News – East Springfield – Springfield City Library

T-Birds, Springfield City Library Expand Boomer’s Reading Club for 2024-25 Season

Boomer’s Reading Club will return for the 2024-25 season with more dates and new library branches serving as hosts.

Read at the Springfield Thunderbirds website

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Springfield Thunderbirds, in collaboration with the Springfield City Library, are proud to announce that Boomer’s Reading Club will return for the 2024-25 season with more dates and new library branches serving as hosts for the meeting dates.

Established last season, Boomer’s Reading Club will prominently feature T-Birds forward Drew Callin, team mascot Boomer, and various additional T-Birds staff and players throughout the season. Boomer’s Reading Club aims to create a love of reading for young Springfield school students of all ages.

In addition to the interactive sessions with Callin, the Springfield Thunderbirds Foundation will continue its pledge to the program by donating gifts and supplies to each of the seven Springfield City Library branches participating in the initiative.

“We are proud to continue our support of Drew and the Springfield City Library toward this incredibly meaningful community partnership,” said Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa. “We deeply value this relationship and hope that, in addition to encouraging a lifelong love of reading among our youngest fans, Boomer’s Reading Club can create core memories in Springfield children’s lives for years to come.”

The complete list of dates is as follows – all Boomer’s Reading Club sessions will run from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m., and all of these sessions are open to the public:

Wednesday, Nov. 13 @ Springfield Central Library (220 State Street, in 1st floor Children’s Room)
Tuesday, Nov. 26 @ Indian Orchard Branch (44 Oak Street)
Tuesday, Jan. 7 @ Sixteen Acres Branch (1187 Parker Street)
Thursday, Jan. 9 @ East Springfield Branch (21 Osborne Terrace)
Thursday, Jan. 16 @ East Forest Park Branch (136 Surrey Road) –NEW DATE
Tuesday, Jan. 28 @ Brightwood Branch (359 Plainfield Street)
Wednesday, Feb. 26 @ Mason Square Branch (765 State Street)

“We’re so excited to partner with the Springfield Thunderbirds for a third season of Boomer’s Reading Club. We’re expanding to even more libraries this year, adding Brightwood and Indian Orchard branches for seven total visits. Families will have fun seeing their hockey heroes read with them and inspire their children and grandkids to get a library card, visit the library, and pick up some great books,” said Jean Canosa Albano, Assistant Director at Springfield City Library. “Going to a T-Birds game is fun for the whole family, and so is going to the Springfield City Library! The Club combines reading, library activities, and a chance to discover why getting into reading when you are young is so important and fun.”

Families looking for more information about Boomer’s Reading Club can contact the team at (413) 739-4625 or by visiting www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.

Do you know what you can do with a Springfield City Library Card?

Mayor Sarno joins Springfield Library staff in supporting the library’s initiative to sign up 10,000 members for library cards.

Read at the City’s website

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno joined Springfield Library Community Relations Coordinator Jamillah Medina Nova in supporting the library’s initiative to sign up 10,000 members for library cards. The library card will get you access to all of the resources and services that our city’s libraries have to offer, allows you to place a hold, use the electronic resources on the eLibrary, and so much more.

You can get a library card by visiting your local library branch in person to get full access to all of our physical and digital resources. If you would like instant access to our online resources, you can apply for a CW MARS eCard online! The eCard can be upgraded to a full library card later, if desired.

We’d like to remind residents that the library offers much more than just books! Chromebooks, hotspots, print-fax-scan, meeting rooms, video games, e-reading, and more!

The initiative teamed with Brother Johnnie Muhammad to provide free Shabazz wings to children who applied for a library card this past weekend, which was a huge success.

Mayor Sarno states, “I want to thank Jamillah Medina Nova and the entire library staff for working so hard every day to provide all of these incredible FREE resources to our community. Shout to our friend Brother Johnnie Muhammad for his support this past weekend too. Neighborhood library branches are an essential component of our community. They not only provide much-needed library services and reading materials for residents and kids, but they also serve as a gathering and meeting space for our community’s different programs and initiatives. Springfield Libraries serve as a community center for educational and cultural programming, as well as a social gathering place for our students and the surrounding community. It serves as a hub for free information and technology, social and civic participation, personal enrichment, and lifelong learning.”

