After being interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is again available at Newton Public Library. VITA volunteers have worked out a new approach that allows them to assist lower-income taxpayers without meeting them in person. Those seeking free VITA assistance should follow this procedure: • Visit Newton Public Library and pick…
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By Sam Jack, sjack@newtonplks.org I’m crazy about opera – both listening to it and singing it. The COVID-19 pandemic has not been a great time to be an opera fan. Performances have been canceled all over the world, artists are out of work, and scientists are saying that singing may be one of the riskier…
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Newton Public Library entered Phase 2 of its reopening plan on Monday, June 15, and now offers in-library access and services on the building’s main level. Copying, faxing, computer use and in-person staff assistance are among the services that have resumed – with limits intended to prioritize the health and safety of patrons, staff and…
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Following up on yesterday’s post about diversity and representation in the world of books and libraries, Dan put together this “Online Display Table” highlighting #OwnVoices books from African-American authors. #OwnVoices is a social media hashtag used to highlights books and stories where the author and protagonist share a marginalized identity. The hashtag started in the…
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By Sam Jack, sjack@newtonplks.org Diversity in the world of books and publishing has increased over the last few years – but the industry is still unrepresentative of the United States as a whole. According to a 2019 survey, people working in publishing are 76 percent white; 6 percent Latinx, Latino or Mexican; and 5 percent…
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By Sam Jack, sjack@newtonplks.org The Hunger Games and its sequels, Catching Fire and Mockingjay, were Nos. 1, 2 and 5 on Newton Public Library’s countdown of the top young adult fiction of the 2010s. The first book in the series was also the second-most-circulated book overall, behind only the first volume in the Harry Potter…
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By Sam Jack, sjack@newtonplks.org The Last Emperox is a light, quick read, and it provided easy distraction, which I was looking for in the time of COVID-19. But it was in fact so light that none of the characters or situations felt at all real or weighty. Briefly, the situation in The Last Emperox, and the “Collapsing…
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On Tuesday, May 26, Peter Bolek of HBM Architects revealed the concept design for a new Newton Public Library building. It features a one-story layout incorporating natural light, more flexible/efficient use of space, and drive-up services. The site plan includes on-site parking and re-orienting the building to make better use of the green space in…
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The concept design for a new Newton Public Library building will be revealed for the first time during a joint work session of the Newton City Commission and Newton Public Library Board of Trustees on Tuesday, May 26, at 5 p.m. In order to facilitate social distancing, the meeting will be held at the Meridian…
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Newton Public Library’s Summer Library Program officially kicks off on June 1 and continues through July 31. To register, email library@newtonplks.org, or call 316-283-2890 during staff hours. “Summer is our favorite time of the year at Newton Public Library,” library director Marianne Eichelberger said. “Hundreds of children, teens and adults participate in reading challenges, book…
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