South Hadley Public Library-June 2026 Events and News

It’s hard to believe that our 2026 Summer Library Program begins in only a few weeks! This year’s theme is Plant a Seed, Read and we’ll have programs all summer long related to nature and knowledge. Many of the early summer programs are listed below and for a full list you can check our online calendar.

There is also good news to share about our budget for the next fiscal year. An amendment to the town budget funded the library just above the minimum amount required for state certification. We will be able to maintain our status as a certified public library and continue to receive state funding and services such as inter-library loans.

Adult Programs at SH Public Library

Enjoy a variety of engaging Adult June programs celebrating gardening, local authors, nature, and creativity. On Wednesday, June 3 at 6:00, join Professor Anna Klimes for The Abundant Garden, a program on growing high-value organic produce to help stretch your grocery budget while creating delicious, homegrown meals. Learn how gardening can support a smart and frugal lifestyle while connecting with local growers and the library’s Seed Library. Then, on Wednesday, June 10 at 6:00, local author Corinne Demas will discuss her novel Daughters, a moving story about family, loss, and rebuilding a life on a New England farm. Professor Demas is the award-winning author of thirty-nine books and Professor Emerita of English at Mount Holyoke College. No registration is required for either lecture.

Nature lovers and puzzle enthusiasts will also find something to enjoy this month. On Wednesday, June 24 at 6:00, Jessica Benson Evans of The Pioneer Valley Mycological Association will present Local Edible Mushrooms and Poisonous Look-Alikes, an informative and fascinating talk exploring the difference between delicious edible mushrooms and dangerous toxic species found throughout Western Massachusetts. Then on Saturday, June 27 from 10:00–11:00, participate in the Library’s Jigsaw Puzzle Swap. Bring complete puzzles (300 pieces and up) to the Circulation Desk between June 8 and June 26 to receive swap tickets for the event. Participants may exchange puzzles based on the number they contribute. While visiting, don’t forget to pick up the Adult Summer Programming 2026 Calendar featuring this year’s theme: “Plant a Seed – Read!”

We’ve got some really good book groups meeting at the library. The Hello Sunshine Book Club meets on Wednesday, June 3 at 6:30 to talk about The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. Our romance loving Between the Covers Book Club meets on Tuesday, June 10, from 3:00-4:00. Copies of Inheritance by Nora Roberts are available at the library.

Continuing adult programs include:

  • South Hadley Chess Club this Saturday, June 6 at 3:30
  • Spanish Conversation Circle on Saturday, June 20 at 10:30
  • Tuesday Night Knitters each Tuesday at 6:00
  • Gatehouse Writers Group, online each Friday at 10:00

Online Author Programs (click each program for more information)

Children’s Programs at SH Public Library

It’s SUMMER READING time!!! Sign up on or after June 18 and read (or listen to) any book you like for 20 minutes a day. Need recommendations? Ask a librarian or fill out our Book Bundle form! Kids who complete their reading logs will earn prizes and be entered into our raffle; all kids who sign up will get a free ice cream coupon to Cindy’s. Don’t miss our kickoff event, a performance by Chinese acrobat Li Liu, on Thursday, June 25 at 3:00.

We have a variety of storytimes this month, including Pajama Storytime on most Mondays at 6:30, Storytime on Wednesdays at 10:30, Japanese Storytime with Kanae on Tuesday, June 2 at 4:00, and Baby Lapsit Storytime (Fridays June 5 & 26, and Saturday June 13 at 10:00). Look for us at the South Hadley Farmers’ Market on Wednesday, June 3 at 4:00. Do YOU want to lead a storytime? Read to therapy dog Duchess on Tuesday, June 16 from 4:00-5:00.

June is also Pride month: celebrate with a book from our “Read the Rainbow” display, or come to the Pride Club showcase on Tuesday, June 9 from 5:00-6:30.

