1 10 2 https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/32209/archive/files/9690a31881846adc03d1facaec06d1ff.pdf?Expires=1774483200&Signature=pkryhtCysBrRJy47Ug%7EfjhUwRW-TueBjHb0i1pWllxJCv2Db5OZ113wd3TpaYBSeOplQSnB19VTgA9o8LwgYva7GxPJQ8GNHPeIfOnCbphcnli11qF9q7uYsdjKGjRkWeEaV6QDShlW73A0aPxAxKROhYXvJYhpphMr9n%7EnGZ9PmMDuZsduHEpIrorTAb25-6Ey5eVjxmOF6ymkjRBwfGqhIRaBN2dGEQ579-MfRLLJQDo4yTT-vyKnZjY84bgUlw4jAvRZPPb1TSCXaR4GRZ7rpc1PavXbYNt1KiE27LcsyldSURy3h%7E%7EfF-15FbObkWCCkSzG%7Ev9SkHZM8YS--cw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM a2fa4dc380b1175f8f0f155ecbcc355c PDF Text Text H O L I DAY B O O K S A L E Day 1 Wednesday November 29 2pm - 7pm Day 2 Thursday November 30 10am - 5pm Day 3 Friday December 1 10am - 5pm Day 4 Saturday December 2 10am - 5pm * Members Only FRIENDS OF THE FALMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY Newsletter Fall/Winter 2023-24 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT The Summer Book Sale of 2023 should be remembered for the Goldilocks weather. It wasn’t too hot or rainy during the sale hours, but there was a slight breeze most days and it sprinkled only at night. The weather is always a major factor in whether or not the Sale is a success, and we earn enough profits to fund the needs of the Library and the programs that we all enjoy. If you drive past the library lawn as the tents go up, tables are laid over plastic sheets, boxes unloaded, and see a swarm of volunteers arranging books on the appropriate tables, you might notice that we’re always looking to the skies for the rain clouds or listening for the distant roll of thunder. This year we had a very successful sale with the help of over 100 volunteers. Most people came for one or more 3 hour shifts to replenish books on the tables, work as cashiers, or help shoppers navigate through the 6 tents. Their work is very much appreciated. However, there are also about a dozen or more essential volunteers who spend many hours throughout the year and during the sale, sorting, checking, cleaning and packing boxes of books. Anne Milkowski is the specialist for gardening, cooking and “How-To” books. Deborah Winograd oversees books that include performing and visual Arts, music, transportation, and Americana. The vast world of children’s books is sorted, cleaned and organized by Joanne Briana-Gartner and Debbie Orbach. Our media donations are meticulously checked and sorted by Helena McDonough who has spent hours inspecting CDs and DVDs and then packing them away by categories in preparation for next summer ’s sale. Kevin O’Brien is our historian and will often be tempted to buy, for his personal library, rather than pack another historical tome. Overseeing the fiction and non-fiction areas of the Main Tent is Dale Green, the Sci-fi aficionado. When it comes to the Classics, we all defer to Jack Easterling for his depth of knowledge. During our sale, he always knew where a book or author could be found. Some of our weekly box-moving crew - Ed Jackson, Steve Siegert, and George Milkowski, came every morning to remove the tarps from the tables and then cover them back at day ’s end as well as setting up and taking down the cashiers’ tents. - continued Change Ser vice Requested Friends of the Falmouth Public Library P.O. BOX 480 Falmouth, Massachusetts 02541 Non-profit Org Permit No. 63 Falmouth, MA 02540 US POSTAGE PAID �LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT During the set-up and the sale, we relied on a group of paid teenagers for the repetitive lifting, moving of boxes and recycling. Through clear directions and instructions, Tina Rood kept out teen workers focused and more productive than ever. Luckily, we’re not just reliant on the Summer Sale for funds, but also earn revenue from the 3 Book Nooks at the Main Library, East Falmouth Branch, and the Bus Depot. Pat Parker manages and keeps the Book Nooks supplied with a variety of genres. She instinctively knows what people want and is constantly replenishing the shelves at the 3 sites. Pat devotes many hours in the Book Room to sorting, checking the prices online and packing books. President Not all donated books end up at either of our Book Sales or the nooks. About 5% of donated books are sent to our online selling group started by Nancy English and updated by Carolyn Brzezinski. This “Amazon Group” which also includes Marlene O’Toole, Martha Adams and Dan O’Sullivan, sells our donations for more than the usual charges of $1-$5. Nancy even kept the Sea to Shining Sea website open and sold books during the bleak days of the shutdown when the Book Nooks were closed and there were no other sales. All of this requires a legion of volunteers gleaned from membership/volunteer lists that Mary Tamucci maintains and updates. She literally “has your number.” As well as maintaining the laptops and all the equipment that enable us to accept credit cards at our sale events, Mary is also able to navigate the maze of Town Hall requirements so that we can hold our Summer Sale event. Amazon Our treasurer, Rob Gillis, is a full time bank vice-president, who still manages to volunteer at our sale events, keep our accounts, pay our bills, and manage our investments. His low-key style and creative suggestions