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Pollard Memorial Library cardholders can join millions of other readers around the globe in enjoying a historical fiction thriller eBook and audiobook during Big Library Read, the world’s largest digital book club. From August 3-17, borrow and read Tim Mason’s “intellectually stimulating and viscerally exciting” The Darwin Affair without waitlists or holds by visiting the MVLC OverDrive collection or…

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It’s summer—time to head to the beach! If you can’t make it there this year, grab one of these books with beachy titles. Whether you like cookbooks, historical fiction, horror, humor, memoir, mystery, romance, the paranormal, thrillers, or urban fiction, there’s something here for you. The Beach by Alex Garland The Beach, as Richard has…

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Summer Reading… Not Just for Kids! Why should kids have all the fun this summer? The Pollard Memorial Library is happy to announce that we will be offering a special adult only summer reading challenge for patrons entitled “Lowell Reads – Summer Edition.” We have two options for adult patrons to complete opportunities to participate…

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Happy Pride Month! In celebration Falicia and Katelyn are highlighting fantasy novels with LGBTQ+ leads. Falicia’s Suggestions: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller The Song of Achilles is the story of the Trojan War from the perspective of Patroclus, Achilles’ lover and brother in arms. Patroclus bears nothing like Achilles godly gifts of beauty…

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As we approach Juneteenth, it's important to recognize that Lowell  has always been a diverse community and the Pollard Memorial Library remains an open and inclusive environment for all our citizens regardless of race, gender, or identity. This guide represents some materials on black voices and the issues of racism in our country from its roots…

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May is Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month. In observance, here is a sampling of fiction and non-fiction books, all downloadable through Overdrive, compiled by our reference librarian Pam.  The Girl at the Baggage Claim: Explaining the East-West Culture Gap by Gish Jen. A provocative non-fiction book by one of my favorite novelists. ebook: https://mvlc.overdrive.com/media/2939584…

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Memorial Day honors the women and men who died while serving in the U.S. military. There are many books that tell their stories. Some books are written by historians or family of those who died. Some books are written by the soldiers and sailors who were fortunate enough to come home. This list is a…

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May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month People play and watch sports for different reasons—the adrenaline that comes with competition, the camaraderie among teammates and groups of fans, and the escape from everyday life. But sport is more than what happens on a field, a track, or a trail. The stories of athletes—the people…

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May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month One of the disappointments of social distancing is the cancellation of sports. Officially, the first day of spring is around March 20 each year. However, baseball, from Little League parades to Opening Day at the Major League stadiums, lets us know that spring is here. We hear…

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April in the Merrimack Valley this year was typical: flowers and birds everywhere, but not a lot of warmth. Now that it's May, many of us are itching to finally get out in the garden. It’s the perfect way to enjoy being outdoors while social distancing. Even if you are limited to a balcony or…

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COVID-19 has changed our lives, and it can be stressful. One of the best ways to alleviate that stress is to do physical activity. Our sports are cancelled, but there are plenty of things we can do to stay active while social distancing.  I have been running, walking, and biking in my neighborhood, making sure…

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Transforming books to screen is not a new phenomenon, but with so many networks and the proliferation of streaming services, more content is being developed than ever before. If you turn on Netflix now, you will find a wide variety of series and movies based on books. As long as books are made into movies…

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This is a small selection of Latino and African-American authors who write Speculative Fiction, which is just a fancy term for science fiction and fantasy. Doug learned about this while reading up on science fiction from the comfort of his home during Covid19. Please note that some of the links are for other partner libraries…

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For National Library Week, Library Assistant Falicia is highlighting some classic myths and stories given new life through dramatization and retelling. Please note that some of the links are for other partner libraries in the state of Massachusetts. Did you know that you can borrow from any consortium in the state of Massachusetts? You just need…

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In recognition of National Library Week and the announcement later today about the Most Challenged Books of 2019 by the American Library Association, our library assistant, Doug, has created a list of previously challenged or banned books that are available through Overdrive and the Libby app. Did you know that you can borrow from any…

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