Director's Note

Read Beyond the Beaten Path continues with some fantastic programs this month, including concerts on the lawn by Rolie Polie Guacamole at 6pm today (Friday) and Alastair Moock at 4pm on Thursday, July 7th, then a Hula Hoop Jam on Saturday, July 9th!

Our summer Saturday hours begin this weekend - in July and August, we are open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Our other hours remain the same: Mon, Tue, Thu: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Wed: 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and Fri: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Full Saturday hours will resume after Labor Day.

-Martha

For Everyone

Summer Reading: Read Beyond The Beaten Path
Saturday, June 18 through
Saturday, August 27
Summer reading is here again! The Gleason Public Library will be offering summer reading challenges for all ages this summer. We will have Book Bingos for everyone, and digital Beanstack challenges for grades 1-12. Make sure you take a look at all of our summer events as well! See our website for more details. Book Bingo sheets are available at the Children's Desk (grades Pre-K through 8) and at the Reference Desk (adults).

Library Closings For July
The Gleason Public Library will be closed on Monday, July 4 for Independence Day.

Children

Rolie Polie Guacamole Family Concert
Friday, July 1 | 6 p.m.
Join us on the front lawn for a children's music concert featuring Rolie Polie Guacamole! Dance along as they play festive, reimagined & classic children’s music! Bring your low camp chairs and blankets and enjoy this high-energy concert. There's plenty of room to spread out on the lawn. Register your family to attend.

Rolie Polie Guacamole won the Parents’ Choice® and NAPPA Awards. Rolie Polie Guacamole have "developed a smart, parent-friendly musical style that dresses up original tunes and classic covers with vibrant harmonies and deft instrumental layers, plugging in a sizzling electric current of rhythm that lights up lyrics humming with relevance and humor."

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Gleason Public Library.

Outdoor Family Concert With Alastair Moock
Thursday, July 7 | 4 p.m.
Join us for an outdoor concert on the Library Lawn with musician Alastair Moock!

American folk music, like all folk music, is rooted in tradition. But the form is constantly evolving, with songwriters reworking older songs to tell new stories. In this lively, upbeat performance full of participatory singing and dancing, Alastair introduces young students to a diverse group of American musicians who have used folk music to teach lessons, chronicle history, champion causes, celebrate victories and simply make people happy. Students will meet Woody Guthrie, Mississippi John Hurt, Pete Seeger, and other heroes of American folk, and learn how Dr. King and others used the American song tradition to help inspire change during the Civil Rights movement. Alastair also sings some of his own playful compositions to show how a contemporary folk singer incorporates the folk tradition into his life and work.

Alastair Moock is a 2013 Grammy Nominee and three-time Parents’ Choice Gold Medal Winner. He has toured throughout Europe and America, performing for adults and kids alike. Like his boyhood hero, Woody Guthrie, Moock believes in the power of music to reach all people—young and old, far and wide, for all occasions.

Register your family here.

Outdoor Hoop Jam
Saturday, July 9 | 2 p.m.
Join us for an all-age Outdoor Hoop Jam with Stephanie O'Keeffe of Hoop Joy! Discover the fun and fitness of hooping! It’s play, it’s dance, it’s a workout for your body and your brain, and it’s a blast for people of all ages. Whether you’ve never been able to keep a hoop spinning, or you could hoop all day without dropping it, this is the event for you. There will be hoops to fit bodies of all shapes, sizes and skill levels, and a professional hoop instructor to help you find your hoop joy. Come play!

Register and drop in any time throughout that 90 minutes for lots of hooping fun. Stephanie will bring  hoops in many sizes (for all bodies), enthusiasm & encouragement, instruction as needed and music too. Hooping tones and strengthens muscles and it helps to improve balance and coordination. Be sure to wear comfortable workout clothes that you can easily move in.

Introduction To The Night Sky With Hands On Nature
Monday, July 25 | 6 p.m.
Come discover more about our constellations and the interesting stories they tell. We will begin with an overview of the night sky, and then focus on the stories of our constellations. Enhance the quality of stargazing—there is a whole world to explore after dark! This program includes a fun night sky activity and is geared for ages 4 and up. Registration is required as space is limited. Masks are strongly recommded for ages 2 and up. We ask that all attending follow social distancing guidelines. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

This program is supported by the Susan Zielinski Natural Science Fund.

Take & Make Activity: Insect Scavenger Hunt
Friday, July 8 | 7 p.m.
Many thanks to Emily Richardson and the Carlisle Garden Club of MA for all their help in selecting local insects for this fun scavenger hunt kit! Register online for a kit and pick it up any time between Friday, July 8 at 10 a.m. and Monday, July 11 at 9 p.m. via in-person or curbside pickup. This craft is for ages 4 and up with help from an adult. Take & Make craft kits are made possible by our wonderful Friends of the Gleason Public Library.

Nature Connection Story Time
Thursday, July 14 | 10:30 a.m.
Join The Nature Connection as we explore plants and animals and connect with the world around us in new ways – all through nature-based stories and poems! During this monthly program for 3- to 6-year-olds, we will read a seasonally appropriate story followed by a sensory engagement activity. The Nature Connection believes everyone (of all abilities and backgrounds) should have access to nature, and offers accessible and inclusive programs, incorporates mindfulness, and facilitates social connection. Registration for this event is required. 

Summer Preschool Story Time
Fridays, July 8 and July 22 | 10:30 a.m.
Join us from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. for a fun story time. This event is chock full of interactive stories, rhymes, fingerplays, songs, and a small craft. Our story time program, designed for children ages 3 to 6, promotes reading readiness and early literacy skills. Please register for each session individually. Masks are strongly recommended for ages 2 and up. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

Kids' Crafts On The Lawn
Join us for crafts on the Library Lawn! For ages 4 and up. To sign up for your family’s time slot, email Jenn at [email protected]. Registration will begin two weeks before each craft. In case of inclement weather, craft may be moved inside or postponed.

Friday, July 1: Decorate Your Own Bucket Hat (FULL)

Friday, July 15: Pour Painting

Friday, July 29: Paint Spinning

Friday, August 5: Camping Suncatchers

Click Here to view the Gleason Public Library Latest - July 2022