Acre Neighborhood Festival - Saturday, June 9th - 12pm -4pm North Common Amphitheater

This is the same day as our Super Special Kids Storytime (10am-11am) for special needs kids and their families. Sounds like a good day to be in the Acre!

We've got Lowell Spinners Library Passes!

The boys of summer will be playing soon over at good ole LeLacheur Park and this year thanks to the Friends of the Pollard Library, we have Spinners Library passes to lend. While they are not admission tickets, the passes will give you the opportunity to purchase up to six reserve tickets for half price ($3 each) to home games (subject to availability). Limit one pass per person per season. Reserve your pass today through our online museum reservation system, or inquire at the first floor information desk (978) 674-4120.

Don't miss the Lowell Reads Great Expecations Kick Off Party this Saturday June 2nd, 11am-3pm

We're very excited for the kick off of Lowell Reads Great Expectations THIS SATURDAY June, 2nd from 11am-3pm.

• 11am-12pm: Animal Mask Craft - The Lowell Humane Society will be on hand to lead an Animal Mask Craft for kids. All children and grownups are welcome, no registration necessary. 
• 1pm-3pm: Special screening of an animated children's feature starring a troupe of lovable kittens based on Charles Dicken's "Oliver Twist."  

For those of you in book groups, this Saturday is also an excellent opportunity to get first dibs on the book club kits we've assembled for your reading pleasure. Free with your library card—inquire at the ciruclation desk. And don't forget to sign up for our discussion forum at www.lowellreads.org, "join" the events on our facebook page or help spread the word on twitter #lowellreads12.

UPDATE: Memorial Day Weekend Hours

We just received word that the library will be closing at 3pm on Friday in observance of Memorial Day Holiday.

So. Library Hours for this weekend are as follows:

Friday, May 25th - 9am-3pm
Saturday, May 26th - 9am-5pm
Sunday, May 27th - CLOSED
Monday, May 28th - CLOSED

Have a safe and happy holiday.

In observance of Memorial Day the Library will be CLOSED Monday, May 28th

In observance of Memorial Day the Library will be CLOSED Monday, May 28, 2012. If you're still in town this weekend, come on by the Library this Saturday at 1PM for a special John Wayne / Memorial Day film matinee.

Foundation Author Night with Dennis Lehane is only two days away - Thursday, May 24th @ 6pm

Quick reminder that the Pollard Memorial Library Foundation's Annual Author Night featuring Dennis Lehane is only two days away—Thursday, May 24th @ 6pm in the 2nd Floor Reference Room of the Pollard (a.k.a. Memorial Hall). If you haven't gotten your ticket yet, don't fret. They will be available at the door for the suggested donation price of $45.

#Lowell Reads Great Expectations (June—August 2012) #lowellreads12

In concert with the citywide Dickens in Lowell Celebration, the Pollard is resurrecting the Lowell Reads program. The aim of this program is to promote literacy and to foster a better sense of community by creating an opportunity for Lowellians engage with their neighbors in a meaningful discussion over a treasured classic. Beginning June 2nd, the Pollard Library will have book club kits of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations available for patrons to borrow to host and facilitate  discussions. In addition we will have copies of the novel in many formats for individuals to borrow. Readers can also pose questions and share their thoughts on the online discussion forum at www.lowellreads.org or join the conversation on Twitter @pollardml #lowellreads12. The library will be host a series of in person book discussions, films, and more.  For a full list of events you can visit our library calendar page, or our facebook events page, or stop by the library (or the Friends Book Sale this weekend) to pick up a brochure. 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Widely considered the best of Dickens’ novels, Great Expectations, tells the story of a young man named Pip and his education and ascension through the classes in Victorian England. Originally released in weekly installments between 1860-1861 the novel is full of intrigue, mystery and suspense. It unfolds in a masterful plotted scheme as engaging to modern readers as it was to those subscribers who originally read it in weekly serial format. The richly drawn characters speak highly of Dickens’ keen awareness of the universal foibles of human nature. So whether you’re reading this masterwork for the first time, or you’re reacquainting yourself with the likes of Estella, Miss Havisham, Joe Gargery and Pip join in on the conversation this summer as Lowell Reads Great Expectations.

LOWELL READS GREAT EXPECTATIONS is part of the citywide DICKENS IN LOWELL CELEBRATION happening throughout 2012. For more information please visit www.uml.edu/dickens. Dickens in Lowell is sponsored by the University of Massachusetts Lowell, in partnership with the Lowell National Historical Park, the Tsongas Industrial History Center, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the Charles Dickens Museum London, and with generous support from the Theodore Edson Parker Foundation and the University of Massachusetts President’s Office. In addition, Lowell Reads Great Expectations, is made possible  by The Pollard Memorial Library Foundation and the Friends of the Pollard Memorial Library.

If you have any questions, or want more info please call or email Sean Thibodeau, Community Planning Librarian, 978-674-1542 or sthibodeau@mvlc.org. Happy Reading!

This weekend Lowell throws her Doors Open wide

This weekend is shaping up quite nicely. The weather will be beautiful for a stroll and all around Lowell, doors will be thrown open! That's right, it's Doors Open Lowell weekend—and even though the doors are always open during business hours at the Pollard, we'll be participating in this unique event. -- so after you've bought your books at The Friends of the Library annual book sale (Saturday 9am-2pm @ Lowell Senior Center) head on over to the Pollard for a meet and greet from 2pm-5pm with Library Director, Victoria Woodley. She'll be happy to answer any questions about the library, past, present, and future. We will also have a program for you to take to give yourself a self-guided tour of our treasures. For the full listing of Doors Open Lowell events please visit their website.

Friends Book sale THIS WEEKEND ONLY!!!

