50 Hopedale Street, Hopedale 

Contact: Tricia Perry, Library Director  508-634-2209

Holiday Hours                                              

Monday, December 25 CLOSED

Monday, January 1 CLOSED

Santa’s Porch Drop Off Location

The Bancroft Memorial Library is now a drop off for Santa’s Porch! Donations of new, unwrapped gifts will be accepted through Wednesday, December 20.

Giving Tree

We invite our generous patrons to donate handmade knit items(hats, mittens, scarves, etc.) as well as gift cards or other items to be given to the Milford Food Pantry who will distribute the donations.  Please add your name to one of the paper ornaments decorating our tree (which will be located upstairs at the Library) along with your donation. You can make this winter a bit warmer for someone! Donations will be collected until Wednesday, December 20.

Hopedale Downtown Winter Stroll 

The Library will be open from 10am-6pm on Saturday, December 2 as part of the Winter Stroll with plenty of fun activities! Stop in anytime during the day to receive 1 free raffle ticket for a special gift basket!

Free Make and Take “Paint Stick Snowperson” Craft (for all ages): 10am - 5:30pm

Hot Cocoa and Hot Mulled Cider: 4pm - 6pm

Friends of the Library “A Book On Every Bed” Ongoing Book Sale: 12pm - 6pm

Community Conversations Sponsored by Hopedale For Change

Community Conversations will meet this month on Wednesday, December 6 at 6:30pm. If you are interested in joining the conversation, please sign up at the Circulation Desk or online on our website.

Helen Symonds Book Group

The Helen Symonds Book Group will meet Dec. 6, 2023 at 1:00 pm in the Library meeting room. We will discuss The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin. If you are not on the current book group list, books are available in the Library. Everyone is welcome to join the discussion! “The brutal storm that whirled up suddenly on an enchantingly mild and sunny day in January 1888 just as schools let out became known as the Children’s Blizzard for all the young lives it claimed. Drawing on oral histories of the Great Plains blizzard of 1888, Benjamin depicts the experiences of two teachers, a servant, and a reporter who risk everything to protect the children of immigrant homesteaders.” – CWMARS summary

Maker Mondays

Join our evening crafting workshop on Monday, December 18 at 6:30pm. We will again be joined by Talia Lefton for an amazing felting workshop. This program is sponsored by The Friends of the Hopedale Library. Registration is required and space is limited. Register online today!

Wednesday Needlework Group

The Wednesday Needlework Group will not meet this winter. See you in the spring!

News from The Friends of the Hopedale Library

Shop Our Ongoing Book Sale During the Winter Stroll

Be sure to stop by the Ongoing Book Sale area downstairs in the Library during the Winter Stroll on December 2nd. We will have a special selection of holiday books and decorations. Don’t forget you can shop anytime the Library is open. We are constantly refreshing the selection. Funds raised go right back to the Library to support museum passes and programming.

Holiday Harmony Quartet

Come hear the sounds of the season on Saturday, December 9th at 1 pm with the local acapella group Holiday Harmony Quartet. This free event will take place in the upstairs Reading Room. To register, please sign up at the upstairs registration desk or call 508-634-2209.

News from the Marjorie Hattersley Children’s Room

Registration is encouraged but not required for all events. Please visit our website to register online.

Afternoon Free Play - Preschoolers - Fridays (12/1, 15, 29) 1pm

Preschool age children can come together for playtime at the Library. Meet up with your friends and have some afternoon fun! 

Homeschool Meetup - Families - 1st Monday (12/4) 1pm 

Get together, meet other families, share information and experiences while helping the Library learn what we can do to support you. Drop in. 

Rhyme Time - Ages 2 - 4 years - every Tuesday(12/5, 12, 19, 26) 10:00am

Fun with story time, music and movement as we build beginner reading skills. Drop in. 

Toddler Tunes - Ages 1 - 3 - every Tuesday(12/5, 12, 19, 26) 11:00am

Gross motor skills are the focus as we have fun with dancing, throwing, catching, kicking and using instruments. Drop in.

Teen Advisory - Grades 6 - 12 - 1st Wednesday(12/6) 5pm

Meet to discuss interests, activities and how the Library can best support Hopedale’s teen community. We will share some pizza and there will be video games to play as well. Registration required.

Alpha-nauts! - Ages 4 - 6 - every Thursday(12/7, 14, 21 28) 10am

Come explore the universe of the Alphabet as we build emergent reading skills. Registration required.

Busy Babies - Ages 0 - 18 mos - every Thursday(12/7, 14, 21, 28) 11am

Come for a story and fun with toys intended to encourage your infant’s motor and language development and meet other beginning families in our community too! Drop in.

Saturday Family Fun - Families- Saturdays(12/9, 23) 11am-1pm

Have some fun at the Library! Drop in. Check the calendar for more information.

Elementary Engineers - Ages 5-7 - 2nd Monday(12/11) 1pm                                                                    Elementary Engineers is a building-focused group activity. Building materials and an objective will be provided each class and the students must work collectively to complete the objective. Registration is required and is limited to 8 attendees.

Book Cubs - Grades 2 - 3 - 2nd Wednesday(12/13) 4pm

Check out the book, read it over the month, then come together for a peer discussion and a related activity. Registration required.

Monster Squad - Ages 8-12 - 3rd Monday(12/18) 1pm

Join the Monster Squad! Each month we will study a monster or cryptid. We will review the information, evidence and history regarding this creature. We will use scientific reasoning as we take notes and share thoughts to reach conclusions regarding the creature. We will end the class with a project related to what we have studied. Registration is required with a maximum of 12 registrations per class.

Raucous Readers - Grades 4 - 5 - 3rd Wednesday(12/20) 4pm

Check out the book,  read it over the month, then come together for a peer discussion and a related activity. Registration required.

Teen Movie Night - Wednesday(12/20) 6pm

Holiday Vacation

Join us for fun activities during Holiday Vacation!

Tuesday(12/26) - Art Fun

Wednesday(12/27) -TBD

Thursday(12/28) - Movie

Friday(12/29)-TBD

Saturday(12/30) Back to the 80s! Drop in from 10am-1pm for some 1980s fun at the Library! Make crafts, play games, and more. It will be totally rad! All ages welcome.

For updates throughout the month, Friend us on Facebook and sign up at www.wowbrary.org to discover the Library’s newest books, movies and music. Visit www.hopedale-ma.gov/bancroft-memorial-library.