The Grafton Public Library will be CLOSED in observance of Indigenous People’s Day, a commemoration of Native American history and culture, on Monday October 9, 2023. No items are due this day. The Library will reopen at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 10 at 10:00am.
Please pick up museum passes for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday before the Library closes at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday October 7.
The Grafton Public Library will delay opening until 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 19, 2023 for Staff Development. Items may be returned in the automated return outside.
ServPro will be on site on Monday September 25 through Friday September 29 to begin removing flooring, wall, and millwork damaged by water during the flood August 18. We will need to close areas of the building for this work to be completed. The Children’s Room will close to pack, store and relocate items on Thursday September 21, and remain closed for the duration of the work, with a reopening date to be determined.
Affected areas include the Children’s Room, Children’s Program Room, Children’s Room Storage Closet, Children’s Workroom, Community Room, A/V Storage Closet, and Kitchen.
There is likely to be significant noise and disruption due to this demolition work, all week, between 10am and 4pm. Visitors should manage expectations accordingly. Please obey all staff directives and signage during this reconstruction period.
The Community Room continues to be unavailable and we are not taking any new bookings until the reconstruction project is completed.
A selection of Children’s Materials will be available in the Friends Corner (Thank you to our Friends for temporarily giving up this space!) until the Community Room work is completed. Puzzles, toys, crafts and activities will not be available. All Children’s Programming is suspended through October. Unfortunately, this means the Library will need to be a an errand, not a destination, and visitors should manage expectations accordingly.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope to complete this restoration work quickly! Thank you for your patience and patronage.
This week we circulated 2,400 items, received 660 items in transit, and sent 662 items. We requested 516 items and fulfilled 492 hold requests; registered 20 patrons for library cards, and added 127 new items. The most popular book this week is The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand. We hosted 35 meetings in our conference, study, and tutoring rooms for 150 people including Friends of the Grafton Public Library, Small Stones Festival planning, Democratic Town Committee, Grafton Girls Softball, GPL union negotiations, Girl Scouts, GSC Board of Directors, as well as private work, study, homeschool, and tutoring sessions.
Admin Beth corresponded with people regarding meeting room reservations, updated the calendar and approved requests, made updates to the Procedures Manual, website, and event calendar, and reviewed and submitted bills. She prepared for the upcoming Board of Library Trustee meeting, worked on the State Aid financial report, prepared new policies to share with staff and post to the Library’s website, and attended the Union negotiation meeting. She shepherded two programs – Grafton Ukulele Musicians and Eric the Plant Guy’s Happy Harvesting program. She covered public service desks all day on Tuesday in Borrower Services, Children’s, and Young Adult due to a staffing shortage. She sent hire letters to two temp staff candidates.
Eileen maintained the collection of periodicals, took care of incoming mail, sent late notices, prepared bills, paid invoices, and assisted with coverage for Borrower Services. Debby compiled the Weekly Report, covered scheduling gaps in the Teen Room, and worked on payroll, scheduling, social media, and tasks for the Board of Library Trustees.
Borrower Services Staff managed the adult circ desk, delivery, museum passes, the lobby, room reservations, and Automatic Materials Handling equipment. We assisted patrons, placed holds, performed readers’ advisory, and supervised volunteers.
Kara processed new DVDs and updated displays; ordered requested e-book and e-audio titles; checked CWMars top titles against the collection; reviewed industry newsletters to add upcoming titles to purchase lists; corresponded with volunteer applicants and staff coordinators; placed an order of music CDs; contacted volunteers about skills and interest in a project for the Director; processed new adult fiction and large print fiction. Jane posted the New York Times Best Seller List for print and audio fiction and recommended titles for purchase; corrected patron records with the wrong home library; collected items with alerts from invalid RFID tags; processed pending library card applications; and continued weeding the fiction collection. Ranjita posted the New York Times Best Seller List for print and audio nonfiction and recommended titles for purchase; processed ComCat requests; processed pending library card applications; and performed a routine check of the Library of Things.
Sandhya managed out of network requests for materials; worked on interlibrary loans and followed up with patrons; cleared expired holds from the hold shelf and followed up with patrons; worked on the home delivery service, including ordering items, making calls, processing holds, and coordinating volunteers; attended the MLS webinar “Who to Ask? ILL and Delivery”; prepared the October endcap display; sent reminders to program registrants for Monday and Tuesday programs; hosted the second session of the Diamond Art program for adults; hosted the daytime Unplug with Art program for adults; and prepared for adult programming in November. Allie set up Outlook email signature; emailed a patron about ordering large print book; proofed September events in the September newsletter; removed June New Fiction books; organized the New Fiction display; printed the events calendar and endcap display posters.
