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*We’re going green: No more paper overdues!

In an effort to save money and resources, C.H. Booth Library is phasing out paper overdue notices effective immediately. Patrons are encouraged to register their email address (forms are available at the circulation desk), and sign up for Library Elf. Patrons can then log on to the library’s website CHBoothLibrary.org) to manage their account.

Please keep receipts if you are not an email user. Schedule a regular library visit every week and your items will always be on time.

Young Adult Programs

*2009 Battle of the Books: Announcing the first call for The Fifth Annual Battle of the Books, a trivia contest based on four great books.

This year’s competition will be Saturday, March 28, at 1 pm, with the following day set as a snow date. Gather your teams of three to five students in grades 5-8 and sign up soon – sign-ups are ongoing only between February 9 to March 9.

All team members must either live in or attend school in Newtown. Homeschooled students are welcome!

The maximum number of teams permitted is 16.

The books for this years’ competition are Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach, MVP*  Magellan Voyage Project by Douglas Evans, The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer, and Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

Copies of this year’s books are available in the Young Adult department.

*Watercolor Workshop: Just artist Suzanne Lang for a workshop on Saturday, March 7, from 10 am until noon; snow date is March 21.

Mrs Lang, a professional artist, will instruct students in a variety of different watercolor techniques using professional materials. Students will use what they learn to create a painting.

The group is limited to 15 students ages 8–18, with preference given to Newtown students and residents.

There is a $6 supply fee. Sign up online at CHBoothLibrary.org or call 426-4533.

*2010 Nutmeg Teen Nominees have been announced.

Check out the exciting new titles in the YA Department, or read the list online at CHBoothLibrary.org (click on Young Adult under Departments, along the left side of the page).

Adult Programs

*Wednesday Afternoons at the Movies: We’re planning screenings of movies on two Wednesday mornings this month, both starting at 1 pm.

Join us for the Mel Brooks comedy Young Frankenstein on February 11, and then for Days and Clouds on February 25.

In the first film, “the scariest comedy of all time,” Dr Frankenstein’s grandson – after years of living down the family reputation – inherits his grandfather’s castle and repeats the experiments.

In Days and Clouds, well-to-do sophisticated couple Elsa and Michele have a 20-year old daughter and enough money for Elsa to leave her job and fulfill an old dream of studying art history. After she graduates however, their lives change.  Michelle confesses he hasn’t worked in two months. The film is in Italian.

*Film Screening: Join us on Saturday, February 7, at 1 pm, for a screening of the documentary Under Our Skin, a documentary about Lyme disease.

This eye-opening film investigates the untold story of  Lyme disease, one of the most misunderstood illnesses of our time.  Because the disease is difficult to test accurately, tens of thousands of people go undiagnosed – or misdiagnosed. Following the stories of patients and physicians as they battle for their lives and livelihoods, the film brings into focus a haunting picture of our healthcare system and its ability to cope with a silent terror under our skin.

The film was an audience Choice Award Finalist at the Tribeca Film Festival.

*Upcoming Book Discussions: Join us on Monday, February 9, at 1 pm, for Snow Flower and The Secret Fan by Lisa See; and again on Monday, February 9, at 7:30 pm, for The Crossings by Cormac McCarthy.

Multiple copies of each of these titles are available. Newcomers are always welcome.

*Historical Drama: They Called Me Lizzy… from slavery to the White House will be performed on Monday, February 9, at 7 pm.

Actress Tammy Denease Richardson of East Haddam Stage Company will portray Elizabeth Keckly, dressmaker and confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln.

This program is being co-sponsored by the library and Newtown Historical Society. Seating is limited and registration is required; please call the library.

 *Great Fireside Reads: The Novel in the 19th and 20th Centuries: Study great authors who created tales with memorable characters, gripping plots, vividly detailed settings, and moral questions that are as relevant today as when they were first published.

Programs are led by Julie Stern.

The reading and book discussion series will continue with Frankenstein by Mary Shelley on February 24, The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton on March 17, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving on April 21.

C.H. Booth Library is open Monday through Thursday, 9:30 am to 8 pm; Friday from 11 am to 5 pm; Saturday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm; and Sunday from noon to 5 pm (closed Sundays in July and August).