during Board meetings frequently bring another perspective to the table. The Friends began in 1992 with a small group of Falmouth residents. The faces have changed, but there continues to be a group of about 20 volunteers who come regularly to process the donations we receive. Most people volunteer between 4-8 hours a week throughout the year and during a sale event, many hours more. Come join us. --Edwina Yee, President - Friends of the Falmouth Public Library To learn more about volunteering, email friends@ falmouthpubliclibary.org L I N D A C O L L I N S R E T I R E S A S FA L M O U T H P U B L I C L I B R A RY D I R E C TO R FFPL Board Vice President Edwina Yee � Kevin O’Brien Treasurer � Rob Gillis Recording Sec ’y� Deborah Winograd Member-at-large� Carolyn Brzezinski Member-at-large Membership Dir Book Nook Newslet ter Mar y Tamucci Deb Orbach Pat Parker Nancy English Carolyn Brzezinski Mar y Fran Buckley Jane Hewit t Tina Rood Mar y Tamucci Friends of the Falmouth Public Library PO Box 480, Falmouth,02541 friends@falmouthpubliclibrary.org Linda Collins is a serious athlete, an accomplished artist, and a brilliant librarian. We were lucky to have her when she served as the Library ’s Assistant Director (20122017) and Library Director (2017-2023). The Athlete: I checked the Falmouth Enterprise digitized collection on the Library ’s website for the first mention of Linda’s name. The Enterprise entry of August 13, 1999 lists Linda as a runner in the Falmouth Road Race (from Foxboro). She has run 25 Falmouth Road Races. A few years later in the September 12, 2003 Enterprise she is listed as a Falmouth runner in the Main Street Mile. She has also run in several Boston Marathons, which proves she has mettle as well as medals. Linda will continue to run. The Artist: The Enterprise of July 13, 2012 covered the Falmouth Artist Guild’s Summer Juried Show with this entry, “Linda Collins took away the Best Still Life award for her oil painting, ‘Cod Fish’.” Linda paints mostly in oils and her favorite subjects are dogs. Her studio walls are lined with wonderful huggable portraits. Since one picture is worth a thousand words, I share this thumbnail of a portrait Linda painted of my daughter ’s farm dog, Miss Daisy. Linda will continue to paint. The Librarian: The Falmouth Annual Town Report for FY2013 states that “Linda, Head of Access Services at Harvard University ’s Widener Library and former trustee of the Foxboro Library, stepped in to the position of Assistant Library Director ”, for a five year tenure. She was next appointed to the Library Director position in 2017 upon the retirement of Director Leslie Morrissey. The Trustees held a reception for Linda prior to our September 11 Board meeting to toast to her future endeavors and to celebrate her retirement. Attendees stayed or Zoomed in or sent emails to be read during the Public Comment period, including the Trustees, Leslie Morrissey, former Trustees (Abrams, Porter, Szulkin, Zacks), Friends (Winograd, Yee, Tamucci, and Miele), Support Fund’s Bob Ripley, and League of Women Voters observer, Marcia Easterling. Comments shared via emails--From Otis Porter on Linda’s becoming Assistant Director, “I was very impressed with her knowledge, intellect, and personality.“ From Edwina Yee, “ Thank you for guiding our library through some unanticipated challenges.... our library not only survived, but thrived, due in part to your direction.” From Marilyn Zacks, “ The quality that Linda showed throughout her tenure as director was graciousness. Her sense of thoughtful deliberation daily and sometimes under pressure meant that the library was in capable hands. Intelligence, wit, empathy and dedication were qualities that made for wonderful dynamics throughout her tenure.” From Leslie Morrissey: “Creative with great ideas...I found Linda to be a great librarian, a fascinating talented colleague, and a really good friend...the word I’ll use to sum up your career and our continuing friendship. Brilliant, Linda, just brilliant.” And last words from Linda in her retirement letter to Trustees: “During my leadership we met many goals: providing online access to the Falmouth Enterprise 1896-2018; designating one of the Reference Librarians as the Teen Librarian; in the Children’s Room developing an area for preteens; at East Falmouth working with Project Bread with free lunches to children during summer vacation; outreach with the library book bike and Movies under the Stars on the Library Lawn. Going forward, library services are changing and staff must be agile and flexible enough to meet current and changing needs. There is a need to bring more Library services to East Falmouth where there is not enough room for children and adult programs. I leave CLAMS and the Falmouth Public Library in good hands and I look forward to enjoying the Library.” Linda will continue to be in the Library, checking out books. --Judy Fenwick �T H A N K Y O U L I Z FA R L A N D Liz Farland retired from the Falmouth Public Library on September 5, 2023, after 11 years of dedicated service. Liz’s sense of humor was an absolute joy to be able to count on every day, as was her seemingly never-ending institutional knowledge. Liz’s library journey began on February 12, 2012. She