Category: Mason Square

October Crafts for Children, Teens, and Families

Crafts and activities at the library in October! | Children, Teens, and Families

I Spy Mr. Pumpkin

Brightwood Branch, East Springfield Branch, Indian Orchard Branch
October 1-31 | Open Hours | All Ages

During the month of October, stop by each week to find a decorated hidden pumpkin. When you find it, let us know so you can enter into a raffle to win the pumpkin!

Guess the Candy Corn Weight

East Springfield Branch
October 1st – 29th| Open Hours| Children

Can you guess how much our special pumpkin container filled with Candy Corn weighs. Who ever comes closest without going over wins the Candy Corn.

Teen Closet Cleaning Crafts

Indian Orchard Branch
Wednesday, October 5 | 4:00-6:00 PM | Teens

What can you create with our grab bag of crafting goodies? We will have available a variety or crafting supplies – felt, foam, embroidery floss, paint, paper, markers, beads, SPARKLY stickers….. Your imagination is the limit! For ages 11-18. The first Wednesday of the month, from 4-6 pm. Indian Orchard Library. For more information please call 413-263-6846.

Pumpkin Painting

Central Library
Thursday, October 27 | 3:00-4:30 PM | Teens

Come to the teen room, pick your pumpkin and paint it into a masterpiece! All supplies provided, while they last. We’ll phototgraph your pumpkin for social media, and then you take it home! Teens 12-19 welcome!

Monster Mashup

Mason Square Branch
Thursday, October 27 | 4:00-5:00 PM | Children & Families

Celebrate all things monster! Enjoy stories and a monster mash-up craft.

Family Fall Fest – October

Join us for Fall-inspired crafts, treats, and activities! | Mason Square & East Springfield | Children

Family Fall Fest

Mason Square Branch
Thursday, October 13 | 4:00-6:00 PM | Children & Families

Stop by and catch up with old friends at our annual Fall Fest. Play games in the Reading Garden, enjoy music and fall treats, and make a fall- inspired craft! We’ll also have a special visit from Forest Park Zoo’s “Wildlife on Wheels.” In case of rain, program will take place in the Community Room

Harvest Fest

East Springfield Branch
Wednesday, October 26 | 2:00-7:00 PM | Children & Families

Stop by and celebrate the fall season with the neighborhood. Play a fun fall game outside, treat yourself to pie and kettle corn, make a Fall-inspired craft, or participate in a scavenger hunt! Guess the pumpkin’s weight, and get a chance to take it home to add to your fall decor!

Computer Literacy Skills

Take part in weekly beginner or intermediate classes to learn how to use a computer. | Mason Square | Adults

Computer Literacy Skills: Beginner Level

Mason Square Branch
Wednesdays: September 14, 21, 28 and October 5, 12, 19, 26
10:00 – 11:00 AM | Adults

Take part in weekly classes to learn how to use a computer. Topics covered in the beginner level include: learning to use a mouse and keyboard, searching on the internet, saving and finding files on a computer, and creating an email account. Registration is required.

Visit our online calendar to register!

If you have any questions, you can call (413) 263-6853 to talk to a librarian.

Computer Literacy Skills: Intermediate Level

Mason Square Branch
Wednesdays: September 14, 21, 28 and October 5, 12, 19, 26
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Adults

Take part in weekly classes to learn how to use a computer. Topics covered in the intermediate level include: how to use Word and Excel, design a cover letter and resume, create a LinkedIn and Indeed profile, and attend Zoom meetings. Registration is required.

Visit our online calendar to register!

If you have any questions, you can call (413) 263-6853 to talk to a librarian.

Raymond Jordan Senior Center Book Club

Come join us for a fascinating book club at the Raymond Jordan Senior Center! | Adults

Raymond Jordan Senior Center
Third Thursday of the Month | 10:00-11:00 AM | Adults

Come join us for a fascinating book club at the Raymond Jordan Senior Center! Do you love to read about real life events? Are you intrigued by learning more about others’ stories and experiences – whether in the present or the past? If so, then meet us at the Raymond Jordan Senior Center for our monthly Book Club, where we delve into the heart of historical fiction, non-fiction, and even memoir.

