Newspapers can provide a wealth of information to help you fill in gaps in your family history research. This presentation on Monday, September 26 at 7PM via Zoom will explain how to search for newspapers online, beginning with the digitized newspapers typically available through library websites.

Led by Janeen Bjork, who has found thousands of elusive items for her family, her students’ families, and her client’s families for more than a decade. She will demonstrate how to access both free and fee online newspaper resources, including their interfaces, and the best practices for searching on your own. Learn more about Bjork HERE.

Register directly on Zoom HERE. Presented in collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library/Tewksbury Genealogy Group.

Book bans are on the rise across the country as states seemingly compete to see who can place the most restrictions on free speech. As this latest wave of censorship activity continues to build, what is your role as a library user? In this interactive Zoom webinar on Thursday, September 22 at 7PM during Banned Books Week, you’ll learn about why intellectual freedom is important and what you can do to support libraries, library workers, and free expression during these challenging times.

Presented by Martin Garnar, PhD, director of the Amherst College Library, chair of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Intellectual Freedom Committee, and editor of the 10th edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual. 

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries.

Author Rachel S. Geller will deliver a presentation based on her book, Saving the World, One Cat at a Time: What I Know About Cats – And Why You Should Know It, on Wednesday, September 14 via Zoom.

Dubbed the “Cat Whisperer,” Dr. Rachel Geller will explain common cat behavior problems encountered by owners, followed by a Q&A, so bring your questions for this expert’s advice. Whether the cat in question is avoiding the litterbox, acting hostile toward another cat in the same household, having separation anxiety, or scratching the furniture, Dr. Geller has easy-to-implement solutions and answers based on her lifelong understanding of cats and their behavior. Dr. Geller will also offer advice on how to choose the perfect cat for your household and integrate your new cat successfully into your family. 

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries. 

Dr. Geller is a certified Cat Behavior and Retention Specialist through the Humane Society and a certified Humane Education Specialist through the Academy of Prosocial Learning. She is currently a cat behaviorist/consultant for The Cat Connection, Here Today Adopted Tomorrow Animal Sanctuary and Baypath Humane Society, and provides cat behavior help both locally and throughout the country to her clients, including cat owners and shelters. 

Learn about commonly encountered wildlife such as deer, coyote, and raccoons, and their intersection with the wild and developed spaces we inhabit on Wednesday, August 24 at 11AM via Zoom. Find out best practices for maintaining bird feeders and attracting visitors. From amazing pollinators to problematic mosquitoes and ticks, we’ll introduce some incredible insects and how we impact each other. Whether you watch it from your window or your screens, you’ll learn more about how to peacefully co-exist with these unique neighbors here in the Commonwealth.

Led by Tia Pinney, a Biologist, Lead Naturalist, and educator at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln. Since 1994, when she first started working at the farm, Tia has overseen efforts to maintain New England’s wildlife on our 206-acre property, managing staff and volunteers in planting projects and citizen science.

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries.