General

Missing storytime?  Us, too! While we’re apart check out this little list of places on the web where you can go for an online storytime!  (Grownups, there’s even one for you!)  Keep an eye on bbhlibrary.org/online-storytimes where we will keep and grow this list.

Sincerely,
Miss Harolyn

• Author Chris Van Dusen reads his books! Watch him on Facebook or YouTube.

• Rockport Public Library is posting storytimes on their website ; watch Mr. Ben read some of his favorites.

• The Brooklyn Public Library is taking its storytimes online! Watch ’em live via their website and Facebook.

• HarperKids from Home: the team at HarperKids will hold a storytime with read-alouds and activities, pure entertainment every day at noon. Via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube every weekday at noon.

• Storyline Online is an award-winning, interactive children’s literacy site that features famous actors like Kevin Costner, Betty White, James Earl Jones, Eva Longoria, and others reading children’s books alongside minor animation elements.

Storytime Hashtags to follow on Instagram!

• #SavewithStories – Celebs reading

• #operationstorytime – Great reads here

And for the grownups….Check out this Podcast LeVar Burton Reads “The best short fiction, handpicked by the best voice in podcasting. In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story.”

The Boothbay Register keeps us up to date with important state and local information–everything you need to know about news in the Boothbay Region.

The Digital Maine Library connects you to thousands of newspaper publications to keep you connected to the nation and the globe.  You don’t need a library card to access these resources, all you need to be is in the State of Maine.

BHML staff is monitoring phone and email messages Monday – Friday.  If you need help accessing any of the following sites, call the library at 207-633-3112, or email bbhlibrary@bmpl.lib.me.us. 

• Wall Street Journal (ProQuest) A daily business and financial newspaper with high marks for factual reporting. It has a focus upon business and economy but often reports on related topics in politics, arts and world events.

• Maine News (ProQuest)  Search through the Bangor Daily News, Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel, Maine Times, Portland Press Herald and Sun Journal dating back to 1980.

• Newsstand (Gale) A full-text newspaper resource searchable by title, headline, date, author, newspaper section, or other fields. Access to more than 2,300 major U.S. regional, national, and local newspapers, as well as leading titles from around the world. It also includes thousands of images, radio and TV broadcasts and transcripts.

• US Newsstream (ProQuest) US Newsstream provides access to the most recent premium U.S. news content, as well as archives which stretch back into the 1980s featuring newspapers, newswires, blogs, and news sites in active full-text format.

TumbleBooks’ databases are easy to use, and feature unlimited access from home on any device. There are no check-outs, holds, or bulky downloads. Books are available instantly.

Features: K-6 Children’s Ebooks; Grades 7-12 Ebooks; All Ages Audiobooks; and Romance Novels.

*If you’re reading this on the Boothbay Register, visit: https://bbhlibrary.org/2020tumblebooks/ to access the materials. 

TumbleBookLibrary Premium has over 1100 titles for grades K-6, and includes our unique animated, talking picture books, read-along chapter books, National Geographic videos, non-fiction books, playlists, as well as books in Spanish and French. Plus, the collection features Graphic Novels – a student favorite!

TumbleMath has the most comprehensive collection of math stories available anywhere- all in our world famous TumbleBook format which combines animation, narration, and sound to create a compelling and enticing story book for students of all ages.  The books are all accompanied by supplementary materials such as lesson plans, educational games, plus quizzes in order to test and track progress. TumbleMath is your one stop destination for engaging and entertaining math stories; educators have long known that one of the most effective ways to teach math concepts, especially to reluctant learners, is by using stories and literature!

Teen Book Cloud features over 1,000 titles, including student-favorite Graphic Novels, enhanced e-books with full audio narration and highlighted text, classic literature, national geographic videos, and more! The site supports a wide range of readers’ interests and levels. We’ve partnered with Orca Books and Saddleback books to bring you hundreds of High-Interest/Low-Level content. In addition, our new AP English section makes hundreds of curriculum books available to readers at the click of a button.

AudioBookCloud features over 1200 titles, including dozens of genres and interest levels. The collection includes popular literature, classics, children’s and teen books, mystery, sci-fi, history, biography, and more! The audio books are always available; there are no special programs to install, or files to download. The site’s also completely mobile compatible, and the audio books can be streamed directly to whichever device you wish to use.

These digital services are brought you for FREE from the folks at Tumblebooks. 

Thanks, Tumblebooks!

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March 16, 2020

Dear Boothbay Region Community,

We hope that you and your families are safe and healthy.  At Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library we are doing everything we can to keep our staff safe and healthy as well.

With consideration of guidelines issued by federal, state and local officials regarding COVID-19, the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library Board of Trustees and Library staff have made the decision to close the Library for three weeks, until April 6.  We will continue to monitor the situation and will make further decisions based on official recommendations about COVID-19.

All public programs, including clubs and storytimes, are suspended until further notice. The library will not be accessible to the public; it will be open to staff only.

During this time, BHML will continue to deliver all of its online services: ebooks, audiobooks, movies, etc. at https://bbhlibrary.org/digital. We will be highlighting these services in the coming days through our website and Facebook page.  WiFi remains available 24/7 on the grounds of BHML.  Please also refer to our website, https://bbhlibrary.org for updates or changes to library hours and services.  We hope you will support us in these modifications to in-house services as we navigate the best way to maintain services as well as safeguard the health of our patrons and staff.

BHML’s welcoming learning environment is a critical part of our mission, and we look forward to opening our doors to the community again as soon as possible.  Please stay safe, monitor your health, and follow guidelines recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Maine Center for Disease Control.

If you have any questions, please contact us through email at bbhlibrary@bmpl.lib.me.us or by phone message at 207-633-3112.

Thank you for your understanding and support. We look forward to seeing you again when we reopen, and in the meantime, please take care of yourself and those around you.

Sincerely,

BHML Board of Trustees

             and

Joanna Breen, MSLIS

Executive Director

director@bbhlibrary.org

For information on COVID-19:  

 Visit www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus

Visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

Read the CDC’s How to Protect Yourself and Learn about symptoms

Read the CDC’s Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and you Fact Sheet

Maine 211 services:

Dial 211 (or 1-866-811-5695) 211 is TTY and Video Relay accessible if calling from Maine

Text your ZIP code to 898-211 ; email info@211maine.org

For the latest information on coronavirus in Maine, visit the Maine CDC website.

If you think you might have coronavirus, both Lincoln Health and the Boothbay Region Health Center ask that you call first before coming in.

From the Maine CDC:

“”The risk to the public remains low, but we must prepare for the potential spread of coronavirus,” said Nirav D. Shah, Director of the Maine CDC. “As we focus on the health of the public, we urge Maine people to take care of their personal health. Eat well, get plenty of sleep, and practice good hygiene. Healthy habits save lives.”

The best thing that Maine people can do to protect their health is to take the same preventive measures that help to avoid catching a cold: Wash your hands often. Cover coughs and sneezes. Stay home if you are sick.”

For more information, check out the Johns Hopkins website, or the WHO’s Coronavirus Mythbuster site.

**PROGRAM CANCELLED. Will reschedule for another date!**

Thursdays from 1- 3:30 p.m. March 12, 19 and 26

Workshop enrollment is limited to 10. To sign up, call the Library at 633-3112 or send an email to director@bbhlibrary.org. There is no charge for the workshop.

During three Thursday afternoons in March, people who would like to capture, in writing, a story from their life can take part in a workshop at the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library (BHML), 4 Oak St., Boothbay Harbor,  led by Barbara Burt, founder of From Memories to Memoir.

The workshop will consist of three sessions on consecutive Thursdays from 1- 3:30 p.m. March 12, 19 and 26. During the three sessions, each participant will work on completing a story about one particular happening from their life. There will be time to write during the sessions, but participants will also be encouraged to continue their working on their projects between sessions. Sharing written work, learning by hearing others’ stories, and receiving helpful feedback are all part of the workshop, as are a variety of creativity exercises and other games used to elicit detailed memories.

“We all have a life full of stories, but sometimes we don’t recognize the importance of our own,” explained Burt. “I firmly believe that everyone is a writer. If you can speak, you can tell a story. And your stories, which you may think are mundane, are fascinating to others.”