Teen Programs at SH Public Library

This month for Teens (ages 11 through 19) we have a lot of great offerings! YA Book Tasting which happens the first Monday of the month 3:30-5:00. This month’s Crafternoon takes place Thursday, June 11 from 4:00-5:00. We will be planting some mini herb gardens. Night Craft will be happening on Tuesday, June 30 from 6:30-7:30. We will be creating Oobleck. None of these programs require signing up unless you would like an email reminder.

Our monthly gaming sessions will be happening on Tuesday, June 2 & 16 for Xbox X and Tuesday, June 9 & 23 for Switch. All gaming sessions start at 3:30 and run until 5:00. No sign up is needed. Snackternoon will be on Thursday, June 25 from 4:00-5:00. Please sign up so we can have enough supplies for all teen participants.

Our monthly Teen Takeaways continue to be available. This month features Beaded Keychain Lizards. Sign up once and get a new Teen Takeaway every month. We also have our latest Booktrovert pick: The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Josh Galarza. There are no in-person meet ups, just enjoy the book on your own time. Copies are available in the Teen Room for check out.

Any questions, please email Bethany.

Gaylord Memorial Library Programs

Enjoy the good weather with us by dropping in to play some Cornhole on the back lawn, Thursdays, June 4 & 18 from 4:00-7:30. All ages welcome!

For kids we have our usual Story Times (Fridays at 10:30). Our special guest on Friday, June 5 will be Miss Mary from Berkshire Hills Music Academy to read braille books and sing. LEGO Club meets Thursdays, June 4 & 18 from 3:00 to 6:00 and we have Drop-In Crafts Thursday, June 11 & 25 from 3:00 to 6:00.

We have our first Summer Reading Program event on Friday, June 26 at 10:30. The Hitchcock Center is bringing their Breezy Seeds Engineering Challenge program where kids will learn how seeds travel and meet a special creature who helps spread seeds around!

KEY WEBSITES to STAY CONNECTED:

Guided Bird Walk on May 2

Guided Bird Walk at River-to-Range Trail with Bill DeLuca

SOUTH HADLEY— On Saturday, May 2, 2026 at 9:00am the South Hadley Bike/Walk Committee will host a free, guided Bird Walk at River-to-Range Trail led by ornithologist Bill DeLuca, a senior Migration Ecologist with the National Audubon Society. It is spring migration season and the Connecticut River is an important route for many species; while some birds are here to nest, others are just stopping by during their migration further north. The accessible River-to-Range Trail, located along the Connecticut River at the Bachelor Brook-Stony Brook Conservation Area, has a hard pack surface covering a relatively flat 1-mile loop with seating benches at regular intervals. No prior birding experience is needed. Participants of all ages and new Trekkers are welcomed. No dogs, please.

We will meet at 8:45am at the trailhead by the parking lot located at 240 Ferry Street in South Hadley, just down the road from Brunelle’s Marina. We’ll leave from the trailhead at 9:00am. Wear weather-appropriate clothing and safe footwear, and bring binoculars if you have them, along with water and walking poles, if desired. Please keep in mind that some areas of the trail could be wet, so hiking footwear may preferable to sneakers.

All events are subject to change or cancellation due to weather or ground conditions and any decision to cancel the Bird Walk will be made by 8:00pm on Friday, May 1, 2026. For more information or to check for a weather notification, visit the Town website at: www.southhadley.org/bikewalk.

May 8-Gaylord Library Wine Down

Please join the Friends of the Gaylord to Celebrate Grads at our May Wine Down!

Give cheers to the graduates, or just use it as an excuse to have a little champagne and meet some new people!

Enjoy wine tasting and some fun themed treats & raffle items…..

Thanks to our sponsors Susan Newton & Nate Therien!
 
Friday, May 8, 2026
5:30pm – 7pm | 21+ Only
$12 entry (cash/credit)
Gaylord Memorial Library
47 College St, South Hadley

(If anyone would like to assist, please email katie@brumer.org, so we can plan for volunteers.)