The Springfield City Library offers nearly 5000 educational and recreational activities annually.

To learn more, visit www.springfieldlibrary.org; to acquire a Library Card, visit https://www.springfieldlibrary.org/…/get-a-library-card/

Mayor Domenic Sarno and Community Relations Coordinator Jamillah Medina Nova pose with an oversized Springfield library card.

Springfield offering community financial literacy opportunity

Books and Brew at White Lion meets quarterly and is a partnership between the library and Liberty Bank.

Read the full article at WWLP.com.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Books and Brews is the newest book club in town led by Liberty Bank and it’s guiding the community to financial wellness.East Forest Park celebrates National Night Out

The book club meets quarterly at the White Lion Brewing Company in Downtown Springfield. In partnership with Springfield City Library, members can access each month’s read by simply checking it out.

Tuesday’s quarterly meeting, providing insight and knowledge related to work, wealth, and leadership.

Books and Brews will meet next on December 10th from 5 pm to 6:30 pm at the White Lion Brewing Company in Downtown Springfield. To find out what book they’ll be reading next, visit here.

Mayor Sarno joins East Springfield Library Branch to Celebrate National Library Week

The Springfield Libraries celebrated all our libraries all week with special events for National Library Week (Sunday, April 7 through Saturday, April 13)

04/12/2024:

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno joined today with Library Director Molly Fogarty, Assistant Director for Public Services Jean M. Canosa Albano, East Springfield Neighborhood Council President Kathy Brown and neighborhood council members, and the dedicated staff of the East Springfield Library Branch to celebrate National Library Week at the East Springfield Library on Osborne Terrace. The Springfield Libraries have been celebrating all our libraries all week with special events for National Library Week (Sunday, April 7 through Saturday, April 13). At the Springfield City Library, it’s all yours, just ask! Visit the library website to learn more: https://www.springfieldlibrary.org/library/

Mayor Sarno states, “My administration is proud to celebrate and recognize National Library Week at our local East Springfield neighborhood library branch to highlight the essential and important role our neighborhood libraries play in our community. They serve as a place to learn, where the community can gather, and hold numerous events and programs to support and enhance the quality of life in our community. The neighborhood hub feel is alive and well at the East Springfield branch which we look forward to expanding and enhancing the East Springfield Branch which has been around since 1935. Not only has my administration kept all our libraries open with stable and expanded hours, but we’ve also built a new neighborhood branch library in our East Forest Park neighborhood and are working toward more. I want to encourage every resident to stop by and visit and support your local neighborhood library and thank a library worker for everything they do.”

Western Mass. state legislators discuss their priorities with Springfield library community (WAMC)

State lawmakers and local librarians gathered in Springfield, Massachusetts on Friday to discuss funding, digital equity and more.

February 26, 2024
View full article at WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By James Paleologopoulos

Advocates for public libraries across western Massachusetts met with lawmakers as the two groups sat down for a special “Library Legislative Breakfast” at Springfield’s Brightwood Branch Library.

There, legislators representing parts of Hampden County and the surrounding area listened to the needs of the region’s libraries – while also presenting their own work on Beacon Hill.

Organizations such as the library sharing network, Central and Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing or “CW MARS,” and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners made their case for increased funding.

For fiscal year 2025, the MBLC’s legislative agenda requests a total of $51.4 million for multiple line items – a year-over-year increase of $4 million.

That includes direct, local aid for public libraries, as well as funding that assists groups such as CW MARS in their own operations, connecting their member libraries with others to allow patrons to reserve and take out books across western and central Massachusetts.

Executive Director Jeanette Lundgren says library users will be able to access the system in a new way in early March.

“We’re rolling out a new online catalogue – this will be a new front-end to the catalogue that will help promote discoverability of both our online and physical content, and provide more opportunities for our libraries to interact and connect with their patrons,” Lundgren said.

