Clapp Memorial Library

Belchertown’s Connection with China
2024-08-05 18:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
On Monday, August 5th at 6:30pm, come to the Clapp Memorial Library for “Belchertown’s Connection with China,” a presentation by Cliff McCarthy, Stone House Museum archivist and author/editor of several books on Belchertown’s history. Belchertown has a deep, historic connection to China. Elijah Coleman Bridgman was the first American Protestant missionary to China beginning in the 1830s. He and his Connecticut-born spouse devoted their lives to bridging the chasm between the two worlds. Then in the 1870s, a group of Chinese students came to live in Belchertown as part of the innovative experiment called the “Chinese Educational Mission.”

Ultraviolet Concert
2024-08-07 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Come rock out with Belchertown’s own teen band on the Clapp Memorial Library Lawn (in case of rain, Swift River Elementary Pavilion) on August 7th at 6PM. Ultraviolet began as a group of 6th graders playing rock music with their band teacher at recess. Now in middle school Lily (vocals), Wesley (bass), John (guitar), and Jake (drums) are still at it and playing hits from the last four decades.
This event is part of our Summer Reading Program and attending is worth a Kids SRP Raffle Ticket! Make sure to sign your child up for Summer Reading at clapplibrary.beanstack.com or via the Beanstack app.
Made possible by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library and our Community Sponsors

Rolie Polie Guacamole
2024-08-08 10:00 - 11:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
August 8th at 10AM on the Clapp Memorial Library Lawn!
Don’t miss the return of this fantastic band from Brooklyn, NY! Winner of the prestigious Parents’ Choice® and NAPPA Awards, Rolie Polie Guacamole has developed a smart, parent-friendly musical style that dresses up original tunes and classic covers with vibrant harmonies and deft instrumental layers, plugging in a sizzling electric current of rhythm that lights up lyrics humming with relevance and humor.
This event is part of our Summer Reading Program and attending is worth a Kids SRP Raffle Ticket! Make sure to sign your child up for Summer Reading at clapplibrary.beanstack.com or via the Beanstack app.
Program is in memory of David Goff, made possible by the Goff Family & Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library

Teen Summer Reading Finale Party: Tie-Dye & Teen Movie Night
2024-08-14 18:30 - 21:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Celebrate the end of the Teen Summer Reading Program at the Clapp Memorial Library’s Finale Party on Wednesday, August 14th! Teens will gather outside the library at 6:30PM to tie-dye. The Teen Movie Night will follow inside the library at 7:00PM. Popcorn and drinks will be provided. Teens are asked to bring their Summer Reading shirts to tie-dye, though shirts will be available as supplies last. Participants of the Teen Summer Reading Program can register at the library or by emailing clapplibrarytab@gmail.com. Attendees will earn a raffle ticket for the Teen Summer Reading Program.

Introduction to Homesteading
2024-08-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Adults, teens, and children aged 10+ are invited to attend our series of Homesteading Workshops led by local Zackery W. Zawalski. You can come to one, two, or all three, and learn about ways to grow and raise your own food and make use of the land you live on.
Friday, August 16: Introduction to Homesteading
Friday, August 23: Livestock Basics
Friday, August 30: Gardening Basics
Zackery Zawalski has raised livestock since 2010, including ducks, chickens, goats, doves, dogs, and a pig. He has helped his parents with their local 4-H club and has been a member of 4-H since 2013. Zackery takes pleasure in helping with his family garden since he could walk and still enjoys it to this day.
All workshops start at 6:00 PM at the Clapp Memorial Library and include a presentation and activity. These programs are funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Teen Book Club – August Meeting
2024-08-21 15:00 - 16:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Clapp Memorial Library has a book club for teens in/entering grades 7-12! This Teen Book Club is in conjunction with the MA Teen Choice Book Awards (MTCBA), the only book award in the state selected by teens. Each month teens will read and meet to discuss one book from the nominee list. On Wednesday, August 21st from 3:00-4:00PM, teens will discuss Rez Ball by Byron Graves. Copies of the book are available for checkout at the library’s circulation desk and on the hoopla app. Snacks will be provided at the meeting.

