Author: Elizabeth McKinstry

Springfield Local Author Book Fair

Come to the Local Author Fair to meet recently published authors and enjoy their works in this showcase of local talent and achievement.

The next Local Author Book Fair will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Rotunda and Rice Hall on the second floor at the Central Library.

Meet Your Neighbors, Meet Their Books!

Join us for a celebration of Springfield’s vibrant literary scene at the Local Author Book Fair! This exciting event brings together a diverse range of local authors, all eager to connect with readers and share their passion for storytelling.

Why Attend?

Support Local Authors: Discover the wealth of talent right in your own community. Buy a book directly from the author and help them continue their creative journey.

Find Your Next Great Read: Explore a variety of genres, from captivating fiction to informative non-fiction. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a mystery buff, a history enthusiast, or a lover of poetry.

Connect with Fellow Bookworms: Chat with authors about their work, get your books personalized with a signature, and mingle with other book lovers who share your passion for reading.

Mark Your Calendars!

The next Local Author Book Fair will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Rotunda and Rice Hall on the second floor at the Central Library.

Admission is free, so come meet your neighbors and discover the hidden gems of Springfield’s literary world!

List of Authors – September 2024

AuthorBookInstagram IconFaceBook iconlink icon
Katherine AndersonMurder at the Alma MaterInstagram IconFaceBook iconlink icon
RA CookGood To Be Me – Discovering What Makes Me Special & UniqueInstagram IconFaceBook iconlink icon
Michael DeStefanoThe Old CorsairInstagram Iconlink icon
Donalyn GrossWhat Does Death Look Like?
K. HicksonStars & StripesInstagram Icon
Mary Anne HorsmanSet the Stage for Success: De-clutter, Get Organized and Love Your LifeInstagram IconFaceBook iconlink icon
Travis KuffelUnleashedInstagram IconFaceBook iconlink icon
LaTonia Monroe NaylorMission-Rich AND Profit-Powered: A Guide to Transforming Your Passion into a Fully-Funded BusinessInstagram IconFaceBook iconlink icon
Anne PinkertonWere You Close? a sister’s quest to know the brother she lostInstagram IconFaceBook iconlink icon
Meg ThacherSky Gazing: a Guide to the Moon, Sun, Planets, Stars, Eclipses, ConstellationsInstagram IconFaceBook iconlink icon
Lisa ZarconeThe Book of JoannInstagram IconFaceBook icon

List of Authors – April 2024

Below is a list of authors who attended the Local Author Fair – your neighbors, sharing their art! Also, titles of their most recent book – although several will have multiple books to share.

Stephen Billias – A Book of Fields
Bela Breslau and Stephen Billias – Pilgrim Maya
Justin Cascio – In Our Blood: The Mafia Families of Corleone
Tian Connaughton – Cardigans For Every Body: because every body is worthy
D. Dina Friedman – Immigrants
Adrián Gras-Velázquez – Lo que hago en mi habitación
Robert Loesch – Out on a Limb and Other Stories
Stephanie Marrero-Wilson – Healing in Him: 31 Day Journaling Devotional
Jane F. Morrissey, SSJ – Finding Jane in the Box – a Memoir
Jennifer Allis Provost – Oleander
Ruth Sanderson – A Storm of Horses: The Story of Artist Rosa Bonheur
Dulce Santana – Flowers in the City
H. Triplett – Perforated Fiber Forbidden Memories
Dennis Walter – The Misguided Mentor

Are You A Local Author?

Get on our list to be invited next time! We hold Author Fairs about twice a year, in the Spring and the Fall.

Local Authors – Submit Your Information

Local Authors – sign up now!

Please fill our this form to submit your information to be added to our database of local authors – we will pull from this list for all future author fairs!

For questions, please email emckinstry@springfieldlibrary.org.

Springfield residents meet candidates ahead of municipal election (WWLP)

Election season is here for the city of Springfield, and Wednesday night residents had the chance to get to know the candidates a little better.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Election season is here for the city of Springfield, and Wednesday night residents had the chance to get to know the candidates a little better.

The Springfield City Library hosted the meet-and-greet for candidates in Springfield’s municipal election. This as early voting is currently underway for the preliminary election for mayor, city council at-large, and Ward 6.

Voters there telling us its important to make future city leaders accessible to residents. “They can come here and talk to the incumbent and somebody running against the incumbent, and say “how are you going to address this situation in my neighborhood?” And they can decide for themselves who will represent them better,” says Assistant Director for Public Services at Springfield City Library, Jean Canosa Albano.

