MPL: Fall Festivities

A Frighteningly Good Lineup

Rebecca Appelbaum
October 11, 2024

Hello friends, and happy October! Spooky season is officially upon us, and while we are planning a couple things for you, let’s start out with some basics.

Firstly, the scariest thing this month— another day without access to the library. We’ve got another federal holiday coming up, and so we must inform you that the Millis Public Library will be closed for Columbus day/Indigenous People’s Day on Monday, October 14th. We’ll be open normal hours before and after that date, but stop by before it to pick up any books, movies, or games you might want before the long weekend! And if you miss us, feel free to check out our e-resources available whenever and wherever you are!

Next up is some happier news that we know you’ve been looking for more details on: The Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale! Join us the weekend of October 18th-20th to see the curated selection of books, movies, music, puzzles, and games that the Friends have organized for you~

As always, Friday will be the Friends Only sale from 6-8pm. If you’re looking to join the Friends and get that early access while helping out the Library, now’s your chance! If it’s not your thing, the general sale will be on Saturday from 9am-1pm. There will also be free coffee on Saturday while supplies last, thanks to a generous donation from the New England Coffee Company. The final day of the sale will be Sunday from 1-3pm and will be the $5 bag sale! Fill your bag (provided by the Friends) and make out like a proverbial bandit with the steal of a deal. The Friends accept cash, checks, and credit cards, so however you want to stock up on your new stack of reading, they’ve got you.

To prepare for the sale and give the Friends a chance to recover after, we will stop accepting donations between October 11th and October 26th. If you miss the cutoff, save any donations to bring in on October 28th. We’ll happily take them then!

First up, we’re happy to announce the return of the Virtual Book Club from our summer break! Starting Tuesday, October 15th, we’ll meet every other week to discuss different short stories freely available online over Zoom. Our meetings will start at 6:30pm, and we’ll switch between classic and modern authors, going across genres and subjects. Our first story for the season will be "The School" by Donald Barthelme. If you’re interested in joining, email Rebecca to receive the Zoom link!

Gothic Victorian Tales by Candlelight are once again coming to haunt our library, and we invite you to join us… if you dare! Monday, October 21st promises to be a spooky evening with 19th century New England writer, Sarah Orne Jewett, as portrayed by performer Rita Parisi. Sarah will spin stories about CURSES, DEATH and IMMORTALITY! A native of South Berwick, Maine, her stories mirror the everyday lives of New Englanders; often reflecting the mysterious and supernatural. Starting at 6pm, teens and adults are welcome, but these stories are not for younger ones. Light refreshments will be provided courtesy of the Friends of the Millis Library. No registration required, but sign up for email reminders.

Also back in the roster is Board Game Night, coming back to you on Thursday, October 24th! Come by around 6pm to play your favorite games, learn new games, and meet new board game buddies in the community. We’ll have a different featured games each month and welcome gamers of all levels. Feel free to bring in your favorite game to teach as well!

Part of spooky season is the joy of seasonal films, and what better way to celebrate than with another Teen Movie? Our feature flick this time will be the oft requested, fan favorite: Hocus Pocus! Come in on Friday, October 25th for 6pm, bring your blankets and friends. We'll provide the snacks— no black flame candle required! Recommended for grades 6th-8th, no registration required.

Three 17th-century witches, hanged for their murderous crimes, are resurrected on Halloween in modern-day Salem by an unsuspecting boy, who must now figure out how to get them back in the ground.

Running time: 95 min

Do you have boxes of memorabilia and photos of people from sources unknown? Join us on Saturday, October 26th at 1pm for a special presentation from local teacher turned family historian, Kate Kelly. Kate began The Photo Angel Project with a pile of labeled photos of non-relatives that were mixed in with her grandparents’ old family pictures. Were they friends? Classmates? War buddies? Neighbors? Determined to find out, Kate reached out to potential relatives of the photographed using genealogy websites and was met with overwhelming success.

The purpose of The Photo Angel Project is to inspire others to dig out their dusty attic boxes and visit antique stores for images with identifiable information to reunite them with their family members. Learn about this fulfilling process and find out some tips from the professional by registering here!

The, just a bit of a head’s up— the next Millis Memory Cafe will be on Monday, October 28th at 10:30 am. A memory café is a welcoming place for individuals and families living with memory changes. Each café event will feature a guest artist or performer, time for conversation, as well as coffee and refreshments. This month’s Cafe will be held in the Roche Brothers Community Room. All are welcome and there is no cost to attend.

Contact Kim at [email protected] or visit millislibrary.org/memorycafe for more information.

This is a bit beyond our usual two week span for newsletters, but we’re excited and have limited space. Get ready to peer behind the veil and embrace your future with Tarot for Teens, coming Tuesday, October 29th at 5:30pm! Mark your calendars and prepare to get your own individualized 10 minute Tarot reading with our expert, Alessandra Grisa! Register here to claim one of the limited slots and let her and her cards give you a glimpse into your future! (You can order the books you’re looking for here through us— no fortune telling necessary.)

As always, we have so much coming up that won’t fit in our newsletter, so to see our full list of programs, check out our event calendar!