RESCHEDULED: Needle Felted Whales
2024-08-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
This is a reschedule of the July 31st workshop. Program is full.
Local fiber artist Anna Sunschauer will teach you how to sculpt fluffy wool fiber into a whale using felting needles. No prior needle felting experience is necessary, but it is recommended that all participants have good fine motor skills to avoid injury with the sharp needles. All necessary tools and materials will be provided.
This program is made possible by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Livestock Basics
2024-08-23 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Adults, teens, and tweens are welcome to attend the second session in our series of Homesteading Workshops by local Zackery W. Zawalski: Livestock Basics. In this session, learn the basics of raising your own livestock and meet (at least) one very special guest from Zack’s own farm.
Friday, August 16: Introduction to Homesteading
Friday, August 23: Livestock Basics
Friday, August 30: Gardening Basics
Zackery Zawalski has raised livestock since 2010, including ducks, chickens, goats, doves, dogs, and a pig. He has helped his parents with their local 4-H club and has been a member of 4-H since 2013. Zackery takes pleasure in helping with his family garden since he could walk and still enjoys it to this day.
All workshops start at 6:00 PM at the Clapp Memorial Library and include a presentation and activity. These programs are funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Gardening Basics
2024-08-30 18:00 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Adults, teens, and tweens are welcome to the third and final session in our series of Homesteading Workshops by local teen Zackery W. Zawalski. In this session, Gardening Basics, learn how to start your own garden and pot your own plant to take home.
All workshops start at 6:00 PM at the Clapp Memorial Library and include a presentation and activity. This program is funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.
Friday, August 16: Introduction to Homesteading
Friday, August 23: Livestock Basics
Friday, August 30: Gardening Basics
Zackery Zawalski has raised livestock since 2010, including ducks, chickens, goats, doves, dogs, and a pig. He has helped his parents with their local 4-H club and has been a member of 4-H since 2013. Zackery takes pleasure in helping with his family garden since he could walk and still enjoys it to this day.
All workshops start at 6:00 PM at the Clapp Memorial Library and include a presentation and activity. These programs are funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library.

Library Closing: Labor Day 2024
2024-09-02 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Library will be closed in observation of Labor Day

Ukes for Ukraine
2024-09-07 15:00 - 16:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
On Saturday, September 7 at 3pm, the Clapp Memorial Library will host a free acoustic concert by the Belchertown duo, Ukes for Ukraine. Terry Nagel (soprano ukulele) and Jimmy Burgoff (bass ukulele) will bring their street corner music, and their little blue tip bucket, indoors with an hour of favorite uke tunes and more stories about their adventures on the streets. Although the situation in Ukraine is grim, the music of Ukes for Ukraine is anything but. Drawing from the best Tin Pan Alley music of the 20’s and 30’s, classic string band tunes, and occasional big band classics, the duo presents cheerful and unique versions of familiar chestnuts, and some obscure songs that deserve to be dusted off and brought back to life.
So far, Ukes for Ukraine has raised over $3,300, a few dollars at a time playing on street corners and in outdoor markets. All the money has gone to Blagovist 2013, an NGO providing food, school supplies, and clothing to displaced families and children in the Karkhiv region.

Belchertown & the California Gold Rush
2024-09-09 18:30 - 19:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
On Monday, September 9th at 6:30pm, come to the Clapp Memorial Library for “Belchertown and the California Gold Rush,” a presentation by Cliff McCarthy, Stone House Museum archivist and author/editor of several books on Belchertown’s history. The California Gold Rush was an important event in American history, having an enormous impact on migration, land development, the slavery debate, and the nation’s economy. At least nineteen Belchertown men went west in pursuit of their dreams. Some played important roles in the development of California; some returned to New England and built on their western adventures to achieve positions of stature and importance in our communities.