came to the library from the Falmouth Fire Department and thought the administrative assistant role would be an opportunity to stretch herself professionally. “I thought it would be a good challenge and something new,” Farland said wistfully as she enjoyed a pomegranate green iced tea at Coffee Obsession recently. When asked what her favorite part about the job she recently retired from was, she did not hesitate when coming up with an answer. “I always enjoyed the staff appreciation elements of the job,” Liz said with a smile. Asked about what she looks forward to in retirement, Liz said she’s excited to restore furniture, work in her garden, and train her beloved dog, Ziggy, to be a companion dog, and to spend more time with her husband John. They have plans to take a cruise to Alaska in November. Liz is also an excellent baker, and claims she will be baking quite a bit now that she has more time on her hands, but the author of this article cannot confirm whether this is true or not because no baked goods have arrived in the administrative office so far. Though Liz’s working days are behind her, she does expect to take on a new position in 2024 – that of grandmother. Her daughter is expecting a baby on New Year ’s Day 2024. Liz is certain it will be a girl. “I really miss my colleagues and visiting with the Friends on my morning walks, but I’ve had no problem finding things to do so far,” Liz said. Your colleagues miss you, too, Liz. Thank you for 11 great years. We wish you all the best on everything you do from here on out. --Brian Stokes - Acting Library Director M O V I E S U N D E R T H E S TA R S From mid-July to mid-August library patrons were treated to Movies Under the Stars - the drive-in experience without the drive to Wellfleet. This annual summer tradition, organized by the Falmouth Village Association, is held on the lawn of the Falmouth Public Library on Main Street. Each week, movie fans flock to the library lawn for this free entertainment. Movie goers are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets and a picnic dinner. Here is what one Falmouth newcomer had to say: “Over the summer, we had an opportunity to experience a wonderful night out. Was it a new restaurant? Was it a boat ride through the canal? Did we take in a ball game? No, we sat outside at the Falmouth library on the lawn enjoying a movie! What a great experience to have with the community as we came together to enjoy a simple movie. Now it doesn’t matter what movie it is, it was the experience of being together with everyone sharing something. We brought the chairs down, plopped ourselves in an open spot and as the sun went down - on came the movie! So if you’re looking for something fun, relaxing and a way to feel in touch with the community, then I highly recommend going to the movies at the Falmouth library lawn during the summer. It ’s a nice relaxing way to spend the evening with your fellow Falmouthites.” July 26th the Friends of Falmouth Public Library sponsored a night themed “Uncommon Friends”, which included the Pixar classic “Wall-E” and the book turned movie ”Because of Winn Dixie”. Thanks to FFPL for keeping this summer tradition alive and free for all. -- Tina Rood FA L M O U T H C O M M O D O R E S T U R N S 100 A N D T H E L I B R A RY H E L P S C E L E B R AT E In recent years, the FFPL has sponsored purchases made for the Library of Things. Some of the unique items are the oversized games, including Connect Four, Jenga, and Checkers, along with regular size Corn Hole and Kan Jam. In support of the Falmouth Commodores Centennial Celebration, the library provided all of these games to their July 15th Community Celebration. Families enjoyed playing games, getting player pictures and autographs, a pie eating contest, listening to live music and much more. The collaboration between the Library and the Commodores resulted in free family fun. During the summer, the Oversized Games are also used for Library Lawn Games, where families can drop in to play. What a great way to enjoy a summer afternoon. Check online to see what games, and other items are available to borrow from the FFPL supported Library of Things. -- Tina Rood �VISIT A MUSEUM OR GARDEN Visiting a local museum is a wonderful way to spend a day with family and friends. To make this experience even better the FFPL sponsors passes that provide a discount or free entry to over a dozen Massachusetts-based museums from Cape Cod to Boston. There are so many ways to use this amazing benefit to entertain yourself and visitors to the Cape. Earlier this year I used the Heritage Museum and Gardens pass to attend the Rhododendron Festival. It provided half-price admission for up to six people. I was able to reserve the passes on the Falmouth Library website under the Services Tab. Just like a reserved book, the passes were waiting for me at the library when I went to pick them up the day before my planned adventure. One patron reserved passes for Buttonwood Park Zoo located in New Bedford. These passes allow free entry for up to four people and she had a wonderful time with her grandchildren. Another patron shared her experience. “When the weather wasn’t cooperative, my son started to research museums to visit on rainy