Library Services
April 29th 2016
...is available for public review at the Central Library, 79 Highland Ave. Ask at the reference desk for help finding it.
March 25th 2016
According to the Pew Research Center, a majority of Americans surveyed consider themselves lifelong learners. Many of them are "professional learners:" they take courses or attend trainings to enhance their job skills and career prospects. However, the vast majority are "personal learners:" they learn skills or subjects that personally interest them.
And while the Internet can be an indispensable tool for learning, a majority of personal learners say a physical space (such as a... Read Post
August 8th 2014
Hoopla is here! We are delighted to offer this new service that allows Somerville patrons free access to thousands of movies, television shows, music albums, and audiobooks for mobile devices and computers.
To start using Hoopla, download the free digital mobile app on your Android or iOS device or visit hoopladigital.com. Then, begin enjoying titles from major Hollywood studios, record companies, and publishers. Titles can be borrowed for instant streaming or for temporary... Read Post
March 6th 2013
Courtesy of storycorps.org
It should come as no surprise to this city’s residents, but members of this diverse and vital community have a story to tell. And your library is going to help them tell it – thanks to a grant from the American Library Associaton and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which will enable us to launch our own version of the “StoryCorps @ your library” program.
StoryCorps is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving, and... Read Post
July 18th 2012
I am working at the library because, first of all, I wanted a summer job. Many of my friends decided to participate in the Mayor’s Summer Jobs Program and my older sister has done it last year. Based on all that, I decided to participate as well since it looks good on a resume, is good for college, and a good introduction to the working world.
On the application, there were 5 categories of jobs and you had to rank them in order of what you would like to do most.... Read Post
May 31st 2012
Last night yours truly and Kristi Chase of the City's Historic Preservation department gave a presentation on genealogical and house history research. Since most people remember research processes when they're given concrete examples, we took one house in Somerville and explained how to use library resources and local government document to find out how the house had been altered over the course of its existence and to find out who lived there since it was built. So technically, the... Read Post
February 16th 2012
The Children's Room at the West Branch in Davis Square is beloved by children and caregivers alike. The home of Babygarten, storytime, and the summer reading club, it's where children discover the joys of reading and serves as a valuable resource for parents and teachers as well. In the past three years circulation of children's materials from the West Branch has increased by 44%. Clearly Somerville Children and parents don't just love and appreciate the West Branch Children's department—they... Read Post
May 21st 2010
Did you know that the Somerville Public Library runs on less than 1% of the City's total budget? Annually, the Library spends less than the cost of one hard cover book per resident to make the entire Massachusetts public library system (370 libraries, networks, and regions) available to everyone in Somerville. These resources include books, movies and music, magazines and newspapers, free Internet access, online databases, friendly assistance from skilled, professional librarians, and much... Read Post
March 14th 2009
The Boston Globe recently selected Wrentham resident Joanna McFarlane as their Most Frugal New Englander (she won the contest they sponsored) and have published 14 of her money-saving tips. Tips #1 and #2 are library-specific:
Find free kids' events: Rather than paying for entertainment, see whether your local library hosts free children's storytime or playtime. McFarlane takes her children, Isabella, 2, and Catherine, 6 months old, to their library's weekly free half-hour children's... Read Post