Teen Advisory Board (Sep 2024)
2024-09-13 16:30 - 17:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Clapp Memorial Library’s Teen Advisory Board will meet Friday, September 13th from 4:30-5:30PM in the library’s Activity Room for its first meeting of the 2024-2025 school year! TAB is a group of 7th-12th grade students who meet monthly during the school year to propose library programming for teens, provide input on teen services, volunteer, and have fun! At this meeting, teens will get to meet each other, discuss the year ahead, and learn about a volunteer opportunity during the Belchertown Fair weekend. Teens can email clapplibrarytab@gmail.com to register.

Early Closing: Belchertown Fair 2024
2024-09-20 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Library will close at 2pm.

Teen Wellness Table
2024-09-20 14:00 - 15:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Clapp Memorial Library will have a table on their front lawn from 2:00-3:30PM the Friday of the Belchertown Fair (September 20th). Teens in grades 7-12 walking from school to the Fair are invited to stop by for free water, granola bars, and snacks as supplies last!

Craft with the Teen Advisory Board at the Exhibit Hall!
2024-09-20 16:00 - 17:00 | MA
The library’s Teen Advisory Board is offering a free craft in the Exhibit Hall from 4:00-5:00PM the Friday of the Belchertown Fair. All ages are welcome to stop by and do a craft paired with this year’s Fair theme, “Barn in the USA,” as supplies and materials last!

Library Closing: Belchertown Fair 2024
2024-09-21 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
The Library will be closed during the Belchertown Fair

Edible Palette Painting (Adults)
2024-09-25 15:00 - 17:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
September 25th, 3:00-5:00pm and 6:00-8:00pm
Library Activity Room (downstairs)
Learn how to paint with buttercream and royal icing in this Edible Palette Knife Painting class! Sarah Maroney of Cakes by Pip will work with participants on how to decorate 4 cookies together to include a pumpkin, flower bouquet, Sunflower, and fall leaves. The class will also go through what the difference between royal icing and buttercream is and how they are made. Decorating Boxes include a palette knife kit to take home and show off your brand new skills!
Registration & confirmation required, sign up for a session here: https://forms.gle/tsY3xJuvqNUhPqJ36
Both sessions are full, waitlists are open
This program is funded in part by a grant from the Belchertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, and by the Friends of Clapp Memorial Library
This session is for Adults. Edible Palette Painting for Kids is on October 1st, and for Teens on October 9th.

Babytime Story time (3-12 mo) Fall 2024
2024-09-30 09:00 - 10:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Babytime Story time (3-12 mo) Fall 2024
9:00-9:45 AM, Mondays, Sep 30, Oct 7, 21, 28, Nov 4 & 18
Babytime is for ages 3 – 12 months and begins @ 9:00 AM. Registration is required. Our story times feature age-appropriate stories, songs, finger plays and art activities.
Registration and confirmation required, sign up here: https://forms.gle/mcZ5J6jKN45yG6b7A. Registration open until all slots are filled.
If the program is full you will be placed on a wait list. Confirmations and program information will be sent out several days before the program starts.

First Steps Storytime (12-24 months) Fall 2024
2024-09-30 10:00 - 11:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Monday Firststeps (12-24 months) Fall 2024
10:00-10:45 AM, Mondays, Sep 30, Oct 7, 21, 28, Nov 4 & 18
Firststeps is for ages 12 – 24 months and begins @ 10:00 AM. Registration is required. Our story times feature age-appropriate stories, songs, finger plays and art activities.
Registration and confirmation required, sign up here: https://forms.gle/9yf3619iGU1pxuco8. Registration open until all slots are filled. If the program is full you will be placed on a wait list. Confirmations and program information will be sent out several days before the program starts.

