WFL Blog - Wellesley Free Library

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WFL Book Report: Episode 6 – Fiction with Megan

Comments? Questions? Send us an email! wflbookreport@minlib.net Guest Librarian: Megan Flynn Interview Notes: Our book recommendation this week is from librarian Megan Flynn, our fiction selector. She talks to us about Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.   Questions? Comments? Recommendations? Email us at: WFLBookReport@minlib.net Reader’s Report ADULT FICTION   The personal librarian by Marie […]

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Episode 1: Beach Read with Megan

Guest Librarian: Megan Flynn This week we’ll introduce the podcast, the Wellesley Reader’s Report, and speak with Information Services librarian Megan Flynn about her summer book pick in Adult Fiction, The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner. Interview Notes In today’s episode, Megan and I discuss Novelist, a Reader’s Advisory service that you can access through […]

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Library Phased Reopening Plan

Welcome back to the Library! Our phased reopening plan for the Wellesley Free Library is carefully managed to prioritize the safety and well-being of staff and patrons. Our goal is to bring back the things you love while ensuring the health of our community. Masks are required in all Wellesley municipal buildings and offices for […]

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Fells Branch Library Now Open!

  The renovation of Wellesley’s Fells Branch Library is complete! Fells Branch is located at 308 Weston Road. Regular open hours for Fells Branch are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM – 5 PM. Click here for information about Fells Branch story-times and learning activity programs . Click here to learn more about how the […]

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June is LGBT Pride Month – On Display

Celebrate diversity in all its forms this June by checking out our second floor display honoring LGBT Pride Month. This display features materials on the gay rights movement, marriage equality, personal accounts and coming out stories, and materials on how to raise an LGBT identifying child. Did You Know? According to a Gallup poll, 4.1%, […]

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The Miracle of Dunkirk – On Display

During World War II, thousands of Allied soldiers were stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk, France, surrounded by the German Army. The Miracle of Dunkirk, also called Operation Dynamo, was an unimaginable evacuation and rescue of these soldiers between May 26th and June 4th, 1940. Over 338,000 soldiers were saved.1 Visit the display case next to […]

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New Non-Fiction At the Library!

Summertime is perfect for cracking open a non-fiction read. See below for our newest titles!   Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day by Cassandra Aarssen Real Life Organizing offers clutter free storage solutions and advice that can help you create a Pinterest worthy home on a small budget: Learn how […]

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Celebrate Memorial Day – On Display

Memorial Day is time for celebration and reflection. On the one hand, the weather is perfect for a BBQ or outdoor party, and the three day weekend makes it triple the fun! Visit our second floor display – “It’s BBQ Time!” – for the best BBQ and outdoor entertaining ideas. On the other hand, Memorial […]

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Lincoln’s Lieutenants

Lincoln’s Lieutenants: The High Command of the Army of the Potomac by Stephen W. Sears From the best-selling author of Gettysburg, a multilayered group biography of the commanders who led the Army of the Potomac. The high command of the Army of the Potomac was a changeable, often dysfunctional band of brothers, going through the […]

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On Display

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s early death. One of the most revered and respected women in the world, Diana was the “People’s Princess.” Visit our second floor display featuring materials all about Diana, what made her special, and the tremendous and long-lasting effects she had on the world.

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On Display

13 Reasons Why is Netflix’s hottest TV series; but did you know that it’s based off of a book? Jay Asher wrote 13 Reasons Why, originally published in 2007.  If you’re a fan, of the book or the TV series, check out the display in the High School Room for similar reads. If you haven’t read […]

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MacArthur’s Spies

 MacArthur’s Spies: The Soldier, the Singer, and the Spymaster Who Defied the Japanese in World War II  by Peter Eisner On January 2, 1942, Japanese troops marched into Manila unopposed by U.S. forces. Manila was a strategic port, a romantic American outpost and a jewel of a city. Tokyo saw its conquest of the Philippines […]

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Famous Faces of Wellesley – On Display

Did you know that Wellesley has been home to many famous faces? Mindy Kaling, Vladimir Nabokov, and Daisuke Matsuzaka are just a few of the varied artists, politicians, broadcasters, athletes, and other notable people who have called Wellesley their home at some point in their lives. Visit our second floor main display featuring the works […]

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May is National Salad Month – On Display

Spring is the perfect time for light, colorful salads, but did you know that the month of May is National Salad Month? Check out our second floor display featuring recipes for the best spring salads, from fruit salads to new takes on classic dishes. Liven up your salad routine with fresh Spring fruits and vegetables, […]

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New Science Books for May

May 9th Aliens: Prominent Scientists on the Search for Extraterrestrial Life by Jim Al-Khalili,  (Author, Editor) In these lively and fascinating essays, scientists from around the world weigh in on the latest advances in the search for intelligent life in the universe and discuss just what that might look like. Since 2000, science has seen […]

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Get Caught Reading!

