There’s still time to register for the virtual ScienceTellers event on Monday, April 13th, at 10:30am! Sign up now to join this all-ages blend of storytelling and science-powered special effects.
Peeps Diorama Voting
We are thrilled to announce that the voting for our 10th Annual Peeps Diorama Contest is now open! We have a small but strong group of entries this year, and we are very thankful for everyone who could participate.
View all dioramas here on our main Peeps page. Then vote for your favorites here! Winners will be announced on Wednesday, April 15th.
Take Ten with Ms. Bethany
There are more stories and songs to share! Follow along whenever you need a few minutes of activity–have a shaker, sticks, and a stuffed animal friend nearby.
Ancestry from Home
Bedford residents can now access Ancestry from home!
Just go to our Online Resources page, then scroll down to Genealogy.
The site will simply ask you to enter your Bedford library card number.
We have this at-home access to offer for the duration of our closure.
“Take Ten” with Ms. Elaine
We miss all of our Storytime families. Since we can’t have Storytime at the library, here are ten minutes of rhymes, songs, and tales to enjoy in your living room. Ms. Elaine and Ms. Bethany will be posting regularly, so stay tuned for more!
Library returning to regular hours on Tuesday, July 6th. Updated 6/29/21.
An updated note to our wonderful patrons:
The Library will return to regular summer hours (Monday-Thursday, 9-9, Friday, 9-6, and Saturday 9-5) on Tuesday, July 6th. All areas of the building will be open with the exception of the first floor study rooms, storytime room, the meeting room and upstairs conference room as these are in use by the staff. Curbside materials pickup will continue. In accordance with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health advisory those patrons who are not fully vaccinated should still wear masks indoors. We are looking forward to seeing you in the library!
The outdoor book drop is open. When inside the building please use the indoor book drop to the left of the circulation desk. Materials cannot be directly returned to the circulation desk at this time.
No fines will be assessed during this time.
Library cards will not expire until March 1, 2022 at the earliest.
The threshold for blocked cards has been raised from $10 to $100.
Any questions or concerns please email: bedmail1@minlib.net
Additional Resources
Don’t have a library card? Get an e-card to use digital resources.
Getting started with Overdrive and Libby
10th Annual Peeps Diorama Contest Update
IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Peeps Diorama Contest is moving entirely online!
The Library may be closed, but we’re still holding our 10th Annual Peeps Diorama contest!
Peeps dioramas are a great creative activity to keep you busy while you’re practicing good social distancing! If you can’t get Peeps, make your own out of paper or clay.
Full details, including submission details, are available on our main Peeps page. We’re really excited to see what people create this year!
(If you submitted an entry before the Library closed, we already have your info and pictures, so you don’t have to resubmit.)
More always-available eBooks are here!
Families with younger children may already be familiar with TumbleBooks, a website filled with read-along for preschool and lower grade-school readers. Now, there are four more Tumble resources for all ages!
TumbleMath has read-along picture books about all things mathematical for grades K-6.
Teen BookCloud features ebook and audiobooks for tweens and teens
AudioBookCloud offers streaming audiobooks for children, teens, and adults.
Romance BookCloud is a one-stop shop for all types of steamy reads.
All of these new resources are always available, with no holds or waitlists. And you can read them from any device that has an internet browser, like a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Hop on over and see what you’ll read next!
Getting Started with hoopla
Hoopla is a database filled with digital books, audiobooks, videos, music, and comics. It is only available to Bedford residents – if you don’t live in Bedford, check with your hometown library, they may also subscribe to hoopla. You can use hoopla on a computer or download the app to your tablet or phone. Additionally, you can access hoopla with a Boston Public Library card or e-card (click here to sign up for a BPL e-card.)*
Signing up and signing in
To get started, create an account by going to the hoopla homepage and clicking Get Started Today in the middle of the page. Type in your email and create a password (this is NOT the PIN on your library card) and click Agree. Search for Bedford and make sure you pick Bedford Free Public Library (MA). Click Next, then enter your library card number, then click Sign Me Up. Now you’re ready for hoopla!
If you already have an account and don’t remember your password, click on Forgot Your Password? to reset.
Using hoopla
You’ll get 10 checkouts per month from BFPL (each library sets their limits separately). Most books, audiobooks, and comics have a loan period of 21 days; most music has a loan period of 7 days; most videos have a loan period of 72 hours. (Some publishers may enforce a shorter loan period, but it will tell you on your checkout.)
Along the top of the website, you’ll see My Hoopla, Browse, and a search box. You’ll also see Kids (which will only show you kid-appropriate materials) and settings.
The main My Hoopla page will show you what you have checked out, some recommendations, and your Favorites. In the drop down menu for My Hoopla, you’ll be able to go directly to Currently Borrowed, Favorites, and History. Favorites is a list of items that you have selected by clicking on the heart symbol next to it’s Borrow button – this enables you to browse and create a list that you can come back to at any time. History will keep track of that materials that you borrow.
Under Browse, you will see a drop down menu that includes Audiobooks, Movies, Music, Comics, Ebooks, and Television. Click on any of these (or just the Browse button) to explore the content.
In the search bar, you can search for specific titles or authors. The default is to search everything, but you can select a specific type of material from the drop down box that says Everything.
Need more help with hoopla? They have a terrific help page that can answer all sorts of questions! Still need more help? Contact us at bedford@minlib.net.
* You can have hoopla accounts for each library card that you have (Bedford, Boston, etc), BUT you must create each account using a different email address.
Missing Storytime? Try an online option!
A lot of life is up in the air right now. Schedules are disrupted, routines are reinvented, and the people we’re used to seeing are keeping their distance. Ms. Elaine and I are missing all of our storytime friends, right now.
While nothing is quite the same as storytime at the library, there are online options to add some variety to your at-home reading sessions.
First up: take a peek at Storyline Online. This website features well-known actors reading picture books, and each video includes a teacher’s guide with activities and discussion prompts.
Try some of the books and see what you think! I’ll be back with more ideas to share.
— Ms. Bethany