Hello, Friends!

Happy almost August! Beginning August 1, we will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day Weekend for our summer hours.

Join us Thursday, August 17, in remembrance of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War ceasefire as Mark Albertson, historical research editor for Army Aviation magazine and historian for the Army Aviation Association of America, presents Ceasefire: Korea. Learn more about the Korean War and its historical impact. Ceasefire: Korea will be delivered via Zoom and streamed to the library's Kingsley Room. This event for adults will also be available online as a Zoom program.

Children and Teens: Summer Reading ends on Friday, August 4! All paper raffle tickets are due by 5:00pm and all virtual tickets are due by 11:59pm!

To find out more about all our exciting events in August, see below!

If you know of friends or relatives who have trouble receiving this newsletter even though they signed up for it, information is available on our website here about how to make sure it goes through. Anyone with questions is also always welcome to contact us at 203-262-0626 ext. 130 for more information.

Best wishes,
The Staff of the Southbury Public Library

Table of Contents

 - Adult Events

   - Wednesday and Evening at the Movies
   - Adult Book Clubs
   - Technology Help

 - Children and Teen Events

   - Children's Events
   - Teen Events

 - The Friends of the Southbury Public Library: Lobby Book Sale and Library Coffee Station
 - Brinker Fireplace Room Display: Southbury Land Trust
 - Artist of the Month: Janelle Chandler

Adult Events
Information and Registration: Reference Department at 203-262-0626 ext. 130

All programs require registration unless otherwise noted. The majority of programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Southbury Public Library. Library programs are not funded by the town fiscal budget. For all virtual adult programs requiring registration, registrants will receive an email with the Zoom links the morning of the program.

America Reads Recruitment
Tuesday, August 8, 10am-12pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required

The New Opportunities Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) will be recruiting senior volunteers (55+) who are interested in volunteering in the Watertown Elementary Schools. Join us to learn more about this opportunity. To register, click here.

Video Production Seminar
Tuesday, August 15, 6:30-7:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required

Come learn about the resources available to you through Western CT Community Television, the public access channel for Southbury and 20 other CT towns. Coordinator Mark Ingram will describe and demonstrate the different free video production training classes and equipment loans available to you. To register, click here.

Ceasefire: Korea
Thursday, August 17, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required

The Korean War spanned from June 25, 1950 through July 27, 1953. It is often known as the “forgotten war.” Join us in remembrance of the 70th anniversary of the ceasefire and learn more about the Korean War and its impact in history. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.

Adult Craft: Fabric Succulents
Thursday, August 17, 7-8:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

Join us to make fabric succulents! These felt and fleece plants are surprisingly easy to make, and are very easy to take care of once you're done! To register, click here.

Memories of Southbury Playhouse
Friday, August 18, 1-2:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required

The historic Southbury Playhouse was a stock theater company located in the current Playhouse Square in Southbury. Join us to explore the history of Southbury Playhouse. Come listen to the history, and bring your own stories and memories of the Southbury Playhouse. To register, click here.

Clear Day Thunder: Rescuing the American Chestnut
Tuesday, August 22, 6:30-8:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required

Join us for a documentary film about restoring the American Chestnut, an iconic tree. This documentary will be followed by a question and answer period with a Board Member of The American Chestnut Foundation, Connecticut Chapter. To register, click here.

Coloring Club
Monday, August 28, 2-3:30pm, Brown Room, Registration Requested

Welcome to the Adult Coloring Club! Join us for a relaxing hour of therapeutic coloring in the Brown Room. Materials will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own supplies as well. Registration is requested. To register, click here.

Elvis in Hollywood
Tuesday, August 29, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required

From 1956 to 1969, Elvis Presley made 31 films, playing the above-the-title star in all but one. Join us as we examine the ups and downs of Presley’s Hollywood career, from Jailhouse Rock to Paradise Hawaiian Style to Viva Las Vegas. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.

