Chinese New Year begins on Sunday February 10th in 2013. It is a 15 day celebration to mark the beginning of the spring season. Check out our books about Chinese New Year. 2013 is the year of the snake.
Generally, people don’t think of snakes as friendly sorts of creatures. If you wanted to give a friend a gift, a snake probably wouldn’t be your first choice. If you do like snakes, we have books about them at j597.96.
If you wanted to celebrate your friendship with someone on Valentine’s Day you might give them a friendship bracelet. You could also read a book about Valentine’s Day together.
On February 9th our drop-in craft from 10:30am-11:15am will feature snake crafts and a heart jewelery craft.
Visit any gym in January and you will see that many adults have made getting healthier their New Year’s resolution. Let the Children’s Room help you get your young family members on the right path to a lifetime of healthy habits. You can find books for those just learning about health and nutrition in our E Nonfiction section. Located in Row 12 under our display area, this section is separated into different categories appealing to the very young. The books about food, nutrition, and the body have a brown star. The books about sports have a white star. There is also a Health section in our Parent/Teacher Corner.
When I recently babysat my nephew and niece there was just enough snow for them to make snow angels. They were so proud of what they made. One of the reasons I enjoy doing the drop-in crafts is because the kids often have a similar reaction with their artistic creations.
In the winter, the weather often makes kids need to make things inside. Several areas of the nonfiction section provide instruction for activities to meets kids’ various interests. At j507 you can find books on science projects. Children who like to cook can find simple books on that topic at j641.5. The books on Lego creations are at j688.72. We also have a bunch of books about arts and crafts in the j740s.
Our next drop-in craft will take place on Saturday, December 15th from 10:30am-11:15am. We will be making various winter crafts. Click here to find books about winter.
Great news! We now have the Waltham City Directories available online. They are in Internet Archive, a non-profit digitizing and archiving venture. Check out http://www.archive.org.
The collection currently includes 1925-1990 but will have earlier volumes added eventually. It also includes most suburban directories covering Wayland, Weston, Lincoln and Cochituate from 1906-1926.
This is actually just the first stage of the library’s involvement in Digital Commonwealth, a cooperative effort to digitize and make readily available collections from Massachusetts libraries of all types. Over time we will also be contributing historic Waltham maps, high school yearbooks, voter listings and other items. Stay tuned!
Do you whether it is a male or female turkey that makes the noise “gobble” (hint: it’s not both…the other says “cluck”)? Did you know that wild turkeys can fly up to 55 miles per hour? Did you know that turkeys have about 3500 feathers? Test your turkey knowledge and find out more fun facts here.
If you are interested in learning more turkeys you can find books about them at the call number j598.6. There is also now a new database at the library to look up animals. Among the databases the library provides that are suitable for children is the Marshall Cavendish International Wildlife database. This trustworthy source provides information on many animals. One nice feature of this database is the option to change the language in which the information is provided. In addition to allowing you to view information in a language that is most familiar to you, this option also lets you switch back and forth to practice a new language. Waltham residents can access this database from home using their library card barcode.
If you want to gobble up more turkey fun join us in the storytime room during our drop-in craft from 10:30am-11:15am on Saturday, November 17th. We will be making turkey headbands.
Unless you have been completely avoiding television, radio, the Internet, or interactions with any other living human being, you are probably very aware that there is a Presidential election on November 6. Here is some (non-partisan) information that will help you tackle this election, as well as some more lighthearted stuff to help you laugh throughout the election season.
Valuable Information: Where Do I Vote; Who and What are on My Ballot and other Key Information
If you would like to participate in the November 6 election, you must be registered by October 17. You can register to vote in person at the City of Waltham City Clerk’s office at City Hall on 610 Main St.
Can’t make it to city hall? You can also register to vote by mail. Pick up a mail in registration form in either English or Spanish at either the reference desk or in the community room at the library.
You can also download one from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website.
