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Hello, Friends!
Happy April!
Get your Passport to Connecticut Libraries this month at the Southbury Public Library! If you visit five or more of the more than 150 participating library locations during the month of April, you can enter to win a $200 Visa Gift Card! Get started by picking up your passport, a list of participating libraries, and a small gift from either Circulation Desk! Click here to learn more.
In anticipation of this month's Solar Eclipse, all ages are invited to join us on Saturday, April 6 to make an Eclipse Tote Bag! Stop by between 1 and 3pm to paint a canvas tote bag with a surprisingly easy eclipse design. No registration required. See here for more information.
Adults: join us from 2-3:30pm on Friday, April 12 for the talk Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: More Than Sherlock, as Dr. Bill Thierfelder delves into Doyle's many other works, including fantasy, science fiction, plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels.
Grades 6-12: join us from 6-7pm on Thursday, April 11 to make Pom-Pom Cacti, as easy to make as they are to care for!
Ages 5-10: join us for Lego Club on Thursday, April 18 from 4:30-5:30pm. We’ll provide the LEGO bricks, and you bring the creativity!
To find out more about all our exciting events in April, see below!
The Friends of the Southbury Public Library's 2024 Book Sale is Thursday, May 2, through Sunday, May 5, 2024! This year's Book Sale has more than 100,000 items organized into several dozen categories, including fiction by author, biographies, history, and more. Other categories include graphic novels, manga, children's books, and cookbooks. Additionally, there are thousands of Vinyl Records, DVDs, and CDs, as well as a broad selection of art, games, puzzles, and more! The sale includes used books, like-new books, as well as old and interesting antiquarian books. Checks, Cash and Credit Cards accepted. This is the Friends' biggest fundraiser of the year, and proceeds from this sale fund the majority of our events for all ages through out the year, so we hope you'll consider stopping by! Click here to learn more.
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. 2 for more information.
Best wishes,
The Staff of the Southbury Public Library
Table of Contents
- Passport to Connecticut Libraries
- Spring Open House
- Adult Reading Challenge
- Adult Events
- Wednesday and Evening at the Movies
- Adult Book Clubs
- Technology Help
- Children and Teen Events
- Children and Teen Reading Challenges
- Children's Events
- Teen Events
- The Friends of the Southbury Public Library
- Brinker Fireplace Room Display: Covered Bridges Display
- Artist of the Month: Susan Grisell
Passport to Connecticut Libraries
Passport to Connecticut Libraries
Monday, April 1 - Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Get your Passport to Connecticut Libraries this month at the Southbury Public Library! Over 150 Connecticut libraries are participating in this exciting program. Each library has its own architecture, vibe, and collection to explore and browse! This program, an initiative of the Connecticut Library Association, is open to all ages. We hope to encourage everyone to explore the amazing diversity of our public libraries (with more than 15 million items for you to check out!).
If you visit at least five participating libraries throughout the month of April and return your Passport to a participating library by May 10, then you will be entered into a state-wide drawing for a chance to win a $200 Visa gift card! There will be four winners selected from throughout the state: one adult (18 & up) and one youth (17 & under) who visited the most libraries on the list, and another random drawing for each age group from all who returned Passports with at least five separate library stamps. Pick up your passport, a list of participating libraries, and a small gift from either Circulation Desk! Click here to learn more.
Spring Open House
Spring Open House
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Join us Saturday, May 18, for music, crafts, food trucks, and a variety of events for all ages at Southbury Public Library's Spring Open House! Celebrate the season at your local library! Stay tuned to our website for details about all our Spring Open House festivities! Registration will be required for some programs.
Adult Reading Challenge
Adult Reading Challenge
Ongoing, On Paper and Online on Beanstack
The reading challenge for April 2024 is to read a book written by a Connecticut author! A drawing will occur at the end of the month to decide the winner of a $25.00 gift card to Chatfield True Value!
To be eligible for this month's prize, after reading, complete a short paper or digital form to tell us about the book you chose for this challenge. Reading recommendations and paper forms are available at the library’s Reading Challenge display. Visit Beanstack to get started online. Completed forms must be received by Tuesday, April 30, 2024.