May is “Get Caught Reading” month, celebrated by the Young Adult Library Services Association. The Wellesley Free Library will be celebrating by posting your reasons why you love to read! Visit the High School Room on the second floor to submit the reason you love to read. Come back in May to see it posted, […]

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Food & Poverty – On Display

Hunger and poverty are inextricably linked, and are still major problems in America today.  In 2015, 42.2 million Americans and about 13% of households were considered food insecure. In that same year, 13.5% of Americans were living in poverty.1 Visit our second floor display featuring materials about this ongoing crisis. Learn about the state of […]

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New Science Fiction: April

April 4th   1636: Mission to the Mughals by Eric Flint, & Griffin Barber The United States of Europe, the new nation formed by an alliance between the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus and the West Virginians hurled back in time by a cosmic accident, the Ring of Fire is beset by enemies on all sides. […]

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April is National Poetry Month – On Display

Join in the literary celebration this month for National Poetry Month! Visit our second floor display featuring new and classic poetry. Help give thanks for poetry’s important place in the global culture by checking out a book of your favorite poetry today! Did you know? “National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the […]

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Heart Health – On Display

Is your heart healthy? Do you exercise it enough and feed it well?  Visit our second floor display to find out all you need to know to keep your heart healthy. Did you know? Your heart beats about 100,000 per day. 1 Laughter really is the best medicine! When you laugh, your blood flow is increased by about 20%, […]

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Graphic Memoirs – On Display

Do you love graphic novels? Do you also love memoirs and biographies? Check out our second floor display featuring graphic memoirs! A graphic memoir is the perfect blend of visual art and memoir. According to the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), this blend of graphics and text “can help the author to communicate a […]

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The Collapsing Empire

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi Our universe is ruled by physics. Faster than light travel is impossible, until the discovery of The Flow, an extra-dimensional field available at certain points in space-time, which can take us to other planets around other stars. Riding The Flow, humanity spreads to innumerable other worlds. Earth is forgotten. […]

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On Display – Celebrate Our Trees!

World Earth Day is April 22nd, Arbor Day is April 28th, and Wellesley houses some beautiful trees. Celebrate our landscape by visiting our second floor display featuring information about trees and nature, including beautiful nature photographs, nature poetry, and other nature writing. Be sure to check out the “Wellesley Trees” bulletin board in the media […]

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STEM Ahead – On Display

Wellesley’s STEM Expo is this month (April 8th), and right now STEM education is all the rage! STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and it encompasses all of the hard science skills necessary for students of all ages. STEM encourages you to explore and experiment, and our second floor display features titles that […]

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The World Remade

The World Remade: America in World War I by G. J.Meyer An indispensable, sharply drawn account of America’s pivotal-and still controversial-intervention in World War I, enlivened by fresh insights into the key issues, events, and personalities of the period. In his previous book A World Undone: the Story of the Great War, 1914-1918 Meyer focused […]

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On Display

March 15 marks the infamous assassination of Julius Caesar, and has since become a significant date on the Roman calendar. Do you enjoy a good – fictionalized –  murder?  Visit our second floor display of murderous novels!

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Exoplanets

Exoplanets: Asking the Right Questions in Our Strange New Universe by Michael E. Summers, &  James Trefil The past few years have seen an incredible explosion in our knowledge of the universe. Since its 2009 launch, the Kepler satellite has discovered more than two thousand exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system.  The recent discovery […]

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Queen Victoria – On Display

Are you a fan of PBS’s new show Victoria?  Visit the library to learn more about the Victorian era. Travel back in time with many feature films set in the Victorian period, on display in the media room. Learn more about the period, Queen Victoria’s reign, and our culture’s lasting fascination with her life and influence […]

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The Raven’s Table: Viking Stories

The Raven’s Table: Viking Stories by Christine Morgan The wolf’s wind is howling, stalking like death itself. The carrion-crows, avaricious and impatient, circling the battle-ground, the Raven’s Table. Listen… The furious clangor of battle. The harrowing singing of steel. The desperate cries of wounded animals. The gasps of bleeding, dying men. The slow, deep breathing […]

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March 5 – 11 is YALSA’s Teen Tech Week!