Just a quick reminder that the Friends of the Pollard Library's book sale is coming up this weekend over at the Lowell Senior Center, 276 Broadway St. (at the corner of Broadway and Fletcher - next to the Rite Aid, across from the Market Basket). Here are the details:

• Friday, May 18th - 4pm-7pm - Special Members Only Preview Night. With refreshments. A special bonus for members to take first crack at the book sale offerings. If you're not a member yet, you can fill out a membership form and come on down and join up at this event.

• Saturday, May 19th - 9am-3pm - Main Book Sale Event!! This is it folks, what you and your bibliophile brethren have been looking forward to all year. Come early, come often. Bring a friend, meet some friends. 

• Sunday, May 20th - 9am-2pm - Second Chance Sale. Deep Discounts - if you're a risk taker, you can let your choices slide until Sunday in the hopes of getting them for less than the already ridiculously low prices of the main sale. It would be in your best interest to come back anyway, to gobble up huge savings. 

Independent Film Night - Thursday, June 14th @ 6:30 - King of Devil's Island

You won't want to miss next month's Independent Film Night at the Pollard (2nd Thursday of every month). On Thursday, June 14th @ 6;30PM we'll be showing King of Devil's Island a film by Marius Holst. Stellan Skarsgard stars in this stirring Norwegian film. (A perfect sentence for a pirate to arrr-ti-culate) The film is based on a true story of Norway's infamous Bastøy Boys Home correctional facility. The story begins with the arrival of a new inmate who immediately clashes with the administration and governor (Skarsgard) by refusing to accept their culture of constant abuse and torment. Ultimately, he leads the other boys to stand up for themselves on an ill-fated mission to reclaim their humanity from the corruption of unchecked power.

King of Devil's Island is in Norwegian with English Subtitles. Run time 116 minutes. Please note: These Independent films are not rated by the MPAA and should be considered for mature audiences. The Pollard Library Independent Film night occurs on the 2nd Thursday of every month. The events are free and open to the public. Made possible by the Friends of the Library.

Up Next for Nonfiction Book Club: Common As Air: Revolution, Art and Ownership by Lewis Hyde - Thursday, June 7th @ 6:30pm

Read up and join the PML Nonfiction Book Club at our next discussion of Lewis Hyde's Common As Air: Revolution, Art, and Ownership, Thursday, June 7th at 6:30pm. As a librarian and writer, I am especially interested in Hyde's work and highly recommend his previous book: The Gift to anyone engaged in creating art in our highly commercial society.

Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Hyde during a speaking engagement and I'm excited for this opportunity to discuss some of the heady arguments in his most recent book. Common As Air investigates the relatively recent idea of creative works as "intellectual property." Especially with an eye toward how this gels with what the founders of our country thought the best usage of the collective store of human invention, intelligence, and art. As opposed to some of the historical adventure stories the nonfiction book club has been reading, this book is essentially a book length essay revealing the thoughts of a wide ranging mind (Hyde's) as they relate to the the idea of a cultural commons and how to best preserve protect and engage with it. So, the long and short of it is you may want to allow yourself some time for your mind to digest Hyde's incisive and wide ranging arguments.

While we do ask you to obtain the book yourself (and there are plenty of copies in the MVLC library system) this book club is free and open to the public. If you have any questions please email me at sthibodeau@mvlc.org. Happy reading! 

Friends Call for Book Sale Volunteers

Dear Friends of the Pollard Library,
A message from the Vice President of the Friends, Kerry Craven regarding the upcoming book sale (May 18th—20th) at the Lowell Senior Center:

The booksale is fast approaching and there are still lots of books to sort before the first day, so I am hoping to plan a couple of times to tackle it and get a jump on the project.  The Senior Center is only open during the day, so I would be planning to spend a few hours anytime from early morning through 3:30, with a specific date to be determined based on when people are willing and able to help out. So - if you are willing and able, please shoot me an email at friendsofthepml@yahoo.com and I will schedule accordingly. Many thanks.

Kerry also wanted me to mention that in addition to help sorting books, the Friends are also looking for volunteers to help with last minute preparations (signage, etc.), and to staff the book tables at the book sale itself (neaten tables, welcome new friends, etc). If you are interested in helping out with any or all of the above please contact Kerry at friendsofthepml@yahoo.com.

Lowell Give Back Day - Saturday, May 12, 2012

Just in time for Mother's Day, it's Lowell Give Back Day—Saturday, May 12, 2012. For full details and information how you can help please visit their website or contact Kimberly Jackson at lowellgivebackday@gmail.com or 479-713-0798.

Pollard Memorial Library Foundation Author Night: Dennis Lehane - May 24th @ 6pm

Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 24th @ 6pm when Pollard's Memorial Hall will be graced with the incomparable Dennis Lehane. He's practically a household name round these parts—a prolific writer hard-nosed mystery/suspense novels. Many of which are set in Boston-a few of which have been made into movies Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River and Shutter Island. He also wrote for HBO's popular show The Wire. He has a book coming out in October entitled Live By Night. This book is the second part of a planned trilogy with The Given Day of historical suspense novels set during the turn of the 20th century.

This event is a fundraiser for the Pollard Memorial Library Foundation and the suggested donation is $45. The PML Foundation annual authors night is a very special occasion where we transform our gorgeous 2nd floor reference room back into a function hall. There will be ample opportunity for book signing and conversation with the author. H'oeur derves and refreshments will be served.  For more information about the foundation please visit their webpage: www.pollardml.org/foundation.

Mill City Skill Share - Sunday, May 6th 10am-6pm - Various Downtown Locations

The buzz for this Mill City Skill Share event is making its way all around Lowell's cyber world. Sounds like a great way to meet your neighbors and add some interesting items to your skill set. Visit their website for full details.