According to Lundgren, the over 150 public library systems taking part in CW MARS have access to nine million items in its shared catalogue, including 2.4 million “e-items” such as ebooks and audiobooks, which were at the center of a much-discussed piece of legislation Friday.

Throughout the lineup of guest speakers, both lawmakers and librarians referred to House Bill 3239 — An Act empowering library access to electronic books and audiobooks.

MBLC Commissioner Vicky Biancolo says when it comes to negotiating with publishers, libraries are unable to purchase digital books and audiobooks the same way as consumers, and are instead forced to pay figures that can be at least triple the cost.

In one instance, Biancolo described how an audiobook with a consumer price tag of $15 would end up costing a library $130 for a two-year license.

It’s a costly endeavor for libraries across the commonwealth, especially when the digital editions are in high demand and library waitlists only appear to be getting longer.

“Networks have doubled what they spend on ebooks and audio books and wait times, can be 60-90 days up to six months I’ve heard for some titles,” Biancolo said. “We just can’t keep pace with demand – it just is continuing – this is – never ending.”

The commissioner encouraged the lawmakers in attendance to support the bill, which was filed by Democratic Representative Ruth Baler of Newton. The legislation calls on the state’s consumer protection laws to force publishers to use fairer practices when negotiating with libraries.

Another piece of legislation highlighted included a bill to better protect librarians from an onslaught of book challenges, championed by State Senator Jake Oliveira of Ludlow and State Representative Aaron Saunders of Belchertown.

Libraries across Massachusetts are seeing a steady uptick in book challenges, in addition to thousands of complaints, which Oliveira says often target communities of color and those who identify as LGBTQ+.

“We need to push back against that – that’s why we need your help – to get these bills over the finish line,” the senator said as the group of book lenders before him broke out in applause.

Among other functions, the bill would require libraries to adopt the American Library Association’s “Library Bill of Rights” to be eligible for state funding.

The Bill of Rights holds that “materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.” It would also establish a “Book Access Fund” for localities challenging book bans.

A similar piece of legislation geared toward public school libraries was filed by Sen. Julian Cyr of Truro and Rep. John Moran of Boston.

Also highlighted at the meeting was funding for the “Massachusetts Center for the Book,” which offers family literacy programming in gateway cities.

Speaking with WAMC, Springfield State Senator Adam Gomez emphasized the importance of events such as Friday’s, adding it’s vital to listen to librarians, who are deeply embedded in their communities.

“Keep our ears open, make sure that we are listening to the advocates that are actually doing the work when it comes to our communities, especially these free spaces, our branches and libraries which are community centers and also, I would say, a place where imagination is created,” Gomez said.

More information on the MBLC’s legislative agenda can be found here.

Springfield Thunderbirds bring “Boomer’s Reading Club” back to Springfield City Library (WWLP)

Join Springfield Thunderbirds hockey players as they share some favorite books with you.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Springfield Thunderbirds are thrilled to announce the return of their community partnership with the Springfield City Library and the T-Birds Foundation through “Boomer’s Reading Club.”

On five afternoons in February, Thunderbirds forward Drew Callin, alongside a teammate, mascot Boomer, and T-Birds staff, will engage in interactive reading sessions and activities with local youth at various branches of the Springfield City Library.

“Going to a T-Birds game is fun for the whole family, and so is going to the Springfield City Library! We are so excited to renew our partnership with the Springfield Thunderbirds with Boomer’s Reading Club, which combines reading, library activities, and a chance to meet some of your favorite hockey players,” expressed Jean Canosa Albano, Assistant Director at Springfield City Library. “For the second straight year, we’ll share some great books and discover why getting into reading when you are young is so important and fun.”

The tentative dates and locations for Boomer’s Reading Club are as follows:

Thursday, Feb. 8: 3:45-4:45 p.m. – Springfield Central Library Children’s Room (220 State Street)
Monday, Feb. 12: 3:45-4:45 p.m. – East Forest Park Branch (136 Surrey Road)
Thursday, Feb. 15: 3:45-4:45 p.m. – Mason Square Branch (765 State Street)
Wednesday, Feb. 21: 3:45-4:45 p.m. – East Springfield Branch (21 Osborne Terrace)
Tuesday, Feb. 27: 3:45-4:45 p.m. – Sixteen Acres Branch (1187 Parker Street)

Apart from Callin’s involvement, the T-Birds Foundation will contribute to Boomer’s Reading Club with book donations and various supplies for each branch.

Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa expressed, “We are proud to continue our support of the Springfield City Library and thank Drew Callin for his commitment to our youth in the area. The T-Birds Foundation will be directly involved once again to ensure that the Springfield City Library and its numerous branches have every resource necessary to enhance the experience for all children who visit. We hope that the different branches see another tremendous turnout and, more importantly, we join in their wishes that reading becomes a lifelong passion for these young children.”

Boomer’s Reading Club represents the latest reimagination of Thunderbirds’ community programming. In 2023, the Thunderbirds made over 300 appearances in the Greater Springfield community, including trips to more than 40 participating schools in the Thunderbirds’ Stick to Reading program, promoting the love of books in local school districts, including Springfield Public Schools.

View the full article on WWLP

Read the T-birds press Release

City Officials Meet to Discuss ongoing plans for Renovations and Expansion of East Springfield Library Branch

The Springfield City Library has submitted a grant application with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners to expand and renovate the branch.

01/30/2024:

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, City Council President Attorney Michael Fenton, Health and Human Services (HHS) Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris, Parks, Buildings and Recreational Management (PBRM) Executive Director Patrick Sullivan, Capital Assets and Construction Director Peter Garvey, My-Ron Hatchett, Senior Project Manager, Springfield Library Director Molly Fogarty, and Board of Library Commission Chair Stephen Cary met today to discuss ongoing plans for the renovation and expansion of the East Springfield neighborhood library branch. The Springfield City Library has submitted a grant application with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC).

Mayor Sarno states, “I want to thank Council President Attorney Michael Fenton and East Springfield Neighborhood Council President Kathy Brown for expressing their support to renovate and expand our East Springfield neighborhood library branch. I am proud of the fact that while other communities have consolidated their local library branches, my administration has worked hard with our local stakeholders and partnerships to not only renovate our neighborhood library branches but to build new and expand them as well. My dedicated team, including HHS Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris, PBRM Director Patrick Sullivan, the Capital Assets and Construction team of Peter Garvey and My-Ron Hatchett, and our dedicated Library team of Director Molly Fogarty and Board Chair Stephen Cary, are working closely with the MBLC to support our grant application to help fund this important project.”

“Neighborhood library branches are an integral part of our community. They support not only much-needed library programs and reading for residents and students, but also serve as a place for our community to gather and meet for various programs and initiatives. Our East Springfield Library branch has been providing successful and popular library services for our community since 1934. The East Springfield Library Branch plays an important role as a community center for educational and cultural programs, as well as a social gathering for our students and the community. It is a hub for free access to information and technology, social and civic engagement and personal enrichment and lifelong learning. We are hopeful that the MBLC will support our application so that we can enhance this neighborhood learning center so that it can serve our community for another 100 years,” added Mayor Sarno.

Springfield officials take steps to improve 91-year-old East Springfield Library branch (Masslive.com)

The city will upgrade the East Springfield Library, saying the busy branch has not seen major improvements since it opened in 1932.

SPRINGFIELD – The city will upgrade the East Springfield Library, saying the busy branch has not seen major improvements since it opened in 1932.

“We want to make sure our library has the capacity to serve the community for the next 30 years,” said Kathy Brown, president of the East Springfield Neighborhood Council.

The council started talking about rebuilding or expanding and renovating the building on Osborne Terrace around 2014, but the first community meeting to start the process was held around 2019. That came just as the new $9.5 million East Forest Park Library, built with the help of a $4.9 million state grant, was completed.

Springfield City Library officials last week petitioned the City Council for approval to apply for a Massachusetts Public Library construction grant that will help pay for the project. It also requested a $150,000 transfer from the city’s capital project fund to cover initial planning costs.