Children’s Services This week the Children’s Room saw so many families coming to enjoy the space and meet up for play dates. Sarah helped cover in the lobby since we were short staffed on Monday, represented the Library at NSS’s curriculum night for 2nd and 3rd grades, met with the town to negotiate the GPL Union’s contract, planned for upcoming outreach visits, worked on collection development, submitted August statistics and narratives, coordinated with local schools, chatted with patrons about upcoming programming, met with staff, and coordinated with Debby to be sure the CR schedule was up to date. Jen represented the Library at NSS’s curriculum night for 4th and 5th grades, worked on the CR newsletter, updated EventKeeper, chatted with patrons about upcoming programming, worked on lesson plans for upcoming programming, and assisted patrons. Cyndi worked on a classroom set of black bird puppets for Toddler Time, met with the town to negotiate the GPL Union’s contract, and caught up on email. Stacie represented the Library at MSES’s curriculum night, decorated the room for fall, chatted with patrons about upcoming programming, planned upcoming displays, and assisted patrons. Kristin worked with schools to begin planning for Grafton History Day.
Teen Services Allison finalized stats, attending multiple meetings, completed a book order, and attended the Grafton Middle School Open House. Sarah S organized end cap display stickers; tallied Tween program responses; alphabetized new behavior contracts and shredded old ones; changed displays over to Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, deaf characters, and sign language display, noting titles with deaf or hearing-impaired characters to add to the collection. Shawn completely reorganized the Maker Space cabinets and drawers, making room for additional items gifted from the Children’s Room.
Reference Services Heidi and Eric assisted with tech and reference questions as well as circulation. Heidi also hosted the “Not Just for Young Adults” Book discussion of The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy, worked on collection development and event PR. Eric ordered new books for the non-fiction collection, shifted around part of the non-fiction collection to make more space, and performed collection maintenance.
Technical Services This week, Cynthia ordered new books and unpacked items as they arrived; cataloged new audiobooks, video games, adult fiction, and children’s books; added grids to items in Ingram; fixed problem items; and helped cover the desk for Borrower Services.
The Library was open 23 days in July and had 7,156 visitors. We offered 62 programs for 1,165 attendees. We had 135 meeting room reservations for 351 participants and one cancellation. We hosted an additional 68 meeting room uses for staff use (photography, meetings, etc.) and filed 6 incident reports, including hate speech, disruptive behavior, unattended children, meeting room use and tutoring policy violations.
Admin Beth met and corresponded with people regarding meeting room and facility rentals, with Trustees, staff, the Town Administrator’s office. She worked on year-end procedures and scheduling, submitted bills for payment, worked on a final nonfiction book order, and made updates to the procedures manual, website, event calendar, and social media pages. She prepared a CPA funding request for CPC to meet the gap for the cupola restoration project.
Beth shepherded the monthly GUM Jam session in partnership with Apple Tree Arts, attended the NASA Space Ambassador program and Stargazing Party at Willard House and accepted a donation of three telescopes to loan from Celestron!
Beth attended the Board of Library Trustees policy subcommittee meeting and worked on policy updates, and attended the monthly trustee meeting. Beth reviewed and submitted payroll and bills, approved meeting room usage; updated the website, social media, and calendar of events; and made updates to the procedures manual.
Eileen maintained the collection of periodicals, took care of incoming mail, and prepared bills. Debby worked on scheduling and payroll, compiled Weekly Reports, worked on upcoming social media posts, helped clear the sprinkler room to meet compliance standards from the Grafton Fire Department, and covered the Teen Room, and worked on Board of Library Trustee tasks. Debby compiled the Weekly Report, worked on upcoming social media posts, payroll and scheduling, as well as tasks for the Board of Library Trustees for their upcoming meetings.
CWMARS Update Anonymizing of holds took place in August. We also eliminated text messaging support to Boost T-mobile customers due to lack of support from the carrier. ComCat items are now fine-free.
Staffing We continued to review applications for the 18-hour Library Associate-Teen Services position and scheduled interviews for the first week of August; we are seeking a teen specialist who LOVES middle school age students and is available between 2-6pm on weekday afternoons. We recorded 45 low coverage instances.
Budget We learned from accounting that we went over budget and had to request a transfer of $10,000 from the Board of Library Trustees from State Aid; we have since learned we paid duplicate bills, misattributed some programming invoices to a non-existent program line instead of the Gift Account, and will be receiving a reimbursement from Ingram.
Building Patio furniture was put together and installed. The Capital Campaign ordered concrete gaming tables and musical instruments to be installed in August.
Construction Update Beth is working with the construction team to schedule dates to replace the incorrect Maker Space and Presentation Area doors and install locks. Town of Grafton will complete the ball bearing for the gate at the bottom of the stairs.