We invite everyone to participate in Southbury Public Library's inaugural Adult Reading Challenge event! Consisting of 12 different reading challenges, one per month, this is an ongoing event that will continue throughout the 2024 calendar year. After reading a book for this month's challenge, complete a short paper or digital form to tell us about the book. You will then be eligible for this month's prize! Submit a form for each of the 12 monthly challenges throughout 2024 and you will be eligible for the Reading Challenge's grand prize at the end of the year! This event, like all Southbury Public Library programs, is open to anyone regardless of town of residency.
Adult Events
Information and Registration: Reference Department at 203-262-0626 ext. 2
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.
Make a Solar Eclipse Tote Bag
Saturday, April 6, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, No Registration Required
Come make an eclipse canvas tote bag! This event is open to children, teens, families, and adults. As a drop in event, there is no registration required. For more information, click here.
Credit 101
Tuesday, April 9, 2-3:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Are you confused about what is credit? What is a FICO score? Join us as Stephen Robert of Bedrock Credit America explains Credit Scores vs. FICO Credit Scores, what makes your FICO Credit Score, negative accounts, collections, and common myths. To register, click here.
From Stage to Screen: The Broadway Musical Goes to Hollywood
Thursday, April 11, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required
For nearly a century, Hollywood has been captivated by the allure of the Broadway musical. This talk, presented by Brian Rose, will look at the colorful history of the Broadway-to-movie musical, and trace its development from truncated adaptations, in which most of the songs were abandoned, to glorious reinterpretations like Milos Forman’s HAIR or Steven Spielberg’s remake of WEST SIDE STORY from 2021. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
Adult Graphic Novel Club
Friday, April 12, 11:30am-12:30pm, Online and in the Brown Room, Registration Required
Join us for the Adult Graphic Novel Club! This is an adult focused group to discuss graphic novels and manga. Come with your ideas, experiences, opinions, and an open mind as we explore this amazing world of visual realism and fantasy! This month we'll be discussing Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman: A brutally moving work of art - widely hailed as the greatest graphic novel ever written - Maus recounts the chilling experiences of the author’s father during the Holocaust, with Jews drawn as wide-eyed mice and Nazis as menacing cats. For more information, click here.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: More Than Sherlock
Friday, April 12, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was not only a superb writer but also a prominent physician as well. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson, but Doyle was a prolific writer and created many other wonderful characters. His works include fantasy and science fiction, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. This program, presented by Dr. Bill Thierfelder, goes beyond Sherlock and introduces you to equally striking works of fiction. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
Classical Music Concert: Alyce Cognetta Bertz and Meg Cognetta Heaton
Friday, April 12, 7-8pm, Brinker Fireplace Room, Registration Required
Join us by the fireplace for the return of this talented duo. Violin soloist Alyce Cognetta Bertz and pianist Meg Cognetta Heaton will be performing a program of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, John Williams and Fritz Kreisler. To register, click here.
Write it, Polish it, Publish It: A Writing Group - Session 6, Writing and Polishing
Saturday, April 13, 10am-2pm, Brown Room, Registration Required
Join Southbury Poet Laureate Faith Vicinanza as she leads a writing workshop as part of a year long series. Explore the writing process through writing prompts and sharing your work. Continue your writing journey with us. For the first two hours we will work on writing. For the second half we will start polishing. Bring with you 10 copies of a poem or a short prose work. To register, click here.
12 Drug-Free Approaches to Manage Pain
Thursday, April 18, 2-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Pain happens to everyone. No one is exempt. Whether acute or chronic, join us and learn drug-free approaches to manage pain from Dr. Wendy Hurwitz. Please note: this program is fragrance free. To register, click here.
Staying Safe Online, Part 2
Friday, April 19, 2-4pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Join us for the second part of this series presented by Mike Ingber. Part two will focus on suggestions for staying safe. We will discuss how to keep your computer protected, how to stay safe while browsing the internet, how to recognize dangerous emails, recognizing some signs that you may have been infected, advice for shopping safely, privacy suggestions, and more. You can still attend this program without attending the first session. To register, click here.
Adult Coloring Club
Monday, April 22, 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.
