Young Adults in the 5th through 12th grade are invited to kick off the Summer Reading Arts programming with some Video Game Artwork. Sign up below to get your own easel and paint and recreate an 8-Bit creation for your desk. We will be painting on Thursday July 17th from 3:00-4:00 in the Program Room but space is limited so sign up today:
https://maldenpubliclibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/ya-arts-video-game-painting/
It’s that time of year again. Summer reading is starting and to celebrate we are kicking off with Dairy Delight. Join the library on Thursday, June 26th from 1-2:30pm for ice cream on the front lawn (rain location to be announced day of). For the party we’ll have games, music, books, and of course ice cream. To get ready we ask that anyone who is able, please sign up on Beanstack for your summer reading challenges. And don’t worry, for less technology inclined folks we will have librarians available to help you sign up and get your summer started. To register please use our Beanstack link: bit.ly/BeanstackMPL
And if you can’t make it we still want to support your summer progress. Sign up via the Beanstack app, webpage, one of our library sign up stations, or in person at the info or children’s desks. We have a lot of tasty prizes for kids and teens this summer. And for adults who read their weekly goal we have a prize raffle for fun gift certificates to our favorite community partners. Don’t miss out this summer it is going to be tons of fun!
The Malden Library will be closed this Thursday June 19th, in honor of Juneteenth. We reopen again for Friday from 9-6pm and then Saturday from 9-1pm with the start of our summer Saturday hours. While we are closed feel free to enjoy the Malden Juneteenth Festival. And if you would rather stay in and avoid the heat, check out our online database ProQuest: Black Freedom Struggle for some really interesting topics on the African American experience in the United States.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. William Shiloh was one of many former enslaved men and women that came north after freedom to make a new life in Malden.
William Shiloh was owner of Shiloh & Company, a barbershop on the south side of Pleasant Street. The business was listed in city directories as early as 1857. William was succeeded by his son, C. D. Shiloh, who was a photographer and architect.
According to An Early History of Malden, William Shiloh was working at his shop on the day of the bank robbery and murder of Frank Converse in 1863. William provided Franks’ father Elisha Converse a list of everyone he saw who entered and exited the bank the day of the murder. He was thanked by the family and records indicate that Elisha Converse built Shiloh and his family a house on Walnut Street, an area later known as Shiloh’s Hill.
A poem “Shiloh & Co.” was written by John Holland and published in the Star Streaks in 1870.
“What numerous barbers arrive in our town.
The first raise their pole and they next take it down.
Because there’s no man can successfully go,
And hold out his own against Shiloh & Co.;
For who can a razor so tastefully strap,
Or frizz up the curls on a dandified chap.”
“Let me of all nations in Malden unite.
To Do up the thing that is perfectly right.
Raise a shout that shall bring down the mountain
echo,
For Colfax and Grant, and for Shiloh & Co.
Their weapons are peerless in peace or in war,
And when there’s no fighting time they tune the guitar’
And the music they play makes our rooster birds crow,
Tis “The Star Spangled Banner” and Shiloh & Co.”
Summer is back! And this year we are open on Saturday. Starting Saturday, June 21st the library will open from 9am-1pm. This will give you and your family time to stop by and pick up your beach reads, audio books for the long car ride, or movies for a rainy weekend. For the rest of the week our hours will be the same, and packed with lots of summer reading special events. Check out our calendar to see what is going on! And don’t forget to sign up on Beanstack to log your reading minutes!
There are snakes at the Malden Public Library! Book snakes! This year we wanted a way to log books and encourage reading that was fun and educational. And thanks to TikTok and the internet we have this cool and crafty project. For this project you will crochet or knit a log of all your reading by assigning colors to genres or themes and then adding them each time you finish a book that matches those categories. In the end you’ll have a cute, plush log of all you’ve accomplished.
We have provided kits with a crochet hook, some eyes, stitch markers, a pattern, and a pre-crocheted head to get you started. We are also stocking the card catalog with loads of yarn for you to choose from and some back up supplies. Stop by the library and get your kit, pick up some yarn, or just get a pattern and start logging your books. You can view the crochet pattern here:
No problem…we have a knitting pattern! And you can still use the yarn, the eyes, the stitch markers. You can also bring your knit snake to one of our knitting programs and ask questions or seek assistance.
The library is hosting our first Book Log Snake Class and Clinic on Thursday, March 13th at 6pm. Stop by to learn how to crochet your snake from scratch. You will need your own 4.5mm hook, but we will provide the rest. There will be other snake clinics as we go and you can email cquinn@maldenpubliclibrary for updates on classes or suggestions for snake resources. In the meantime, here are some free online tutorials the staff found helpful:
We have a coloring sheet. You can ask for copies at the children’s desk or pick them up near the yarn station. You can also print this template at home!
We’ll supply the LEGO bricks, and children can have fun using their imaginations and creating their own LEGO projects on Monday, June 30, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Recommended for grades K-5.
This early literacy program for young children (6 months to 4+ years) features songs, nursery rhymes, and a short picture book and takes place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday mornings during the summer, beginning July 1 through August 12. The program lasts for about 45 minutes, and no registration is required. Just come on by!
Lindsay’s funny, fast paced, and highly interactive variety show delights the young and the young at heart! Kids will meet several larger-than-life, hand-crafted puppets. Maybe a dancing robot, a shy dragon, a heroic tiger, or a singing dinosaur! Come find out who’s making an appearance this time!
Lindsay has been performing full time since 2011. Through animated storytelling and thoughtful messaging, she hopes to inspire creative play, resilience, and empathy in even the youngest. She also believes shared joy and laughter strengthens communities. This program is a great fit for ages 3-8 and families.
This program, presented in coordination with the North Suburban Child & Family Resource Network, is supported by a grant from the Malden Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Join us for a “Movie Night in the Park at Rivers Edge” on Friday, June 13. The movie will be on The Park at Rivers Edge Great Lawn adjacent to 200 River’s Edge Drive in Medford. The Great Lawn section of the park will be transformed into an outdoor movie theatre where residents and visitors of all ages are welcome to gather and enjoy a free movie night featuring Moana 2 (Rated PG). The movie begins at sunset at 8:00 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Preotle, Lane & Associates and the Malden Public Library. Attendees should bring their own blankets and chairs for use. There will be free snacks and water provided. Wellington Station is just 0.4 miles from Rivers Edge. Free parking is available at the Rivers Edge Garage.
