Westerly Sun Column | Spend Your Day Off Exploring Online

Hopefully many of you are (like me!) enjoying a three-day weekend, having been given the day off today in celebration of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day. The downside, of course, is that the library building will be closed, so you can’t spend your free hours roaming the floors, exploring the Makerspace, or simply sitting in one of the cozy corners reading or studying. The good news, however, is that there are plenty of free books, movies, databases, and other resources that you can access online to really make the most of your day off!

If you haven’t downloaded the Libby, hoopla, and Kanopy apps yet, put that on your (hopefully short) To-Do list today! Each of these apps are free with your Westerly Library card and allow you to borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks, movies and TV shows from their massive collections. You can keep in the spirit of the holiday, and check out books by Indigenous authors such as Louise Erdrich or Joy Harjo, or books that celebrate Italian heritage, such as “Things That Happened Before the Earthquake” by Chiara Barzini. Alternately, honor the holidays and explore both Indigenous and Italian culture through their cuisine! Cookbooks like “New Native Kitchen” by Freddie Bitsoie and James O. Fraioli, or “The Silver Spoon”, a classic for Italian chefs. Tasty, and educational!

Books (and food) are great, but if you want to do something a bit different with your day off, I recommend spending some time on the Local History and Special Collections page of our website. On there, you’ll find a link to our Flickr page, which includes nearly 5,000 photos from our local history collection, many of which date back to the early 1900s, or even the late 1800s. If you grew up in Westerly, enjoy local history, or just want to get a glimpse into the past, you’ll love browsing through the photos. Another fun resource is the database of digitized Westerly Sun newspapers, from 1893-1950. It’s keyword searchable, so you can easily research a family name, a specific event, or even take a look at what Westerly was up to on the second Monday in October 80, 90, or 100 years ago.

If all of this sounds fun (and it obviously does), but you actually want to spend some of your day AWAY from the screens you stare at all week long … you’re in luck! The library building may be closed today, but Wilcox Park is open from dawn to 9 p.m. Enjoy the gorgeous fall weather, take a few relaxing loops around the park, and admire the many native plants and champion trees, which have their own beautiful histories.

by Cassie Skobrak, Adult Services Librarian