Project Grandparent
 There have been many unsung heroes during the Covid-19 pandemic -- our health care workers, emergency services, our teachers, food pantry workers, volunteer mask makers... The list is long, and it would be impossible to acknowledge all the people who make our days better. As public librarians, we see all sides of people, all aspects of society, and one group has stood out -- before the pandemic and even more so since we all embarked on this difficult journey together. The quiet heroes we meet every day at the library are our grandparent caregivers.
We are pleased to announce that we have been awarded a $4,000 grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, made possible by gifts from the Bernice Clay Fund for Lifelong Learning, to support a new program called Project Grandparent. Project Grandparent will provide learning technology support to grandparent caregivers who have stepped into the role of caregiver/educator for their grandchildren.
Project Grandparent will take a multi-faceted approach to address the needs being presented by local grandparent caregivers, including the need to come up a technology learning curve in a reasonable and responsible way while also addressing concerns for internet safety, the understanding of parental controls, and the limitations of the technology and internet access available at home, especially in rural areas where broadband availability is limited.
This funding for Project Grandparent will provide a fleet of 20 Launchpads for checkout at the library, to provide safe, ready to use learning technology for grandparent caregivers/educators. Launchpads are pre-loaded learning tablets with vetted content for children. They are pre-loaded with learning games and interactive educational content that do not require downloading or internet access. They are safe and secure, and can be used anywhere, anytime. Because they do not require internet, Launchpads bridge the Digital Divide and are 100% accessible for everyone, even in rural areas.
Additionally, Project Grandparent will provide in-person and virtual workshop sessions, led by library staff, for grandparent caregivers on tech topics and educational resources, tailored to meet their needs. These workshop sessions will be included as part of the Winter Learning program, for the winter and early spring months of 2022. If you are a grandparent or other family caregiver, please fill out this brief survey of possible workshop topics.
For the full press release, click here.
Thank you to all of our grandparents and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation for your support.
Be well. Be safe. Be kind.
Please feel free to contact me any time at jperrin@jaffreypubliclibrary.org.
Kind regards, Julie M. Perrin, Library Director - a.k.a. Ms. Julie
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Driveway restricted Monday, December 13
Yikes! It is raining in the attic!
 Our roofing company will be here on Monday to address some slate roof issues. We have indeed had building challenges this year. The work will require a crane so they can reach the peak, so please be advised we may need to restrict driveway access on Monday.
Thank you for your patience and understanding!
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Pandemic Service Updates
We are not announcing any changes to our services at this time and plan to continue our present Covid protocols.
That said, we have had our first case of Covid on staff, although this was not a library exposure, and we ensured public safety through quarantining and testing of other staff, who are all thankfully negative.
As the surge of cases continues, however, please understand that an exposure at the library could mean a change in services or even a temporary shutdown, with very little notice.
Just as we do for snow, we will announce last minute closures on wmur.com, our Facebook page and on our website.
We will do our best not to disrupt services and strongly encourage you to use Grab & Go and request a curbside appointment if you are feeling at all unwell or just wish to avoid public spaces. Together, we have done well to keep everyone safe, and we continue to appreciate your support. Stay safe!
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A big thank you to Team Vaccine of the Greater Monadnock Public Health Network.
They vaccinated 144 people in three hours at yesterday's Covid vaccination clinic at the library.
Thank you for your service to the community and to all who came out to be vaccinated!
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Local stuffed animals also received assorted vaccines yesterday at the Monadnock Doll Hospital, while their human caregivers learned about the history of vaccines for Smallpox, Polio and Influenza and the scientists who developed them.
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Registration now open for these January programs
Gather Around a Book - Humanities Book Discussion -Tuesday, January 11 at 6:30 pm on Zoom
Books are now available for pickup, as well as additional titles recommended by our facilitator.
 January's selection is The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell, the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a twenty-first-century scientific mission to a newly discovered extraterrestrial culture.
Our book discussion facilitator is Dr. Kiki Berk, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Southern New Hampshire University.
Register here.
This program is funded by a SHARP grant from New Hampshire Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities, through the American Rescue Plan.
New Hampshire New Normal - Climate Change - Tuesday, January 18 at 6:30 pm on Zoom
 State Climatologist, Dr. Mary Stampone provides an overview of climate change in New Hampshire looking at recent past and possible future changes in temperature and precipitation as well as some context for interpreting changing weather patterns in a changing climate. Register here.
Dr. Mary Stampone is an Associate Professor of Geography at the University of New Hampshire where she teaches undergraduate courses on weather, climate, and natural hazards. As an applied climatologist, her research focuses on monitoring and modeling variability and change in regional-scale climate system processes with an emphasis on hydroclimatic hazards (i.e. drought, flooding, severe weather). Dr. Stampone is also the State Climatologist for New Hampshire, providing citizens, educators, and government agencies with weather and climate information in support of environmental management and adaptation activities. She is the point of contact for state weather and climate observing networks including the US Climate Reference Network (CRN), Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network, and is the NWS cooperative observer for Durham, NH. Recently, she co-authored the "Northeast" chapter of the 4th National Climate Assessment, served on the NH Coastal Flood Risk Science and Technical Advisory Panel, and continues to serve as a member of the NH Drought Management Team.
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Enjoy The Wall Street Journal, at home, free with your library card!
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The Wall Street Journal, one of America's most trusted news sources, is now available online for free with your library card, from anywhere!
Whether you want to read at the library, from the comfort of home, or wherever you happen to be, your library card provides you with:
Unlimited articles on WSJ.com
Four-year archive/article search
E-Replica of that day’s paper
More than 30 newsletters and alerts
Informative videos and podcasts, featuring interviews with WSJ editors and notable influencers
Just log into your account on our Catalog, click on The Wall Street Journal on our list of Electronic Resources, and then create your WSJ account. Questions? Please call us at 603-532-7301.
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Friends of the Library Book Donation Drop-off Reminder!
Tomorrow, Saturday, December 11 at 10 am - Noon, in the Bean Room
 Please bring up to 10 books in good condition to the Bean Room where volunteers will screen them for condition and subject matter that sell well in their book sales.
You can also browse the ongoing book sale for the perfect holiday gift of a book, complete with gift tag!
Please do not leave books for the Friends in our Book Drop and be understanding that library staff cannot accept donations on their behalf.
Click here to learn more about the Friends.
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Upcoming Holiday Weekend Closures
 The library will be closed Friday, December 24 through Saturday, December 25 for the Christmas holiday, and again Friday, December 31 through January 1, 2022 for the New Year holiday.
From all the staff, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season!
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