HVAC commissioning is still outstanding. The HVAC unit above the staff break room is still making a random loud screeching noise like a hard water stop, and the unit rumbles at a low vibration that is extremely disruptive to staff using the room as a respite from work on their breaks. Noises like a faucet turning off or hard water stop continue to recur over the Admin wing and other spaces; the architect suggested it could be a water pressure issue, which William Blake will bring to Town of Grafton Water Department; Beth has been bringing this up to the Construction Team and Building Committee for many months, and it was not an issue for the first year of operation. We continue to have water cascading off the roof near the book drop and surpassing the lower downspout and gutters, creating water pools in the mulched blueberry bush garden, which makes the mulch overflow onto the concrete pathway to the exterior book return, and creating an obstacle and potential trip hazard for visitors with wheelchairs, walkers or other mobility issues. We are still waiting for return of chairs from Tucker, they were going to repair stitching issues on the upholstery.
IT Update Beth renewed the Deep Freeze license in July.
Volunteers, Outreach and Partnerships Crescent Manor BookWagon had 6 participants, 33 check-outs and renewals and 2 requests.
We delivered 9 items to Homebound patrons. We had 23 volunteers who put in 110.75 hours.
Social Media We surpassed 1,000 followers on TikTok, with 1,011! We have 2,199 followers on Facebook, 791 on Instagram, 112 on YouTube, 418 on Twitter, 424 on Pinterest, and 8 on Flickr. We have 2,080 subscribers on Constant Contact. We are investigating a HootSuite for streamlining posts.
Children’s Services Summer Reading was in full swing this month with programming and a full and bustling room. The heat, humidity, and frequent storms we had during the month had people flocking to the library to take advantage of the cool room and activities, both staff lead and passive, that were provided all month long. Families visit the library all day long and staff are always hard at work placing holds, reserve tutoring rooms, cleaning up toys, shelving returns, answering questions, connecting people with resources and materials, and more from 10am to late evening each day!
Some highlights of the month included a visit from Animal World Experience, a fun-filled day of soap making for grades 3-12, The James Webb Space Telescope + Star Gazing Party! – a wildly successful partnership program with Willard House, two full sewing camp sessions, various arts and craft programs, Summer Songs in the Park, and the always surprising Super Summer Saturdays! We also had Toto the Tornado Kitten and his human, Jonathan back for another fun filled feline visit. Our Toto visits are one of our longest running summer programs, and we get visitors of all ages who treasure their “Toto time” each year
We have received so many compliments about the room and all of the activities we have been hosting this summer. Families are so happy to have a free resource for their children and a comfortable place to gather and play.
The CR is currently working 20 hours short, and it has added a bit of strain to CR staff since we have had trouble filling all of the gaps with subs, but we have done our best to provide a variety of programs and top tier service to the families in our community.
Teen Services July kicked off our summer reading programs! Each week we are offering a movie and Perler bead night. Teens get to vote on the movie that night and have the opportunity to make art out of Perler beads. Other successful teen programs this month included: Anime Club, Manga Club, Animal World Experience, The James Webb Telescope + Star Gazing Party, Soapmaking Workshop, Button Art and a Tarot Workshop.
Historically in the summer we only see teens when they are browsing or for programs. This year has been different. Teens who used to come after school are continuing to visit during the summer to hang out. We are so happy that they are continuing to use the space. There have been a few incidents this month of adults with children who have wanted to use the teen room or tutor rooms for themselves. Each group was asked to move to a different area of the library so that the teen room can be maintained for the exclusive use of teens.
This month we also reviewed applications for the new part time teen position. Beth, Debby and Allison interviewed five candidates and chose the person we think will best fit the position.
Borrower Services We circulated 14,118 physical items and 3,347 digital items–There were 135 museum pass reservations; 106 were picked up and there were 29 “No Shows.” We gave out 223 seed packets.
We registered 115 new borrowers and corrected 11 accounts for Grafton patrons and made 9 out of network requests; 2 were unfillable.
Our main display for July was “Oh the Places I Can See Through Books.” The four smaller displays were: American historical fiction, “Books to Read on Vacation,” “Rain or Shine, We Love Reading All the Time,” and National Day of the Cowboy. Book lists were added to the website for Independence Day and Disability Pride. A graphic novel display was set up for Eisner nominees. The lobby display case was filled for Independence Day, Shark Week, Disability Pride Month, and upcoming library programs.
Sandhya hosted 1 daytime “Unplug with Art” program for adults: 6 people attended. She organized and hosted the Ceramic Tile Coasters craft program for adults: 8 people attended (and 2 registrants were no-shows).
Reference Services The Reference department placed 589 holds. Heidi and Eric assisted patrons with tech, reference questions and circulation. They ordered new non-fiction materials, put out new acquisitions and worked on collection maintenance. They also collected data for the monthly report, planned August book displays. Eris familiarized themselves with more of the local history collection.
