Brenda Metterville

‘Tis the season to be thankful for the gifts from the community!

We the staff and Trustees of the Merrick Public Library give thanks to this caring and generous community of Brookfield. Thank you to the Garden Club, which provided our beautiful summer outdoor flower plantings; bountiful donations from our patrons to Brookfield Food Pantry; and the league of teen and adult volunteers who assist the staff on a weekly basis. Another worthy mention is the generous annual magazine subscriptions donors provide the public. We extend a heartfelt thank you.

The Friends of the Library continually provide monetary support and services, which are an important and intrinsic part of the benefits provided to the public. Successfully led by Chairman Eileen Roughan, Secretary Barbara Steadman, Treasurer Wilfred Steadman and other active members, this team initiated fundraisers such as the Annual Silent Auction in May and the October Book Sale, which help provide programs and materials for the Library. Friday home deliveries to patrons every week are brought to you by Ann Carty-Duffy, Betty Hatstat, Carolyn Murray and Reta Warman. The Friends sponsor the Summer Reading Program, which this past summer included the World of Owls program, and they hosted the Ice Cream Party in August. They recently provided the children’s room with the popular train table and bench for toys.

Annual Christmas Photo with Santa
This very popular annual event, free to the public, is the photo with Santa during the Open House at the Library on Sunday, Dec. 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. Come and enjoy the ambience of this season’s true meaning of giving, and have a little mulled cider while you visit delightful Banister Memorial Hall.

Join the Friends
A Friend of the Library may be defined in several different ways: You may provide monetary support through an annual donation or donate some of your time to the Library on a weekly, monthly or annual basis (such as the great local artisans who create beautiful items for the auction). A simple donation to the Friends can bring a sense of satisfaction of being a member of one of Brookfield’s truly successful organizations.

A Holiday Stress Reliever
A program led by Deb Kelley-Dominick, certified Kripalu instructor, will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8 at the Library. Kripalu DansKinetics is a celebration of life through non-choreographed movements that blend dance, yoga and meditation. No dance experience is necessary! Call the Library to register at 508-867-6339. Space is limited. FREE admission. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Banister Book Group
Patrons are welcome to join, attend and discuss books as schedules may accommodate. Copies of the books are always available one month in advance of each discussion at the Library. Please call to reserve.
• Tuesday, Dec. 27, 7:30 pm. Christmas at the New Yorker
“[A] whimsically delicious collection . . . as uplifting as it is cynical. Even Scrooge would find it worth the moola.”
–Entertainment Weekly

• Tuesday, Jan. 26, 7:30 p.m. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, by Erik Larson
Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, Erik Larson's spellbinding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men — the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America’s place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their deaths. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.

• Tuesday, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m. Twenty Years at Hull House, by Jane Addams
This is Jane Addams' graphic account of her famed settlement house in Chicago's West Side slums. Covering the years 1889 to 1909, a time when America was fired with fear of subversives and suspicion of foreigners, this book stands as the immortal testament of a woman who lived and worked among the immigrant settlers, the sweatshop toilers, the unwed mothers, the hungry, the aged, the sick, to show them the true concept of American Democracy. Jane Addams was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her philanthropic work.

Home Delivery
Please call the library for Home Delivery, even if you can’t get out for just a short period of time.

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