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association, devotes one week each year to Teen Tech Week, with the goal to “showcase all of the great digital resources and services that are available to help teens succeed.”1 This year, the theme for Teen Tech Week is “Be the Source […]

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New Non-Fiction at the Library!

At the End of the World: A True Story of Murder in the Arctic by Lawrence MillmanAt the End of the World is the remarkable story of a series of murders that occurred in an extremely remote corner of the Arctic in 1941. Those murders show that senseless violence in the name of religion is not […]

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Agent 110

Agent 110: An American Spymaster and the German Resistance in WWII by Scot Miller This is the secret and suspenseful account of how OSS spymaster Allen Dulles led a network of Germans conspiring to assassinate Hitler and negotiate surrender to bring about the end of World War II before the Soviet’s advance into Europe. Agent […]

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We March Against England

We March Against England: Operation Sealion and German Air-Sea Actions Against Great Britain, 1940-41 by Robert Forczyk In June, 1940, Nazi Germany was master of continental Europe. Great Britain stood alone and the all-conquering German armed forces were poised to cross the English Channel and launch an invasion that would if successful, change the entire course […]

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Read Local: On Display

These days, we’re conscious of supporting our local communities through frequenting local businesses and eating locally grown foods. Why not read local too? Check out our second floor display featuring fiction from authors based in Massachusetts and around New England.

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Huston Smith, 1919-2016: On Display

The renowned religious studies scholar and author of The World’s Religions, one of the most widely used texts on comparative religion, passed away on December 30, 2016 at 97 years old. The son of missionaries working in China, Smith became fascinated with different religious experiences, and went on to study and truly live other religions […]

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On Display: The Vikings

It seems that everyone is fascinated with the Norse warriors and seafarers, on whom many TV series, movies, and novels have been based. Visit our second floor display to learn more about the Nordic men and women who have made a lasting impression on history. Did you know? The word “Viking” literally means “pirate raid” […]

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Fit for the Presidency?

Fit for the Presidency?: Winners, Losers, What-Ifs, and Also-Rans by Seymour Morris Jr. Every four years Americans embark on the ultimate carnival, the Super Bowl of democracy: a presidential election campaign filled with endless speeches, debates, handshakes, and passion. But what about the candidates themselves? In Fit for the Presidency? Seymour Morris Jr. applies an […]

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Stop Fretting About Your Wedding: On Display

February is National Weddings Month. Are you preparing your own nuptial celebration? Attending more than a few weddings this Spring? Stop by our second floor display featuring materials on wedding planning and wedding etiquette. Whether you’re the bride, the mother of the bride, or just a guest, you’ll find something to help make wedding season […]

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International Holocaust Remembrance: On Display

January 27th is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945.1 For the month of February, we will be featuring materials about the Holocaust, both fiction and non-fiction. Learn about this unspeakable tragedy so that it may never happen again. “Nie Wieder,לעולם לא עוד” – Never Again

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On Display: Library Lover’s Month

February is National Library Lover’s Month! Visit our second floor display for materials relating to library history, beautiful world-renowned library buildings, and all things libraries. We at the Wellesley Free Library extend our gratitude towards our patronage, and we thank you for helping us celebrate our beautiful institution.

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Historical Heroes: Celebrating Black History Month

Visit our main second floor display featuring materials on the many great African-American heroes who have helped shape our nation’s history, culture, and invariably our future. From Harriet Tubman to Barack Obama, Louis Armstrong to Guion Bluford, America is indebted to black men and women throughout its tumultuous history. They’ve helped shape our music, cuisine, […]

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Anne L. Reynolds, Former WFL Director

Anne L. Reynolds, beloved former director of the Wellesley Free Library, died on January 20th, 2017 in Portsmouth, NH. Former Head of Technical Services at the library, Anne brought a whole-systems vision to the library: its strengths, its challenges, and its vibrant possibilities. She led the automation of the library catalog and made Wellesley one […]

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Spiritual Autobiographies On Display