April 14–2026 Annual Town Election Information

Election Day Voting:

  • Polls for South Hadley’s Annual Election are open from 7:00am to 8:00pm on Election Day, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, for in-person voting. All precincts vote at South Hadley High School, 153 Newton St (Rt 116). Ballots for each precinct can be viewed at: www.southhadley.org/1088/Sample-Ballot. To check your registration and receipt of a mail-in ballot, see: www.VoteinMA.com
  • Separate elections for Fire/Water Districts 1 and 2 are also held at the High School. Ballots can be viewed at: District 1: www.shdistrict1.org | District 2: www.shdistrict2.org

Election Results:

  • After the polls close at 8:00pm, there are three separate tallies that the Board of Registrars (BoR) needs to review and combine for full and accurate results:
    1) Election day votes
    2) advance mail-in and early/absentee votes
    3) hand-counted votes
  • 1) Tally tapes from in-person voting on election day (similar to a cash register receipt) will be printed from each of the 5 precinct voting machines located at the high school. There are 5 machines because there are 5 precincts (A, B, C, D, and E). The tally tapes contain all of the elected positions, town meeting members for each precinct, and the ballot questions.
  • 2) Tally tapes with results for in-person absentee/early ballots and vote-by-mail ballots received by Sunday, April 12 are tallied separately for each precinct through a process known advanced processing. This means that there will be 5 additional tally tapes printed to document these results (one for each precinct). By law, these cannot be printed until the polls close.
  • In total, 10 printed tally tapes, (2 sets for each district as outlined above), will be posted on the wall in the hallway outside of the gymnasium. It is anticipated these will be posted by 9:00pm. These early results will need to be added together.
  • 3) In addition, there will likely be ballots that must be hand counted.
    This means that they were not processed by the voting machines (for example, a ballot with a write-in must be hand counted). These hand count results then need to be added to the tally tape results to provide a full count of all received ballots.
  • The BoR is prioritizing reporting out unofficial results of the ballot questions and then will move on to processing results for town-wide elected positions, followed by Town Meeting Members.
  • If election results appear close, the BoR will wait until the hand count is complete to release unofficial results. Otherwise, the BoR will seek to post unofficial results of the ballot questions from the totals of the two sets of printed tally tapes as soon as possible.
  • When available, unofficial results will be posted to the South Hadley Elections pages on the Town website (See: southhadley.org/Elections) and will be shared as a Community News item from the Town of South Hadley page and Facebook pages.
  • If you have questions or would like to learn more about the tallying process, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office

April 25-Guided Vernal Pool Hike with Brad Timm

Guided Vernal Pool Trek at Lithia Springs with Brad Timm on April 25th

SOUTH HADLEY— On Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 10am-12pm the South Hadley Bike/Walk Committee will host a guided Trek at Lithia Springs Reservoir, a beautiful natural area that once provided water to the town. The free, family-friendly Trek will be led by Brad Timm, a wildlife ecologist and founder of the Northeast Wildlife Team. Come explore with Brad on a leisurely guided hike as we stop at several vernal pools along the trek and look and listen for frogs, toads, salamanders, and much more. For example, did you know that some frogs produce their own anti-freeze, lots of salamanders can regenerate their tail and entire limbs, and that Blue Jay and Bluebird feathers aren’t actually blue (they’re brown!).

Participants of all ages and new Trekkers are welcomed. Please wear clothing and footwear suitable for hiking in wet and muddy areas. Some free copies of A Field Guide to the Animals of Vernal Pools are available for participants from South Hadley Conservation. Brad’s new book, America is Wild!, has recently been published and signed copies will be available for purchase ($20) at the event.

Meet up at 9:30am in the Hiker Parking Lot on Amherst Road (next door to 502 Amherst Road), to walk approximately a half a mile down Pearl Street to the end of Lithia Springs Road, where the Gate 8 Trailhead is located. We will wait at Gate 8 until 10am to meet any Trekkers who may have parked elsewhere. Please try to carpool as there is limited parking on Lithia Springs Road and in the Hiker Parking Lot on Amherst Road.

