Upton Town Library one of 15 chosen statewide for visit

On July 15, Boston Bruins mascot Blades dropped into the Upton Town Library to entertain the community. 

The event was sponsored by the Boston Bruins and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC).  

The afternoon began with UTL’s Children & Young Adult Librarian and local organizer Lee Ann Murphy reading Blades’ favorite book, “Hockey in the Wild” by Nicholas Oldland, which he then donated to the library. 

There were other books on display that represented some of the favorite of the current Boston Bruins players. 

“At the Bruins’ team signing, they each choose their favorite book,” explained MBLC Director Maureen Amyot at the event. “Our agency works with the Bruins to plan these events every summer…It’s a really nice community-building event for the library and for the Bruins to show their support for reading and literature, and how important libraries are for the community.” 

Massachusetts’ libraries must apply to have Blades visit their library. 

Rachel Masse, assistant to the MBLC director, said they received over 100 applications this year. “We had so many really great applications…and Upton was one of 15 chosen this summer.” 

UTL’s Murphy said she has applied every year for several years, and said, “We were ecstatic when Upton was picked…It’s great to have community-building programs like this, to welcome people into the library and share our collection.”  

In addition to the reading, there were several activity tables. 

Karen Leahy brought her grandchildren, Cameron and Ella, to the event. “We spend a lot of time at the library; we just love reading and they love to play here,” she said as the children crafted with pony beads. 

All attendees received a Bruins goodie bag with a ‘When you read, you score!’ goodie theme. The bags included a poster, activity book, pencil, pin, wristband, bookmark, and more. Attendees could also enter a raffle for Bruins tickets and experiences.  

Blades, the Boston Bruins mascot, stopped at 15 public libraries in the state this summer, including Upton. The event began with the reading of Blades’ favorite book, “Hockey in the Wild” by Nicholas Oldland, which he then donated to the library’s collection. Photo credit: Theresa Knapp