From 10:30-12:30 every Tuesday, come knit with Sonya in the Reading Room! Assistance will be given to anyone needing help with a pattern. Any handcrafters are welcome to join!

Contribute to the 100th Anniversary Memory Project!

The 100th Anniversary year of the library will begin in May 2014. We would like to invite all of our patrons, past and present, to share your memories of the library!

The notebook is available at the Information Desk to anyone interested. Anything you may recall about visiting the library and what it meant to you in the past is welcome!

Consumer Reports

New!! The library now has access to the Consumer Reports database, free for all of our patrons in the library or from home!

Search & browse product reviews, ratings, recommendations, videos, and much more from one of the most trusted resources for information and advice on consumer products.

WRTA Bus Service

The WRTA bus service is proving very popular with folks in Southbridge! There are more than 2,000 riders each month!

The bus stops at the library and bus riders are welcome to wait inside the library.

Up-to-the-minute information on tracking the bus is available inside, as well as printed schedules.

Library eBooks!

You can download FREE ebooks from the library!

Library ebooks are available to download for Nook, Kindle, Sony, iPad/iPhone, and other devices! Just visit the Digital Catalog to get started.

Why Can't You Find the eBook You Want From the Library?

Although demand for eBooks is growing, the biggest book publishers are limiting library access to their eBooks.

Some publishers cite security concerns while others point out that eBooks, unlike print books, will never need replacing in a library's collection. They fear that library eBook lending cuts into income for both publishers and authors. As library users, it means limited access to some of the current, popular titles we want to read on our new e-readers.

As we continue to expand our eBook collection, we hope you understand some of the limitations that are placed on us. The eBook industry continues to evolve and we're optimistic that a workable solution between publishers and libraries will come about.

If you have any questions about downloading an ebook or transferring it to your device, just ask a staff member!
Informational brochures for each device are also available at the desk to walk you through the steps.

Friends of the Library

Book bags

The Friends will meet in the Mills Room at

6:00 p.m. on Monday,

December 16th.

The Friends extend an invitation to all library patrons to join their group. To find out more, please visit

The Friends Page

on our website.

Check out the Holiday Book Sale! Books are available for purchase on the lower level. Paperbacks are 50 cents and hardcover books are $1!

Board of Trustees

JEL Sign

The Board of Trustees of the Jacob Edwards Library will meet on Tuesday, December 17th at 12:00 Noon.

All meetings are open to the public.

JEL News & Events

December 2013

The holidays are here!

We have lots of great programs coming up this month. Bring the whole family for a Holiday Concert on the 5th; Teens and tweens can learn how to make gift bows out of old magazines; Lisa Brodeur, author of A Mother's Journey and a Southbridge native, will discuss her journey through tragedy with "Faith, Hope, and Courage;" and an independent French film explores how different worlds come together for three strangers involved in a hit and run accident.

Please read on for information on all of this month's programs, library news, and more!

December's JEL Staff Picks

Looking for a good book? Here are some that JEL staff have recently enjoyed! Clicking on the title will take you right to

the library's catalog, where you can check to see if it's available, and put a hold on popular titles!

Longbourn by Jo Baker
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
The Telling Room: A Story of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World's Greatest Piece of Cheese by Michael Paterniti
Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier
The Gravedigger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates

Book Club: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Monday, December 2nd at 6:30 p.m.

The book club will meet to discuss Gone Girl on Monday, December 2nd at 6:30 p.m. in the Reading Room. All are welcome! Copies of the book are available to pick up at the Information Desk throughout the month for anyone who would like to participate.

"On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River.

Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?"

Holiday Concert with Hunter Foote and Michael Caprera

Thursday, December 5th at 6:30 p.m.

Hunter & Michael Join us for an evening of music with talented musicians Michael Caprera on piano, and Hunter Foote on violin. This event will focus on music celebrating the winter holiday season. Bring the whole family to kick off the holiday fun!

The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Jacob Edwards Library.

There will be a drawing for three graham cracker houses made by the staff following the concert.

This program is supported by a grant from the Southbridge Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Teen & Tween Holiday Craft & Chess Lessons

Friday, December 6th at 12:30 p.m.

Monday, December 30th from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Looking for something to do after school's Early Release on the 6th? All teens and tweens (ages 10+) are welcome to stop by the library teen area for a holiday craft.

Learn how to make gift bows from old magazine pages! It's easy, it's green, and it will impress all your friends & family.

___________________________________________________________

Over Christmas Vacation, (December 30th) learn how to play chess! Adam & Ben

Piche are champion teen chess players from CT, and will teach you from the bare basics if you're new to chess, or help you improve your game.

A Mother's Journey: Through Faith, Hope & Courage with Lisa Brodeur

Thursday, December 12th at 6:30 p.m.

Please join us to hear Lisa Brodeur's story how tragedy can be turned into a positive outcome. Lisa, born and raised in Southbridge, is an inspiring mother and will be with her son Kyle. The presentation will be followed by a book signing.

"This is the story of an incredible and inspirational journey of a mother dedicated to her three children. She was determined to survive a tragic event through faith, hope, and courage.

The mother was severely injured, and her devoted husband and father of her children was killed instantly. She watched her son fight for every breath he took to survive. Her daughters, only three and five years old, were traumatized. The young girls screamed in pain and wondered where their father and brother were.

The mother buried her husband, stood by strongly as her son had surgery after surgery, and went to court to see that the man who changed their lives forever was served with justice. She tried to stay strong and focused for her children. She wasn't able to grieve the loss of her husband. She made endless medical decisions and stayed with her son in the hospital for many months. She waited to see progress from her comatose son and saw her little girls only on weekends. The girls trying to adjust emotionally and physically to their new life.

This book will make someone think about his or her choices. Making the wrong choice, like doing drugs or driving intoxicated, can have a lasting impact on your life and the lives of others. Someone else's choices caused this mother's family to go on a journey that no one should ever have to endure."

Library Box Office: Three Worlds

Thursday, December 12th at 6:00 p.m.

"Al, a young man from a modest background, is ten days away from marrying the daughter of his boss, along with succeeding him as the head of the car dealership where Al has been working for most of his life.

One night, while coming back drunk from his bachelor party, Al commits a hit-and-run when he hits a man by accident and is urged to leave the scene of the crime by his two childhood friends who are with him in the car. The next day, gnawed by guilt, he decides to go to the hospital to inquire anonymously about his victim. What he does not know is that the entire accident was witnessed from a balcony by a young woman, Juliette, who is going through her own emotional upheavals.

Juliette not only called 911, but also helped to contact the victim's wife, V�ra, a Moldavian illegal immigrant whom she decides to help and keep company at the hospital. But when Juliette recognizes Al as the reckless driver in the hospital corridor, for some reason she is unable to denounce him. Gradually they get to know each other better through more frequent meetings and phone calls, and Juliette becomes a mediator between Al and the unsuspecting V�ra. However, things get complicated when romantic feelings between Juliette and Al start to arise, and V�ra finally finds out about their secret relationship."

In French & Moldovan with English subtitles.

Running time: 101 minutes.

All screenings are held in the Pioppi Room, lower level.

About the Library Box Office: Most true independent and foreign films get squeezed out of commerical theaters by Hollywood blockbusters, and face skyrocketing costs that make it daunting - if not impossible - to reach appreciative audiences. JEL subscribes to the Film Movement series to bring "art house" independent and foreign films to you.

Children's Corner

Upcoming and Ongoing Children's Programs

Special Programs

Gingerbread House Decorating

Monday, December 2nd from 5:30- 6:30 p.m. OR

Wednesday, December 4th from 3:30-4:30 p.m. OR

Thursday, December 5th from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Call 508-764-5427 to Register! Space is limited.

For children 12 years or younger and their caregiver, decorate a pre-made graham cracker house and either display it here or take it home with you! Registration is required as supplies and space are limited!

Regular Programs

Pajama Story Time

Monday nights at 6:30 p.m.

Listen to some stories, sing some songs, and watch a short film.

Pajamas optional! Geared towards ages 4-8, but all ages welcome.

Crafty Wednesdays

Every Wednesday, All Day, All Ages

For the Under 12's. Drop by make a special craft! Display of future crafts on view in the Children's Room.

SuperKids

Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Stories and songs aimed at the preschool crowd, but all ages welcome!

Babytime

Fridays from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Designed for children under 3 and their caregivers, this is a mini story time and specialized play group. This is a 'drop in and leave' program: you are welcome anytime between 10:30 and 11:30am.

Lego Club

Thursdays at 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. - Noon

We'll bring the Legos - you bring the skills and ideas! Best for builders 5 years and older. Work on your own project or work as a team! Projects can be kept if you return the next week to build more.

No registration necessary for any of our regular programs!

Questions? Call 508-764-5426 or email Kim.

The Food Pantry staff has written to thank us for the generous support during the Food For Fines drive. The many donations from library patrons helped to make some food baskets for those in need in the community.

Even when our doors are closed you can visit our website to access databases, renew and request materials, download ebooks, and so much more.

Happy Holidays to all of our patrons!

We hope to see you soon!

Staff

Jacob Edwards Library

Programs at Jacob Edwards Library may be recorded for Southbridge Public Access TV and/or photographed for promotional purposes.