We held the following in person book discussion groups:
The “Not Just for Young Adults” Book Discussion Group met to discuss This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura.
The Daytimers Book Group met to discuss Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane.
The GPL Mystery Book Group met to discuss The Widows of Malabar Hill, by Sujata Massey.
The “Reads Well with Others” Adult Book Discussion Group met to discuss A Song Everlasting, by Ha Jin.
The “Inspirational Book Club and Guided Meditation” met to discuss Talk Like TED: the 9 public-speaking secrets of the world’s top minds by Carmine Gallo.
The department hosted Saturday Afternoon Knitting, etc. Displays for July included Eric’s display titled: “Time to Travel” and Heidi’s American Revolution end cap display.
Heidi went to the Farmers Market on the Common once in July, for 1 1/2 hours. It was kind of a low attendance day, and interacted with 23 individuals. She checked out one book from the display and answered several reference questions.
We have 1,661 database uses, 284 computer users and 3,684 WiFi users.
Technical Services 582 items were added in July and 154 items were deleted. Cynthia worked on fixing 49 items.
She ordered books through Ingram for each department and unpacked items as they arrived, sent in requests to the CatCenter for records to be added to the catalog, and worked on replacement items. She created several records for Library of Things items, including many children’s games and puzzles and the three telescopes, and worked on adding grids to existing carts in Ingram. Cynthia ran reports in Ingram and Baker and Taylor to see any cancelled items and sent them to selectors if they had any. She also helped cover the desk for Borrower Services.
Friends Book and media donations in saleable will be accepted Aug 28-Sept 8, with the next Book Sale running Sept 9-10. The next Friends meeting will be posted to the Friends Facebook page.
Patron Comments 7/31 “Thank you. I had a lovely time.” (“Reads Well with Others” Book Group.)
7/31 “Thank you so much for your help. You saved me so much time! I’m kind of a perfectionist, so it would’ve taken me forever and still not looked right. What a beautiful library. This is our first time here.” (help with Summer Reading reporting form).
7/31 Multiple comments Animal world program was awesome. Grafton library doing good job with programs
7/31 Multiple comments during the program tonight about how dark the Community Room is.
7/31 Patron complimented on how the library smells newer than last time he came in.
7/31 Patron interested in how to get her daughters involved with a piano recital on the event calendar for January 2024.
7/31 Lots of confusion about having the tutoring rooms on the event calendar. People keep asking if they can book a tutoring session or think we offer private tutoring. We do recommend tutor.com as an alternative.
7/31-No, we don’t keep a list of piano teachers but people sometimes advertise on the bulletin board in the hall. We did recommend ATA.
7/31- I’m sorry, but sewing club is already full. It’s a very popular program.
7/31 Patron asked if the Wifi networks that require a password are “safer” than the general GPL-guest Wifi that does not require a password. [the password protected is for staff-only to protect public access to private data -BS]
7/29 “Is the book sale that is coming up only for children’s material?” -yes, we think so, but the request for books on Facebook doesn’t ask for only children’s.
7/29 “I’m so glad I didn’t have to go anywhere else.” (to get her pictures printed from her phone so she could frame one of them and use the others for source material for an art project.)
7/29 Thank you so much for all the programs you are running especially on Saturdays. We’ve done both the games and the spin art/ball pit and we’ve loved both.
7/29 Comments about the flower bouquet at the desk, patron was missing her garden and would love to be able to see the gardens outside but she is not steady enough on her feet for the walkway. I let her into the community room so she could see the gardens outside and still be on a firm surface.
7/29 Comments about the non-working door opener. x 3
7/29 Super Summer Saturdays is awesome!
7/27 “I miss the old library. It’s just not the same. It makes me sad to see the whole front of the library (the historic reading room) is just a waste of space and not being used. It makes me think that we didn’t really need a library as big as this.”
7/27 “How many books am I allowed to check out?” -I told him 50- his response “Really? Five-Zero? You’re kidding me, right?”-
7/27 “When will this door (opener) get fixed? It’s just ‘great’ for the handicapped.” -told her we were waiting on a part, and I don’t know when that will be- her response was “It’s probably held up in China!”
7/27 Helped a patron send photos to her email and crop/print them and she asked if I was adoptable – hah.
7/26 Informed patron entering 5th grade in the fall that they were not old enough to use the gaming room.
7/26 “Wow. This place is amazing. Everyone should know about it. The natural light is great….Thank you. You’ve been very helpful. I’m so glad I needed to photocopy something or I wouldn’t have come here.” (photocopies and a library card).
7/26 “I love your hat.” (2x. Star themed outfit to advertise for the stargazing and telescope program at Willard House. Though the program is full, it is good for people to know what kinds of things we offer.)
7/26 “I love the carpet. It’s pretty.” (blue and gray one).
