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| Creative Corner Arts & Crafts classes unleash your child's creativity |
The library’s hours are Monday through Thursday, 9am to 8pm, Friday and Saturday, 9am to 5pm. The Library will be closed Friday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth.
This year the Library Strawberry Stroll table will have some fun crafts and summer reading sign-ups for all ages! We'll also have a strawberry pompom making craft before the festivities get started - check out the details in our events below. And you're not going to want to miss the Strawberry Stroll Kid Parade! All kids are welcome to dress up and/or decorate your bike/scooter/wheels in strawberry theme. Meet at the Dean College Quad at 5pm to join.
Looking for a way to expand your reading habits this year? Join the Massachusetts Center for the Book 2026 Reading Challenge for adults and the library will reward your reading with a coupon for a free book from our book sale! Check out the details on our Reading Challenges page.
The library is looking for more volunteer tutors for our English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program. If you want to make a difference right in your own community, this is a great opportunity! To volunteer please be at least 18 years old, have a High School diploma, & speak English clearly. No prior teaching experience needed and volunteers and students do not need to be Franklin residents. If interested, please fill out the volunteer form.
Can’t make it to the library? Let us bring the library to your door. The Franklin Public Library is excited to offer Home Delivery Service ensuring that Franklin residents who are unable to visit the library due to aging-related limitations, illness, disability, or temporary mobility limitations can continue to benefit from library resources. Items will be delivered to and picked up from a homebound patron’s home by staff members approximately every three weeks. For more information, please visit the library website.
Now is a great time to reserve passes to the area’s most popular museums, aquariums, and more! Passes are available to be reserved up to thirty days in advance.
Friday, June 12 15: 1 - 5pm
Saturday, June 13: 9am - 12pm
All books are just one dollar!
Bag Sale - $5 Per Bag
Saturday, June 13: 1 - 4pm
Come fill a brown bag with all the books you can!
Move Along, Mondays @ 10:30am (Ages 0-5)
This thirty-minute program features music, movement, stories, and other interactive activities to encourage social skills and promote early literacy! No registration required.
Doggie Tales! Mondays @ 4pm
Registration Required
Kiddos who are working on their reading skills will be able to sign up for a time slot to practice reading to a trained therapy dog. Bring your favorite book or read one of ours!
Cool Cruisers, Tuesdays @ 9:30am
Babies who have graduated from tummy time and are scooting all over the place are welcome to this playgroup just for them! We recognize that this fun age of exploring is very different from their first few months, so join us for a special playgroup just for this exciting time. No registration required.
Pre-K Pals, Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 10:30am (Ages 3-5)
This 30-minute program is a perfect jumpstart for kiddos that are approaching school-age! Stories, music, movement, and engaging activities designed to prepare kids for a school environment. No registration required.
Wiggle Worms, Tuesdays @ 4pm (Ages 0-5)
Beat the afternoon witching hour craziness with a dynamic program for littles! Enjoy music, movement, and some fun surprises. No registration required.
Mini Masterpieces! Tuesdays @4pm (Ages 6-12)
Registration Required
Join Miss Lily to make your own mini masterpieces! Each week will be a new, small scale, step-by-step watercolor project. All materials provided.
Bubbles, Books, and Boogies! Wednesdays @ 10:30am (Ages 0-5)
Dance, sing, clap, and play along for a storytime party! Enjoy thirty minutes of interactive stories, songs, and activities! No registration required.
Bookworm Bounce, Wednesdays @ 4pm (Ages 0-5)
Join us for an afternoon story time full of music, movement, stories, and other interactive activities to encourage social skills and promote early literacy! No registration required.
Tummy Time, Thursdays @ 9:30am
Babies and caregivers: join us each Thursday morning for Tummy Time! Nurture your baby’s development with gentle music, movement, and sensory play at the library. Please bring a small blanket or towel for your baby’s comfort. No registration required.
Tot Bop, Thursdays @ 4pm (Ages 2-5)
Get ready to dance around to an energetic playlist in a class that offers littles a chance to play with musicality, coordination, and creativity - all while practicing listening and learning skills! No registration required.
Artsy Afternoons, Thursdays @ 4pm (Ages 5-11)
Registration Required
Join Ms. Cindy for a step-by-step art project specifically for kids! All materials provided.
Bubble Buddies, Fridays @ 10:30am (Ages 0-5)
Enjoy a Friday bubble dance party with music, movement, and fun surprises! No registration required.
Weekend Wiggles, Saturdays @ 10:30am (Ages 0-5)
Littles and their grownups are invited to an epic dance party to kick off the weekend! Get those wiggles out with fun music, exciting surprises, and plenty of joy and laughter. No registration required.
Sensory Storytime, Saturday, June 13 @ 3pm
Sensory Storytime is designed for children who thrive in a low-stimulation environment. Kids can enjoy sensory bins, relaxing story times, gentle stretching, and other calming activities. This program offers a slower pace and supportive space where every child can feel safe, relaxed, and included. No registration required.
FM #1733 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1733 in the series.
This session shares my conversation with Mitzi Gousie, Programming and Outreach Librarian with the Franklin Public Library. We had our discussion virtually on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
We talk about
Reviewed the regular open hours, book sale and holiday scheduling for the month
Closed on Sundays due to budget reduction
Closed all day on Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day
Library events for May 2026
In calendar order rather than by category this time around
Registration for those events required should be done through the Town website, Library page. There are nefarious folks trying to convince folks otherwise via Facebook. Be safe, use the official Town and Library pages.
The show notes include links to the Library page and to the calendar of events where registration for some of the events is required/recommended.
The recording runs about 17 minutes, so let’s listen in.
Video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKPfVe63_fU--------------
Mitzi Gousie’s email - mgousie@minlib.net
Franklin Public Library page - https://www.franklinma.gov/233/Franklin-Public-Library
Library event calendar - https://www.franklinma.gov/942/Calendar-of-Events
May 2026 newsletter - https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/m/newsflash/home/detail/126
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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach out. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
April 20, 2026 May 2026 Franklin Library News & EventsLIBRARY NEWS
Library Hours
The library’s hours are Monday through Thursday, 9am to 8pm, Friday and Saturday, 9am to 5pm. The Library will be closed Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day. Come Play Mahjong at the Library!Have you heard? Mahjong is the new pickleball! Join us for our first Mahjong Meetup on Tuesday, May 26 at 6pm. This event will be for people who already know how to play, but stay tuned for instruction programs we'll be hosting in the future. (Psssst! We're looking for volunteers to run a teaching table to help new people to learn the game. If that could be you, please contact Mitzi Gousie at mgousie@minlib.net.) 2026 Reading Challenge
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| Voices of Franklin: Jim Downs on "5 Days of Action for Child Abuse Prevention" |
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| Magic Show for children of first responders and military families, Sunday, March 15 |
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| Franklin Children's School schedules Open House Saturday, Jan 10 for prospective parents/students |
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| Is your child turning 3 soon? |
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| Town of Franklin, MA: flu clinic scheduled for children Oct 8, 2025; sign up today !!! |
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| Disney settles charges that it violated children’s online privacy protection law |
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| 2025 Reading Challenge |
