Blog: Recommendations

Community Resources for New Arrivals

Posted on by Katie Walsh

Being an integral part of the Malden community, the Malden Public Library provides the following community links and a resource to our local population. Here are some updated links and resources that may be useful to community members who are new to Malden and/or the United States, and those who wish to support them!

Click the name of the organization to be taken to their website; when available, direct contact information for the organization will be listed beneath their description. Descriptions in quotations come directly from the organizations linked.

New Arrivals Resources

Brazilian Workers Center

“The Brazilian Worker Center is a non-profit organization that capacitates immigrant workers to learn about workplace rights, immigration, and health equity. We empower immigrants with knowledge and skills to promote economic, social, political and racial justice for all.”

The Family Welcome Center at the Allston BWC provides assistance and resources (including emergency housing) to new arrivals from many countries.

The Everett Haitian Community Center

“The Everett Haitian Community Center (EHCC) is proud to have been serving immigrant and marginalized communities in Everett and Greater Boston for the past 7 years.” EHCC offers assistance with housing, food, citizenship classes, employment, and more.

MIRA Resources (Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition):

“MIRA is the largest coalition in New England promoting the rights and integration of immigrants and refugees. With offices in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, we advance this mission through education and training, leadership development, institutional organizing, strategic communications, policy analysis and advocacy.”

MIRA Citizenship Application Assistance

MIRA Immigration Advocate Legal Helpline

“This helpline number is open to all Massachusetts-based providers serving immigrants and refugees and accepts voicemails 24/7 at (508) 293-1871. This helpline operates as a non-emergency service.

  • Callers are asked to leave a voicemail with their contact details and their inquiry (without disclosing any client-specific information).
  • The MIRA Helpline staff will review voicemails to assess urgency, directing urgent inquiries to our Staff Attorney for immediate response.
  • If a caller seeks resources, these will be sent via email.
  • For all other matters requiring an attorney’s response, the Helpline staff will arrange a callback and provide further instructions.
  • For expedited service, providers are encouraged to fill out the online intake form. Once the form is submitted, providers don’t need to call the helpline, the team will reach out to them with a response to their inquiry.”

Immediate Resources for Immigrants (MIRA): Links and contact information for emergency assistance shelter, Family Welcome Centers, Food/Nutrition/Medical Resources.

Immigrant Support Alliance, Melrose, MA (website under construction)

“A nonprofit coalition of volunteers that partners with resettlement agencies to provide food, housing, financial, and social support to our clients, helping them on their journey towards becoming independent, contributing members of our communities.”

  • info@immigrantsupportalliance.org

The Immigrant Learning Center, Malden, MA

The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc. (ILC) is a not-for-profit organization. The English Language Program provides free, year-round ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes to help immigrant and refugee adults in Greater Boston become successful workers, parents and community members.

  • (781) 322-9777

Rian Immigrant Center

“Rian empowers immigrants, refugees, and international exchange visitors on the path to opportunity, safety and a better future.” Rian provides immigration legal services, English classes, citizenship classes, resource and support services, education & career services, International Exchange Visitor Visa Program, community building opportunities, and advocating for just and humane immigration policies.

  • (617) 542-7654

 

Media Literacy: Don’t Get Fooled on April Fool’s Day (or any other day)

Posted on by Cait Quinn

It’s April Fool’s Day! A day when our skepticism is high and many of our usual sources of information are playing tricks on us. Rather than return to business as usual tomorrow use today’s desire to trust but verify to improve your media literacy. Here are some infographics and links to help you become a savvier consumer of information!

Credit to Britannica learn for “Fight the Fake”

And Niall McNulty for the infographic

For more reading take a look at these helpful articles about how to practice media literacy and why it matters: https://literacy.ala.org/media-literacy/

https://www.rand.org/blog/2022/03/truth-decay-is-a-threat-to-democracy-heres-what-you.html

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/evaluating-quality-of-online-info-julie-coiro

https://libguides.norquest.ca/fakenews/identify?

https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2016/12/27/fighting-fake-news/

Introducing a New Series: MPL Kid’s Corner

Posted on by Cait Quinn

Raising little readers can be a challenge, especially when there are so many things competing for your family’s attention. There are millions of books on the shelves, online games, new educational tools, and resources that are helpful but are difficult to find and preview. Because of this, the MPL staff are putting together a weekly resource for busy families called: MPL Kid’s Corner.

