Register your rising third, fourth and fifth graders for the 2023 Children’s Room Summer Book Camp! Camp runs this year from Monday, July 10 – Thursday, July 13, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Each day we will read a couple of theme-related stories, do a craft, have a cool snack and go outside for some games. Our theme this summer is “Time Travel.” We will head back in time to the ancient world, the Renaissance, the American colonial period, and maybe even have a look at the future! Use the links below to register your child for book camp. You only need to sign your child up once for them to attend for the whole week! Click HERE to sign up for rising 3rd graders. Click HERE to sign up for rising 4th graders. Click HERE to sign up for rising 5th graders.
Join us for a musical time on July 11th!
Join us on the front lawn of the Winthrop School at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 11, for this exciting community Campfire Sing-along! It’s a musical reunion opportunity with Kitt Cox (former director of Birth to Three) with his band, The Wabi-Sabi Combo. This band has been sharing their talents throughout the pandemic to attract contributions to buy diapers for those in need. This program is free and no registration is required.
Register for Archer Mayor’s May Visit
Registration is required. Click HERE to register. The Louise & Hugh Johnson Lecture series hosts well-known regional and national authors. The library is pleased to announce that the next author for this lecture series will be… Archer Mayor On May 17, 2022, Mr. Mayor will read from and discuss his popular titles. Copies of the books will be available for purchase at the venue. This event is free and begins at 7:30 p.m. at The Mansion at the Hellenic Center (117 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938). Book sales and cash bar start at 6:30 p.m. About the Author Archer Mayor is the author of the highly acclaimed Vermont-based mystery series featuring detective Joe Gunther, which the Chicago Tribune describes as “the best police procedurals being written in America.” His 30th book, Bomber’s Moon, was released on September 24, 2019. Protagonist Gunther once worked for the Brattleboro, Vermont, police department and is now a Special Agent for the fictional Vermont Bureau of Investigation. Books about his case-solving prowess have appeared once a year since 1988 and been published in five languages (if you count British). Mayor’s novels are rooted in actual field experience. Closely aligned to the Gunther series is the author’s own background in Vermont working variously as a police officer and a firefighter/EMT over the past thirty years. Currently, he still works as a medico-legal death investigator for the state’s medical examiner. He has been on the faculty of the Bread Loaf Young Writers conference in Middlebury, Vermont, and the Colby College seminar on forensic sciences in Waterville, Maine. Archer was honored with the 2016 Robert B. Parker Award. (Parker being “The Dean of Mystery Writers.”) In 2004, he won the New England Independent Booksellers Association Award for Best Fiction—the first time a writer of crime literature has been so honored. He was inducted into Vermont’s Academy of Arts and Science, and, in 2012, was awarded the Vermont governor’s award for Excellence in the Arts. In 2011, Mayor’s 22nd Joe Gunther novel, TAG MAN, earned a place on The New York Times bestseller list for hardback fiction. About the Series The Johnson Lecture Series is made possible by a permanent endowment by Louise & Hugh Johnson. The Johnson endowment was left to and is managed by the Friends of the Library and is intended to enrich the lives of Ipswich residents. Louise and Hugh loved life. They loved books, […]
Cozy Up with a Good Read
Although the days are getting longer, it’s still a bit chilly out there! Why not cozy up with a good book or audiobook? Wait! You’ve just finished the last Harry Potter or the most recent Pigeon book and don’t know what to try next? Reader’s advisory to the rescue! Whether you’re into dinosaurs, arctic explorers, or superheroes, we have a suggestion. Click HERE to see a long list of topical suggestions with each title leading to the full book description and the “place hold” button. Still stumped? For Children’s titles, please feel free to call the Children’s Room directly at (978) 413-8713. OR For our helpful Book Match service (for adults, teens, and kids), click HERE to learn more and give it a try!
Join Us for a Virtual Art Talk on Thursday, March 11th at 6pm!
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” This program examines that arc as it relates to African American history enshrined in American Art. From colonial era portraits to 19th-century and Jim Crow-era prints to 1960s Civil Rights photography, this program will provide a visual overview of African American oppression, struggle and progress towards equality. To register, click HERE. About the presenter: Jane Oneail curates and delivers art appreciation programs to audiences throughout New England. Jane holds a master’s in Art History from Boston University and a master’s in Education from Harvard University. A New Hampshire native, she has worked at some of the state’s most esteemed cultural institutions, including the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, where she served as Executive Director, and the Currier Museum of Art, where she held the role of Senior Educator. Jane has also taught at the college level for more than a decade, most recently at Southern New Hampshire This is a virtual program, happening on Zoom. Registered participants will be emailed a Zoom link prior to the event.
Tech Training Series: Web Design Basics
In this series, you will be introduced to all the tools you need to put yourself, your business, or your organization on the Web. Come to one or all! February 22, Part 1: Planning for Your Website March 28, Part 2: WordPress 101 April 25th, Part 3: Writing Well for the Web The Website Basics Series will be presented by consultant Jennifer Koerber, trainer and speaker on emerging technologies and the social web, and co-author of Emerging Technologies: a Primer for Librarians (Rowman & Littlefield, May 2015). She is also currently affiliated with the Harvard University Library as their Alma Training Manager.
Lights! Camera! Vote!
