Somerville Public Library: Somerville Public Library Newsletter: October 2024

In this Issue

Halloween Costume Party at Central

Programs for Adults:Yoga, Genealogy, and Getting Spooky

Book Groups for Adults

Programs for All Ages

Programs for Teens

Book a Librarian at the Central Library

Programs for Children: Dinosaurs, Music, and More

Storytimes at our Libraries

STAFF PICKS: Halloween Edition

Resuming Regular Hours
We are happy to announce that Central Library will resume regular hours on Wednesday October 2.

Upcoming Closures:

All Somerville Public Library locations will be closed on Monday, October 14, for Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Halloween Costume Party at Central

Halloween Costume Party
Saturday, October 19, 2024

6:00 - 8:00 PM | Central Library

Join us for a special all-ages after-hours Halloween event! With face painting, karaoke, a haunted house, a costume parade, a photobooth, music and dancing, crafts, and more!

Questions? Contact Kerry: keodonnell@somervillema.gov.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Somerville Public Library.

Programs for Adults:

Yoga, Genealogy, and Getting Spooky

Fall into Yoga

Rest and De-stress with Jenn Falk
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 -12:30 PM

Central Library Auditorium & Zoom

Join local yoga teacher, Jenn Falk, for a 4 week lunch-hour series with some thoughtful movement and quiet space to release tension and connect with your body/mind/spirit. Also meets on 10/22, 10/29, and 11/5.

This event will be available to attend either in-person or via Zoom. Registration required.

Questions? Contact Kerry: keodonnell@somervillema.gov.

Scary Movie and Craft Night
Monday, October 28, 2024 - 6:30 PM

West Branch Community Room

Join the West Branch for Scary movie and a spooky craft! We'll be watching Ready or Not and making mason jar luminaries.

Questions? Contact Brigid: bblack@somervillema.gov.

Oct. 2 - 6:30 PM

Central Library

Auditorium

Oct. 3 - 6:30 PM

East Branch

Oct. 7 - 7:00 PM

Virtual on Zoom

Oct. 8 - 6:30 PM

Virtual on Zoom

Oct. 10 - 7:00 PM

Central Library

Auditorium

Oct. 20 - 2:00 PM

Central Library

Auditorium

Cinema Strange Announcement
The SPL bids a fond farewell to recent Somerville High School graduate, Chris Hopkin. For two years, Chris curated and hosted Cinema Strange, a series that showcased some of cinema's most bizarre and beautiful films. Thank you for the movies, Chris, and best of luck to you in your next adventures!

Book Groups for Adults

Programs for All Ages

Gardening Workshop

with Green City Growers
Saturday, October 5, 2024 - 10:30 AM

Central Library Lawn

Come to the Library for some food for thought! A Green City Growers farmer will lead hands-on workshops designed to teach you when and what to plant, and how to maintain, fertilize, and harvest successful crops. Wear comfortable clothes and come ready to get your hands dirty!

Questions? Contact Kerry: keodonnell@somervillema.gov.

Music Speaks: Take Flight, on Wing of Song
Saturday, October 5, 2024 - 1:00 PM

West Branch Atrium

An educational and evocative mixture of live violin performance and stories about the composers and music, Joshua Peckins’ “Take Flight, on Wing of Song” concert ranges from Bach’s glorious, final Partita for Solo Violin, to cutting-edge modernism that combines the violin with recorded bird song, a fresh take on a centuries-old chord progression that drove medieval audiences wild, and Spanish guitar music transcribed for Classical violin.

Questions? Contact Brigid: bblack@somervillema.gov.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Somerville Public Library.

Chess Nights at the Library
Monday, October 7, 2024 - 7:00 PM

Central Library Auditorium

Want to challenge yourself? Love the game of chess?

We welcome players of all skill levels to join us at the Central Library on the first Monday of each month. Anyone is welcome to drop by and challenge yourself to learn or grow in your mastery of this game!

Questions? Contact Kerry: keodonnell@somervillema.gov.

Programs for Teens

T(w)een Craft Night at East
Thursday, October 24, 2024 - 6:00 PM

East Branch

Craft, snack and chill with your gnomies as we create dragon eye magnets!

This program is exclusively for t(w)eens in grades 6-12.*

Questions? Contact Meghan: mforsell@somervillema.gov.

Oct. 7 - 6:30 PM

West Branch

Children's Room

Oct. 11 - 4:00 PM

Central Library

Teen Room

Oct. 17 - 11:00 AM

Central Library

Auditorium

Book a Librarian at the Central Library

Programs for Children:

Dinosaurs, Music, and More

Miss Frizzle's Dinosaur Show
Saturday, October 12, 2024 -10:30 AM

East Branch

Tuesday, November 5, 2024 -1:00 PM

West Branch Children's Room

Saturday, November 16, 2024 - 2:00 PM

Central Library Children's Room

Calling paleontologists of all ages! Come explore the world of dinosaurs with your favorite Science teacher Miss Frizzle! This is an interactive learning experience as children discover these amazing creatures that lived millions of years ago. Registration required for East and Central location events.

Questions? Contact Meghan: mforsell@somervillema.gov.

Family Book Club at West
Monday, October 21, 2024 - 6:30 PM

West Branch Children's Room

Join us for a family book discussion for kids and teens ages 10+ and their grownups! Participants will receive a copy of Colonization and the Wampanoag Story and a notebook from the Mass Center for the Book. Discussion questions will be provided ahead of the meeting in case you want to talk about the book at home. Registration required.

Questions? Contact Alison: amitchell@somervillema.gov.

Oct. 5 - 2:00 PM

Central Library

Auditorium

Oct. 7 - 10:30 AM

East Branch

Oct. 7 - 10:30 AM

Central Library

Auditorium

Oct. 23 - 11:00 AM

West Branch

Community Room

Oct. 23 - 2:00 PM

East Branch

Oct. 28 - 10:30 AM

Central Library

Auditorium

Storytimes at our Libraries

STAFF PICKS: Halloween Edition

Horror, Scary Stories, and Everything in Between

We're big fans of spooky scary stories at the library! Here are some of our favorites.

Evil apples cut to the core (pun intended) of the human experience with great characters and a Pennsylvania setting.

- Alison, Children's Librarian

A dark fantasy about a boy desperate to be a hero, thrust into a quest with horrifying monsters amidst a deep conspiracy.

- Kyle, Teen Librarian

Peer pressure goes wild when Becca discovers her new popular friends are werewolves... and they want her help getting revenge.

- Muhl, Generalist Librarian

A class trip turns into a terrifying tale of survival when Ollie's school bus breaks down in small town and she finds herself on the run from "The Smiling Man."

- Karen, Deputy Director

A darkly entertaining and unhinged fever dream of a novel about chronic pain and revenge.

- Cathy, Children's Librarian

An examination of the connection between horror in motion pictures and the largest social upheavals of our times.

- Carrie, Reference Librarian

For more suggestions, subscribe to our monthly book recommendation newsletters. From popular titles to genre fiction, there's probably a list that matches your interests. Subscribe here!