The Elvis Tribute Show
Wednesday, August 30, 7-8:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required

Put on your blue suede shoes and join us for this musical conclusion of our Rutledge Summer Series! The fast-paced Ultimate Elvis Tribute Show will be performed by New York's top Elvis tribute artist. To register, click here.

Wednesday at the Movies
 
Sweetwater (2023) PG-13
Wednesday, August 9, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested

Hall of Famer, Nat 'Sweetwater' Clifton, makes history as the first African American to sign an NBA contract, forever changing how the game of basketball is played. Register here.

One True Loves (2023) PG-13
Wednesday, August 16, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested

A woman is unexpectedly forced to choose between the husband she has long thought dead and the fiancé who has finally brought her back to life. Register here.

Are You There God? It's Me Margaret (2023) PG-13
Wednesday, August 23, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested

Based on the classic novel, when her family moves from the city to the suburbs, 11-year-old Margaret navigates new friends, feelings, and the beginning of adolescence. Register here.

Gigi & Nate (2023) PG-13
Wednesday, August 30, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested

A young man's life is turned upside down becoming quadriplegic. Moving forward seems near impossible until he meets his unlikely service animal, Gigi - a curious and intelligent capuchin monkey. Register here.

Evening at the Movies

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant (2023) R
Thursday, August 10, 6-8pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested

During the war in Afghanistan, a local interpreter risks his own life to carry an injured sergeant across miles of grueling terrain. Register here.

Moving On (2022) R
Thursday, August 24, 6-8pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested

Two old friends reconnect at a funeral and decide to get revenge on the widower who messed with them decades before. Register here.

Adult Book Clubs
The Southbury Public Library offers three book clubs: Tuesday Night Fiction Book Club, Nonfiction Book Club and Mystery Book Club. Join us for a discussion about this month’s books. Print copies are available at the Circulation Desk, there's no registration required and new members are always welcome!

Nonfiction Book Club
Wednesday, August 9, 10-11am, Brown Room, No Registration Required

This month we'll be discussing Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age, by Annalee Newitz. For more information, click here.

Mystery Book Club
Monday, August 14, 3-4pm, Kingsley Room, No Registration Required

This month we'll be discussing A Duty to the Dead, by Charles Todd. For more information, click here.

Tuesday Night Fiction Book Club
Tuesday, August 22, 6:30-7:30pm, Brown Room, No Registration Required

This month we'll be discussing The Diamond Eye: A Novel, by Kate Quinn. For more information, click here.

Technology Help

Technology Help with James Chapin
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12-1pm, Reference Area, No Registration Required

Do you have technology questions or are you having issues with a device? Come by for help with local tech expert James Chapin. Feel free to ask your questions to our Reference Staff as well. For more information, click here.

Reference Technology Assistance

Did you know that the Reference Department offers assistance with mobile devices, downloading our e-resources, and more? If you have a simple question, stop by the Reference Desk more than an hour before we close and we can assist you. Like other Reference Questions, you may have to wait for a Reference Librarian to be available. If your question is more in-depth or you're not sure how long it will take, call the Reference Department at 203-262-0626 ext. 130 to inquire about making an appointment. Most of our assistance is related to answering questions about how to use a device, app, or website. We cannot touch your device directly, but instead we teach you how to do what you are looking for help with. If you have a hardware question or very technical question, we recommend visiting James Chapin during his Technology Help on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12-1pm.

Children and Teen Events
Information and Registration: Children/Teen Department at 203-262-0626 ext. 3

See below for information about our upcoming Children's and Teen Programming! All of our Children's and Teen Programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Southbury Public Library. Library programs are not funded by the town fiscal budget.

Children's Storytimes:

Drop-In Storytime (All Ages)
Monday, August 7, 14, 21, & 28, 10-10:30am and 11-11:30am, Storytime Room, No Registration Required

Join Miss Jennifer for stories, rhymes, and a small craft every Monday. All ages are welcome. Find out more on our website here.