“It doesn’t meet the standards of a 21st-century library. We can’t provide the services that we can provide at other libraries,” said Molly Fogarty, director of the Springfield library system.

It is the only Springfield library that has never seen substantial renovations and it needs them. It measures about 3,000 square feet on two levels, but the only level that is accessible to the disabled is 2,200 square feet, she said.

‘Over a decade’

“The neighborhood has been working on this for over a decade,” said City Councilor Michael Fenton, who represents the East Springfield area. “It requires substantial improvements and maintenance. It is the library that probably has received the least improvements in the city.”

Brown said the library, located in the middle of a residential neighborhood and between the busy streets of Carew and Page Boulevard, gets a lot of use.

Libraries are far more today than just books, she said. The neighborhood needs enough space for computers for adults and students who want a place to do homework. It also needs a private meeting room and an area for remote meetings and children’s programming.

The council is asking people to fill out a survey about what the library needs to offer now. It can be found online at tinyurl.com/surveyESB. There are paper forms available at the branch, but Brown encouraged people to answer the survey online if possible because it saves members from having to type in the answers.

Planning is in the preliminary stages, so no decisions have been made on the project, including whether the building should be renovated and expanded, torn down and replaced or a new one constructed in a different location.

The City Council voted 13-0 on both proposals that would start the process to improve the library.

“This is a great project, the neighborhood really deserves it,” City Councilor Tracye Whitfield said.

Mayor Sarno Recognizes our Springfield City Libraries During National Library Week

April 24th marks National Library Workers Day. Thank you to all our dedicated Springfield Library workers for your tremendous service.

April 25, 2023:

Happy Library Workers Day!

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City of Springfield are proud to join with Library Director Molly Fogarty, Deputy Director Jean Canosa Albano and our Springfield City Library team to celebrate National Library Week this year from April 23 – 29, 2023. Make sure to visit your library this week, or even check out a new library you’ve never been to. Find all Springfield library locations and hours here: Locations and Hours – Springfield City Library (springfieldlibrary.org)

There is a lot to celebrate when it comes to our libraries which are a hub for free access to information and technology, social and civic engagement, and support of personal enrichment, well-being, and lifelong learning. Today, April 24^th, marks National Library Workers Day. Thank you to all our dedicated Springfield Library workers for your tremendous service. We can all show gratitude to a Springfield City Library worker who “shines” by nominating a stellar library worker for the American Library Association’s Galaxy of Stars by completing a brief nomination form at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SubmitAStarforNLWD

Mayor Sarno states, “Our libraries and library employees are truly a wonderful and valuable resource for our community. From the leadership with Director Molly Fogarty and Deputy Director Jean Canosa Albano to each and every member of our library staff, we are extremely proud and grateful for our library system across the city and the important role they play in our community. This week especially, let us all take a moment to recognize how important our libraries and library employees are to our Springfield. They have so much to offer – remember, it’s all yours, just ask!”

Springfield City Library collecting pajamas for Boston Bruins drive (WWLP)

The Springfield City Library has partnered with the Boston Bruins to take part in the Bruins PJ drive that benefits children. The drive runs through March 15 at all nine library locations in the city.

Check out the story and video from WWLP

March 1, 2023:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)– The Springfield City Library has partners with the Boston Bruins to take part in the Bruins PJ drive that benefits children through the Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) Wonderfund and Cradles to Crayons.

The PJ drive runs through March 15 at all nine library locations in the city. They are looking for new pairs of pajamas for babies, children and teenagers.

“It’s hard to imagine that so many kids and teens don’t know the comforting feeling of putting on PJs before settling down to sleep. We’re happy to be part of an effort to change that” said Jean Canosa Albano, Assistant Director of the Library.

The goal of the PJ drive is to collect 5,000 pairs of new pajamas. DCF is estimated to be working with agency that assist more than 50,000 babies, children and teenagers.

The Bruins PJ drive began during the 2007-08 hockey season with Forward P.J. Axelsson and his wife Siw as a way to give back to the community. Since 2014, libraries across the state have joined in on the effort and have collected over 53,000 pairs of pajamas since.

For more information, visit Bruins PJ Drive website.