50 Hopedale Street

Contact: Keely Bethel-Penny, Library Director 

(508) 634-2209

Library News

The Library will be open 10am-2pm on Christmas Eve and will be closed the next day, December 25th for Christmas.  The Library will also be closed on Wednesday, January 1st for New Year’s Day. 

Santa’s Porch Drop Off Location

The Bancroft Memorial Library is a drop off location for Santa’s Porch! Donations of new, unwrapped gifts will be accepted through Friday, December 13th.

Giving Tree

We invite our generous patrons to donate handmade knitted items (hats, mittens, scarves, etc.) that will be given to the Daily Bread Food Pantry in Milford. Donations will be collected until Wednesday, December 18th.

Hopedale Downtown Winter Stroll – Saturday, December 7th from 10am-6pm

The Library will be open from 10am-6pm as part of the annual Winter Stroll.  There will be crafts for all ages from 10am - 5:30pm and hot cocoa and mulled cider starting at 1:00pm.  The Friends of the Hopedale Library invite you to hear the sounds of the season starting at 1:00pm with the local acapella group Holiday Harmony Quartet. This free event will take place in the upstairs Reading Room. To register, please sign up online on the Library’s Event Calendar, at the Circulation Desk, or call 508-634-2209. Limited spots are available!

Helen Symonds Book Group

Wednesday, December 4th at 1:00pm

The group will be discussing How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

Community Conversations – Wednesday, December 4th at 6:30pm

Community Conversations will meet in the Program Room to talk about “Critical thinking in the education system.”

News from the Friends of the Hopedale Library:

Shop Our Ongoing Book sale During the Winter Stroll on December 7th

Be sure to stop by the Ongoing Book sale area downstairs in the Library during the Winter Stroll. We will have holiday books of gift-giving quality and puzzles starting at $1.00. There will be homemade holiday decorations including pine swags and birch candle holders starting at $7.00 and our Bancroft Memorial Library 125th Anniversary glass ornament sun catchers will be available for $20.00. Don’t forget you can shop for books, puzzles, and ornaments any time the Library is open. We are constantly refreshing the selection, and all funds raised go right back to the Library to support museum passes and Library programming.

Maker Mondays – Monday, December 16th at 6:00pm

This month in the adult crafting workshop called “Planting Seeds of Intention,” you will learn about the benefits of crystals and assemble a terrarium using small plants, soil, crystal chips, sands and our own individual seeds of intention.  Registration is required.  To register, please sign up online on the Library’s Event Calendar, at the Circulation Desk, or call 508-634-2209

Commemorative Glass Ornament Special Fundraiser

Help us celebrate Bancroft Memorial Library’s 125th Anniversary by purchasing a commemorative glass ornament featuring the Library.  These handcrafted ornaments by Becker Glass are available in blue or clear for $20. They are boxed for gift giving and perfect for the holidays. To purchase, simply stop by the Library. Cash and checks will be accepted; any checks should be made out to The Friends of the Hopedale Library.  All monies raised help support the Library in paying for museum passes and adult and children’s programming.

About the Friends of the Library

We are a volunteer, non-profit organization. Our purpose is to stimulate interest in the use of the Library, focus attention on community services the Library offers, and raise funds for equipment, materials, and programs not covered by the Library’s regular operating budget. Our fundraising supports the museum pass program and children’s and adult programming, including Summer Reading. Our meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month from September through June at 6:30pm at the Library. We love new members!

News from the Marjorie Hattersley Children’s Room:

Special event:

Noon Year’s Eve!  – Wednesday, December 31st 10:30am – 12:30pm

All are welcome to drop in for a scavenger hunt to welcome in a new year, make a fortune teller craft and watch a classic New Year’s movie.  

Weekly Programs:

Tummy Time Play – Tuesdays 12/3, 12/10 and 12/17 at 10:30am, ages 0-18 months

Join us for some infant fun in a safe environment! Along with a story there will be fun, developmentally appropriate toys that encourage gross motor development.  Drop in!

Letter Explorers  – Tuesdays 12/3, 12/10 and 12/17 at 11:30am, ages 4+

Did your child miss the cut off for Kindergarten but is ready for classroom learning?  This class will focus on a different letter each week.  We will read a book highlighting the letter, review items that begin with the letter, make a craft of the letter and complete worksheets about the letter. For school readiness, we will also work on reading and listening skills, classroom expectations and organization, socialization, self-regulation, time management, communication, and writing. 

Toddler Tunes  – Thursdays 12/5, 12/12 and 12/19 at 10:30am, ages 18 months– 3 years

This program is perfect for energetic toddlers!  Along with a story, we will work on gross motor skills and play with balls, a parachute, instruments, bean bags, scarves and more. Drop in!

Rhyme Time – Thursdays 12/5, 12/12 and 12/19 at 11:30am, ages 3-5 years

Each week we will build early reading skills as we learn a new rhyme, dance and sing, do finger plays, play musical instruments and engage in other activities.  Each class will end with a craft that is a reminder of our rhyme. Drop in.

Monthly Programs:

HQ Crew Book Club – Monday 12/2 at 4pm, Grades 4-6 

Do you like the Who Was/Where Was/What Was series of books? Join this club and build your own HQ Scrapbook!  Read a book from these series and when we gather you will be given a composition notebook to create entries for the books you read. All materials will be provided; just come to the meeting, share information about the book you read and work on your scrapbook.  Drop in.

Book Buffet Book Club – Monday 12/2 at 6:30pm, Grades 7-12 

Book Buffet is a monthly book group for tweens and teens. Read a book of your choice and create your own Mini Book Library Jar. All materials (and snacks!) will be provided.  Drop in.

Genre Book Club – Wednesday 12/18 at 4pm, Grades 1-3

Here’s a book club for kids in Grades 1 - 3 who want to discover what they love about reading. Miss Laura will help participants find a right-for-them book in a genre of their choice. Each month the readers will earn a new genre badge to add to their personal bookmark as they explore all the different types of stories offered!  Drop in.

TACO: Teen Advisory and Community Organization – Wednesday 12/18 at 6:30pm

TACO is the advisory and activity planning organization for teen patrons here at the Library.  Open to students in Grades 7-12, we will meet once a month to discuss specific programming, ideas and opportunities for the Young Adult residents of Hopedale. Drop in.

Volunteer Saturdays for High School Students – Saturday 12/21 11:00am-1:00pm

Each month there will be an opportunity for high school students to earn 2 hours of volunteer time from 11am - 1pm. Registration is required.  Please register online on the Library website under Calendar of Events or call the Library at (508) 634-2209. We will provide all necessary supplies, you just bring your energy and motivation.

Desserts & Discussions – Wednesday, December 18th at 6:00pm 

Desserts and Discussions is a program of the Milford Family Community Network CFCE that is meeting in the Program Room.  Come connect with other parents to share stories, challenges and triumphs. This is a fun night for parents/caregivers only and will be a participant led discussion, so bring your questions, concerns and advice!  Coffee and desserts will be provided; please call 508-277-4981 to register.

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. Our webpage is https://www.hopedale-ma.gov/bancroft-memorial-library.