Director's Note
Happy Fall! October is jam-packed at the Gleason. This week, we're celebrating the freedom to read during Banned Books Week and kicking off fall story times for ages 0 to 6 and kids' book clubs for 1st through 6th grade. Next week, help us put the "pub" back in "public library" at the Endowment's Books & Brews fundraiser on October 14th, and learn about the Gleason Capital Campaign. We'll finish the month off with the 40th Annual Great Pumpkin Spectacle on October 26th, with some extra special fun for all ages in honor of the anniversary of this favorite tradition.
And there's so much more than that going on - read on below for all of the details!
Library Closings For October
The Library will be closed Monday, October 9 in observance of Indigenous People's Day/Columbus Day.
Everyone
Read-In: Celebrate Your Freedom To Read!
Wednesday, October 4 | 2–4 p.m.
Grab a book and a chair or blanket and join us on the Library Lawn to exercise your right to read!
Libraries across the state are hosting read-ins to celebrate your freedom to read during National Banned Books Week. Come together with friends and neighbors to read together as a community to celebrate our freedom to read! Bring your own book, or borrow something from the library's collection.
All readers, of any age, reading any genre, are welcome at this event. Light refreshments will be served. In the event of rain, this event will be held inside the Library.
Digital participation is also welcomed. Download an eBook or audiobook and use #LetFreedomReadMA to post pictures to social media.
Stargazing Party At Banta-Davis Field
Thursday, October 19 | 6:45—8:45 p.m.
Join us for an evening of stargazing at Banta-Davis Field! We'll go stargazing with Kelly Beatty, Senior Editor at Sky & Telescope, and members of the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston. They will bring along their telescopes to get a great look at the night sky. This program is geared for ages 5 and up. We will need clear skies, so please check the website for updates. If you have a question, please contact us at hmansfield@carlislema.gov.
Register online at carlislema.myrec.com/info/activities
This fun event is sponsored by the Carlisle Recreation Dept, the Gleason Public Library, the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston and the Aldrich Astronomical Society.
Children
If you have questions about any of these events, please email childrens@gleasonlibrary.org.
40th Annual Great Pumpkin Spectacle
Thursday, October 26 | 4:30 p.m.
We are delighted to host our 40th annual Great Pumpkin Spectacle on Thursday, October 26th!
4:30–6:00 p.m.: Pumpkin Registration for K- 4th Graders at the Gleason Public Library
To register, bring your pumpkin to the front lawn of the library between 4:30 and 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 26. Pumpkins will be judged separately by grade, with three winners in each grade level, K-4. There will also be two “lucky” winners, one drawn from lower elementary and one drawn from upper elementary. Those who do not wish their pumpkins to be judged may bring them to a special “display only” table. There will be seventeen (17) winners total.
6:30 p.m.: Halloween Magic Program with Scott Martel
Join us for spooky magic with Scott Martel in Corey Auditorium at Carlisle Public School! It's a 45-minute show of non-stop magic, comedy, thrills and surprises.
We will hold our Great Pumpkin Spectacle award ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on the Library Lawn.
We ask that all participants pick up their pumpkin by 9 p.m. that evening. We will place the remaining pumpkins on our front steps for ease of pick up.
If you have any questions, please email us at childrens@gleasonlibrary.org.
Storywalk®: Saturday By OGE Mora
Sunday, October 1 through Saturday, October 14
First Connections and the Gleason Public Library are happy to co-host a StoryWalk® of the award-winning picture book Saturday by Oge Mora for families to share from October 1st through the 14th on the trail behind the Gleason Library. Many thanks to the Carlisle Conservation Commission for the permission to host this StoryWalk® along the back pathway.
This StoryWalk® is a collaboration between First Connections and the Gleason Public Library.
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.
Nature Connection Story Time
Thursday, October 12 | 10:30 a.m.
Join The Nature Connection as we explore plants and animals and connect with the world around us in new ways—all through nature-based stories and poems! During this monthly 45-minute program for 3–6-year-olds, we will read a seasonally appropriate story followed by a sensory engagement activity. Registration is required; please register for each session individually. This fun program is sponsored by the Susan Zielinski Natural Science Fund.
Story Times
Registration is required for all story times. Please visit our website to register for each story time session individually; registration will open 4 weeks in advance of each session.
Baby Lapsit
Tuesdays, October 3–November 21 | 10:30–11 a.m.
Baby Lapsit is a 30-minute interactive story time experience for our youngest library users and their caregivers. Join us for stories, songs, rhymes, and bounces that are developmentally appropriate for children from birth to when they start walking. This Lapsit program is just for you and the baby! Enjoy time together with other parents, caregivers, and babies to learn and play, and to develop language, early literacy, and motor skills. Come prepared to sit on the floor one-on-one with your baby in your lap. This program is designed for newborn through pre-walking baby. Please register for each session individually.
Toddler Story Time
Tuesdays, October 3–November 21 | 11:00–11:30 a.m.
Toddler Story Time is a 30-minute interactive story time experience for our young library users and their caregivers. Join us for stories, songs, movement, and a sensory activity or craft that are developmentally appropriate for children from 15 months to 3 years of age. Enjoy time together with fellow parents, caregivers and little ones to learn, play and develop language, early literacy, and motor skills. Please register for each session individually.
Fall Preschool Story Time
Fridays, October 6–November 17 | 10:30–11:15 a.m.
Join us from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. for a fun story time. This event is chock full of interactive stories, rhymes, fingerplays, songs and a small craft. Our story time program, designed for children ages 3 to 6, promotes reading readiness and early literacy skills. Please register for each session individually.
Book Clubs For Kids
The Gleason Library Children's Department offers book clubs for children in grades 1 through 6. See the "Teen" section for the 5th & 6th Grade Book Club.
1st & 2nd Grade Book Club
Tuesday, October 3 | 4 p.m.
Have your first- or second-grader join us at the Gleason Library's 1st & 2nd Grade Book Club! Each month we'll meet in person at the Library to talk about our book of the month. After discussion, we will do a craft, activity or game. This month's selection is Haylee and Comet: A Tale of Cosmic Friendship by Deborah Marcero. Copies of the graphic novel will be available to check out at the library at the circulation desk on the first floor. Registration is required; participants only need to register once for the entire school year. If you have any questions about the book club or would like to register your child, please contact Jenn at childrens@gleasonlibrary.org or call the Library at 978-369-4898.
3rd & 4th Grade Book Club
Thursday, October 12 | 4 p.m.
Do you have a 3rd or 4th grader who loves to read? Have them join us at our 3rd & 4th Grade Book Club! Each month we'll meet in person at the Library to talk about our book of the month. After discussion, we will do a craft or activity. This month's book is Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe. Registration is required; participants only need to register once for the entire school year. If you have any questions about the book club or would like to register your child, please email Tahleen at childrens@gleasonlibrary.org or call the Library at 978-369-4898.
Teens
Painted Skull Craft
Friday, October 27 | 3 p.m.
Using paints, jewels, decoupage materials, sequins and other embellishments, create a skull decoration that you can whip out every October to help set the stage for spooky season! Techniques to mimic the “Sugar Skull” style will be taught, but artists are also welcome to go rogue and create their own unique piece of art.
This craft is for students in grades 5-8. Registration is required.
This program is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Gleason Public Library.
5th & 6th Grade Book Club
Thursday, October 5 | 4 p.m.
Come for a book discussion and activity! Each month we will read a book and talk about it, then we will do a short activity or craft. This month we will be reading Coraline by Neil Gaiman. Copies are available for checkout at the Library. Registration is required; participants only need to register once for the entire school year.
Teen Advisory Board
Friday, October 5 | 7 p.m.
Use your voice and help the Gleason Library become even better! The Teen Advisory Board will meet once a month to discuss the Library, what you think would be most helpful to you as teens, and to just hang out with your peers to talk about school, what you're reading and/or watching, and life in general. Registration is required. This group is for students in grades 9 through 12. If you have any questions, reach out to Tahleen, the Teen Services Librarian.
Early Release Day Movie
Wednesday, October 19 | 1:15 p.m.
Middle schoolers can join us in the Hollis Room every Early Release Day at 1:15 p.m. for a movie and snacks! This month's movie is rated PG and has a runtime of approx. 1 hr 42 min. For grades 5-8.
Early Release Day movies are sponsored by the Friends of the Gleason Public Library.
Teen Weekend Reading Kit
Friday, October 20 | 10 a.m
Grab a kit that has everything you need for a book-lover's weekend. Each kit will include a random YA novel for you to keep (genres and reading/maturity levels will vary), a craft or activity, a snack, a little bookish accessory, and something to sip on. Registration is required to reserve your kit, and pickup will be Friday, October 20 through Monday, October 23. These kits are for grades 7-12. Please email Tahleen, the Teen Services Librarian, with any questions.
Teen Weekend Reading Kits are generously sponsored by the Friends of the Gleason Public Library.
Adults
Books and brews
Saturday, October 14 | 7–9 p.m.
Join the Gleason Endowment for a fun fundraiser! For $75/person, enjoy beer from nearby breweries, food from local restaurants, a jazz combo, and, because knowing things is fun, the evening features a professionally hosted trivia event, complete with questions on local history and Carlisle esoterica. And you can check out books!
The Gleason is more than a place to take your child for story time or a study hall for middle schoolers—it’s also a place to kick back with other adults. So let’s put the “fun” back in “fundraiser," while also raising money for a much-needed library renovation! Come join us!
Register for this event here. $75 per person; pay by cash or check (made out to "GPL Endowment") at the door, or click here to pay online via PayPal (if PayPal account is in different name than event registration, please note attendee name[s] on payment.) For ages 21+.