Babies & Books Storytime (6-24 Months)
Tuesday, August 1, 8, & 15, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, Registration Required – Space Limited (Waitlist Only)

Babies and Books is an interactive lapsit program for babies ages 6-24 months and their parents and caregivers. Find out more and register on our website here.

Toddler Time Storytime (Ages 2 & 3)
Wednesday, August 2, 9, & 16, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, Registration Required – Space Limited (Waitlist Only)

Parents and caregivers are invited to join their toddlers ages 2 and 3 for theme based stories, songs, and a craft. Find out more and register on our website here.

Stories & More Storytime (Ages 4 & 5)
Thursday, August 3, 10, & 17, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, Registration Required – Space Limited

Children ages 4 and 5 able to sit and pay attention independently are invited to listen to longer stories and complete a craft or activity. Find out more and register on our website here.

Special Events for Children:

Storycrafters: Giving Voice (Ages 4 & Up)
Wednesday, August 2, 1-2pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

The theme of ‘Finding Your Voice’ is central to storytelling, both as a way of helping us discover hidden talents and share them with the world, and also for the collective to ‘raise a call’ for what is truly important for society and the world at large. Our stories in this show will address and approach some of the many underlying meanings of ‘finding YOUR voice’ and ‘finding OUR voice’. It’s a vital message, and one that we are honored and happy to share through our show. As always, we’ll have fun and laugh a lot along the way as we bring classic Storycrafters style to the presentations, and perhaps leave us all something to think about later on. Find out more and register on our website here.

Storytime at the Farmers’ Market with Region 15 (All Ages)
Thursday, August 3 & 17, 3:30-5:30pm, Southbury Town Hall Green, No Registration Required

Stop by the Southbury Farmers' Market and visit the librarians from the Southbury Public Library. Browse books, listen to stories, and join Miss Jen and librarians from Region 15 for a special pop-up storytime from 4:00-4:30pm! Find out more on our website here.

Tiny Food Explorers (Ages 2-5 & Caregivers)
Friday, August 4, 10:30am-11:30am, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

Join Tiny Food Explorers for some fun with food! Come and explore new flavors and textures while playing games all about food and MyPlate! You’ll make a hands-on healthy snack that even the pickiest of eaters will be keen to try. All snack ingredients will be nut free but may contain dairy. Find out more and register on our website here.

Last Day of Summer Reading (All Ages)
Friday, August 4

All paper raffle tickets due by 5:00pm. All virtual raffle tickets due by 11:59pm. Make sure to get in your last Summer Reading entries before our raffle drawings close! Visit here for online Summer Reading with Beanstack.

Writing Workshop (Grades 2-5)
Monday, August 7 through Friday, August 11, 3:30-4:30pm each day, Brown Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

Join Kitan Arole, a rising senior at Pomperaug High School, for a creative writing workshop for children in grades 2-5! She is an accomplished student and award-winning writer, and she is excited to share her love of writing with children. At the end of the week, participants will have a written story to share with family and friends, and will build their confidence and public speaking skills. Find out more and register on our website here.

Open House Make or Take Craft (All Ages)
Monday, August 7, 14, 21, & 28, All Day, Upstairs, No Registration Required

While we’re closed on Saturdays in August, stop by the Youth Services department on Mondays this month to make a thematic craft. Make it here or bring it home. Crayons and glue available in the library. Available while supplies last. Find out more on our website here.

Soulshine Arts: Music Together! (Ages 0-5)
Tuesday, August 8, 11:30am-12:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

Leslie Pratt of Soulshine Arts in Woodbury invites children ages birth to 5 years old and the grownups who love them to join in a morning of family music! Join us as we sing, dance, and play while bonding with your children through music. Come wiggle, sing, dance and jam with us! Find out more and register on our website here.

ARTuesday (Ages 7 & Up)
Tuesday, August 8, 5-6pm, Storytime Room, No Registration Required

Do you love art? Join us for a playful, messy, and expressive art experience where there is no right or wrong. Come play and experiment with a variety of art mediums and themes. Smocks recommended. Please wear something you don't mind getting messy. Find out more on our website here.