7/26- I’m sorry, the telescope program today is full. 4 calls before 12
7/26 5 people waiting in the breezeway to come in at 9:30. 4 more waiting outside 9:50.
7/25 “Thanks. You guys are life savers.” (Being able to fax something here.)
7/24 “Wow, I’m surprised you have this book (Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow / Zevin), it’s months out on Libby.” (this book was published in 2022 in all formats, but Libby/OverDrive may not have been able to license from the publisher -BS]
7/24- No we don’t have the giant board games out today. That was a special event for our Super Saturday program.
7/22 “I keep losing my card. I can’t wait for there to be a digital one.” -she was thrilled to learn about the CWMARS app which will give her the digital card she wanted.
7/22 Patron who held the door open for an elderly patron– “These doors are awfully heavy for some people. He looked like he could use help.” (I thanked him for being helpful and considerate) –
7/22 Patron leaving the children’s room– “This is the cutest library ever! I just love it!” –
7/21 “Oh, you’re so good, answering the phone. You close at 6pm don’t you? You librarians are so good. My daughter-in-law is a librarian. You are all so good.”
7/21 This is so cool! (self-return)
7/21 Thanks (for self-check demo) Now I can do it myself next time!
7/21 “It’s cold in here!” x2
7/21 “Thanks for being so helpful…you saved me a trip….If my kid is asking to read, you bet I’ll get her the book.” (Finding her the adult and YA books she was looking for).
7/21 “Oh, you’re the one who changes the message board. I’m always surprised at all the wonderful things the library is offering. I drive by or I walk in and see what’s going on. It’s great.”
7/20 Worcester patron called to ask how to get a museum pass
7/20 “Oh, there are no free books today!” (The free cart in the lobby vestibule is empty)
7/20 “Thank you for your help. You are always so helpful.”
7/20 “Oh, you put Romance stickers on the Fantasy books. How great. I discovered that Romance / Fantasy is a genre I really like. Thanks for helping me find more of them.”
7/20 “I got all kinds of ideas….I’m a Friend of the Millbury Library.” (She took pictures of Sandhya’s book birdhouses and the book hedgehog).
7/18 “This was a great pick for my first time. I love to read. I love to talk about books with people. This has been wonderful.” (at the Daytimers Book Group).”
7/18 Patron was upset about the door not being fixed and was muttering comments about her newspapers not being delivered either.
7/18- Patron was upset that why door is still not fixed and when I was trying to explain she just walk away
7/18 – Rec Dept- we love our Room 202 better than our office 🙂
7/17- Middle school girls – Beth, you don’t work in YA anymore? We miss seeing you
7/17 – Why is there no return bin outside for people who are in a hurry? The self return takes so long since we have to return one book/item at a time and many times the machine stalls if we try to do it fast. This is very frustrating.
SS- No we do not have a return bin outside the self return is all we have.
7/17- Do you have the reading list for Grafton public schools 2nd grade? There is no official list, but we do have copies of the summer reading passport here if you’d like a copy.
7/17 6 people (all ages!) waiting to come in well before 10am.
7/15 Yes, we do have FAX capabilities. Patron seemed disappointed that we charge for that service.
7/14 Please update the website to reflect the book donation dates (Edited the DONATE page 7/15)
7/14 Is there a tarot card reading program for adults?
7/14 “Thank you for recommending the Worcester History Museum back in February.” Mentioned her daughter was able to see old diaries/journals and loved it.
7/14 “We appreciate everything you do and all the programming!”
7/13 Can we come to the library every day? (small patron asking dad on the way out)
7/13 How do I use a computer here? (Patron computers are upstairs. You need to sign in so we know how long a computer is used.)
7/13 Is there a place that has a plotter printer that could print posters? I directed her to Staples.
7/13 This place is so beautiful. I am loving this donor display. (I told her about the recycled floor from the old library, and she loved that as well.)
7/13 I have only been here for 3 mins and this place is amazing. I am astonished at the renovation and cannot believe all of the resources available for patrons!
7/13 Yes, our patron computers have Microsoft Word on them.
7/13 No, we do not have notary service here. -jb [suspended due to low staffing-BS]
7/13- Overheard comment: They have really cool things here for little kids.
7/13 Comment: “I brought my brother-in-law and his family to the library because we have such a great children’s room!” CZ
7/13 No, the Bruins aren’t coming here this year. They pick different libraries to visit every summer.
7/13 “I have middle and high schoolers that home school and I’m very impressed with this new teen space! This will be great to visit to get a break from learning at home.”
7/12 “I’m from Milbury and my grandkids love your new library.”
7/12 New patron: “The historic reading room is very beautiful. I’m so excited to check out the book clubs and the knitting club!”