History of the Yankees: Before, During and After the Dynasty
Thursday, April 25, 2-3:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
This program, presented by Martin Gitlin, highlights exciting and nostalgic videos of the finest teams, players, moments and events in Yankees history, even going back to the days of the Highlanders - from the pre-Ruthian era to today. The program also features Yankees trivia questions for patrons to ponder and covers the best of the best, including Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Ford, Jeter, Rivera and Judge while spotlighting the top teams of the long Yankees dynasty from the 1920s to the 1960s and beyond. Marty will have his books for sale autographed and personalized after the program. To register, click here.
Claude Monet: Impressions from Nature
Friday, April 26, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Claude Monet was the founder of French Impressionism, a revolutionary style that involves working outside and rapidly executing sketchy paintings to capture momentary effects of light and shadow. Monet returned to familiar outdoor subjects throughout his career, culminating with his beloved series on the water lilies in his garden in Giverny. This program, presented by Jane Oneail, traces the artist’s life and career and includes many of his most beloved works. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
Southbury and the Civil War
Saturday, April 27, 1-2:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
The greatest and most dramatic event in our Nation’s history began 163 years ago. We know of the armies, of the lead commanders and of the fields where they fought. Yet little is spoken about the home front, here in our villages. Join us as Town Historian John Dwyer explores the contributions and endeavors, the impact and effects of the American Civil War on the Town and people of Southbury. To register, click here.
All About Opossums: Backyard Wildlife
Sunday, April 28, 1-2pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Learn all about opossums and wildlife rehabilitation with Pam and Bill Lefferts of Ferncroft Wildlife and their opossum ambassadors! Meet Mango and Sherman, gentle opossum ambassadors (who cannot be released), who will be there to greet and take photos. This event is open to all ages, but children should remain with their adults and be able to sit for about 45-60 minutes. To register, click here.
Health Talks with the Housatonic Valley Health District: Stress
Monday, April 29, 2-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Recommended
April is National Stress Awareness Month to bring attention to the negative impact of stress. Managing stress is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. Join us for a discussion with the Housatonic Valley Health District about how stress can impact your health and important ways to manage daily life stressors. To register, click here.
Wednesday at the Movies
Knives Out (2019) PG-13
Wednesday, April 10, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested
When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate, the inquisitive Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. Register here.
My Sailor My Love (2022) NR
Wednesday, April 17, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested
A retired sea captain and his daughter must reassess their strained relationship after he begins a new romance with a widowed housekeeper. Register here.
The Color Purple (2023) PG-13
Wednesday, April 24, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested
Based on the book, a woman faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood. Register here.
Evening at the Movies
Anyone But You (2023) R
Thursday, April 11, 6-8pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested
After an amazing first date, Bea and Ben's fiery attraction turns ice-cold - until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple. Register here.
Ferrari (2023) R
Thursday, April 25, 6-8pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested
Set in the summer of 1957, with Enzo Ferrari's auto empire in crisis, the ex-racer turned entrepreneur pushes himself and his drivers to the edge as they launch into the Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy. 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!
Mystery Book Club
Monday, April 8, 3-4pm, Kingsley Room, No Registration Required
This month we'll be discussing To Die but Once: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear.
During the months following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany, Maisie Dobbs investigates the disappearance of a young apprentice working on a hush-hush government contract. As news of the plight of thousands of soldiers stranded on the beaches of France is gradually revealed to the general public, and the threat of invasion rises, another young man beloved by Maisie makes a terrible decision that will change his life forever. For more information, click here.
Nonfiction Book Club
Wednesday, April 10, 10-11am, Brown Room, No Registration Required
This month we'll be discussing The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness by Meghan O'Rourke.
A silent epidemic of chronic illnesses afflicts tens of millions of Americans: these are diseases that are poorly understood, frequently marginalized, and can go undiagnosed and unrecognized altogether. Renowned writer Meghan O’Rourke delivers a revelatory investigation into this elusive category of “invisible” illness that encompasses autoimmune diseases, post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, and now long COVID, synthesizing the personal and the universal to help all of us through this new frontier. For more information, click here.
Tuesday Night Fiction Book Club
Tuesday, April 23, 6:30-7:30pm, Brown Room, No Registration Required
This month we'll be discussing Hang the Moon: A Novel by Jeannette Walls.
