Milford Town Library News 

by Reference Department 

Holiday Hours 

The library will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Tax Help

If you have low-to-moderate income and need help preparing your taxes, you may sign up for the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program which is free of charge. Appointments are required and will take place at Milford Town Library on Saturdays, Feb. 7 - April 4, 2026 (9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.). We will also offer a limited number of Wednesday appointments in February (4 - 7 p.m.). All appointments are 1 hour each. Starting on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, you may reserve your 1-hour time slot Please call the Information Desk at 508-473-2145, option 2.

Returns are only prepared for e-filing. To ensure that volunteers can help those most in need, taxpayers with more complicated or lengthy returns may be asked to come back on a different day or time.

Note that AARP cannot prepare the following types of returns:

•  Home sale or foreclosure

•  Out of state

•  Rental income

•  Clean vehicle tax credits

•  Virtual currency or digital assets

•  Small businesses with inventory, losses, or employees

•  Returns with more than 2 brokerage statements and/or more than 4 dividend and interest statements

Photographer Rich Scordato 

During January, Milford resident Rich Scordato will exhibit photographs of Boston cityscapes and skylines at the library.

Rich, a retired sales executive, has a passion for “all things related to digital photography.” He loves experimenting with lenses, settings, lighting, and vantage points. He’s recently added innovative AI tools to his approach, allowing him to “explore new creative avenues, while ensuring the authenticity of his work remains front and center.”

Rich has a website in development which will include photographs of other cities and towns in Great Britain and Europe that Rich has visited. He can be reached at [email protected].

Bay Path Humane Society Drive 

This winter, a local scout working on a Bronze Award will lead a drive for small blankets, sheets and toys to benefit the Baypath Humane Society in Hopkinton. A collection bin will be available at the library entrance and donations will be accepted until Feb. 14. Show some love to the rescue animals Baypath serves!

Please note that this drive is NOT for food or pet beds. To donate directly to Baypath Humane Society, visit baypathhumanesociety.org and select the DONATE button on the right.

English Classes 

The library offers free drop-in classes for adults who want to learn and improve their English. Beginner classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7 - 8 p.m. An intermediate class is held on Thursdays from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Classes are held on the lower level of the library in the ESL Classroom. Registration is not required. For more information, please call the Information Desk at 508-473-2145 ext. 2.

Las clases gratuitas sin cita previa para adultos que quieran aprender y mejorar su inglés comienzan el martes 14 de enero de 2025. Las clases para principiantes se llevan a cabo los martes y jueves por la noche de 7 a 8 p.m. Una clase intermedia se lleva a cabo los jueves de 5:30 a 6:30 p.m. Las clases se llevan a cabo en el nivel inferior de la biblioteca en el aula de ESL. No es necesario registrarse. Para obtener más información, llame al mostrador de información al 508-473-2145 x 2. 

As aulas presenciais gratuitas para adultos que desejam aprender e melhorar seu inglês começam na terça-feira, 14 de janeiro de 2025. As aulas para iniciantes são ministradas nas noites de terça e quinta, das 19h às 20h. Uma aula intermediária é ministrada às quintas-feiras, das 17h30 às 18h30. As aulas são ministradas no nível inferior da biblioteca, na sala de aula ESL. O registro não é necessário. Para obter mais informações, ligue para o balcão de informações em 508-473-2145 x 2. 

Center Book Group 

The Center Book Group meets next on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. at the Milford Senior Center to discuss Heartwood by Amity Gaige.

In this tense and emotionally wrenching novel, experienced hiker Valerie Gillis, goes missing on the Appalachian Trail in Maine. While lost she tries to get her bearings and composes fragments of letters to her mother. Along with Valerie’s interior journey, Gaige skillfully weaves the perspectives of Beverly, a Maine State Game Warden, heading the search and Lena, a birdwatcher following the case from her retirement home.

The New York Times Book Review called Heartwood, “a novelistic cousin” to Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. Ultimately, Heartwood is a story about the powerful and complicated bonds between mothers and daughters.