Slime Time! (Ages 5-10)
Wednesday, August 9, 2:30-3:30pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited (Waitlist Only)

It's slime time! Join Miss Jen to make slime, and learn about the science behind the fun! Find out more and register on our website here.

Stuffie Library Sleepover (All Ages)
Thursday, August 10, 6-6:30pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

Grab your PJs and a stuffed friend and join Miss Jen for a special PJ Storytime with your stuffie! Listen to bedtime stories, songs & rhymes and complete a small craft. After storytime, you can choose to leave your stuffie here at the library for a special sleepover. The next day, you can pick up your stuffie and receive a letter and photos of their amazing adventures at the library! Find out more and register on our website here.

Southbury Firehouse Pop-Up Storytime with Region 15 (All Ages)
Friday, August 11, 10:30-11:00am, Southbury Fire Department, 461 Main Street South, No Registration Required

Join Miss Jen and Ms. O'Neill from Region 15 for a summer pop-up storytime for the whole family! This event is outside, so please come prepared with blankets, chairs, and anything else you need to be comfortable outside. If it is raining, we will move the event into the firehouse. Find out more on our website here.

Paint-A-Hat Craft (Grades K-5)
Friday, August 11, 3:30-4:30pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited (Waitlist Only)

Create an one-of-a-kind hat! Design your own bucket hat or baseball cap using fabric paint during this craft with Miss Katie. We will provide the hats and fabric paint. Find out more and register on our website here.

Food Explorers: Waffle Cone Fruit Salads (Ages 6 & Up)
Monday, August 14, 4-5pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required

Join Food Explorers for a delicious summer cooking program! You’ll be making Waffle Cone Fruit Salads! You’ll use fresh, seasonal fruit to create this yummy snack. Recipe is nut free but may contain dairy. Find out more and register on our website here.

Lego to the Library! (Ages 5-10)
Thursday, August 17, 2-3pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required

Join us for an afternoon of LEGO fun! We’ll provide the LEGO bricks, and you bring the creativity! You can free build, or work off of instructions. Find out more and register on our website here.

Mermaid Doll Craft (Grades 1-5)
Friday, August 25, 3:30-4:30pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space limited

Join Miss Katie to create your own mermaid doll! Find out more and register on our website here.

ARTuesday (Ages 3-6)
Tuesday, August 29, 5-6pm, Storytime Room, No Registration Required

Stop by for a playful, messy, and expressive art experience where there is no right or wrong. Come play and experiment with a variety of art mediums and themes. Smocks recommended. Find out more on our website here.

Special Events for Teens:

Paint a Book Tote (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, August 1, 6-7pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required – Space Limited (Waitlist Only)

Join us to paint a large canvas tote, perfect for carrying library books! We’ll have a variety of fabric paints, and options for stenciling and freehanding designs. Find out more and register on our website here.

Chocolate Olympics (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, August 3, 6-7pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited (Waitlist Only)

Competition can be sweet! Join us to compete in a variety of chocolate based tasks, including a donut hole relay, oreo stacking challenge, and blind chocolate taste test. Please note: chocolate, nuts, dairy, and gluten will be present. Find out more and register on our website here.

Last Day of Summer Reading (Grades 6-12)
Friday, August 4

All paper raffle tickets due by 5:00pm. All virtual raffle tickets due by 11:59pm. Make sure to get in your last Summer Reading entries before our raffle drawings close! Visit here for online Summer Reading with Beanstack.

Locker DIYs (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, August 15, 6-7pm, Brown Room, Registration Required

Get ready for the new school year by joining us to work on crafts for your locker! Find out more and register on our website here.

Minute to Win It (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, August 24, 3-4pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required

Celebrate the last Thursday before school starts with us during Minute to Win It! Fast-paced and fun, you’ve got one minute to succeed in these silly challenges! Everyone wins because they’re as fun to play as they are to watch. Find out more and register on our website here.

