra Dallas

Minds Behind the Magic: Favorite Children’s Authors in Audio and Film

Posted on May 7, 2020 by casnoble

Chances are, you’ve been spending a good bit more time with the kids recently. Are you struggling just to remember how it feels to be a child, let alone figuring out how it feels to be one in the middle of a global crisis? If so, you might turn to some old friends for inspiration–writers who, Peter Pan-like, never seemed to lose their passports to the realm of childhood, and who have made the lives of their readers all the richer for their magic.

If you’d like to get to know these remarkable personalities better, why not have a listen to the biographies curated in a brand-new hoopla audiobook collection: 2020 APL Minds Behind the Magic Audio? Here, you’ll find portraits of imaginations born out of the crisis of World War I in books like A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and the Great War by Joseph Loconte or Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle Earth by John Garth. (To enjoy a glimpse of Tolkien’s own parenting approach, you might also take a look at his playful Letters from Father Christmas, a richly-illustrated ebook available on hoopla.)

In a similar vein, Louisa May Alcott’s life and writing were undoubtedly shaped by crisis: childhood privation and the Civil War loom large in her biographies. For a well-rounded study, try Susan Cheever’s Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography; to observe the strong mother-daughter bond that shaped Alcott, listen to Marmee & Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother by Eva LaPlant.

In the memoirs of Christopher Robin Milne, we have a different sort of perspective: the complicated influence of famous children’s author A. A. Milne and his works on his own son. While the two-part autobiography (The Enchanted Places and The Path through the Trees) is not all sunshine, it offers some fascinating windows onto Winnie-the-Pooh’s world and its creator. Even more compelling is The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh: A Walk Through the Forest That Inspired the Hundred Acre Wood, a biography-cum-ramble through rural England.

For further insight into the minds behind the magical worlds of classic children’s literature, have a look at a companion film collection in hoopla, available here.

Abbot Public Library Blog

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Tag Archives: Children