The preliminary election for Springfield is Tuesday, September 12th.

Click through to watch the video!

‘Anthony’s Book Club’ to support literacy in Springfield (WWLP)

Join Thunderbirds forward Anthony Angello for ‘Anthony’s Book Club’, created in partnership with the Springfield City Library and the T-Birds Foundation.

Check out the story from WWLP

January 10, 2023:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)– A new effort to promote reading and literacy in Springfield is underway thanks to a member of the Springfield Thunderbirds hockey team.

‘Anthony’s Book Club’, named for Thunderbirds forward Anthony Angello, was created in partnership with the Springfield City Library and the T-Birds Foundation.

Angello will be visiting five different branches of the Springfield City Library in January and February for live story time readings, activities, and meet-and-greet sessions with young T-Birds fans. He will be joined by other team members and mascot Boomer. The Foundation will also be contributing to Anthony’s Book Club with donations of books and supplies during their visits.

“Just like the Springfield City Library, the Springfield Thunderbirds are part of our community,” said Jean Canosa Albano, Assistant Director for Public Services at the Springfield City Library. “When I learned about Anthony Angello’s commitment to reading and literacy through his ABC Anthony’s Book Club, I knew it was a great match for the Library. Reading aloud not only provides a foundation for success, it’s fun! We can’t wait to welcome Anthony, Boomer, and local families to the Library.”

“We are proud to support Anthony’s passion for children’s literacy through the ABC program,” said Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa. “Any cause close to a player’s heart makes it all the more meaningful to us as an organization. The T-Birds Foundation will be directly involved from the onset of the program to ensure that the Springfield City Library has ample resources for all children who visit. It is our hope that the libraries are packed with enthusiastic young readers thanks to Anthony’s encouragement and example.”

Tentative dates and locations for Anthony’s Book Club are as follows:

For more information about Anthony’s Book Club and other Thunderbirds community programming go to the team’s website.

Springfield Yearbook Donations and Digitization

Donate yearbooks to preserve Springfield history and make them available online for all!

Donate Your Yearbooks

Would you like to be a part of preserving Springfield History? The Library needs your help!

We want to fill in our very incomplete yearbook collection, and then put scanned copies online for anyone to access freely.

If you have a yearbook from any High School in Springfield, Massachusetts – public, private, or charter – from any year, and are willing to donate it to the library, just drop it off at one of our nine locations in Springfield.

It’s okay if it has writing in it, or it’s not in perfect condition. We’ll add all usable copies to our collection for people to browse, and send as much of the collection as we can to be scanned by Digital Commonwealth at the Boston Public Library.

Then Springfield’s yearbooks will be up on the internet for anyone to look at, any time, from anywhere!

So please look for that old yearbook, and give it to us so we can create a yearbook archive for Springfield! We appreciate your help with this important project to preserve our community’s history.

If you have any questions about this project, you can reach us at 413-263-6828, x213, or ask@springfieldlibrary.org, or fill out our Ask A Librarian form, here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why yearbooks?

A. After newspaper articles, yearbooks are the most common local history reference request we get. We have a very small, patchy collection at present, and we would love to have a complete, accessible collection, that can be viewed at Central Library during all open hours!

Q. Can you just borrow my yearbook, scan it, and give it back to me after you’re done with it?

A. Not at this time. Getting these yearbooks cataloged, organized, and sent off for digitization will take close to a year, and we’re worried we might have trouble finding you again. Also, we want people to be able to come to the library and see yearbooks in person. But if you want to talk to us further about your yearbook, you can reach us using the contact information above, and someone from the yearbook team will reply!

Q. What if you get a lot of duplicates?

A. We’ll keep them! We’ll send the best one off to be digitized, but we will not throw out any yearbook that’s not already extremely damaged. It’s common for libraries to keep multiple copies of items that are hard to replace.

Q. How soon will all the yearbooks be online?

A. We hope within 12 months. This will depend on many factors not in our control, though, like the wait list at Digital Commonwealth, and how quickly donations come in, and how complete our collection becomes.

Q. Are you considering digitizing other Springfield documents?

A. Yes! Some of the older City Directories were digitized several years ago, and we hope to do more after the yearbook project. But yearbooks are by far the most popular item people would like to see online.

