Back to school: Framingham Public Schools Info.

Yes, it's nearly back-to-school time. The first day for Framingham Public Schools is Wed., August 29th (August 30th for kindergarten). Are you ready? Take a look at the school calendar to plan for vacations and conferences, double check bus routes, look at upcoming events, and even do a last check on summer reading assignments. Need to use a computer to check on the latest sales on backpacks and lunchboxes? Come upstairs at the Main Library or to the McAuliffe branch, and we'll be happy to help you.

Worcester Art Museum--FREE!!! through 8/31

Looking for a little culture on the cheap? The Worcester Art Museum is FREE through the end of  August. An easy ride from Framingham, this museum features art and artifacts ranging from ancient Rome to contemporary paintings and sculpture. Check it out at: http://www.worcesterart.org . 

Free Fun Fridays!

Once again, the Highland Street Foundation is offering free admissions on Fridays to a variety of Museums and Cultural Attractions in Massachusetts throughout the summer.  They begin on Friday, June 29 and continue until Friday, August 31. The places include the Stone Zoo, Boston Children’s Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, and Hancock Shaker Village.  The list is extensive.    The events are totally free, except for parking and there is no ticket, ID, coupon, or password required (with the exception of the Boston Harbor Island ferries, the New Repertory Theatre and Reagle Music Theatre performances).

For more information, click here.

National Donut Day!

Today is National Donut Day! National Donut Day is celebrated annually on the first Friday of June. It was devised by the Salvation Army in 1938, to commemorate when female Salvation Army volunteers handed out doughnuts to soldiers on the front lines during World War I. [1]

Celebrate with a free donut at Dunkin' Donuts, with any beverage purchase. If you can find a Krispy Kreme, you can get one free, no strings attached.

Interested in making your own? Come on up to the third floor and browse our cookbooks (call numbers 641-641.9). You can even find gluten-free!

For a little donut-related reading, check out:

Glazed Murder or Fatally Frosted, from the Donut Shop Mystery series by Jessica Beck 

(PB MYSTERY Beck)

The Donut Chef, a picture book by Bob Staake (J PIC Staake)

The Great Doughnut Parade, by Rebecca Bond (J PIC Bond) 

Enjoy!

Ticks and Lyme Disease

                                                                      

In recent years there has been an increase in the number of Lyme disease cases in Massachusetts.  This year will be particularly bad because of the mild winter we had.  Lyme disease is the most common of tick-borne diseases in the U.S. and is transmitted by a tiny tick carried by the whitetail deer.  There are ways of preventing Lyme disease.  Using insect repellent like DEET and removing ticks immediately reduces the chance of getting the disease.  For more information on Lyme disease and prevention see the MA Public Health Fact Sheet at www.mass.gov

Also see UMASS at www.extension.umass.edu/agriculture/index.php/services/ which  has excellent information on ticks and Lyme disease.  The EPA and CDC also are good resources, www.CDC.gov and www.epa.gov.  The New York State Department of Health provides the instructions below on how to remove a tick from your skin.

National Plan to Fight Alzheimer’s Disease

Starting today embattled families and caregivers can check a new one-stop website — http://www.alzheimers.gov— for easy-to-understand, up-to-date information about dementia and where to get help in their own communities. The website is part of an ambitious national plan to fight Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, a serious brain disorder that impacts daily living through memory loss and cognitive changes. Although not all memory loss indicates Alzheimer’s disease, one in ten people over 65 years of age, and over half of those over 85 have Alzheimer’s disease.

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease usually develop slowly and gradually worsen over time, progressing from mild forgetfulness to widespread brain impairment. Chemical and structural changes in the brain slowly destroy the ability to create, remember, learn, reason, and relate to others.  As critical cells die, drastic personality loss occurs and body systems fail.

Currently, 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer's or related dementias. Barring a research breakthrough, those numbers will rise significantly by 2050, when up to 16 million Americans are projected to have Alzheimer's.

Online Research Tools 24/7

As the end of the school year approaches, students are scrambling to finish up their papers and projects.  The Reference staff at FPL is here to help you!

Did you know that we have a variety of online sources and databases available to you 24/7 from wherever you are?  Your Minuteman Library card number is all you need to begin or finish your research. Start here:
http://www.mln.lib.ma.us/electronic/fpl1.htm

For a paper on a literary work, go to the Literature Resource Center.  Search by title or author to find plot summaries, biographies, criticism and more.

For research on a current topic, the Gale Reference Center Gold is the place to start. This database integrates a variety of sources - newspapers, reference books, magazines, and trade publications. Find articles on current events, popular culture, business and industry trends, the arts and sciences, sports, hobbies, and more.

The Gale Virtual Reference Library contains E-books on a multitude of topics, including but not limited to: Fashion, the Renaissance, Religion, History and the Environment.

We also have Business, Science and Health databases.

Remember that you can always call the Reference Desk during library hours at (508)532-5570 ext.  4361 to help you get started.