Controlling the image: u.s. Propaganda during the second world war (virtual)
Wednesday, October 11 | 1:30 p.m.
During World War II, governments on all sides of the conflict used propaganda to glorify their own cause and vilify their enemies. After the US entered the conflict in December 1941, the government created an agency, the Office of War Information, to shape American public perception of the conflict. This free Zoom talk will examine the different themes that helped unify the nation in our war effort.
Please register to receive the Zoom link.
Thank you to the Friends of the Carlisle Council on Aging and Friends of Gleason Public Library Paulson Fund for supporting the 20th annual Cultural Lecture Series.
A Henna Journey Through Morocco
Thursday, October 12 | 6:30–8:30 p.m.
At this unique henna/travel/storytelling program, we will hear a storytelling adventure of henna artist Mandy Roberge's 2023 trip to Morocco to study under the masters there. This presentation includes photo slides, observations, and experiences with Moroccan culture. The evening will conclude with each participant getting a henna design in the Moroccan style. While they wait, participants can try their hand at henna design with a syringe, the traditional henna application method in Morocco. Registration is required. This program is for adults 18+.
This event is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Gleason Public Library.
Shaking Loose The Clues: Using Timelines To Organize Your Research
Tuesday, October 24 | 10 a.m.
Are you getting lost keeping track of your genealogy research? Learn how to organize the information you already have, identify gaps, and determine what records you need to advance your research projects. We will walk through examples of adding historical context, parallel timelines, tracking FANs, resolving conflicting information, and tracking migrations.
We’ll spend an hour on this topic and have another hour available for sharing. With local genealogist Claire Smith. This talk will be held on Zoom; please register to receive the Zoom link.
Dead Presidents: Crisis, Conspiracy, And Constitutional Succession (Virtual)
Wednesday, October 25 | 1:30 p.m.
Of the 46 men that have been President of the United States, eight have died in office. Though the Constitution lays out a presidential succession, oftentimes the unexpected death of a president is surrounded by shock and uncertainty. This talk will look at what happens when a president dies.
Please register to reserve your spot and receive the Zoom link.
Thank you to the Friends of the Carlisle Council on Aging and Friends of Gleason Public Library Paulson Fund for supporting the 20th annual Cultural Lecture Series.
Community Book Club
Monday, October 2 | 10:30 a.m.
October: The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
November: In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien
The Carlisle Community Book Club welcomes new members any time. Please register to receive the Zoom login information. No commitment required. You don’t even have to have read the book to go to the meetings, but you may come out of the discussion wanting to read it. Sponsored jointly by the CoA and the Gleason Public Library.
Reading Poetry Anew
Tuesday, October 3 | 10 a.m.
Dip or dive into the pleasures of poetry. This informal course, led by Mary Zoll, will include poetry readings and reactions, discussions of the patterns and techniques used in the poems, and perhaps some intellectual understanding of the poems. This class meets one Tuesday a month. Mary Zoll has published a few poems and read a multitude of poems.
Please register to receive the Zoom invitation and poem packet by email. All are welcome!
Mystery Book Club
Monday, October 30 | 7 p.m.
The Mystery Book Club will meet on Monday, October 30th, in the Hollis Room or hybrid on Zoom. This month we will read Mind's Eye by Håkan Nesser. If you are interested in attending virtually, please email info@gleasonlibrary.org for the event link.
Coahs Movies At The Gleason
Tuesday, October 31 | 1 p.m.
Carlisle COAHS and Gleason Library present a classic horror-comedy film.
Movie rating PG; runtime 1 hr 46 minutes. Open to all ages; refreshments will be served. Email or call COAHS (coahs@carlislema.gov or 978-371-2895) to RSVP.
Pumpkin Fun
In recognition of the 40th anniversary of the Great Pumpkin Spectacle, we'll have a special mini pumpkin take-and-make for adults. Pick up a mini pumpkin and paints to decorate it (or supply your own pumpkin and/or decorations) starting the week of October 16th, and bring it back the week of the 23rd for a special display. No registration required; supplies will be first-come, first-served.
E-Cards For The Gleason Library
No library card? No problem! Sign up online for an electronic library card!
September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, and signing up for a library card has never been easier. Carlisle residents who do not yet have a library card can now register online for an eCard that provides immediate access to more than 65,000 eBooks, digital audiobooks, and online magazines through the Libby app, as well as numerous local and statewide electronic collections for entertainment, study, and research. MVLC eCards can be converted to a full library card, which allows cardholders to borrow and place holds on physical materials, by visiting the library.
To get an MVLC eCard today, visit https://ln.mvlc.org/carlisleecard. Please pass this link along to friends and family who may not have been able to visit the Gleason to register, whether for health reasons, busy schedules, going to school out of town, or any other reason.
Click Here to view the Gleason Public Library Latest News - October 2 , 2023