It premieres on Facebook and Instagram and it will highlight the many books and resources available to families with readers 0-12 years old, that are trying to promote a love of literacy and curiosity in their children.  The easiest way to catch this content, is to follow either our Facebook or Instagram page (why not both?) You can also check our pages Thursday mornings at 10 am. We promise to keep the content fresh and interesting and mostly on time. 😉

This week’s post highlights our ebook resource: Tumble Books Library. TumbleBooks animate children’s books as a way to promote language acquisition and a joy of reading. They regularly update content with new titles, many books that you can find at the library, but with additional resources that help little readers learn to follow along and read on their own. You can watch the video here that introduces TumbleBooks and details how to get started. (Don’t forget you’ll need your library card # and library pin # for any library provided eResource.)

And keep an eye out for our new content weekly!

 

Check out our latest information about World Book Kids!

Here is a list of book recommendations for kids of many ages!

Check out Comics Plus

Try Creativebug!

Jack Kerouac @ 100

Posted on by Stephen Deloney
Jack Kerouac at 100 3.12.1922-3.12.2022

Jack Kerouac at 100 3.12.1922-3.12.2022

Poet and novelist Jack Kerouac was born one hundred years ago today on March 12, 1922 in Lowell, Massachusetts. He was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac explored themes of personal exploration, rejection of the status quo, and explicit portrayals of the human condition.  He had a major influence on cultural figures in the 60s. This influence continues to the current day. In celebration of his continued legacy among the great American literary figures, here is a collection of some of his works found in our library.

 

Libraries would  celebrate his work if for no other reason than this beautiful passage from Dr. Sax (1959) :

“By Saturday morning the sun is shining, the sky is piercingly heartbreakingly blue, and my sister and I are dancing over Moody Street Bridge to get out Saturday morning Library books.  All the night before I’ve been dreaming of books – I’m standing in the children’s library in the basement, rows of glazed brown books are in front of me, I reach out and open one – my soul thrills to touch the soft used meaty pages covered with avidities of reading – at last, at last, I’m opening the magic brown book – I see the great curlicued print, the immense candelabra first letters at the beginnings of chapters – and Ah! – pictures of rosy fairies in blue mist gardens with gingerbread Holland skylark rooftops (with breadcrumbs on them), talking to wistful heroines about the mean old monster on the other bosky side of the dale …”

The Jack Kerouac Society will be hosting events in Lowell, MA this weekend and throughout the year to celebrate Kerouac’s enduring legacy.

Year End Staff Recommendations!

Posted on by Cait Quinn

2021 is gone and I’m sure most of us can say we won’t entirely miss it. The 2020’s have been tough so far. And it has been hard to find things that bring joy and comfort in tough times. So the staff at the Malden Library has made a list of books, shows, and movies that helped them get through this long year. Hopefully you find something here to make your 2022 a little brighter. https://bit.ly/3zmMMUs

For bell hooks

Posted on by Cait Quinn
bell hooks has influenced, critiqued, shaped, and driven cultural thought for decades. Her passing has left a hole that will take many voices and many perspectives to fill. Here is a list of some of her enduring work as well as a link to her work and the work of others on whom she has had an impact.

Home (Cooking) for the Holidays!

Posted on by Cait Quinn
For many of us this will be the first holiday season we can come back together with family and friends. The pandemic made a lot of new traditions, some good (duck breast for Thanksgiving, anyone?) Some not as good (8 hours of Zoom Xmas party.) But this year you might be craving those old school homey traditions so you can feel like things are closer to normal. Here is a list of titles to spark memories and get you making that famous sweet potato casserole your Nana always made.
And even if you are not gathering this year, these recipes and guides can help you put some sparkle in your Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s. And even better, you won’t have to pass potatoes to weird uncle Josephus.