To reserve a copy of Heartwood or to learn more about the Center Book Group, call 508-473-2145 ext. 2.

Research Your Italian Roots  

Dr. Noel Bon Tempo offers free consultations to those who want to research their Italian Ancestry. A retired pediatrician and co-founder of the Milford Free Clinic, Dr. Bon Tempo graduated from the University of Bologna Medical School in 1968 and lived in Italy for many years. Fluent in Italian, and an avid researcher of his own ancestry, Dr. Bon Tempo loves helping others navigate the many tools and records available to discover and document their own Italian family trees.

To arrange a consultation with Dr. Bon Tempo, please call 508-473-2145 ext. 2 or email [email protected] the Reference Department at the Milford Town Library.

Mahjong @ MTL 

A Mahjong group meets twice a month at the Milford Town Library. This group welcomes players familiar to Mahjong to join for enjoyment of the game, not for high stakes competition! The group meets on select Tuesdays from 6 - 8 p.m. at the library in the Quarry Room.  

January & February meetings:  

• Jan. 6, 2026

• Jan. 20, 2026 

• Feb. 3, 2026 

• Feb. 17, 2026 

Those who are interested can attend any of the meetings. Mahjong sets are provided. Questions? Please call the Information Desk at 508-473-2145 ext. 2.

Milford Area Wordsmiths  

Looking for a quiet, dedicated time, and place where you can write? Join the Milford Area Wordsmiths writers' group! We provide a safe place for adults (18+) to write and even share your work if you desire. All levels are welcome, from first-time writers to published authors. All genres are welcome, too.

The group meets the first and third Monday of each month (except holidays) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Drop-ins are welcome. Carol Allen, a retired middle-school teacher, writer and lifelong bookworm, serves as facilitator of the Milford Area Wordsmiths. For more information, please call 508-473-2145, option 2.

January & February meetings: 

• Jan. 5, 2026

• Feb. 2, 2026

Tea and Book Tasting

On Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., stop by the adult services area to sample some autumnal teas and peruse seasonal books. The self-serve pop-up tea station can be found in our cozy reading nook on the main level, tucked behind the DVD section, across from the graphic novels.

Virtual Programs 

Don’t Toss That! 10 Things to Keep when Decluttering in 2026 

Wait! Don’t toss that! We all know decluttering is about getting rid of stuff. But expert organizer and author Jamie Novak says there are some surprising things you should keep.

Log on to this virtual program on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. and learn how to avoid regret when tidying up by holding onto these 10 things. Then get a quick jumpstart during the program with a short live guided task followed by a Q&A.

About the presenter: You may have seen her on morning TV or read her newest bestseller, Keep This, Toss That. Jamie Novak hosts a 10 Minute Podcast and has a popular YouTube show. She spends most days presenting virtual programs on how to de-clutter, with a humorous twist. When not on the computer, Jamie is drinking iced tea while clipping out recipes she’ll never prepare.

Visit the library’s events calendar to register for this virtual program, offered in partnership with the Newton Free Library and other Massachusetts libraries.

Creating a Modern Homestead with Blogger Victoria Pruett

Join us for a virtual program on creating a modern homestead on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026 from 7 - 8 p.m. Chat with modern day homesteader, blogger, and author Victoria Pruett about her book Creating a Modern Homestead: Traditional Skills for Real, Everyday Life.

Victoria will walk participants through various aspects of homesteading - cooking from scratch, food preservation, backyard chickens, backyard gardening, natural pest control, etc. to get a broad overview of simple life changes to make to get closer to nature and less dependent on large, commercial organizations. 

Visit the library’s events calendar to register for this virtual program, offered in partnership with the Ashland library and other Massachusetts libraries.

Ongoing:

Find great deals on gently used books for children, teens and adults at the Friends Book Store and book table, replenished weekly.

Donations for the Daily Bread Food Pantry can be dropped off in the blue bin by the Friends book table. 

Community Puzzle Tables are always available in the adult services area.