Library Blog
The Industrial School for Girls, 1911
Located at 41 Atherton Street was the Industrial School for Girls, a vocational school aimed at helping young women secure trade jobs. The school opened on October 16, 1911 and originally offered classes in dress making, millinery, and supplementary training in subjects such as English and arithmetic. As the school grew in popularity, additional courses in household…
Fashion: Nuthouse or Refuge?
“AH! FASHION. A nuthouse? A refuge? Or maybe both. Yes, an asylum in both senses of the word. A place where unemployable crazy people are always welcome.” So begins Simon Doonan’s book The Asylum, with most of the ensuing 268 pages devoted to making his case that hardcore fashionistas and the mentally ill have…
The Hilarous Genius of Jenny Lawson
I’ve been following Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess for nearly 10 years, after stumbling across a copy of her first book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, at Porter Square Books one day. As soon as I finished reading it (which, fortunately, was at home, because people on the T get very nervous seeing a middle-aged…
A Few Good Cookbooks!
When it’s cold outside, or you can’t leave the house due to a raging pandemic, or you’re just plain bored, looking through a cookbook for just the right recipe and getting to work in the kitchen or planning a future meal can be just the ticket–after all, you can only knit so many shawls, show…
Meditate, Bake, Explore
It’s a little over a year since the pandemic began and in spite of lower case numbers and available vaccines, it’s still far from over. It’s so easy to feel our lives are on hold. But they aren’t. It’s just this is what are our lives are right now: staying at home and doing very…
Historic Blazes in Somerville Schools, 1979
Did you know that there was once a serious fire at Somerville High School!? The fire took place on March 18, 1979 and was labeled a three-alarm fire. The firetrucks first arrived at the scene at 4:30 am and were led by Fire Captains Thomas Doherty and Robert Glover. Seven classrooms were destroyed by the…
The Blizzard of ’78
While weather forecasting had improved by the late 1970’s, many people still believed that the forecasts were inaccurate most of the time. The day before the blizzard started, most people believed that it wouldn’t turn out to be that big of a problem. Workers and students went about their day like it was a normal…
Non Fic Book Club Coming in February!
Beginning next month, SPL will have a new online book group: the Non Fic Book Club. We’ll be reading relatively short, approachable books chosen by group members, so if the word “nonfiction” makes you think of Robert Caro’s 3-volume biography of Lyndon Johnson, fear not. For our first meeting we’ll be discussing acclaimed journalist Jon…
East Branch News: January 2021
This first week of January at the East Branch, our make-and-take craft is a snowflake. Stop by the East Branch to pick up yours while supplies last! Meghan is back on Wednesday mornings at 11 for storytime, on SPL Facebook Live. Other programs in January include the East Branch Book Group, which meets on Friday January 22nd…
Somerville Theatre, 1914
A staple of Davis Square is the Somerville Theatre. The theatre, which is located in the Hobbs Building at 55 Davis Square, dates back to 1914. The theatre was designed to show motion pictures as well as live performances such as plays and vaudeville acts. According to a Somerville Journal article, the newly constructed theatre “has…
Year-End Recommended Reads!
It’s the time of year for The New York Times and other media to publish their lists of the best books of 2020. My list is a little different. I read a lot of books this year, but almost none of them were published in 2020. So here a list of the best books I…
West Branch News: December 2020
Do you need an activity for your kids, but you want to make it somewhat educational? Look no farther than the West Branch STEAM Take & Makes! Over the summer, the Somerville Public Library received a grant through CARES Act funding for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) related activities. One of the funded projects…
East Branch News: December 2020
December is generally a quiet month at the East Branch. The days are getting shorter and temperatures are dropping. But we have programs to share with you throughout the month! Meghan will continue to offer Wednesday morning story times – join us on Facebook Live each week at 11am. Our East Branch Book Group will meet…
Books Can Take You Anywhere
As the days get shorter and the number of COVID cases rises, a lot of us are really tired of staying in our homes and walking the same neighborhood streets. Unfortunately, health experts agree that traveling is a really bad idea right now. However, libraries offer a way to travel that’s undeniably safer and cheaper…
East Branch News, November 2020: Come take a StoryWalk®!
StoryWalks® are happening around all the Somerville Public Library locations this month. Laminated pages from children’s books are attached to fences and in windows near each library. Each page guides you to the next part of the story. We encourage you to take a walk with your friends and family and check out these beautiful books. Windows…
West Branch News, November 2020: StoryWalks® Take Over Somerville!
Have you ever seen a StoryWalk®? It’s a super fun way to read a book and get some exercise at the same time! Book pages are laminated and installed along a sidewalk, fence, or building. As people walk along the path of the StoryWalk®, they are directed to the next page in the story. To…
Pitching in During WWI: SHS Students to the Rescue
The development and improvement of new weaponry made World War I the bloodiest war of its time. When Washington expressed a need for surgical dressings, those who could help offered up their time, including some Somerville High School students. During the war, Somerville High formed the Somerville High School Patriotic Association to help with the…
Handmade, Small Press Zines at the SPL
Did you know that the Library has a few hundred zines? They range from comic books, to small treatises on birds or movies, to poetry chapbooks, to pamphlets on how to intervene when a stranger is being abusive to another stranger. Most of these items are hand-made, self-published, and printed in very limited numbers. Since…
West Branch News, October 2020: Kids Book Club!
Hello from the West Branch, where we have a thriving Kids Book Club! Each month, a group of amazing kids meets to discuss books. We loved meeting in person pre-pandemic, and we incorporated physical activity, arts and crafts, and STEAM activities into our meetings. For example, we discussed the “I Survived” books through the concept…
East Branch News, October 2020
Hello from the East Branch Library! We are excited to share two big programs in October. Both programs are free and everyone is welcome to participate. Learn to Baby Sign with Baby Kneads, a 4-week class that teaches parents and caregivers to sign with pre-verbal children ages 5 months and up, starts on Wednesday, October 7th. Contact Meghan to register…