Toddler Time (2 year olds) Fall 2024
2024-10-01 09:30 - 10:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Tuesday Toddler Time (2 years) Fall 2024
9:30-10:30 am, Tuesdays, October 1, 8, 22, 29, November 5, 12 & 19
Toddler Storytime is for children aged 2 years, and begins @ 9:30 AM. Registration is required. Our story times feature age-appropriate stories, songs, finger plays and art activities.
Registration and confirmation required, sign up here: https://forms.gle/TFK36x16Ns9B3bew7. Registration open until all slots are filled. If the program is full you will be placed on a wait list. Confirmations and program information will be sent out several days before the program starts.

Edible Palette Painting (Kids)
2024-10-01 16:00 - 17:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
October 1st, 4:00-5:30pm
Library Activity Room (downstairs)
Learn how to paint with buttercream and royal icing in this Edible Palette Knife Painting class! Sarah Maroney of Cakes by Pip will work with participants on how to decorate 4 cookies together to include a pumpkin, flower bouquet, Sunflower, and fall leaves. The class will also go through what the difference between royal icing and buttercream is and how they are made. Decorating Boxes include a palette knife kit to take home and show off your brand new skills!
Registration & confirmation required, sign up for a session here: https://forms.gle/PNJUHS5vbEd7ECqY7
This program is funded in part by a grant from the Belchertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, and by the Friends of Clapp Memorial Library
This session is for Kids ages 8-11. A caregiver, age 14 or older, must be in the building for participants under 10.
Edible Palette Painting for Adults is on September 25th, and for Teens on October 9th.

Mindfulness Meditation for Stress Reduction
2024-10-01 19:00 - 20:15 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Clapp Memorial Library is offering a Stress Reduction Awareness course. The eight-week introductory course starts on Tuesday, October 1 at 7 PM and runs every Tuesday through November 19. The course is designed to teach and practice mindfulness-based skills. Mindfulness meditation skills teach us to be fully present in the moment and, when practiced regularly, help decrease stress levels and improve general well-being and health. Skills covered in the course are gentle and free of judgment. Because each session of this course builds on the previous week, we ask that you register only if you are able to attend all sessions.
Registration closed. If you have any questions please email clapp@cwmars.org
This course will be taught by Magda Bechar, a retired nursing professor who has taught mindfulness meditation skills to many groups, including at the Clapp Memorial Library, for many years.
Sessions will take place on the main library floor, except for October 29th, which will take place in the Activity Room.

Preschool Storytime (3-5 year olds) Fall 2024
2024-10-03 09:30 - 10:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Preschool Story Time (3-6 years) Fall 2024
9:30-10:30 am, Thursdays, October 3, 10, 24, 31, November 7, 14 & 21
Preschool Story Time is for ages 3-5 and begins @ 9:30 AM. Registration is required. Our story times feature age-appropriate stories, songs, finger plays and art activities.
Registration and confirmation required, sign up here: https://forms.gle/cdLAMAwfmz4r3to8A. Registration open until all slots are filled. If the program is full you will be placed on a wait list. Confirmations and program information will be sent out several days before the program starts.

Nine Neighbors You Should Know
2024-10-07 18:30 - 19:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
On Monday, October 7 at 6:30pm, come to the Clapp Memorial Library for “Nine Neighbors You Should Know,” a presentation by Cliff McCarthy, Stone House Museum archivist and author/editor of several books on Belchertown’s history. Do you know which Belchertown native has had a full-length Hollywood movie devoted to his life and has been portrayed by actors John Carradine and James Coburn in other films? Do you know what Belchertown woman drew the plans for remodeling the Stone House into a museum? Do you know of Belchertown’s connection to the first Governor of Kansas? This talk will present nine historical figures connected to Belchertown that will astonish and surprise. Some you will admire, some you will despise, but all have interesting stories to tell.