Burt says that personal narrative, while specific to the teller, often has universal appeal. Her goal as workshop leader and writing coach is to help writers—no matter their level of experience—to shape and polish their stories for others to enjoy.

“Memoir writing isn’t autobiography, it’s about finding those slices of life that illuminate an important relationship or event in one’s life,” says Burt. “Often we learn something surprising about our life in the course of writing about it.” The stories that come out of the workshop may be written for personal satisfaction, given to family members or friends as a sort of history, or offered for publication. No writing experience is necessary. (For more information on the philosophy behind the workshop, visit memories2memoir.com.)

It’s not every day that a public library transforms into a radio station.

But that’s just what’s going to happen at BHML when ham radio operator and library friend Al Sirois sets up a portable station W1L (whiskey 1 lima) in the Great Room and an antenna on the lawn as part of the Amateur Radio Relay League’s Maine Bicentennial Special Event. 

On Tuesday, March 17 through Saturday, March 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., patrons of all ages will be able to initiate and receive calls to and from amateur radio operators all over the world. 

The ARRL’s Maine Bicentennial Special Event will involve eleven other special event call signs in both Maine and Massachusetts. Each represents one of Maine’s nine original counties, plus three special locations that have historical significance. These include the city of Boston (K1B), which was the capital of the District of Maine while it was still part of Massachusetts; Jameson Tavern in Freeport (K1J), where the papers were signed that separated Maine from Massachusetts; and the town of Portland (K1P), which was Maine’s first capital. The original nine counties will be represented by the following call signs during the event: Cumberland (W1C), Hancock (W1H), Kennebec (W1K), Lincoln (W1L), Oxford (W1O), Penobscot (W1P), Somerset (W1S), Washington (W1W), and York (W1Y). 

Certificates will be awarded to hams who contact special event stations, with endorsements available for bands, modes, and a clean sweep for contacts with each of the Maine 200 Special Event call signs.

Please visit: https://maine200specialevent.com/ for more information and announcements leading up to this special on-air activity.

**PROGRAM CANCELLED. Will reschedule for another date!**

Tuesday, March 24, 1:00 PM

Join us for a book talk and signing with mystery author Bruce Robert Coffin.

A former detective sergeant with nearly thirty years in law enforcement, Bruce is the award-winning author of the bestselling Detective Byron Mystery Series. Winner of Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion for Best Procedural, Bruce’s third novel, Beyond the Truth, was also a finalist for the Agatha Award for Contemporary Mystery and Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction. His short fiction has appeared in a number of anthologies including 2016 Best American Mystery Stories.

Read more

Visit BHML to get your new 14-digital library card to become eligible to participate in the Maine Reciprocal Borrowing Program.

The Maine Reciprocal Borrowing Program allows anyone with a valid library card from one of 68 participating libraries to visit any of the other participating libraries and check out materials in person. It’s referred to as “walk-in” borrowing because it essentially turns your local library card into a “statewide” library card!

The program launched in September 2019 as a one year pilot test. Following review of the pilot in August 2020 and incorporating any needed changes, the Maine State Library hopes the program will be formalized and grow over time.

Stop by the library to pick up your new card, and then map out a Reciprocal Borrowing road trip!  Some libraries where your new library card will work are: Skidompha Public Library (Damariscotta), Rockland Public Library, Camden Public Library, and Witherle Memorial Library (Castine).

New BHML library cards feature art by three local artists. It’s a miniature piece of fine art that unlocks the world of culture and literature throughout the state of Maine. Pretty awesome!

February Vacation Week: Tuesday 2/18 – Saturday 2/21

Special Storytimes

Each morning @ 10:30 AM

2/18: Dino-Tuesday – dinosaur stories, craft, and activities
2/19: Wheels on Wednesday – make cars, and hot wheels tube-racing
2/20: Teddy Bear Thursday – BYO teddies for an indoor teddy bear picnic and storytime
2/21: Mardi Gras Friday – stories and beads

Drop-in Lego Bonanza

Each day, Noon – 4:00 PM

Take it easy during February break and come hang out in the Children’s Room for drop-in Legos. Bring your own or build with ours! Munchies will be on hand.