On Saturday, January 14, 2012, Beebe Library will offer its annual Magazine Giveaway. Please stop by the library anytime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to browse through a wide selection of magazines that are two years old. Take some home for reading during the upcoming winter weather, discover some ideas for home projects, or try some new recipes.
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Over 26 million Americans, many in the Boston area, can trace their ancestry back to Italy. They now form the country’s fifth largest ethnic group. To find out more about area activities celebrating Italians in America, visit italianheritagemonth.com.
Italian Americans have distinguished themselves in science (Enrico Fermi), business (Lee Iacocca), literature (Mario Puzo), music (Henry Mancini, Tony Bennett, Guy Lombardo), film (Ernest Borgnine, Frank Capra, Eleanora Duse), and politics (John Volpe, Silvio Conte, Fiorello LaGuardia). The list could go on and on.
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PLEASE NOTE: We’re sorry, but our Fall 2011 series of employment workshops is full. We are no longer accepting signups.

Starting Monday, October 3, 2011
Based on the success of last year’s series of employment workshops, Beebe Library has scheduled another 7-week series of workshops for job seekers running on Mondays from Oct. 3 – Nov. 28. The workshops will be run by Gary Gekow, a Senior Employment Specialist with 21 years of recruiting experience in the Boston staffing industry. Gekow works closely with client companies in many industries as well as with job seekers in various specialties. He has presented his successful employment workshops at dozens of libraries throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Continue »

Public reception Sept. 1, 3-5 p.m.
“The whole time that I’ve lived in Wakefield, the library has been a focus,” says Gray Sawyer, who will be retiring on Sept. 1 after 12 years as a Beebe Library Children’s Librarian. “The library has been my anchor in Wakefield, and for my family as well.”
The public is invited to a retirement reception for her in the Beebe Library Lecture Hall on Thursday, September 1, from 3-5 p.m.
Prior to working at the library, Sawyer served three terms (9 years) as a member of the Board of Library Trustees, from 1985 to 1994.
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Wakefield’s Festival Italia – Saturday, August 13, 2011
August is a great time to enjoy all things Italian. The Wakefield Events Planning Committee sponsors Festival Italia on Saturday August 13, 2011 from 2-8 p.m. along portions of Main and Albion streets.
Then, discover all things Italian at Beebe Library. Food, travel, music, wine, art, architecture, and history are some of what is available to explore. Visit the Festival Italia display near the Circulation Desk to find an ever-changing selection of materials celebrating Italy and its people. A keyword search in the library catalog returns sixty-five pages of results that include fiction, nonfiction, biographies, travel guides, cookbooks, movie, and music. A librarian at the reference desk can help you refine your search to find just what you are interested in.
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Travel to “Novel Destinations” with Beebe Library
Sign up for Novel Destinations, Beebe Library’s 2011 Summer Reading Program for adults.

1. Receive your “passport” when you sign up at the Reference Desk.
2. On the pages of your passport, provide at least three “reviews” to qualify to win one of several Novel Destinations prizes.*
3. You may “review” any material, program or service available at or through Beebe Library. (See examples below.)
4. Drop your completed passport in the Novel Destinations box at the Reference Desk by August 20 to eligible for the raffle.

What is a review?
A “review” is simply a paragraph describing your opinion, experience, insight and/or recommendation of any material or service provided by Beebe Library. If you allow us to share your reviews, your opinions may be included in library information sources like our web site, Facebook page or booklists.
What will you review? It’s not just about books! Explore any of the many things offered at the library and record your experiences in your passport. Consider reviewing any of the following Beebe Library offerings: Continue »

Programs and events for all ages from toddlers to teens
“One World, Many Stories” is the theme for Beebe Library’s 2011 Summer Reading Program for Kids. All summer long, Beebe Library offers programs and events for kids of all ages that will give them a chance to explore their world. In addition to the special events and activities, kids are encouraged to join our Summer Reading Club.
When you register in the Youth Room for the One World, Many Stories Summer Reading Program, you will receive a tracking sheet to record the number of hours you spend reading. You receive a prize when you read at least two hours and turn in a tracking sheet. You can read as many hours as you like. Prizes vary depending on the amount of reading that you do. Continue »

1958 Wakefield High School grad; Author of “Affliction”
When novelist Russell Banks speaks at Beebe Library tonight at 7 p.m., it will be more than just a homecoming.
A 1958 Wakefield High School graduate, Russell Banks grew up in a working-class world that played a major role in informing and shaping his writing. Since leaving Wakefield, Banks has become one of America’s most prolific and acclaimed novelists. Two of his books, Affliction and The Sweet Hereafter were adapted into major Hollywood motion pictures.
Russell Banks’ appearance at Beebe Library is part of “Stories for a Safer Wakefield,” a month-long community inquiry during March intended to provoke thought and discussion about violence and its deterrence. His novel, “Affliction” explores the connection between alcohol and domestic violence. Continue »