News Coverage

WWLP Story

WWLP Video

Springfield Libraries Eliminate Late Fees (Masslive.com)

Patrons of all Springfield City Library branches will no longer be penalized if they don’t return books and other materials on time.

SPRINGFIELD — Patrons of all Springfield City Library branches will no longer be penalized if they don’t return books and other materials on time.

The Springfield Library Commission voted unanimously in 2019 to remove all late fees on library items, but held off on making an announcement on the change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Springfield City Library employees and Mayor Domenic Sarno called a press conference at the Brightwood branch, 359 Plainfield St., to announce the news Thursday.

“In the last fiscal year, we collected about $7,000 in our fines and fees account and only about $700 of that was for late fines. The rest of it (was for) replacement costs,” said Jean M. Canosa Albano, assistant director for public services. “For anyone concerned that we’re just letting everything go, no, you still have to bring back the materials you returned, but if you’re late, it’s OK.”

Canosa Albano went on to say that after a set period of time, the patron will receive a message in their mail and other alerts to remind them they are in possession of an overdue item, but will still not be charged for it, as long as the item is returned in good condition.

Read more at Masslive.com.

The Springfield Library Foundation Mourns the Death of Charles V. Ryan

Charlie Ryan’s devotion to the City of Springfield and the Library were well-known facets of his long and productive life and his tireless efforts made it possible for our Library system to thrive.

The Springfield Library Foundation mourns the death of Charles V. Ryan who passed away on October 18, 2021 and extends heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends.

Charlie Ryan’s devotion to the City of Springfield and the Library were well-known facets of his long and productive life and, as Mayor Domenic Sarno acknowledged in recent remarks, Charlie’s tireless efforts truly saved, enhanced and made it possible for our Library system to thrive. For the Library Foundation, Charlie was instrumental in guiding it toward its position today, as a key Library funder and advocate.

“We are deeply saddened by Charlie’s passing, and wish his entire family peace during this difficult time,” said Foundation President Pat Markey. “Charlie’s advocacy for the City Library and the Foundation have made it possible for us to support programs, materials and capital efforts for decades to come. His work has made a tremendously positive and direct impact on thousands of residents of Springfield, the City Charlie loved so well. He stands forever as a stellar role model as we dedicate ourselves to upholding his legacy and continuing to support Springfield’s children, adults, seniors and families through the good works of the City Library.”

The Ryan Family has requested that charitable gifts in memory of Charlie be made to the Springfield Library Foundation. Gifts may be made on line at: https://www.springfieldlibrary.org/library/about/the-springfield-library-foundation/ (please use the donate button), or by sending a donation to Springfield Library Foundation, 220 State Street, 4th Floor, Springfield MA 01103.

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Springfield Library Foundation Announces the White Family’s gift to the East Forest Park Branch Promise Realized Campaign

The Springfield Library Foundation is pleased to announce that the six children of former City Solicitor William White and his wife Patricia have joined together to make a $200,000 commitment to the Promise Realized Capital Campaign for the new East Forest Park Library.

SPRINGFIELD, MA September 9, 2021 – The Springfield Library Foundation is pleased to announce that the six children of former City Solicitor William White and his wife Patricia have joined together to make a $200,000 commitment to the Promise Realized Capital Campaign for the new East Forest Park Library. A formal presentation ceremony with Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno to announce the gift was held at the East Forest Park Branch on September 9.

“On behalf of my sister and brothers, I am grateful that we have this opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting contribution to East Forest Park, the wonderful neighborhood where we were raised, and to future generations of Springfield residents,” said Thomas White.  “We were so happy when our close family friend Bob Phelan raised the idea of the new library to us.  When we came and visited Springfield and toured the new library last fall, my sister Maureen, John, and I were deeply impressed by the quality of the design the thought and care that went into creating such beautiful facilities for children, teens, and families.”

In recognition of the family’s gift, the Library will name the Children’s Place in honor of William and Patricia White. Plans are underway to hold a celebration at the East Forest Park Branch in the fall of 2021 to recognize all donors to the Promise Realized Campaign, at which time donor plaques and room names will be unveiled to the public.

“The Library Foundation wants to express its sincere and heartfelt thanks to the entire family for stepping up with such a generous leadership gift during these extraordinarily challenging times,” said Library Foundation President Patrick Markey. “This commitment demonstrates the strength of the bonds between our City of Springfield and families who have moved away but retain roots here. I hope this gift inspires others to give as well.”