Welcome back to the Ipswich Public Library’s 2nd annual celebration of the Oscars. This February we are celebrating this year’s 92nd Academy Awards Ceremony (airing Sunday, February 9th). Check out our “Night at the Oscars!” display table on the main floor to see what is available to checkout and to learn more about the list of nominees. This year, there will be not only a ballot to fill out but also a movie checklist for you to take home to help you decide which movies you might want to start watching first! (Some movies will be playing at the library. See schedule below.) Feeling lucky? Grab a ballot, return it completed with contact information to the box, and you might win our “Night at the Oscars!” Giveaway basket full of movie night goodies. Winner to be announced on Monday, February 10th. Nominated Films are playing in the Collins Room up until the big night! Click on the title to register online: Saturday, January 18th: The Lion King (10-12pm, PG, 118min, One Nomination) Tuesday, January 21st: Judy (6-8pm, PG-13, 118min, Two Nominations) Wednesday, January 22nd: Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (5-8pm, R, 161min, Ten Nominations) Wednesday, January 29th: Harriet (6-8pm, PG-13, 125min, Two Nominations) Saturday, February 1st: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (10-11:45am, PG, 104min, One Nomination) Tuesday, February 4th: Rocketman (6-8pm, 121min, One Nomination) Thursday, February 6th: Joker (6-8pm, R, 122min, Eleven Nominations) All listed events are free and light refreshment will be provided. To learn more about the movies and to register for an event, you can also visit: ipswichlibrary.org/events. Questions? Please contact Teen Librarian Katy Wuerker at kwuerker@ipswichlibrary.org or (978) 356-6648.
Welcome to Ipswich, Baby!
Community outreach for expectant parents and parents of infants to 12 months! When: Saturday, September 21 from 10 a.m. to noon Where: Ipswich Public Library 25 North Main Street, Ipswich, MA Who is it for? Expectant parents, parents of infants to 12 months. All family and friends, caregivers, may attend—siblings too! Welcome to all, not just Ipswich residents. What will we do? Meet people and agencies in the community who offer goods and services to families with young children. Get to know other families. Experience a sampling of a Mother Goose on the Loose, our baby literacy program. See a presentation from the North Shore Babywearing group. Pick up information about local caregivers and early childhood programs. Enjoy refreshments and take home a special gift bag. Free but space is limited! Save your spot at this link! Contact Laurie Collins at lcollins@ipswichlibrary.org or call the Children’s Room at 978-412-8713 with any questions.
Johnson Series Welcomes Sy Montgomery Sept. 18th
The library is pleased to announce that the next author for this lecture series will be Sy Montgomery on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019. Space is…
Next Armchair Traveler Program May 31st!
Satisfy your inner wanderlust and check out our monthly “Armchair Traveler” series! This program will be held at the Ipswich Public Library at 25 North Main Street in Ipswich. 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.” On Tuesday, May 31st at 2pm, Jeff will take us on an armchair traveler’s journey through sunny southern Greece. The Peloponnese peninsula is one of the most beautiful regions of the country, but rarely visited by tourists. Home to wild mountain and coastal scenery, and Greece’s best olive groves, the southern Peloponnese also has incredible archaeological sites, both from ancient times and also superb Byzantine era churches. We’ll visit the modern city of Sparta, home to the ancient warlike city-state that rivaled Athens, and also the stunningly beautiful medieval walled city of Monemvasia, isolated on a protected rocky island just off the coast. Having visited more than 50 countries and five continents over the years, Jeff 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 free and open to the public, and is funded by a grant from the Coburn Charitable Society.
Come find out why chocolate is good for you!
There’s little doubt that chocolate is a delicious treat and typically seen as a guilty pleasure, but did you know that chocolate can also be healthy? According to Professor of Chemistry Mike Cross at the Northern Essex Community College (NECC) in Haverhill, MA chocolate might just be the “perfect drug.” With high quality versions of chocolate carrying over 500+ natural chemicals and more antioxidants then a bowl of blueberries … chocolate can increase feelings of well-being, reduce high blood pressure, relax blood vessels and more, says Cross. In this presentation, Professor Cross will share his knowledge as both a chemist and a passionate lover of chocolate to help us celebrate the Valentine’s Day season. Chocolate samples will be provided (for scientific research purposes, of course!) This adult program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ipswich Public Library, and is free and open to the public. However, space is limited so registration is required! Click here to save your spot now!
Ipswich First Period Heritage Program & Walking Tour
Come join us! Saturday, 18 August 2018 10:00 AM-2:00 PM The Town of Ipswich, MA is known as America’s best-preserved Puritan town. With almost 60 houses that were constructed in part or in whole before 1720, Ipswich has more First Period homes than any other town in the country. This informational lecture and 1.5 mile walking tour includes samplings of First Period and other historic houses in three historic districts, Meeting House Green, High Street and the East End 10:00 am: Our program begins at the Ipswich Public Library, 25 North Main Street, with a slideshow and presentation by Ipswich Historical Commission chairman John Fiske. 10:45 am – 12:30 pm: Walking tour of historic homes, led by Town Historian Gordon Harris and members of the Ipswich Historical Commission. 12:30 pm: Participants are invited to return to the library for a light lunch and an opportunity for additional questions and discussion. PLEASE NOTE: The Library is not open for regular library service on Saturdays in the summer. Doors will open starting at 9:30am for the program, and lunch will be provided. This program is free of charge but space is limited and so pre-registration is required. To register, CLICK HERE. (Vegetarian and gluten-fee options will be provided at lunch. If you have other requests, please contact Library Director Patty DiTullio at pditullio@ipswichlibrary.org and will we do our best to accommodate your needs! The luncheon is funded by The Friends of the Ipswich Public Library.) Gordon Harris historicipswich@gmail.com Location: Collins Room