7/11 Yes, we do have an AED here (asked by the group doing CPR training for the cheer/football meeting)
7/11 How can I go about donating to get my name on the wall (beehive capital campaign sign)? (Took patron’s name and passed along to manager.
7/11 After button art a teen who had also been at pride tote bags asked for more lgbtq related programming
7/11-Many positive comments today about our art programs. One mom was especially grateful that we offered the same programs for teen and tweens, as both siblings wanted to go. Asked for more all-ages craft programs as the parents would like to work on these projects as well!
7/10- lots of questions today about using the library WiFi-what is it, is there a password? Should we have clearer signage?
7/10- He wants to come in every day just to do the scavenger hunt!-
⅞ “This place is wonderful! We needed a place for the kids on this hot day-this is perfect! Thank you so much”.
⅞ Yes we have kids movies!
7/ 8 Do we have VHS Player?
7/7 “I don’t hardly buy books anymore. I had to get rid of so many.” (Now she just uses the library. *smile*)
7/7 The new middle school principal stopped by to see the teen room and was impressed with the space.
7/6 Yes, if you have something on hold, you will get an email and should not have to come in and check every so often – unless you request a phone call or text message.
7/6 “I guess we don’t get check in slips anymore.” (Did we ever? He said we used to give them back in the old library.)
7/6 “Yes, we have a shredder you can use.”
7/6 “I love libraries! Thanks for all of your help.”
7/6 “What a beautiful new library you have!”
7/6 Yes, the dumbwaiter was removed with the renovation, because we now have a full service certified elevator
7/5 No, we do not have Southwick’s Zoo passes this year
7/5 “Your gardens are lovely. All the rain must be helping. They look great.”
7/5 Yes, we do have a children’s book in Korean but it’s a Korean vocabulary book. CW MARS does have a few fiction books in Korean that we can order for you. (Patron took the vocab book as they are hoping to brush up their skills.)
7/3 “I love your headband.” (Red, white and blue, light up, tube crinoline and ribbons headband for the 4th of July).
7/3 “Yes, our Internet is working and you can use our public access computers.”
7/1 “How long has the door opener been broken? I will be glad when it is working.” (not really broken, just turned off because of the non-locking door feature)
Do you enjoy gardening? Do you have a few hours each week, or as your schedule allows, that you could help maintain the gardens at the Grafton Library? There are several plots around the building that need ongoing attention – weeding, deadheading etc. Please consider “adopting” one of the gardens and caring for it when it fits your schedule. Hand tools, gloves and garden debris bags will be provided. We will connect you with the volunteer currently caring for the gardens to assist you in becoming familiar with the gardening process in place. Thank you for considering this request, we hope you join the gardening team!
Earbuds or headphones must be used. No sound coming from electronic devices.
Respectful language only. No profanity, disrespectful, or unsafe language.
Remain in the Teen Room. No in and out.
Noise must be kept at a conversational level.
Clean up your area before leaving, throwing trash away.
Three Strikes
Verbal warning/strike
Repeated warning — may be non-verbal
You will be asked to leave library property within 2 minutes*
*Groups may be asked to leave if individual members of the group are not following the rules.
When You Can Return
If you are asked to leave for a minor violation, you may return the next day with a clean slate.
Repeated violations may result in a longer suspension from the library.
Immediate Removal
You will be asked to leave IMMEDIATELY if any of the following occurs:
Picking up, hitting, kicking, chasing another person or taking another person’s property
Entering a staff area, cabinets, or drawers without permission; misuse of supplies
Unsafe or destructive behaviors such as vandalism or damage to equipment, furniture, walls, or other library property
Disrespect to library staff
When You Can Return
If you are asked to leave immediately for unsafe or disrespectful behavior, you may return:
1st removal — the next day
2nd removal — one week
3rd removal — one month
A meeting with the Library Director or manager, and/or a parent meeting may be required to return.
If you return and are on Library property, the Grafton Police Department will be notified and you will be served with a No Trespass Order.
Teen Room Behavior Contract
Beginning 10/11/22, all teens requesting use of the teen room will be asked to sign the Teen Room Behavior Contract, which outlines the rules of the Teen Room and consequences for not following them. This will only need to be completed once and a note will be added on your library card account.
Teen Room Sign In Procedure (updated Friday October 14)
In order to ensure a safe, positive and inclusive space for all tween and teens we are limiting the number of patrons visiting the Teen Room to 22 people. Rooms further are limited by number of chairs (no more than 16 in the gaming room, 16 in the maker space, or 19 in perimeter seating at any one time). There is no congregating in ways that block doors or emergency exits, access to stacks, or life/safety equipment.
Visitors ages 13-17 must sign into the Teen Room to use the space, including the Gaming Room, Maker Space and open seating and browsing. Tutoring Rooms may be reserved on EK Rooms.
Name, grades, address, and phone/email are required to sign in.