So You Want to be a Librarian! – October 20

Join us to learn more about becoming a librarian! | Mason Square | Adults

Mason Square Branch
Thursday, October 20 | 5:30-7:00 PM | Adults | Register

Have you ever thought about working as a librarian? You might just be the next Belle, or the next Carla Hayden. Or even the next member of the Springfield City Library staff!

Join us to learn more about becoming a librarian. Hear from current library staff and representatives from graduate schools of library services. Doors open at 5:30 with light refreshments and a raffle. The program starts at 6 pm with time for questions.

Chair Yoga – Fall Classes

Using gentle stretching while seated, chair yoga allows adults of all abilities to improve flexibility and balance. | Mason Square | Adults

Chair Yoga for Adults

Mason Square Branch
Thursdays: October 6, 13, 20, 27 & November 3, 17 | 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM | Adults

No registration required!

Join us for 45 minutes chair yoga. Using gentle stretching while seated, chair yoga allows adults of all abilities to improve flexibility and balance. Instructor Cindy Senk, who is a certified accessible yoga teacher, will lead the class. Note: Class will begin before the branch is open to the public.

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

Read just one book a day to build a foundation for lifelong success. Prizes awarded for every 100 books! | Children

All Library Locations
Starts January 2022, ongoing

All it takes is sharing one book a day with your child to build a foundation for lifelong success. Start your child’s book journey today! The goal is to have read 1,000 books before your precious one starts kindergarten.

If you read just 1 book a day, you will have read about 365 books in a year. That is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. If you consider that most children start kindergarten at around 5 years of age, you have more time than you think. So, let’s get started!

How to Participate

Read with your child. Studies have shown that reading with your child provides a great opportunity for bonding. Reading together is fun and will create life-long memories for the both of you.

Keep track of the number of books you read with your child. Ask your librarian for a paper log to start on your reading journey.

You may choose instead to log your books online using Beanstack. Visit our Beanstack website or download the app to log your books digitally. You can view Beanstack instructions here or ask a librarian on how to use it.

After each 100 books you read, visit your local Springfield City Library branch to collect your free book prize. After 1000 books, come in and get a tote bag!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can participate in this program?
– Any child from birth until they enter kindergarten.

How long does the program take?
– The program will take anywhere from a few months to a few years. The program is self-paced and will depend on how often you read together.

Can we repeat books?
– Yes!

How many of my children can participate?
– All of them (provided they have not started kindergarten). Make it even more fun and read as a family!

Home City Families: Playgroups

Parents and their children are invited to join us for stories, songs, and activities! | Children

Home City Families Playgroup

East Forest Park Branch
Fridays | 1:30-2:30 PM | Ages 1-5

Sixteen Acres Branch
Tuesdays | 1:30-2:30 PM | Ages 1-5 

Parents and their children are invited to join us for stories, songs, and activities!

This playgroup is a great opportunity to meet other parents and give your child the opportunity to socialize with other children their age.

No registration required – just come in!

Home City Families: Family Storytime

Indian Orchard Branch
Mondays | 10:30-11:30 AM | Ages 1-6

Join us for stories, songs, movement, fingerplays, a craft and playtime! No registration required. Adult must accompany children. For ages 12 mos. – 6 years, siblings welcome. For more information, please call (413) 263-6846.

Home City Families: Gross Motor Playgroup

Mason Square Branch
Wednesdays | 10:30-11:30 AM | Ages 1-5

Calling all parents with young children! We invite you along with your child for a fun filled hour of gross motor fun to develop physical abilities.

This is a great opportunity to meet other parents and give your child the opportunity to socialize with other children their age.

No registration required – just come in!