days. The Whaling Museum in New Bedford seemed to fit the bill, but he was surprised at the admission fees. A light bulb went on in my head — the library! A quick check revealed that the library has passes for half-price admission to this museum. A call to the front desk and a staff member was on my request right away. The same day passes were secured with my library card and were waiting for us in no time at all. I do want to note that the staff member who assisted me was extremely efficient and polite. We also secured two passes to the Gardener Museum. Again, the Falmouth Public Library comes through — the museum passes are yet another wonderful service and benefit to library patrons (and their visitors!).” -- Tina Rood BARNSTABLE COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP Brian Stokes, who joined the Library staff in September 2022 as Assistant Director, has reached out to the Barnstable County Correctional Facility to establish an outreach program. The staff at BCCF was very pleased with Brian’s suggestions — he had comprehensive ideas for ways the Library could collaborate with BCCF. His proposal for a book discussion group with the inmates is based on his experience while he was working at the New York Public Library and conducted outreach to Rikers Island jail and the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Brian’s first step at BCCF has been to update and organize the collection in the jail’s library, which had been closed during the Covid shutdown. Brian has talked with a few inmates, suggesting books for them to check out and taking requests for books to add to the library ’s collection. The inmates requested these authors: Clive Cussler, Tim Dorsey, John Grisham, Colleen Hoover (in demand from the women’s side), Stephen King (The Stand, in particular), Christopher Moore, James Patterson, JK Rowling (Harry Potter books 2, 3, and 6), RA Salvatore; non-fiction by Tucker Max and books on nutrition/diet. BCCF can only accept paperbacks. Books can be dropped off at the Friends Room. -- Mary Fran Buckley BOOK REVIEW Horse By Geraldine Brooks Ms. Brooks weaves a fictional tale that begins with a discarded painting and the skeleton of a horse to encompass more than a century. Based on the true story of the 19th century's greatest racehorse, Lexington, and his enslaved trainers/handlers, Ms. Brooks connects Lexington's life in the antebellum South with twenty-first century fictional characters. Her narrative introduces us to Theo, a Black graduate student in art history at Georgetown University, moves to Jess, an expert in animal bone structure at the Smithsonian in present-day Washington,D.C., then slides back in history to Lexington’s birth in Kentucky and the enslaved boy that grew up at Lexington’s side. Lexington is the thread that connects these seemingly disparate characters, introduced among real-life Southern racehorse moguls of the 1850s, and an equine painter from the same period. She delves into the popularity of horse racing in antebellum life, and the prestige of owning a champion thoroughbred among the wealthy of both the North and the South. She explains, in her Afterword, that "this industry was built on the labor and skills of Black horsemen, many of whom were, or had been, enslaved men. After Reconstruction, the racing industry became segregated and these Black horsemen were pushed aside ... As I began to research Lexington's life, it became clear to me that this novel could not merely be about a racehorse; it would also need to be about race." This book is not recommended solely for horse lovers or racing enthusiasts; it is an extremely well-researched novel with an exciting narrative that explores a particular era in U.S. history. Horse brings this era to life through the compelling lives of fictional and real-life characters. Highly recommended! --Mary Fran Buckley The Spy Wore Red by Aline, Countess of Romanones This memoir reads like a spy novel. But, it ’s the true story of Aline Griffin, who became the Countess Romanones when she married. The story begins on the eve of World War II. When she graduated college, the lovely Aline, seeking adventure, became a model. As the guest of a fellow model, Aline was seated next to the colleague’s brother at a dinner party. The brother, as it turned out, was an executive in the newly formed Office of Strategic Service, today known as the CIA. Little did she know at the time, dinner conversation became a sort of job interview. Aline was subsequently recruited and sent to Spain on assignment under the code name Tiger. Her cover story was that she worked as an executive assistant at an American oil company. In reality, the top floor of the office building where she worked served as the work space for the OSS, where she worked day after day as a code breaker. Tiger ’s other assignment was to infiltrate Spanish society and uncover Nazi spies. Tiger met a whole host of interesting people who were involved in the war effort on both sides. The story progresses from adventure to adventure, some of them quite hair-raising. The book itself is well written, fast paced, easy to read, and quite captivating. My next read will be its sequel, The Spy Went Dancing, the story of how Tiger came out of retirement