Tuesday, November 11th
Blaisdell Memorial Library will be closed on the 11th in observation of Veteran’s Day.
The library will reopen at our usual hours on November 12th.
Author: blaisdellml
5th Annual Tea Party Storytime
November 18th, 20th and 21st at 10am
It’s that time once again to join BML for our very special annual tea party storytime! Held once a year, get dressed up in your favorite special outfit and join Ms. Julie and Ms. Robin for stories all about tea parties. Afterwards, get your fancy jewelry and enjoy tea and butter cookies at the library!
The tea party, story, and events are identical on each day, so don’t worry about missing out: pick the date that works best for you!
Afterschool Sign-Ups
Sign ups for the first Fall session of children’s programming are now open, from today through Tuesday, October 28th. We are encouraging all parents to use the online forms below, rather than the usual calling, to streamline the process.
If you have any problems with the online forms or need help filling them out, please contact the library front desk..
The Blaisdell Bizarre Bazaar
October 30th – November 1st
Join Blaisdell Memorial Library in celebrating the Halloween season with a three day extravaganza full of fun and frights for all ages!
Thursday, October 30
Haunted Library Tour: 4-5:30 and 6-7:30pm
- Something strange is happening at the library… Summon your courage for a guided haunted house tour through the library! A child-friendly experience will be held from 4-5:30, featuring more fun and milder scares. The tour from 6-7:30 will be suited for teens and adults, with more dramatic elements and scares to be found. The library will remain open for checkouts during this time but we suggest patrons request items in advance or have a library staff member guide them, as visibility and navigation will be more difficult during the event.
Friday, October 31
Potions in the Mud Kitchen: 10am
- Enjoy a potion-themed story time, then have fun mixing up your own play concoctions in the library mud kitchen with Miss Julie!
Community Coffee Hour – UFOs and Bigfoot: 10am
- This final coffee hour of the month will be held on Friday, instead of Wednesday morning. Join our special guest Ronny Le Blanc, paranormal expert, for a presentation exploring UFOs, Bigfoot, and the potential connection between them.
Werewolf: 11:30am
- A social game of deceit and danger for teens and young adults! Within your group, someone is a werewolf. Every night, they’ll claim another one of you, unless you can figure out who it is and vote them out first! Try out the game that helped inspire Among us!
Saturday, November 1
Dramatic Reading-Tales of Horror: 10am
- The Blaisdell Youth Group invites you to a dramatic reading of classic tales to tell in the dark. Listen in or volunteer to take part in the fun, reading aloud yourself! All ages welcome, but some stories may be frightening to younger children. Parental discretion is advised.
Evil Laugh Contest: 11am
- Can you cackle like a witch or a mad scientist? Show off your skills at the Evil Laugh Contest! Whoever is voted as having the finest evil laugh will take home the prize!
Spooky Sensory Lunch: 12pm
- A Halloween Brunch for children and their families! Kids can enjoy themed snacks and drinks and test their bravery by squishing eyeballs (peeled grapes), brains (spaghetti) and more!
Musical Performance by Joe Leary: 12pm
- Finishing up the Bizarre Bazaar, BML is delighted to welcome acoustic musician Joe Leary for a library performance. This event is free to the public and all ages are welcome!
Aside from our specials, the library will also have plenty of horror book and movie recommendations to make your spine tingle. No matter how you like to celebrate, be it tricks or treats, BML has you covered!
Crochet for Beginners
Saturday, October 18th & 26th at 12pm
Get started learning a new craft! Learn everything you need to know to start crocheting and work on your very first basic project with instructor Hope Davis. This program will be held in two parts and we strongly recommend that participants be able to attend both sessions to complete their projects.
Registration will be required for this program and space is limited, so please call, email or visit the library in order to sign up! All supplies will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own hooks or yarn if desired. This program is aimed at adults but older teens are also welcome.