 

Romance Book Club – Online

Get your Happily Ever After fix from the Romance Book Club! | Online | Adults

Our Romance Book Club meets online! Registration is optional to get reminders and book choices, click for  link.

ONLINE via Zoom
Saturdays once a month | 10:00-11:00 AM | Adults

Dates coming up:
October 22
November 19
December 17
January 28
February 25
March 25

CLICK FOR ZOOM LINK for meeting each month.

Join us for the Romance Book Club! We read as many romance genres as we can, sharing our thoughts and expanding our romance reading experience. As long as it has a Happily Ever After, it’s fair game.

Typically each month we choose the book for the following month.

October Book Choice
Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth PhillipsWe will be reading Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard is the luckiest man in the world: a bona-fide sports superstar and the pride of the NFL with a profitable side career as a buff billboard model for End Zone underwear. But life in the glory lane has started to pale, and Dean has set off on a cross-country trip to figure out what’s gone wrong. When he hits a lonely stretch of Colorado highway, he spies something that will shake up his gilded life in ways he can’t imagine. A young woman . . . dressed in a beaver suit.

Blue Bailey is on a mission to murder her ex. Or at least inflict serious damage. As for the beaver suit she’s wearing . . . Is it her fault that life keeps throwing her curveballs? Witness the expensive black sports car pulling up next to her on the highway and the Greek god stepping out of it.

But Dean isn’t the brainless jock she imagines, and Blue—despite her petite stature—is just about the toughest woman Dean has ever met. They’re soon heading for his summer home where their already complicated lives and inconvenient attraction to each other will become entangled with a charismatic but aging rock star; a beautiful fifty-two-year-old woman trying to make peace with her rock and roll past; an eleven-year-old who desperately needs a family; and a bitter old woman who hates them all.

As the summer progresses, the wandering portrait artist and the charming football star play a high-stakes game, fighting themselves and each other for a chance to have it all.

Catalog link (paper book) – Regular Type and Large Type
CWMARS OverDrive (e-book) – email or call us for help finding it from additional library systems
CWMARS OverDrive (e-audiobook) – email or call us for help finding it from additional library systems
Hoopla link (e-book) and Hoopla link (e-audiobook) – instant downloads, no waiting, with a Springfield City Library card

See previous group book choices below the group guidelines – scroll down.

Our Romance collection librarian will tell you all about exciting additions to the collection, and we’ll get your input on what you’d like to see more of and what we should read.

Register if you’d like to be added to our email list, but no registration is required – just join us at the Zoom link, above. For adults 18+.

Please email Elizabeth McKinstry at emckinstry@springfieldlibrary.org or Anna Mickelsen at amickelsen@springfieldlibrary.org if you have any questions, or call either one of us at 413-263-6828 x213.

Group Guidelines

The book group will meet monthly via zoom to discuss books in the romance genre. Our definition of romance includes both HEA (Happily Ever After) and HFN (Happy For Now) endings. We will discuss what we read on our own, talk about forthcoming titles, and also pick books to read as a group, either voting on titles prepared by group leaders or taking turns selecting titles.

This book group will strive to be a safe and inclusive space. Racist and homophobic remarks will not be tolerated, and the group may set other content lines to be drawn in discussion or in reading material (e.g., mentions of self-harm, gore, sexual assault) in order to make the experience as fun for all participants as possible. As this is a romance book group, it should be assumed that books read and discussed will often include sex, sometimes explicit in nature.

Book group leaders will:

  • Read the entire book
  • Gather information to help enhance the discussion
  • Be prepared to offer counter opinions – even if they differ from our own
  • Be prepared to begin new lines of discussion when necessary
  • Not let one person monopolize the discussion
  • Be willing and prepared to take control of the group, firmly but respectfully

Book group participants will:

  • Make their best effort to complete the book
  • Come ready to both share and listen
  • Be ready to back up opinions with the “why”
  • Have a great time — if you stop enjoying it, let the leader know
Previous books read: