September Teen Events

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TAG (Teen Activity Group) is for everyone in middle school and high school. This fall, we will have activities in the Teen Room every other week after school on Wednesdays.

Wednesday, September 14 – Back to School Buttons – Design your own pins and make them with our button maker.

Wednesday, September 28 – Bookmark Coloring – Take some time to relax and color a bookmark.

 

Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award Voting

The first annual Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award is now open for voting! Any teen in the state is eligible to vote, as long as they have read at least one of the books on the ballot. The full list of nominees is here.  You can vote in person at the library or online. The MTCBA is also having a logo contest, which you can enter here. If you have any questions, please ask Teen Librarian Pam at the Reference Desk!

Summer Reading Wrap-Up

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Summer Reading has ended – thank you for making this one of the best Teen Summer Reading Programs we’ve ever had! You read so many books, completed tons of activities, and spun the prize wheel over 450 times! We’d love to hear what you thought of this year’s Summer Reading Program – please fill out this survey so we can make next year’s program even better!

Congratulations to Maya M. on winning the Grand Prize, a $50 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale!

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Friday, September 16th: 1-5 pm

Saturday, September 17th:  10 am – 4 pm 

Sunday, September 18th:  1 – 4 pm 

Special members only preview sale:  Thursday, September 15th: 6:30-8:30 pm

Bedford Day 9/17: Please visit the Friends’ booth – children will receive a coupon for a free book plus crayons and a bookmark to color!

Please note:  Masks are encouraged in the book sale areas.

The Friends of the Bedford Library are holding a three day Fall Book Sale. The Book Sale is held rain or shine at the library located at 7 Mudge Way in Bedford, MA. Thanks to the huge quantity of quality book donations, there will be thousands of books offered in three different rooms, all well organized. Books include fiction such as romance, thrillers, science fiction, poetry, plays and classics plus DVDs and music CDs; children’s books; books for young adults; non-fiction books including art, cookbooks, foreign languages, business, history, science, textbooks, puzzles, and much more.

Proceeds from book sales help underwrite library programs and services, including lecture and film series, additions to the library collection, and museum passes.

This is the Friends’ biggest sale of the year with thousands of books available. Come on down to the library for some great bargains! The Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library is a non-profit organization.

Be a Friend – wear a mask!

2022 Summer Reading Program Grand Prize

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Congratulations to Grand Prize winner Laura Bergsten! She was one of the many adults who participated in our Summer Reading Program by logging their reading and writing brief book reviews. Laura received a lightweight, waterproof, dedicated e-reader.  
Thanks to everyone who participated and to the Friends of the Library who provided funds for the Grand Prize as well as the the weekly gift certificates. 

 

 

 

Metrowest Reads ONE Author Event with Gish Jen – In Person and Online

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MetroWest Readers Fest invites you to join author Gish Jen on Thursday, October 6 at 7 pm at the Goodnow Library in Sudbury. This event is a part of ONE, a community-wide read organized by MWRF. This event is in collaboration with 24 Massachusetts libraries, including Bedford.

Space is limited to attend in person. Sign up here to attend at the Goodnow Library in Sudbury.

Online attendance via Zoom is also available. Sign up here to attend virtually.

The Bedford Free Public Library will be hosting a book discussion on Monday, September 19th at 7pm. More information is available here.

The title for this year’s initiative is Thank You, Mr. Nixon, a short story collection by the acclaimed writer Gish Jen. In this collection of 11 linked short stories, Jen “embarks on a fictional journey through U.S.-China relations, capturing the excitement of a world on the brink of tectonic change.” Thank You, Mr. Nixon was named the #1 Recommendation for AAPI Month by Oprah Daily, an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best Literature & Fiction, and was called “marvelous” by Claire Oshetsky in the New York Times. In July 2022, NPR included Thank You, Mr. Nixon in its biannual “Books We Love” feature. In addition to Thank You, Mr. Nixon, Jen is the author of eight other books and has had short stories selected for The Best American Short Stories five times, including The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike. Gish Jen is currently a Visiting Professor at Harvard.

Whether or not you’ve read Thank You, Mr. Nixon, we enthusiastically invite you to a lively evening and hear from Gish Jen, an observant chronicler of American life who the late John Updike named as his self-appointed “successor” in 1999. Attendees will have ample opportunity to ask questions, share thoughts, or just listen. The Silver Unicorn Bookstore will be onsite to sell Ms. Jen’s books on the evening of October 6.

On Exhibit in the Gallery…

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CURATORS SHOW 

July 14th – September 7th  

An exhibition with works by Jean Hammond, Astrid Reischwitz, and Carol Rissman.
 
The Bedford Free Public Library will host an exhibit of the work of three local artists beginning in mid-July.
 
Jean Hammond’s artists’ books and fiber art; Astrid Reischwitz’s photography; and Carol Rissman’s tableware and wall-hung ceramics will be on display. As well as being working artists, the three are volunteer curators for the Library’s gallery. Normally, their job is to identify appropriate artists, plan solo and group shows, and hang six exhibits a year.
 
For this exhibit, the committee members reverse roles and show their own work. The exhibit will run through September 7th.

The public is invited to view the exhibit during regular library hours.

This exhibit would not be possible without assistance from the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library.

 

Community Art Wall: Off the Beaten Path Landscapes by Artist and Teacher, Al Garnache (1951-2008).

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Are you an emerging artist and interested in exhibiting artwork on the Community Art Wall? The exhibit space is located on the wall opposite the Children’s Room entrance. We encourage students and amateur artists to apply. Generally, each exhibit is up for two months, though there is some flexibility in dates. All work submitted must be original and not previously shown at the Bedford Free Public Library. If you are interested in showing your work, please contact Library Director Richard Callaghan at rcallaghan@minlib.net or call 781-275-9440.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Reading for Adults 2022!

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Summer Reading for Adults starts on Friday, July 1st, and ends on Wednesday, August 31st.

Whether you’re a new high school graduate, a retiree, or any stage of life in between, your brief book reviews are welcomed (no need to log minutes or books)!  With weekly drawings for local gift cards and one final Grand Prize, thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Library, there’s a good incentive to share your reading.

Please register online with Beanstack from your computer or smartphone. Paper review forms are also available at the Circulation Desk.