The Whites, who worked closely with the Library Foundation to coordinate and structure the gift believe their parents would be delighted to know that the Children’s Room will bear their names in perpetuity. “Our parents loved raising our family in East Forest Park and they both believed fundamentally in the power of reading and public libraries to transform lives and open doors to opportunity. To be able to play a part in inspiring ongoing generations of children to explore and expand their possibilities through reading would certainly have brought them great joy.  Our trip back to Springfield was made more memorable because we were able to meet up with Charlie Ryan, our father’s childhood friend and former law partner, along with Barbara Garvey, also a friend and neighbor.  Both Charlie and Barbara have worked tirelessly to make the new library a reality,” commented Maureen White.

According to Matt Blumenfeld, the Library Foundation’s Executive Director, the Promise Realized Campaign has now raised just over $1.65 million toward its $2 million goal to close out the campaign and complete the $9.5 million project.

“While we have paused active fundraising for some time because of the pandemic, we do want to relaunch as soon as conditions warrant,” said Mr. Blumenfeld. “The Foundation has continued to receive contributions for the campaign as well as other purposes, but we remain mindful and respectful of other urgent needs in the community. I am incredibly thankful to the White family for sparking our relaunch with their wonderful philanthropic gift.”

Construction on the 17,000 square foot East Forest Park Branch on Surrey Road was completed in November 2019 and the facility opened with tremendous praise from the community in December.  “Usage at East Forest Park Branch skyrocketed before we had to close, and we remain confident that it will continue to grow once we can fully reopen,” said Library Director Molly Fogarty. “Our staff are all grateful to John White and his siblings for this wonderful gift and cannot wait to see the Children’s Room once again full of youngsters and caregivers reading, learning and playing together.”

In addition to the 4,000 square foot Children’s Room, the East Forest Park Branch offers a dedicated Teen area, a Maker Space, a large community meeting room, quiet study rooms, dozens of computer stations, book and media collections, an outdoor patio and reading garden, and ample parking.  It is completely accessible to all.

Individuals, businesses and others interested in contributing may contact the Springfield Library Foundation, at promiserealizedcampaign@gmail.com or MBlumenfeld@springfieldlibrary.org  for further information.  The campaign is accepting pledges for up to five years.

“The Library Foundation has been a strong steward of many gifts large and small, and we intend to continue this legacy far into the future,” said Mr. Markey. “Since 2005, the Foundation has contributed more than $6.5 million to the Springfield City Library, for books and materials, in support of the Mason Square branch, and for staff development and library programs. The Promise Realized Campaign continues this legacy and enables all of us to make a positive contribution to the future of the City of Springfield.”

Family Roots In Old Neighborhood Bring Gift To New Library (WAMC)

In recognition of the gift, the library named the children’s reading room in honor of William and Patricia White. This brings the $2 million campaign up to $1.6 million.

Link to audio and entire article here.

An excerpt:

A family gift aims to make reading and library access available to generations of children in a Springfield, Massachusetts neighborhood.

When John White and his five siblings were children growing up on Wendover Road in East Forest Park five decades ago, their mother always made sure to take them to the bookmobile when it stopped in their neighborhood.

“I remember vividly our mother would walk us down the hill to Old Brook Road and we would go to the bookmobile,” White said.

The children of William and Patricia White grew to have successful professional careers and all moved from Springfield – John White lives in California.

“Springfield and East Forest Park are in our hearts – always have been and always will be,” White said.

The siblings returned to their old neighborhood recently to announce a $200,000 gift to the new East Forest Park Library in their parents’ memory.

“As kids our parents instilled in us the notion of learning and education and the significance of it,” White said. “They also instilled in us the importance of giving back to the community.”

In recognition of the gift, the library named the children’s reading room in honor of William and Patricia White.

John White said if his mother could see the new library she would be proud and happy.

“It is a bigger better bookmobile,” White said. He praised the design of the new library and the technology that it contains.

“It is a great place for kids to come and learn,” he added.

At an event acknowledging the White family’s gift, Springfield Library Foundation President Pat Markey said it will help relaunch the fundraising to support the new library that had been paused because of the pandemic.

“With this gift they bring our $2 million campaign up to $1.6 million,” Markey announced.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno also thanked the Whites and said their generosity will impact countless numbers of children who will use the library.

“That is just such a great great legacy,” Sarno said.

Read entire article at this link.