Treks are subject to change or cancellation due to weather or ground conditions. Please be sure to check the Bike/Walk page on the Town website for trail maps and any cancellation notices or other information: www.southhadley.org/bikewalk. Should there be a cancellation decision, information will be posted online by 8:00pm the night before the hike.

March 12-Information Session on SHELD Building Proposal

Know Your Town, a local organization that seeks to inform residents about town affairs, will sponsor an informational presentation and discussion on their proposed new operations building on the Big Y property for South Hadley Electric Light Department (SHELD). The event is free of charge and open to the public.

SHELD Building Info Session
Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 6:00pm
Community Room at South Hadley Public Library
2 Canal Street, South Hadley

Manager Sean Fitzgerald, and Board Members Paul Hine and Paul Dobosh will speak about the project. The presentation will be followed by an opportunity for audience members to come to the microphone and ask questions or to comment.

KYT programs are typically recorded by South Hadley’s shctv15.com and posted onlinefor later viewing.

March 19-Know Your Town Candidates Night

Plan to attend Know Your Town’s annual Candidates Night, an opportunity to hear from candidates for local townwide offices in the Town Election on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. In-person voting for the Annual Town Election, as well as elections Fire/Water Districts 1 and 2, will be held at South Hadley High School, 153 Newton Street (Rt. 116).

Candidate’s Night 2026
Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 6:00pm
Community Room at South Hadley Public Library
2 Canal Street, South Hadley

Townwide offices on the 2026 Town Election ballot include:

Selectboard–2 seats (3 year terms)
School Committee–2 seats (3 year terms)
Board of Health–2 seats (3 year terms)
Municipal Light Board/SHELD–1 seat (3 year term)
Board of Assessors–1 seat (3 year term)
Housing Authority–1 seat (3 year term)
Trustee Free Public Library–3 seats (3 year terms)
Planning Board–2 seats (3 year terms)

For candidate information, see:
www.knowyourtown.org/election-info/meet-the-candidates

In addition to Townwide offices, precinct-based Town Meeting members from each of South Hadley’s five precincts will be elected. There are eight 3-year seats per precinct, plus a 2-year seat in Precinct B, and 1-year seats in Precincts B and C.

To be on the ballot, Nominination papers need to be obtained at the Town Clerk’s office by Friday, February 20, 2026; with signed papers submitted at the Town Clerk’s office by 5pm on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. A minimum of 50 certified signatures from registered local voters is needed for Candidates for townwide offices; a minimum of 10 is needed for Town Meeting Member candidates. Candidates are always advised to get extra signatures in case some cannot be certified.

For information about voting, elections, and the Running for Local Office Guide, see www.southhadley.org/elections.

March 13-Gaylord Library March Melt Wine Down

Please join the Friends of the Gaylord for the MARCH MELT Wine Down!

Gaylord March Melt Wine Down
Friday, March 13, 2026
5:30 to 7:00pm | 21+ Only
$12 entry (cash/credit – please note new entry cost)
Gaylord Memorial Library
47 College Street, South Hadley

Our sponsor, Marie Rohan, and the P.E.O. sorority (Philanthropic Educational Organization) will celebrate women’s history month with special treats and news about RBG events coming up!

Library Director Joe Rodio will be on hand to discuss what the town budget crisis might mean for the Gaylord.

 

3/13-Gaylord March Melt Wine Down

Please join the Friends of the Gaylord for the MARCH MELT Wine Down!

Gaylord March Melt Wine Down
Friday, March 13, 2026
5:30 to 7:00pm | 21+ Only
$12 entry (cash/credit – please note new entry cost)
Gaylord Memorial Library
47 College Street, South Hadley

Our sponsor, Marie Rohan, and the P.E.O. sorority (Philanthropic Educational Organization) will celebrate women’s history month with special treats and news about RBG events coming up!

Library Director Joe Rodio will be on hand to discuss what the town budget crisis might mean for the Gaylord.