in the 1950’s. --Mary Tamucci � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Friends of the Falmouth Public Library Newsletters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Friends of the Falmouth Public Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1992-present (sporadic) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Original PDFs and PDF scans of print newsletters Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Friends of the Falmouth Public Library Newsletter Fall/Winter 2023-24 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Friends of the Falmouth Public Library Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English 2023 Barnstable County Correctional Facility book review book sale Brian Stokes Edwina Yee Falmouth Commodores Falmouth Commodores Centennial Celebration FFPL FFPL newsletter Judith Fenwick Library Lawn Games Linda Collins Liz Farland Mary Fran Buckley Movies Under the Stars museum passes retirement Tina Rood https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/32209/archive/files/17d81c519ea519a5e563cf2a56cb5eb7.pdf?Expires=1774483200&Signature=OWPY41Tz5gB-dhZHkqW%7EgBI7fHot7QHmD%7EDNTabbdLxYcffXFS095in%7EcbA3i2QgLev5PtlmaFW2I7A6vDeqhvWWaOi8xGi73BhYZIM%7EigtFPrzUyBmEiiXJpL7gx%7ErS-Idlu4moCDPE%7Ez0p1bBQ%7E2jG1tmteqMEFtAz07cc0E-W9q3mrh4m-z5EEUjogD9yqkwC5r00cLYW--aUA00qDFH08-JuWTJ597BrCnd8igtITSqpD4%7EwCBXXaBkvQvQs1M2r62u5mfcs6uOw2cW%7EQzm7z7k4iQju6J67BV6TAfKAUgh7b9FaeIQKPqhLPVSw8f4uj44GW27CE6c5Q0HfvQ__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM 27474445d3abb74252677837dcd0d458 PDF Text Text SUMMER BOOK SALE Day 1 Thursday July 4 10am - 4pm Day 2 Friday July 5 10am - 4pm Day 3 Saturday July 6 10am - 4pm Day 4 Sunday July 7 10am - 4pm Day 5 Monday July 8 10am - 12pm FRIENDS OF THE FALMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY Newsletter Spring/Summer 2024 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT “Are you a member of the Friends?” When you donate books to the Friends of the Falmouth Public Library (FFPL), it may be one of the first questions you’re asked. It is not a requirement to be a Friends’ member to donate your books, but it is a gentle reminder that our volunteer group helps support the various activities and programs of the Falmouth Library. Volunteers check all the donated books; clean the covers if needed, brush the paper edges, check the spine of the book, and review the pages for excessive notes or highlighting. Most paperbacks receive a $1 sticker and are then packed away to await the Book Sale. Almost every other book goes through the same process of cleaning and checking, but is then scanned on “book selling sites” to determine if the value exceeds our normal $2-$6 price range. The “more valuable books” are sent to the Amazon or ABE book section of the Friends’ room to be sold online. Membership in the Friends fluctuates between 375-400 people. Most members live in, or once called, Falmouth home. Some live outside of Falmouth and may come to visit, especially for the sale days. Our active volunteers also include people who have moved to Falmouth from around the United States and have a deep appreciation for our library. The number of donated books can vary with the seasons. Vacation times allow people the opportunity to go through bookshelves and basements. At the end of summer, families tend to donate books their children have outgrown in anticipation of the new favorites to come. At these times the active volunteers can feel overwhelmed with the literally hundreds of books in bags and boxes around the donation carts. Most Book Room volunteers spend 2-4 hours a week helping to process the donations. Initially, new volunteers are paired with a veteran Book Room volunteer who can explain the Book Room layout and answer most questions. We all realize that this is a volunteer organization and that people have schedules, interests and obligations beyond the Friends and the FPL. Currently, three of our volunteers. Shelley Fenily, Gary Walker and Alice Jamal spend about 2 hours a week sorting through the donations, checking the online sales value and packing boxes of books. On Tuesday afternoons, a crew of five that includes D.J. Jost, Tom Skomro, and Bob Laquidara usually transport and stack the slew of packed boxes at a storage unit. During the Summer and Holiday Sales they move all the “sale stuff ” – signs, bookends, sand containers, cash boxes, chairs, and smaller tents to the sale site and then back into storage. Whew! Change Ser vice Requested Friends of the Falmouth Public Library P.O. BOX 480 Falmouth, Massachusetts 02541 Non-profit Org Permit No. 63 Falmouth, MA 02540 US POSTAGE PAID �LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT continued Volunteers, through the Friends complete the cycle of book donations, book sales, and monetary support for the Falmouth Library. Having additional volunteers would help. So, if you have a couple of hours a week and enjoy handling books, consider spending time with us. This year our Summer Sale will begin on the 4th of July. The revenue from this sale allows us to help the Library fund the Museum pass program, provide funding for children’s programs, funds for ebooks, upgrade library technology and much more. We hope to see you in the Book Room or at the Summer Sale on July 4th. President Book Nook -- Edwina Yee BOOK REVIEW The Spy Went Dancing by Aline, Countess of Romanones This book is a sequel to The Spy Wore Red. The year is now 1966, and John Derby, code name Jupiter, is now a high official in the CIA. The Count and Countess of Romanones are hosting a black-tie dinner for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Earlier in the day, the countess received a phone call that would change the next several months of her life. Jupiter was on the phone. The Countess Aline, code name Tiger, had spoken to her former boss only sporadically over the years. Jupiter was calling with a new assignment. This one involved discovering the identity of a Soviet mole who held a sensitive position in NATO. Tiger realized she’d need help infiltrating European high society to accomplish her mission. Who better to ask than her good friend, the Duchess of Windsor. Both women had to work furtively to keep their activities from their husbands. Countess Aline’s “further adventures as an undercover agent ” are detailed with flashbacks, plot twists, humor, and grief. The book reads like a novel, yet every detail is true. The glimpses into high society as well as the dark corners of espionage and deceit are spell-binding and entertaining at the same time. Mary Tamucci FALMOUTH READS TOGETHER FFPL Board Edwina Yee Vice President � Kevin O’Brien Treasurer � Rob Gillis Recording Sec’y� Deborah Winograd Member-at-large� Carolyn Brzezinski Member-at-large Membership Amazon Newsletter Mary Tamucci Deb Orbach Pat Parker Nancy English Carolyn Brzezinski Mary Fran Buckley Jane Hewitt Tina Rood Mary Tamucci Friends of the Falmouth Public Library PO Box 480, Falmouth,02541 friends@falmouthpubliclibrary.org As Falmouth enters its 21st consecutive year of choosing a townwide read, we join, by the count of the Library of Congress, more than 400 U.S. cities and towns that share a yearly community-wide read. Described as a “far-fetched, if not impossible, dream,” Nancy Pearl — an author, librarian, and former executive director of the Washington Center for the Book at the Seattle Public Library — launched the program “If All of Seattle Read the Same Book” in 1998. The city of Chicago followed suit in 2001, choosing as their city-wide book Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. With the wide publicity for Chicago’s program, the programs collectively known as “One City, One Read” took hold. Falmouth joined these numbers in 2003 with To Kill a Mockingbird, and the “Year of the Reader ” was born. Joanne Brianna-Gartner wrote an excellent history of Falmouth’s program that was published in the Summer 2023 issue of Spritsail. She cites, from the webpage allcityreads.org , “Community reading is a way to connect people through the shared experience of reading the same book together.” The original leaders of the Falmouth town-wide read were teachers and librarians; their mission was “to promote reading across the community through a shared reading experience and to increase access to books for all members of the community, with special attention to children.” From the beginning, “the read was for both adults and youth,” Brianna-Gartner notes. Each year, the committee selects a companion book for younger readers. The Falmouth Reads Together selection for 2024 is The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue, by Michael Tougias and Casey Sherman. The companion book is the YA version of the same title. The launch for this year ’s read was during the address, “ To Save and Protect,” by U.S. Coast Guard Admiral John Mauger during the Falmouth Forum on March 8th. Other events this year include: March 25, The Finest Hours book discussion (4 p.m. Hermann Room, FPL); April 4, 11, 18, 25, Joy of Learning — Biological Variation in the Deep Blue Sea (11 a.m. Hermann Room, FPL); April  5, The Finest Hours book discussion (11 a.m. Hermann Room, FPL); April 13, Dick Ryder from Orleans Historical Society on CG36500 (1 p.m. Hermann Room, FPL); May 4, Nobska Lighthouse Open House (10 a.m.-12 p.m.); May 14, The Finest Hours with author Casey Sherman (6:30 p.m. Hermann Room, FPL); May 31, Friday Films — The Finest Hours (3 p.m. Hermann Room, FPL); June 1, Historic Storms of Cape Cod with Dan Wilding (3 p.m. Hermann Room, FPL). Information is on the FPL website; events are listed in the monthly calendar. --Mary Fran Buckley �WHAT WE FIND IN BOOKS 2024 MASSACHUSETTS CENTER FOR THE BOOK READING CHALLENGE Just a few pages left to read ‘…slowly as the door creaks open, the growls grow louder and the footsteps closer……” “We’ll be landing in a few minutes. Please return your seats and tray tables to their upright positions.” Arrgh! That ’s when you grab the nearest “bookmark” –boarding pass, plane, train, subway or bus ticket – something – anything to slide between the pages of your book. The second annual Massachusetts Center for the Book yearlong reading challenge is underway. Each month participants are encouraged to visit their local library and find a book for that month’s reading challenge. After you have read the book you log on to their system to record the book you read, as well as leave comments for other readers. Each