Supplies will be provided, but if you have you own tools and would like to bring them, we suggest:
- A size I-9 (5.5mm) crochet hook
- Cotton yarn
- A yarn needle
Get Started Learning!
Before you come to the session, check out these videos on how to tie a slipknot, one of the basic fundamentals of crochet. With these, you can come in prepared and eager to pick up stitches!
Halloween Crafts
Wednesday, October 15th at 3:30pm
Have some afterschool fun (particularly if you’re missing middle school club)! Drop by the library to make Halloween crafts and decorations to take home or use to help decorate the library before our Bizarre Bazaar!
This program is drop in and open to all ages but suggested for grades 3+.
Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale
The Friends of the Library’s annual fall book sale is nearly upon us! Learn more about the donation period as well as sale hours and times!
The donation period opens on Monday, September 29th and runs until Thursday, October 2nd. During this time, the Friends will be accepting new or like-new donations of books, audio books, puzzles, and board games. Donations are limited to a maximum of 3 boxes of items per household. Donations should be dropped off at the Old Town Hall building across the street during specified hours. Any items left outside of donation times or dropped at the library may not be accepted.
Please note that the Friends cannot accept the following items:
- Any items with mold, mildew, water-staining, tears, or other significant damage
- Non-fiction titles that are more than 10 years old
- Textbooks, encyclopedias, and/or teaching and study materials
- DVDs, music CDs, or VHS tapes
The Friends’ Book Sale will be held from Friday, October 3rd until Sunday, October 5th, with Friday being limited to Nottingham Residents only. The friends are able to except payments through cash, check, or Venmo.
New Mah-Jongg Session
Starting Friday, September 19th, the Mah-Jongg club will be holding a second weekly game session at 10am, in addition to their usual Wednesday 11:30am meetings!
Beginners and those looking to learn the rules for the first time are particularly welcome to Friday’s game, for the opportunity to learn step by step with fellow players.
Please contact the library if you have any questions.
Labor Day Closure
Blaisdell Memorial Library will be CLOSED on Saturday, August 30th, for labor day weekend. The library will reopen at its usual hours on Tuesday, September 2nd.
New Programs for Fall
Starting in September, BML will be launching four new regular programs for both adults and children!
First, starting on September 2nd we will be adding the Backyard Bookworms to our regular line up of children’s programming. This is a new combined story and playtime focused on getting outside and learning in the library’s backyard! They will be held every Tuesday at 1pm during programming sessions. Backyard Bookworms will be held rain or shine, so be sure to dress appropriately for the days weather!
After this, celebrating the enthusiasm we saw during our Summer Crafting group, we will be launching the new 11 O’ Craft group for adult crafters who want to try their hands at new projects! 11 O’ Craft will be held every second Wednesday of the month, at 11am and will offer unique activities brought to you by library staff! The first 11 O’ Craft will be exploring botanical art.
Next, we’re proud to announce the new Casual Critics movie discussion group! This is an adult program similar to our book groups, but aimed at cinephiles and those interested in watching more movies! Sessions will be held the second Thursday of each month, at 5pm, with that month’s movie being available for borrowing in advance. Borrow your copy or stream at home, then join in thoughtful discussion of what you’ve watched!
The first session of the Casual Critics will be held on Thursday, September 11th, at 5pm. Our movie is the 1995 docudrama, Apollo 13.
Finally, we’re introducing the Homesteaders’ Hub, a casual discussion and learning group for community members who are homesteaders or thinking about becoming one! This is a monthly group that will typically be held on the third Thursday of each month, at 5pm. We will be bringing in presenters covering a variety of topics, but there may also be food-related activities and open houses to give our members the chance to share their own knowledge with others!
The first session of the Homesteaders’ Hub will be held on Thursday, September 25th at 4:30pm, with a special presentation.
Blaisdell Memorial Library is excited to expand our offerings to the community and explore new opportunities for programming! We hope you will drop in and explore all we have coming.
Blaisdell Memorial Library 