Unattended Child Policy
Please note that all tweens and teens must also comply with the Library’s Unattended Child Policy:
0-7 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times;
8-12 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian remaining in the Library;
13+ may be unaccompanied, provided child is able to use Library independently and follow the Library’s Code of Conduct.
We’ve compiled a list of resources for mental health support, safety and domestic violence and abuse. Call or text these organizations for support. They are all free and confidential, and most are available to you 24/7. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
Wondering what to read next?Let us help you discover your next great read! Complete a short form and staff will match your format, genre, and audience preferences to curate a selection of books and media for you.
This week we circulated 2,264 items, received 524 items in transit, and sent 604 items. We requested 511 items and fulfilled 424 hold requests; registered 15 patrons for library cards, and added 141 new items. The most popular book this week is The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand. We hosted 25 meetings in our conference, study, and tutoring rooms for 139 people including Friends of the Grafton Library Back to School Book Sale, Small Stones Festival planning, and Girl Scout leaders, as well as private work, study, homeschool, and tutoring sessions.
The Library was closed Monday, September 4, 2023 for the Labor Day holiday.
Admin Eileen maintained the collection of periodicals, took care of incoming mail, sent late notices, prepared bills, paid invoices and assisted with coverage for Borrower Services. Debby compiled the Weekly Report, and worked on payroll, scheduling, social media, and tasks for the Board of Library Trustees.
Borrower Services Staff managed the adult circ desk, delivery, museum passes, the lobby, room reservations, and Automatic Materials Handling equipment. We assisted patrons, placed holds, performed readers’ advisory, and supervised volunteers.
Kara prepared the ARIS, circulation statistics, and circ narrative for August; placed an order of CD audiobooks; ran Evergreen reports for lost, transit, and missing items for August; sent August’s OverDrive MARC records to CWMars; pulled materials for Crescent Manor and made the monthly visit; ordered items for next month’s Crescent Manor visit; checked CWMars top titles against the collection; reviewed industry newsletters to add upcoming titles to purchase lists; and corresponded with volunteer applicants and staff coordinators. Jane posted the New York Times Best Seller List for print and audio fiction and recommended titles for purchase; corrected patron records with the wrong home library; collected items with alerts from invalid RFID tags; collected items with alerts from old displays; and continued weeding fiction. Ranjita posted the New York Times Best Seller List for print and audio nonfiction and recommended titles for purchase; performed the monthly AED and first aid kit checks; processed ComCat requests; processed pending library card applications; performed a routine check of the Library of Things; and set up a September endcap display for “Positive Thinking Reads”. Sandhya managed out of network requests for materials; cleared expired holds from the hold shelf and followed up with patrons; worked on the home delivery service, including ordering items, making calls, processing holds, and coordinating volunteers; worked on interlibrary loans and followed up with patrons; sent a reminder email to Adult Diamond Art Program participants about the next session in September; processed incomplete ComCat requests and followed up with lenders; and set up a September endcap display for banned books. Allie has been out so far this week. We miss her!
Children’s Services This week the Children’s Room opened back up to the public for the first time since the Library’s flood in August. Children’s Room staff welcomed families, assisted patrons, and shelved numerous children’s materials. Families were happy to be back and are eagerly awaiting the return of library programming!
Teen Services Allison worked on book orders, figuring out the new email through Outlook, and organizing the teen office. Sarah S contacted presenters about rescheduling programs, checked in new titles, shelved books, and coordinated with volunteers. Shawn has been greeting teens, having them sign contracts, and overseeing the room.
Reference Services Heidi assisted with tech and reference questions as well as circulation. She also worked on collection development, program planning, and statistics.
Technical Services This week Cynthia ordered new books and unpacked items as they arrived, cataloged new DVDs and Young Adult books, and worked on fixing problem items. She covered the desk for Borrower Services, ran reports to gather statistics for her monthly report, and wrote her monthly narrative for August.
September is Library Card Sign-up Month, when libraries nationwide join the American Library Association (ALA) to remind parents, caregivers, and students that signing up for a library card is the first step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning.
Libraries play a crucial role in the education and development of children, offering a variety of programs to spark creativity and stimulate an interest in reading and learning. Through access to technology, media resources and educational programs, a library card gives students the tools to succeed in the classroom and provides people of all ages opportunities to pursue their dreams, explore new passions and interests, and find their voice.
Library cards are FREE to Grafton residents, students and property owners, and to any MA resident.
Did you lose your card? September is the BEST time to replace the card, because the replacement cost is WAIVED every September.
It takes only minute to set up a library card.
Anyone can get a library card-even babies!
The Grafton Public Library continues to be FINE FREE.
Every two years, your card must be updated so we can confirm we have current contact information for you. September is a great time to update your card!