Planning on going out of town during the election? Download the form to request an absentee ballot. You can also participate in absentee voting at the Waltham City Clerk’s office.
It’s not only candidates for President who are running. You will be voting for a U.S. Senator, a U.S. Representative, a state Senator, a state Representative, and other candidates for offices.
There are three ballot questions that voters must decide upon. Click upon the questions to get more information as well as arguments on either side.
Question 1 is concerned with the Availability of Motor Vehicle Repair Information.
Question 2 proposes allowing a “a physician licensed in Massachusetts to prescribe medication, at a terminally ill patient’s request, to end that patient’s life.”
Question 3 is concerned with eliminating, “state criminal and civil penalties for the medical use of marijuana by qualifying patients.”
Find out where you vote and view a copy of your ballot including names of all of the candidates in your area.
Want to try to get the background behind what the candidates are saying? Check out the non-partisan Tampa Bay Times PolitiFact‘s Truth-O-Meter.
Check out this old Popeye cartoon, satirizing the political process, with Olive Oyl running for President. (Keep in mind that while a lot of it is still relevant, it’s also very dated.)
Follow Saturday Night Live’s complete election coverage with its “SNL Election Central” page.
Had enough of this election? Watch Saturday Night Liveskits featuring former Presidents and Presidential candidates.
Relive this classic sketch featuring a spoof of debate between Vice President Al Gore and then Governor George W. Bush.
Mother Goose on the Loose is an interactive program that uses stories, music, and movement. This program is designed to use a fun experience to stimulate young children’s learning. This fall the Children’s Room will be offering Mother Goose on the Loose as a drop-in program at 10:00am on Saturday mornings from October 13th to November 3rd. The program is intended for children aged 18-36 months and their caretakers.
On October 13th, following Mother Goose on the Loose, our drop-in craft program from 10:30am-11:15am will feature a Humpty Dumpty craft suitable for children of various ages.
If you’re interested in buying children’s books for $1 or less: Come on down!
There are many shelves of children’s books to choose from at the Friends of the Waltham Public Library‘s annual Book Sale. We’re open during library hours (closing 30 minutes early) until Wednesday, October 3.
I started coming to the library as a child with a mom who was passionate about learning. It wasn’t unusual for her to consult an old family encyclopedia on one topical entry and for us to find her an hour or so later looking at various surrounding topics. As another school year has begun children will be coming to the library doing school projects. We also love to see them coming in to find out about stuff they are simply interested in.
Our collection has information books for children of various ages. For younger children we have an Easy Non-fiction collection in row 12 organized by topics (animals, body & health, bugs, community, general, habitats, math, pets, science, sports, transportation & vehicles, weather). For older children we have a large Non-fiction collection on various topics organized by Dewey decimal number in rows 2-7. For children who like to look at encyclopedias, those that circulate are located in row 8. The library also provides access to several databases for children through which they can find information on a variety of topics.
I remember the scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz as a character who was seeking knowledge. This Saturday, September 15th during the children’s drop-in craft from 10:30-11:15 we will be making a scarecrow doorknob hanger. We also will be making a leave doorknob hanger to welcome foliage season. Come make a craft with us and check out our books about scarecrows or autumn.
Tomorrow is Massachusetts Primary Day, so go out and exercise your right to vote! Here is all of the information that you need to make voting seamless:
Polls are open from 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Find your polling place. Type in your address at this site from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth and find out your polling site.
If you’re planning to vote as a Democrat, take a peek at the Democratic ballot for Waltham voters.
If you’re planning to vote as a Republican, take a peek at the Republican ballot for Waltham voters.
Not registered to vote? It’s too late for tomorrow, but you can download a Mail in Voter Registration form in time to vote for the November 6 election. The deadline to register for the November election is October 17. You can also pick up a Mail in Voter registration form at the library’s reference desk or go in person to the Waltham City Clerk’s Office.
Going out of town for the November election? Download an absentee ballot request form, or go in person to the Waltham City Clerk’s office.
