Author: Phoebe Acheson

Falmouth Osprey Project

Posted on by Phoebe Acheson

Join the Falmouth Osprey Project’s Kevin Friel and Barbara Schneider on Tuesday February 20 at 11am in the Hermann Room for a presentation about the project’s work.

The Falmouth Osprey Project formed in response to the 2021 nesting season, which saw 9 fires and power outages directly linked to the fact that ospreys love to nest on utility poles. Since then volunteer teams have helped build replacement nesting platform sites on nearby non-utility poles so that the birds can nest safely, without the risk of electrocution. The Osprey Project has also worked with Eversource to help identify utility poles that need nest deterrants installed, since ospreys like to return to their nests year after year. The project has been successful enough in Falmouth that other Cape towns with many ospreys have looked to it as a model! Kevin and Barbara will share interesting facts about ospreys and their habits as well as many excellent photos, like the one illustrating this blog post.

This presentation is appropriate for all ages, although small children should be accompanied by an adult. Space is limited, so we encourage you to register.

 

February School Break Events for Kids

Posted on by Phoebe Acheson

Tuesday February 20, 11:00 AM: Falmouth Osprey Project. Join us in the Hermann Room as the founders of the Falmouth Osprey Project tell us about their work helping ospreys nest safely! All ages are welcome and children should be accompanied by an adult. Please register.

 

Tuesday February 20, 1:30-3:00 PM: Family Game Play. Join us in the Children’s Room for drop-in game play for families including children of all ages.

Wednesday February 21, 11:00 AM: Amazing Animal Ambassadors. Meet, observe, and learn about four exotic animals under the guidance of certified handler Bethany Jakubson. In the Hermann Room. Aimed at children; small children should be accompanied by an adult. Please register. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Wednesday February 21, 1:30-2:30 PM: CAP Therapy Dogs: Tales to Tails Program. Come read to a certified therapy dog in the Children’s Room! Tales to Tails is a drop-in program so no registration required.  All ages are welcome.  

Thursday February 22, 2:00 PM: Family Friendly Film: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Join us in the Hermann Room for a screening of this PG-rated film with a run time of 2 hours and 20 minutes. All ages are welcome and small children should be accompanied by an adult. Please register.

Friday February 23, 1:00 PM: Pitter Patter Puppet Show. Join us in the Hermann Room for silly songs and interactive puppetry, great for ages 2 and up and charming for their adults! Please register. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Winter Reading Bingo 2024

Posted on by Phoebe Acheson

During the next couple of months when the most sensible thing to do is curl up with a good book, we invite you to play Winter Reading Bingo with us at the Library!

This is a reading challenge, like traditional summer reading, in the form of a bingo card. This year we have a bingo card for adults and teens as well as one for kids!

in 2024 the challenge begins January 16, and runs through March 15.

It’s easy:

Pick up a Bingo Card at the North, East, or Main Branches of the Falmouth Public Library – including in the Children’s Room.

Read books to get a Bingo.

Turn the card in at a service desk to receive a small gift AND be entered into a random drawing to win a prize – a $50 gift card to Eight Cousins!

(One prize will awarded at random to one completed adult/teen bingo card and one children’s bingo card.)

Pop-Up Art for Kids and Adults

Posted on by Phoebe Acheson

We are happy to welcome back Pop-Up Art School on Tuesday February 6. In the morning, they will hold a program for adults, and in the afternoon, on the Falmouth Public Schools early release day, a creation program for kids 8-12.

For Children Ages 8-12: Make a painted clay yeti luminaria on Tuesday February 6 from 2:00 – 3:30 PM in the Hermann Room.

Pop-Up Art School provides everything you need! This activity is for children aged 8-12 without caregivers. This is a Falmouth Public Schools Early Release Day. Space is limited so registration is required.

Both programs are provided with support from the Board of Library Trustees.

 

For Adults: Make a needle-felted bird on Tuesday February 6 from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM in the Hermann Room.

Pop-Up Art School provides everything you need! This activity is for adults. Space is limited so registration is required.

 

 

 

Monthly Author Talk Series Debuting in 2024

Posted on by Phoebe Acheson

Thanks to the Library Support Fund, the Falmouth Public Library has a new series of virtual author talks including bestselling authors coming in 2024. Each month will have at least three live virtual events that you can attend remotely from the comfort of your home – and if you have a time conflict, they are recorded for later to be watched at your leisure.

In January, we’ll be hosting:

Embrace Love in the New Year: A Heartfelt Conversation with Rebecca Serle on Wednesday, January 10th at 8:00 PM EST (Learn more and Register)

 

Your Retirement: Dream or Disaster? How to Avoid the Hidden Traps in Retirement Planning Advice with Rajiv Nagaich on Tuesday, January 23rd at 2:00 PM EST (Learn more and Register)

The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine: An Author Talk with Dr. Robert Lustig on Tuesday, January 30th at 2:00 PM EST (Learn more and Register)

You can peek ahead to future months (don’t miss Nina Totenburg coming in March!) and library users also have access to earlier recorded author talks (like Joy Harjo, John Irving, and Rick Steeves to watch any time.

CAP Therapy Dogs: Tales to Tails!