We regret to inform you that there won’t be any staff-led programs in the Children’s Room this September. We’re still in the process of recovering from an unfortunate flooding incident that occurred on the morning of Friday, August 18th.
Intense rainstorms resulted in significant flooding, with water entering the Children’s Room, the adjacent Children’s Program Room, and other areas on the south side of the building. The Children’s Program Room may require significant remediation to become a usable space again.
Additionally, we’re facing staffing challenges due to recent retirements and illnesses.
We understand that the Children’s Room is the heart of our library, and we’re aware of how much our beloved programs mean to you. Rest assured, there’s always plenty to do in the Children’s Room. We offer a wide range of activities, from toys and coloring to our famous in-room scavenger hunt. We’ve got enough fun to keep the kids entertained! Families, children, and caregivers are always welcome to enjoy our space, and we’d be thrilled to host playgroups and meetups in our engaging children’s area. For the latest updates on our programs,including special pop-up events, please visit our website and social media accounts.
We deeply apologize for any inconvenience this situation may cause and sincerely appreciate your understanding during this challenging time.
-CR Staff
We are delighted to see so many students who want to use the Library after school, but must remind parents of our Unattended Child Policy:
youth ages 0-7 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times;
youth ages 8-12 must be accompanied by parent/guardian remaining in the Library;
youth ages 13+ may be unaccompanied, provided your child is able to use Library independently and follow the Library’s Code of Conduct.
September is Library Card Sign-up Month, when libraries nationwide join the American Library Association (ALA) to remind parents, caregivers, and students that signing up for a library card is the first step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning.
Libraries play a crucial role in the education and development of children, offering a variety of programs to spark creativity and stimulate an interest in reading and learning. Through access to technology, media resources and educational programs, a library card gives students the tools to succeed in the classroom and provides people of all ages opportunities to pursue their dreams, explore new passions and interests, and find their voice.
Library cards are FREE to Grafton residents, students and property owners, and to any MA resident.
Did you lose your card? September is the BEST time to replace the card, because the replacement cost is WAIVED every September.
It takes only minute to set up a library card.
Anyone can get a library card-even babies!
The Grafton Public Library continues to be FINE FREE.
Every two years, your card must be updated so we can confirm we have current contact information for you. September is a great time to update your card!
The Friends will be hosting a Back-To-School Used Book Sale on Saturday September 9 from 10am-4pm and Sunday September 10 from 12-2pm; proceeds benefit the Grafton Public Library.
Book and media donations of items in saleable condition will be accepted beginning Monday August 28; as of Wednesday afternoon, the Friends do not have any more space to accept donations, thank the public for their generosity, and ask to please hold items until the next sale date, TBA.
Support the Friends of the Grafton Public Library and stock up on some great children’s books! Browse a selection of
gently used books including board books, young readers, and some of the most popular series collections.
ATTENTION TEACHERS! We are offering 50% off ALL books for teachers so you can stock up on everything your classroom needs this school year. We are also again offering a bag sale on Sunday–fill a bag for $5.00! Prices range from $0.50 – $2.00/book, with special pricing for collections.
Payment accepted via cash, check, or PayPal (for purchases over $5 only).
We thank the public for their patience as Town of Grafton transitions from Google Suite/Gmail to Outlook/Office 365–the migration for the Library department began on Monday afternoon, and completion is rolling.
If you sent a message to the Library on Monday afternoon and have not yet received a response, and it is an urgent or time-sensitive issue, please give the Library a call during operating hours (Mon-Thu 10-9, Fri & Sat 10-6) at 508-839-4649 and follow the prompts to reach the correct department or employee. Holds notifications should not be affected, as those originate from the CW MARS network. We apologize for any inconvenience!
We are pleased to announce the upcoming reopening of its beloved Children’s Room to the public on Tuesday, September 5th, at 10:00am. The closure has been due to the unfortunate flooding incident that occurred on Friday morning, August 18th.
During the event, the Library experienced substantial flooding due to a series of intense rainstorms, resulting in water infiltration from the wetlands side of the building. The water flowed into the Children’s Room and the adjacent Children’s Program Room, as well as other areas on the south side of the building, causing damage to materials and necessitating temporary closure.
Town officials have granted the Library the green light to resume operations, acknowledging the diligent efforts put forth to address the aftermath of this natural occurrence. In the wake of the incident, the Library staff has been working tirelessly to restore the space, eliminate damaged materials, and reorganize the returned items received since the temporary closure.
“We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the community for their patience and understanding as we navigate through the challenges brought about by this unexpected event,” stated Children’s Librarian Sarah Banister. “Our primary focus has been on ensuring the safety and comfort of our patrons, especially the young visitors who frequent the Children’s Room.”
The Library team remains committed to providing a welcoming and enriching environment for families and children alike. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the Children’s Room and reuniting our community in the joy of reading and learning.
