Special

Hours

The library will open at 11 am Monday through Thursday, May 23-26 (as well as at its regular time, also 11, on Friday, May 27).

 C.H. Booth Library will then be closed Saturday, May 28, through Tuesday, May 31, both for the Memorial Day weekend as well as system migration.

Our new catalog and circulation system, called BiblioOak, will be in place starting June 1. Patron services will be limited on Friday, May 27, and the will be all weekend in order to complete the transition over to the new circulation system.

Roof repairs and other maintenance projects that are not possible to complete when the library is open to the public will also be ongoing during this temporary closure.

Regular library hours will resume on Wednesday, June 1, when we open at 9:30 am.

Children’s

Programs

*Hands-On Science: Newtown residents ages 7-9 are invited to join Bonnie Shugrue for “Hands On Science: Tempest in A Teacup” on Tuesday, May 24.

It’s hot! It’s cold! It’s bubbly! … You won’t believe the wild chemical reactions you can create in a cup!

Online registration is requested, and a $3 material fee is due on the day of the program, which will begin at 4:15.

Bonnie will offer her next workshop, “Blast Off!” on Tuesday, June 7, also at 4:15, when participants will use air power to send a straw rocket flying high.

*Summer Reading Volunteers: Young adults entering grades 7-12 in the fall who would like to volunteer for our summer reading program can attend one of two training sessions offered on Wednesday and Thursday, June 1-2, at 4 pm in the children’s story hour room. Returning volunteers from last year do not need to attend.

Application forms will be available in the children’s department beginning June 1. Forms must be completed and returned to the children’s librarian no later than June 11.

Volunteer schedules will be mailed to each individual who wishes to volunteer. The summer reading program officially begins on June 27 and continues through August 20. We need volunteers for all of the library’s open hours, including nights and Saturdays to listen to reading reports and give out summer reading prizes.

*Mother Goose Cancellation Note: Due to the library opening late on May 25 and 26, there will not be Mother Goose sessions either of those days.

Mother Goose will resume June 1.

Programs For

Young Adults

*Simply Shakespeare and Reception for Marty Bishop: The Mask & Wig Players, the library’s teen drama group, will present Simply Shakespeare on Sunday, May 22, at 3 pm.

The theme of the play is that while language may change, people don’t. Martha Bishop is the director. The cast members will also perform a selection of short plays they have created, using Shakespeare’s language in a modern context.

There will be a special reception after the performance to honor Mrs Bishop, who is retiring this spring. She has led the group since 2007.  Everyone who has ever been part of any of her plays or audiences is invited to attend.

Adult

Programs

*Get Clued In: A new lecture series for writers of all ages and abilities, “Get Clued In” will continue next week.

On Tuesday, May 24, Dr Elaine Pagliaro, a forensic scientist at The Henry Lee Institute of Forensic Science, will discuss the importance of forensic science in criminal investigations, as well as evidence collection and documentation. A Q&A period will follow the presentation, which begins at 7:30.

On Tuesday, June 7, Police Detective Dan McAnaspie, from Newtown Police Department, will talk about police procedure both for crimes handled by local police and crimes that require collaboration between local and state police. A Q&A period will follow the presentation, also scheduled to begin at 7:30.

*Author Talk & Book Signing:  What do you learn when your brain goes pop?

Chris Licht, a Newtown native and the author of the just released What I Learned When I Almost Died, will visit the library on Wednesday, June 1, at 7 pm, for a book signing and author talk.

Chris Licht has always been ambitious. When he was nine years old, he tracked down an NBC correspondent while on vacation to solicit advice for a career in television. By the time he was 35, he landed his dream job: a fast-paced, demanding spot at the helm of MSNBC’s Morning Joe — one of the most popular shows on cable TV. He had become a real-life Jerry Maguire: hard-charging, obsessively competitive, and willing to sacrifice anything to get it done.

Then one day Chris heard a pop in his head, followed by a whoosh of blood and crippling pain. Chris’s life had almost been cut short, and he had eight long days in a hospital bed to think about it.

What I Learned When I Almost Died tells the story of what happened next.

Online registration is requested.

*Book Groups: The Nonfiction Book Group will discuss Twilight at Monticello by Allen Pell Crawford on Tuesday, June 7, at 1 pm; and The Daytime Book Group will discuss Thomas H. Cook’s The Cloud of Unknowing on Monday, June 13, at 1 pm.

Copies of these titles are available at the library, and newcomers are always welcome to join any of our book discussions.

*Networking Strategies for a Successful Job Search:

Cheryl Schwartz LCSW/CRC has a practice as a career coach in Newtown and volunteers her time and expertise at the library to teach networking strategies to first time job seekers as well as the underemployed, unemployed and those contemplating a career change.

Technology has changed the way in which jobs are filled. Come learn the best ways to navigate your search on Thursday, June 16, at 3 pm.

Registration is requested, and refreshments will be served.

*Escapes and Intrigues: Julie Stern, a retired teacher of English and philosophy, will be back at the library this summer to lead a discussion series on some classic mysteries. Copies of all of the books are available at the second floor circulation desk.

Programs will be on Tuesdays at 7:30 pm and the schedule is as follows: June 14, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins; June 28, The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchanan; July 12, The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad; July 26, Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household; and August 9, Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene.                

*Needlework and Craft Books at The Little Book Store: A wonderful collection of beautiful needlework books have been donated to The Little Book Store and are available for purchase. You will find selections of sampler art, stump work, crewel, embroidery as well as other needlework art and instruction books.

Several other crafts are also represented included glass painting, drawing instruction, quilting, beading and crafts for children. These bookcase top displays are in addition to our normal selection of craft books.  Stop in and stock up for your summer crafting.

 

C.H. Booth Library is at 25 Main Street in Newtown. Call 203-426-4533 or visit CHBoothLibrary.org to register for any of the above listings, and for information on additional programs and offerings.