Posted on by Phoebe Acheson

The good boys and girls are coming back! On Tuesday, January 9 at 2pm in the Hermann Room join a group of certified therapy dogs from CAP for Tales to Tails! Children can read a book to these gentle, attentive dogs – this has been shown to increase children’s confidence in reading, and we’re pretty sure the dogs like it too. But this event is also open to people of all ages who just want to visit with a trained therapy dog who will give you acceptance and love in return for attention and belly rubs. It’s the ultimate de-stress afternoon break.

All ages are welcome; small children should bring their grown-ups. Nobody should bring their own dogs. If you are allergic to dogs, this event is probably not for you. Drop-in, registration is not required.

This is a Falmouth Public Schools early release day.

Winter School Break Events for Kids

Posted on by Phoebe Acheson

If you are planning activities for children who will be out of school between Christmas and New Year’s, the library has some events for you!

Friday Dec. 22 at 3:00 pm: Family Friendly Friday Film: Elf. We’ll be showing this PG-rated film to an all-ages crowd in the Hermann Room; small children should be accompanied by an adult. The film runs 1 hour 35 minutes. We encourage you to register.

Tuesday Dec. 26, 3:30-5:00 pm: Block Party: Legos in the Library. Don’t bring your own Legos, but come play with ours! Join us in the Hermann Room for free play, drop-in. We do have Duplo for the littlest builders.

Wednesday Dec. 27, 11:00 am: Children’s Singalong with Lori Pilla. We’ll sing traditional children’s songs and folk songs. This event is aimed at children 4-9 but all are welcome. No registration is required; just come by the Children’s Room.

Thursday Dec. 28, 1:30-3:00 pm: Family Game Play in the Children’s Room. Drop by the Children’s Room to play board or card games specially selected for family fun. All ages are welcome but small children should be accompanied by an adult.

Coming to a Neighborhood Near You with Ian Ives of Audubon

Posted on by Phoebe Acheson

Falmouth is abuzz with the talk of coyotes – what other wild animals are on the increase? On Thursday January 11, from 2-3pm in the Hermann Room, join Mass Audubon‘s Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary Director Ian Ives as he explores the local increase in abundance of deer, coyote, fisher, turkey, bobcat and osprey and the conflicts, management measures and ethical considerations that arise as a result.

Ian Ives is the Director at Mass Audubon’s Long Pasture, Ashumet Holly, Barnstable Great Marsh and Skunknett River Wildlife Sanctuaries on Cape Cod. His job responsibilities include overall management of the sanctuaries and staff, community outreach, advocacy, environmental stewardship and education. One of his primary goals is to engage the community in Mass Audubon’s mission work and expand activities at the wildlife sanctuaries he oversees. He holds a Master’s degree in conservation biology from Antioch University – New Hampshire. Ian has a strong background in wetland restoration and endangered species management and is leading environmental advocacy and conservation projects across the Cape to help protect rare wildlife and threatened natural resources they depend on. Formerly, Ian was a Field Biologist for Hyla Ecological Services in Concord MA and was a zookeeper at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston.

This lecture is courtesy of the Board of Library Trustees. Please register as space is limited.

Wish You Were Here: Postcards from the Past Digital Exhibit

Posted on by Phoebe Acheson

In 2023 Calliope Poetry for Community extended an invitation to the public to immerse themselves in the images and messages carefully preserved within the Falmouth Public Library’s collection of postcards. These postcards, dating back to the early 1900s, offer us glimpses into the town’s history, portraying the various villages of Falmouth in bygone eras.

They serve as our very own time machines, transporting us to the past and allowing us to reconnect with the individuals who penned those messages long ago. With each card comes a unique story, a reflection of a moment frozen in time, complete with the personalities, quirks, and humor of the people who once called Falmouth home.

The heart of this project, Wish You Were Here: Postcards from the Past, lies in the ability of our literary and visual artists to draw inspiration from these postcards, breathing new life into their stories. They have taken on the incredible task of not only reflecting on but also reimagining the images and messages contained within these postcards. In doing so, they have created a bridge between the past and present, enabling us to witness the fascinating contrast between the Falmouth of yesteryears and the Falmouth we know today. Explore our digital version of this exhibit today, or make sure to make an appointment to see it at the Cultural Center at Museums on the Green through May 10, 2024.

Local History Resources at the Falmouth Public Library

Posted on by Phoebe Acheson

The Falmouth Public Library Reference staff kept a “pamphlet file” for many years with clippings of articles from newspapers and magazines, and pamphlets and other paper ephemera, about both Falmouth and Cape Cod. The majority of the items included in the files date from about 1980-2010, although there are both earlier and later items. The public has always been able to come in and consult the files in person if researching a Falmouth or Cape history topic, but we’re happy to announce that we now have a digital index for these clippings.

It is in two sections, one covering Falmouth, and the other covering Cape Cod. Folder titles range from Affordable Housing and Artists to Wampanoag and Water Quality and the indexes are arranged as spreadsheets reflecting the alphabetical structure of the filing system. If you browse the index and find something you’d like to see, just ask and we can probably scan and email it to you!

Falmouth Pamphlet File Index

Cape Cod Pamphlet File Index

As many know, we also have access to the digitized Falmouth Enterprise and the Cape Cod Times on microfilm, as well as an extensive collection of books about Falmouth and Cape Cod history. We are also able to help refer you to other local institutions who may have more relevant information depending on your particular question. Stop by the desk and ask a librarian to help you get started on your Falmouth History project!