Elizabeth Taber Library’s new children’s librarian, Heather Ripley, made it over from one neighboring town to another on June 14, just in time for a very busy summer.
For four years the assistant children’s librarian at Mattapoisett Public Library, Ripley’s first activity at Taber Library was the Tales and Tails summer reading program sign-up. “So, we’re jumping right into it. We’re still doing sign-up [and] it’s been pretty steady,” she said, noting 10 children had registered as of June 17. Registrants receive a Reading Buddy Kit that includes a reading log and a surprise mini zoo animal reading buddy.
Having attended graduate school at Simmons University in Boston, Ripley took specialty classes to become a children’s librarian. Now she’s neck-deep in various efforts to get more kids cracking books in between school years.
Marion’s Summer Reading program is broken up into 15-minute segments in which readers are awarded stickers on personalized charts. “It really encourages more reading,” said Ripley.
Through the Heifer Fund grant, reading helps a charitable organization send chickens, goats, or cows to a farm in Africa. “Marion has been doing it for a while,” said Ripley, alluding to pre-pandemic visits that the library made to schools to introduce students to the incentive program.
“We’re still recently open from COVID-19, still wearing masks and have masks available,” said Ripley of the Taber Library practices. She said that people are complying. “Everyone’s masking fine and keeping distances. We’re slowly taking down precautions and easing things back to how things were.”
Mornings and afternoons tend to be busier times of day at Taber Library.
The library was closed on June 19 for Juneteenth, but will soon kickoff a full slate of summer entertainment with the Rockabye Beats Interactive Children’s Concert sponsored by the Marion Cultural Council on Monday, June 28, at 2:00 pm at the Marion Bandstand. Performers will mix singing and dancing geared toward children, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own rhythm instruments and participate.
Daily Lawn games also began on June 14 with disc golf, bag toss, Kan Jam, oversized board games, giant Legos, and obstacle courses. On Friday mornings from 10:00 am to noon, the library is serving free coffee and juice in the reading circle.
The New Bedford Art Museum’s artMobile will make two appearances with art projects inspired by the Ruth E. Carter exhibit Uncommon Threads, which explores fashion and costume design. The all-ages event is scheduled for two Saturdays, June 26 and July 17, from noon to 2:00 pm.
July events include a visit from Pine Meadows Alpaca Farm animals on Thursday, July 8, at 1:00 pm, a Mandala workshop for teens and adults on Tuesday, July 13, at 6:30 pm, and Mike Piazza’s Flying High Frisbee dog show on Tuesday, July 20, at 1:00 pm.
The Taber Library will announce more activities and events this summer and invites readers to help decide what the future holds by participating in a survey accessible at forms.gle/4QRKiG3Zf7LLkfiU9. For more information on the Elizabeth Taber Library, visit ElizabethTaberLibrary.org or call 508-748-1252.
By Mick Colageo