Maltese Falcon Book Group
2024-10-08 14:00 - 15:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Have you ever wanted to take the time to discuss a novel in depth? In this six-session group we will discuss the classic detective novel The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. The discussion will be introduced and facilitated by retired professor David Spector, who has some expertise on birds in literature. There are, indeed, birds, including the famous title one, in this mystery story, but David hopes that discussion will range widely over many aspects of the plot and characters of this novel. After registration is confirmed, participants can pick up a copy of the novel to keep, while supplies last.
Registration & confirmation required, sign up here: https://forms.gle/DVBeozi3dHhqBYRG6
The group will meet 2 to 3:30 P.M. on Tuesdays, October 8, 15, 22, and 29, and November 12 and 19. There is no meeting on November 5. October 15th meeting location to be determined.
A public screening of the classic 1941 John Huston film version of the novel with Mary Astor, Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Elisha Cook, Lee Patrick, et al., is tentatively set for Tuesday, 3 December, at 7 P.M.

Ghostbusters RPG
2024-10-08 18:00 - 20:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
It’s time to strap on that proton pack and play Ghostbusters: A Frightfully Cheerful Roleplaying Game. For fans of the movies and roleplaying games (such as D&D, Call of Cthulhu, and others). No experience necessary to join in on this zany adventure.
Ghostbusters has expanded from it’s original team of four, with new hires and franchises across the country. Step into the shoes of a team with their new start-up franchise ready to take on spooks!

Why are 27,000 ghosts ravaging the cereal aisles in supermarkets across the country?
Why are supernatural basketball players menacing the fourth-graders of Fritz Mondale Grammar School?
What popular cartoon character is really a Big-Time Demon in disguise?
How can the Ghostbusters stop the Big-Time Demon from destroying Life, The Universe, and Oral Hygiene as we know it?

These and other exciting questions are answered in Ghost Toasties: A nutritious, humorous, fun-filled and life-and-death struggle to save the world from demons, eldritch horrors, and crazed advertising executives.
Our RPG campaigns meet monthly on the 2nd Tuesday from 6-8PM.
Space is limited! If you’d like to join or be notified about our next campaign, email tmannino@cwmars.org
The next RPG campaign will start on May 13th, and invites you to play Vaesen, a dark Gothic setting steeped in Nordic folklore and the old myths of Scandinavia! Dive into mysteries where old struggles against the new, and myths come alive.
Program is for adults 18+, our Teen RPG programs are listed separately.

Music with Pop (0-6 years old) Fall 2024
2024-10-09 10:30 - 11:30 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
Music with Pop (ages 0-6)
10:30 am, Wednesdays, October 9, 16, 23, 30, November 6th & 13th
Music with Jacques Hooten aka Pop! Wednesdays at 10:30 am in the Children’s Activity Room, geared towards infants to age 6. On October 16 Music with Pop will take place in the Town Hall Auditorium. Spaces will be filled first by children who reside within Belchertown. Enjoy singing and dancing in this interactive music series. Limited space so register today.
Registration is required and will remain open until program is filled, just sign up for the Program and Jennifer Whitehead, Children’s Librarian, will be in touch! Funded by the Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/AYyiQCozqpSy37Ju6
When the Belchertown Public Schools have a delay or closure due to the weather, story times are canceled.

Edible Palette Painting (Teens)
2024-10-09 15:30 - 17:00, 2024-10-09 17:30 - 19:00 | Clapp Memorial Library, 19 South Main Street, Belchertown, MA, 01007, United States
October 9th, 3:30-5:00pm and 5:30-7:00pm
Library Activity Room (downstairs)
Learn how to paint with buttercream and royal icing in this Edible Palette Knife Painting class! Sarah Maroney of Cakes by Pip will work with participants on how to decorate 4 cookies together to include a pumpkin, flower bouquet, Sunflower, and fall leaves. The class will also go through what the difference between royal icing and buttercream is and how they are made. Decorating Boxes include a palette knife kit to take home and show off your brand new skills!
Registration & confirmation required, sign up for a session here: https://forms.gle/KS7ErSGNuKSv6ACR6
This program is funded in part by a grant from the Belchertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, and by the Friends of Clapp Memorial Library
This session is for Teens. Edible Palette Painting for Adults is on September 25th, and for Kids on October 1st.