month the organization compiles the comments for public viewing. Taking part in a reading challenge is a great way to find books that you may not usually pick up. Last year my favorite challenge was to read a book by a Massachusetts Book Awards honoree. I had never heard of these awards and was surprised to learn just how many amazing authors there are in Massachusetts! I chose to read The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, an author I had not known. This wonderful and imaginative book is a treasure. I now refer to the list when I am looking for my next great read. Some of the honorees include Geraldine Brooks and Celeste Ng - two of my favorites. The 2024 Challenge started in January with “Read a book you read years ago, that you may feel differently about now.” I approached this challenge with the idea of reading something I loved as a child and wanted a chance to read again. Charlotte’s Web fit the bill and the visit to the farmyard did not disappoint. The biggest difference was realizing the wonderful words spun by Charlotte are matched by the amazing vocabulary used by EB White. I will forever be grateful that this book set me on the path to a life long love of reading. I find that choosing what book I am going to read for the challenge is part of the fun. Each month I like to take a bit of time to research my options and check the Massachusetts Center for the Book recommendation list. Perusing the library you come across some books you may not have noticed before. With a little digging you are sure to find a gem. In the coming months the challenges include a book whose protagonist has a different culture or lifestyle from you; a book about nature, the environment, or climate change; a graphic novel; and a book that inspired a film or television series. This challenge is a great way to explore the Falmouth Library and find your next fantastic read. To take part in this challenge go to https://www.massbook.org /readingchallenge. -- Tina Rood What is coming up next in the Book Reading Challenge? April May June July A book about nature, the environment, or climate change A graphic novel A book that inspired a film or television series A book by an author born outside of the United States For the last 6 months, we’ve collected an array of “bookmarks“ from your donations. When volunteers unpack the box or bag of books we also uncover snippets of your life: ticket stubs to a Celtics game, passes to the MFA or a ticket to an archeological site in Athens. A hotel room card for the Taj Palace Hotel in India or a postcard from the Schwarzwalder restaurant in Munich, all remind us that many readers love to travel. People, probably women, tend to make lists. On the back of an envelope was a very specific schedule of outfits to be worn each day (brown blouse, tweed skirt, orange shoes). Another notebook sheet itemized the necessities for a backpacking /camping trip with a special section for the dog (lots of wet and dry food, treats, and toys). A sadder list noted some missing gold jewelry and silver coins. Someone also jotted down a list of grievances about a coworker who was, in their opinion, “receiving special treatment ”. More typical were very detailed driving directions and cancelled checks ($500) or sometimes uncashed checks ($0.36). We also amassed recipes for piecrusts, caramel cake and sauerkraut salad. Yum! Of the many postcards collected this time, only about a dozen had writing on the back and were postmarked. The majority were pictures of sunny beaches, famous paintings, statues or even sailing ships to keep as reminders of a happy day. If you’re missing photos taken for a celebration, check in your books before they ’re donated because we find lots of them. There are lei-bedecked guests, lots of smiling toothless babies, grinning toddlers and teenagers about to enter another life. Volunteers in the Book Room are a sympathetic group. We’ll commiserate with you when we find a ticket from the New Jersey State Police, but smile and optimistically assume only the best when we discover a receipt for a wedding gown purchased in 1989. Thank you for your donations that help the Friends support our special library. -- Edwina Yee �MEMBERSHIP NOTES AND NEWS FFPL’s fiscal year begins on April 1. Our Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 9th, starting at 12:30. This year, the Board decided to go back to the pre-COVID practice of serving a light lunch and inviting a guest speaker. This year ’s speaker will be our interim library director, Brian Stokes. He’ll tell us about the new outreach program the library has developed with the Country Sheriff to bring books and programs to the Barnstable County jail. We ask that you let us know if you plan to attend the meeting so we can make adequate arrangements. Our email address is friends@falmouthpubliclibrary.org and our phone number is 508-457-2555 extension 2918. Or, you can call or text me directly at 774-353-6627. It ’s that time of year again. Annual Membership renewal letters will be mailed before the end of March. The dates for the summer book sale on the library lawn have been set for July 4-8. Set-up day is Wednesday July 3 starting at 9:30am. Emails will be going out to everyone on our volunteer list. If you haven’t been called in past years, but want to volunteer, call either of the numbers above, or send us an email. It takes a village, so to speak, to make this event a success. Several of you have checked the little box on membership forms offering to volunteer in the book room. There are four immediate opportunities. 