Join us to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday, March 14, 2021, at 2:00 PM – online!  Singer, storyteller, harper, and poet Kate Chadbourne is eager to welcome you virtually into her home to share heart-raising songs and tales that get you singing and smiling in this time when everyone, including YOU, is Irish.

Generously funded by the Robert L. Rice Memorial Concert Fund and the Rice Family.

Kate Chadbourne is a singer, harper, and storyteller, an award-winning songwriter and poet, a scholar and teacher of Irish language and folklore with a PhD from Harvard, and a beloved performer at venues throughout New England.  She has been honored as a “tradition bearer” in the Revels Salon series and in the Gaelic Roots Concert Series at Boston College, and her music has been featured on NPR’s programs, “Cartalk” and “All Songs Considered.”  She has released six solo CD’s, three collections of poetry, and has written two books to encourage and support artists, musicians, and creators.  Named as one of “The Most Fascinating People” in Central Massachusetts by the Sentinel and Enterprise Newspaper, Kate is also the founder of The Bardic Academy, a school for writers, musicians, singers, and young scholars.  She brings to her audiences the sounds of the harp, piano, tin whistle, Irish flute, and melodeon, a deep love and knowledge of traditional Irish story, a warm and welcoming presence, and a voice often described as “the voice of an angel.”

Learn more about joining the Bardic Academy at www.bardicacademy.com and find out about CD’s, books, and upcoming performances at www.katechadbourne.com.

Please register at https://tinyurl.com/fplchadbourne to be sent the Zoom link.

This is a free program. For information about this or other Library programs call 978-829-1780 or visit our website: www.FitchburgPublicLibrary.org.

February 16, 2021 at 10:00 AM at the Youth Library Door

Pick up a bag of Legos and STEM Lego Challenge cards outside the Youth Library door on February 16, 2021, at 10:00 AM for Lego STEM Challenge!   Complete a challenge and post of picture of it on the Fitchburg Youth Library Facebook page and you will be entered to win a 2007/2008 United States of America State Coin Collector’s Map complete with coins (quarters) representing each state.

This is a free program. For information about this or other Library programs call 978-829-1780 or visit our website: www.FitchburgPublicLibrary.org.

Fitchburg residents can now access free standardized testing preparation materials with their Fitchburg Public Library card. Mometrix eLibrary provides study guide eBooks, practice tests, and flash cards to help you raise your score. Exams currently covered are: SAT, HiSET, ASVAB, CNA, ATI TEAS, and CDL.

Residents can log in with their library card from our website, fitchburgpubliclibrary.org. Look for the Mometrix link under “eBooks and Digital Resources.”

To sign up for a library card or to learn more, please contact the library at 978-829-1780 or email .

Join us on Thursday, February 25, 2021 from 7-8:30 PM for a virtual workshop where we will discuss resume writing in general, including, but not limited to: applicant tracking systems, keyword search techniques, content review, formatting choices and a variety of best practices. We will also discuss both chronological and functional resume styles.

Bonus! Participants will have the opportunity to email their resume to Gary for a free, confidential one-on-one analysis.

Gary Gekow is a Senior Employment Specialist/Career Coach with 30 years of recruiting and employment services experience in the New England staffing industry. He works closely with client companies in many industries and job seekers in various specialties. Register: http://tinyurl.com/fplresume and a Zoom link will be sent to you!

This is a free program. For information about this or other Library programs call 978-829-1780 or visit our website: www.FitchburgPublicLibrary.org.

The Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) and Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) are able to offer a Lean manufacturing course focused on the food and beverage sector due to funding through an EPA Region 1 Healthy Communities grant.  

Through the application of Lean manufacturing principles and tools, the course will help food processors and beverage manufacturers identify, adopt and measure the results of Pollution Prevention (P2) as a result of changes in processes, equipment and behavior. The short-term goal is to achieve environmental results in energy, water, waste and toxics use reduction (TUR), while the longer-term goal is to increase the capacity of companies to adopt Lean tools to find P2 opportunities continuously on your own.

Throughout the course, each participant will be expected to focus on a project at their facility related to P2 or TUR resulting in a report at the end.  TURI will be using data collected by at least two course participants to write more in depth case studies about your projects.

Examples of P2 or TUR projects for you to focus on over the duration of the course include:

• Energy Use – complete a WasteWise or other energy use inventory and learn about areas of improvement
• Toxics Use Reduction – evaluate cleaning products used, investigate of hazards and potential safer and effective alternatives
• Water Use – meter water use throughout the facility to understand potential areas of improvement
• Refrigeration leaks – survey existing equipment and identify areas of improvement and upgrades
• Inventory management – understand existing system and evaluate alternatives to reduce food waste as well as resource use
• Packaging – evaluate existing materials use and consider new design and materials to reduce use and waste

We look forward to working with you over the Spring of 2021 and beyond to make improvements to your facility and operations, saving you money, labor time, and resources while creating a safer and healthier work environment.