November’s Spiritual Pathways display was a hit with the Wellesley community; perhaps you were one of the many who are looking for a more spiritual connection. This month, visit our second floor display featuring spiritual autobiographies. Learn how others cultivated a more mindful, joyous life, or how many have struggled along their own spiritual journey, […]

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Putter Around the Library

Calling all avid readers and golfers! Get Ready to tee-off in the teen space, bogey in the biographies or eagle in the easy readers! It’s once again time for a “Hole Lot of Fun” as the Wellesley Free Library is magically transformed into an 18 hole miniature golf course. Come and play a round on […]

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Food for Thought

A little known sub-genre of cookbooks is the food memoir: the personal experience of a chef (amateur or professional) relative to food. Many food memoirs include recipes, as the author will relate his/her experiences with certain dishes while relaying how you can make them at home. Take a peek at our second floor display featuring […]

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New Non-Fiction at the Library

Radicalization: Why Some People Choose the Path of Violence by Farhad Khosrokhavar A sought-after commentator in France and a widely respected international scholar of radical Islam, Farhad Khosrokhavar has spent years studying the path towards radicalization. Khosrokhavar argues that the root problem of radicalization is not a particular ideology but rather a set of steps […]

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Get Down to the Knitty Gritty!

Need something to do during the coming cold months? Visit our second floor display to pick up books on how to knit and crochet! Already an experienced knitter? We’ll also feature resources about new patterns, materials, and technique. Keep your hands busy this winter by learning a new craft!

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Nonfiction for the New Year

On display in the high school room is a collection of nonfiction for the New Year! Ring in 2017 by learning something new, from a memoir about escaping North Korea (Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee) to a young man’s hilarious attempt to understand why he is “undateable” (We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh […]

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New Non-Fiction, including Chrismukkah!

This week in new non-fiction, the Wellesley Free Library has a lot to offer. But first . . . let’s explore Chrismakkuh! Chrismakkuh: Everything You Need to Know to Celebrate the Hybrid Holiday by Ron Gompertz A holiday guide for mixed-faith families who celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah presents an entertaining guide to the hybrid holiday […]

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Holiday Crafts for Everyone!

Now on display at the Wellesley Free Library: holiday craft ideas for the whole family! Visit the second floor display (by the graphic novels) to pick up craft books to suit your fancy this holiday season.  Whether you’re a seasoned craft enthusiast (pun intended), just starting out, or want to learn a new craft, this […]

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Man Booker Prize Winners

The Man Booker Prize is an annual accolade awarded to the best original novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom. Stop by our second floor display to select a Man Booker Prize winner to read next! This year’s Man Booker was awarded to Paul Beatty for his bestselling novel The Sellout. Previous Man […]

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It’s Time For . . . Winter Sports!

As the temperature keeps dropping and the snow starts falling, we’ll all be breaking out our long-awaited winter gear! Whether you’re a seasoned winter sports enthusiast or looking to become one, our second floor display will feature all you need to know about winter athletics. Did you know? Yukigassen, invented in Japan, is basically one […]

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New Cookbooks!

The Wellesley Free Library has plenty of cookbooks to go around for the holidays, including those on display for holiday cooking and baking. But if that doesn’t suit your fancy, or if you simply want to browse non-holiday cookbooks, see below for some of the newest cookbooks to be added to our collection. Grape, Olive, […]

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Coming Soon – New Robot Classes!

Starting in January 2017, the Wellesley Free Library will be offering new opportunities to interact with and program our NAO robots, Lava and Sky! Step by Step: Choregraphe – 5 new Choregraphe classes! Robot Dance Contest – For programmers ages 8-13. Robot Lab by Appointment – 45 minute sessions with Lava or Sky. Appointment requests begin […]

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Holiday Baking and Cooking

Have no fear, our December displays are here! Looking for holiday meal ideas, or not sure how to spice up your holiday baking routine? Take a peek at our second floor displays on Holiday Cooking and Holiday Baking for some great ideas! We have a wonderful collection of cozy recipes to suit everyone’s needs.

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Prepare Your New Year’s Resolutions

Make 2017 your year! Do you always have a New Year’s resolution – or maybe multiple resolutions – that never seems to manifest? Does your determination and drive dwindle around February or March? Not this year! Visit our second floor display to find some resources about how to plan your 2017 New Year’s resolution, set […]