1) People are needed to sort, price and pack books for the sale. We have sorting and pricing guidelines and training will be provided. 2) The online sales team (Amazon and ABE books) needs help. This entails consulting several web sites to determine pricing, posting the book on-line, and packaging sold books for mailing. Again, we have clear guidelines and training for these tasks. 3) We are looking for someone with Adobe Indesign, or similar experience to pull together the Newsletter twice a year. Content is provided, you will be responsible for the format and layout. 4) Last, but by no means least, we’re looking for a team member to help with membership development and communications. Responsibilities include working with the newsletter team, organizing membership renewals, and sending holiday sale postcards and periodic emails. If you have a few hours a week to volunteer and are interested in any of the above opportunities, please email friends@falmouthpubliclibrary.org. -- Mary Tamucci BOOK REVIEWS continued The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel Stephane Breitwieser was one of the most successful art thieves in recent history. Over the course of 10 years, beginning in 1997, he successfully “liberated” (his term) from museums, churches, and castles in Europe, more than 300 pieces of artwork worth about $2 billion. He never made a dime from any of these heists; rather, he displayed the art in two rooms on the second floor of his mother ’s house, where he could view and enjoy these works at his leisure. His girlfriend at the time served as his lookout; the heists were carried out in the daytime when the museums were open to the public, with security guards patrolling. Breitwieser, however, was cunning, skilled in circumventing most security systems, and athletically adept. As his successful heists continued, Breitwieser became more careless, until his crime spree ended. Author Michael Finkel delves into Breitwieser ’s psyche and love of art — in a way similar to his exploration of a hermit in his previous book, The Stranger in the Woods. As the introduction to The Art Thief notes: “ This is a riveting story of art, crime, love, and an insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.” Readers definitely will not be disappointed!! -- Mary Fran Buckley This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel This is the story of a family where the youngest child is transitioning from Claude to Poppy and how each member approaches this change. When the family moves they keep this information secret, through omission, and keeping this secret has an impact on the entire family. It discusses how the parents face making decisions about what to do in the best interest of their child, and the best interest of their family. All while considering their child’s feelings. The parents approach everything they do with love and the best intentions, and it is complicated because they don’t agree on the best way forward for their child. A wonderful therapist acts as their guide. The Father ’s amazing fairytale told to the children throughout their childhood and throughout the book, beautifully mirrors the family ’s challenges. Our book group decided to read this book that takes on the timely issue of a family grappling with a child transitioning from a boy to a girl. The author ’s own child transitioned in real life and this is a fictional work that came from that experience. This book provides different perspectives and a chance to really think about this issue. The introduction of Thai cultural beliefs around gender are eye opening. Our discussion centered around the importance of understanding, rather than judging, and taking time to have important discussions in a caring way. This thought provoking book is one that encourages discussion and should be added to your book group list. -- Tina Rood � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Friends of the Falmouth Public Library Newsletters Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Friends of the Falmouth Public Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1992-present (sporadic) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Original PDFs and PDF scans of print newsletters Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Newsletter Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data pdf Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Friends of the Falmouth Public Library Newsletter Spring/Summer 2024 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Friends of the Falmouth Public Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource pdf Language A language of the resource English 2023 2024 Aline Countess of Romanones book review book sale Casey Sherman Edwina Yee Falmouth Reads Together FFPL FFPL newsletter Mary Fran Buckley Mary Tamucci Massachusetts Center for the Book Michael Tougias The Finest Hours The Spy Went Dancing Tina Rood