Teen Advisory Board (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, August 29, 6-7pm, Tutor Corner

Teen Advisory Board meets the last Tuesday of the month. Meetings are for current members only. Find out more, including an application to join, here.

The Friends of the Southbury Public Library: Lobby Book Sale and Library Coffee Station

The Friends of the Southbury Public Library sponsor almost all of our fun virtual and in-person programs found on the calendar page of our website. For more information about the Friends, click here.

Lobby Book Sale
Year-Round, Open During Library Hours, Lobby

The Friends of the Southbury Public Library's Lobby Book Sale continues year-round! Located in the lobby of the Southbury Public Library, this sale features a wide selection of books for all ages, including Children’s, Cooking, Boutique, History, Biography, Fiction, Nonfiction, Special Interest and so much more. Open during library hours and refreshed regularly with new books, there's something for everyone at the Lobby Book Sale!

Library Coffee Station
Year-Round, Open During Library Hours, Lobby

The Friends of the Southbury Public Library's Coffee Station is up and running! Located in the lobby of the Southbury Public Library, just $1.00 gets you a steaming hot cup of coffee or tea! All proceeds go to the Friends of the Southbury Public Library.

Brinker Fireplace Room Display: Southbury Land Trust

This month in the display case, the Southbury Land Trust is promoting its upcoming Phillips Farm Preserve 20th Anniversary Celebration (October 7), at Phillips Farm Preserve, 400 Sanford Road, Southbury.

The Land Trust’s display highlights the history of the land, the farm, and the families from the earliest times.

Phillips Farm was acquired by the Southbury Land Trust with a huge showing of public support. Saving the farm from development began as an earnest grassroots movement by the community. Phillips Farm Preserve is now a dedicated nature preserve, and open daily to the public for passive recreation.

Learn more about Phillips Farm Preserve at the October 7 celebration and enjoy a day of special presentations, food trucks, hikes, a farm petting zoo, Blue Rose Raptor show, hayrides, pumpkin painting and more.

Stay in touch at southburylandtrust.org and Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. For more information call 203-262-4441.

Artist of the Month: Janelle Chandler

The Gloria Cachion Gallery at the Southbury Public Library will showcase the art of Janelle Chandler from Wednesday, August 2, 2023 through Wednesday, August 30, 2023.

Janelle is an illustrator based in Southbury, CT. In 2022, she earned a MFA in Illustration from Western Connecticut State University. She is currently enrolled in the Society of Botanical Artists Distance Diploma Program, United Kingdom. Inspired by the beauty of nature and botanicals, she translates her subjects onto paper, working primarily with colored pencils and watercolor.

Janelle says “Throughout life I often found myself drawing things in nature, pine cones, leaves, etc. Painting landscapes, and eventually photographing all that there is in nature. I often enjoy hiking to find things that you don’t see every day, from angles or perspectives not always utilized. In nature, we have the opportunity to experience any color imaginable, and there is never a shortage of shapes, textures, compositions, and even mathematical formulas.”

Janelle is a member of several artist organizations, including American Woman Artists, American Botanical Society of Artists, and Colored Pencil Society of America.

In 2021, her work was selected for an international juried exhibition at the Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick, England. Recent exhibitions have included a group show at Blue Mountain Galleries in NYC, a mural project at the Danbury Fair Mall, a juried exhibition at View Arts Center in Old Forge, NY, and a solo exhibition at Art in Common, Ridgefield, CT.

Janelle is currently working on a product line for her illustrations and accepting commissions. When Janelle is not working on her creations, she can either be found wrangling her children or working in the garden, teaching at Western CT State University working as an adjunct Professor. She also teaches workshops locally including Art in Common, in Ridgefield, CT.

Mrs. Chandler can be contacted at: [email protected] or through her website at: jchandlerartistry.com.

The exhibit will be open during regular library hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:30am to 5:30pm, and Tuesday and Thursday 9:30am to 9:00pm. The exhibit will also be online as a virtual gallery here. Please visit our website to learn more.