Born at the turn of the 20th century into a life of comfort and privilege, Sallie Kincaid is the daughter of the biggest man in a small town, the charismatic Duke Kincaid. When Sallie tries to teach young Eddie to be more like their father, her daredevil coaching leads to an accident, and Sallie is cast out. Nine years later, she returns determined to reclaim her place in the family. That’s a lot more complicated than Sallie expected, and she enters a world of conflict, lawlessness, secrets and scandals. 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. 2 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 and Teen Reading Challenges:
Teen Spring 2024 Book Bingo (Grades 6-12)
March 1–May 31, On Paper and Online on Beanstack
Pick up a Book Bingo Card and make Bingo by reading books in different fun categories to make rows horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Making bingo (or multiples) can earn you raffle entries for a $50 Visa Gift Card! Fill out your whole card and get a special library mug with candy inside! Find out more on our website here.
Monthly Mini Reading Challenge: Discover the Solar Eclipse (PreK-Grade 12)
April 1-30, Online on Beanstack
Join us on Beanstack for our next Mini Monthly Reading Challenge! Read for five hours (about 1-3 books for elementary, middle, and high school readers) and get a SurPRIZE. This month, we also have bonus mini prizes if you read more and/or if you complete some small activities. Find out more and sign up on our Beanstack page here.
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten (0-PreK)
Ongoing, On Paper and Online on Beanstack
Read a book (any book!) to your newborn, infant, or toddler and keep track with a paper log or on Beanstack. Repeats count! If you read 1 Book a Day for 3 years, that’s 1,095 books! 10 books a week for 2 years is 1,040 books, and 3 books a day in one year is 1,095 books. Every book you read you get one sticker, and if you finish you can get a certificate, small prize, and your picture on our wall of fame if you’d like! Pick up a paper log from the children’s department or visit Beanstack to get started online.
100 Books Before Graduation (Grades 9-12)
Ongoing, Online on Beanstack
Read 100 books before High School Graduation! 100 books may seem like a lot (and it is), but it works out to about 1 book every 2 weeks. When you sign up, get a special tracking bookmark to fill out as you read. Make it to half way and get a $5 Gift Card to Dunkin' or The Bakery. Read 100 books and get a special throw blanket! Every 10 books you read, pick out something from the prize box (pins, stickers, animal sticky notes, and more!). Visit Beanstack to find out more and get started!
Who Was? Reading Challenge (All Ages, Best for Elementary School)
Ongoing, Paper Only
How many Who Was? Where Was? or What Was? books can you read? Get a checklist from our Children’s Department and keep track. Read 10 books and get your choice of special bookmark. You can repeat this challenge again if you read another 10. Click here to access the books in our catalog.
Children's Storytimes:
Drop-In Storytime (All Ages)
Monday, April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 10-10:30am and 11-11:30am, Storytime Room, No Registration Required
Join Miss Jen 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, April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, Registration Required – Space Limited
Babies & Books is a 6-week lapsit program for children 6 to 24 months and their parents/caregivers. Listen to short stories and songs, and enjoy a small craft or sensory play. Find out more and register on our website here.
Saturday Drop-In Storytime (All Ages)
Saturday, April 6, 11-11:30am, Storytime Room, No Registration Required
Join us Saturday morning for an all-ages storytime! We'll share books and songs and end with a simple paper craft. Craft materials are available to be picked up in the library while supplies last. All ages are welcome. No registration is required. Find out more on our website here.
Special Events for Children:
Tunes & Tales (Ages 5 and Under)
Thursday, April 4, 11, 18, 25 and Friday April 5, 12, 19, 26, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, No Registration Required
Join Miss Jen for a morning filled with music and stories! Children will sing, dance, and experiment with simple musical instruments. Find out more on our website here.
Make a Solar Eclipse Tote Bag
Saturday, April 6, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, No Registration Required
Come make an eclipse canvas tote bag! This event is open to children, teens, families, and adults. As a drop in event, there is no registration required. For more information, click here.
Open House Make or Take Craft (All Ages)
Saturday, April 6, 13, 20, 27, All Day, Upstairs, No Registration Required
Stop by the Youth Services department Saturdays to make a thematic craft. Make it here or bring it home. Crayons and glue sticks are available in the library. Available while supplies last. Find out more on our website here.
ARTuesday (All Ages)
Tuesday, April 9, 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. Please wear something you don't mind getting messy. Find out more on our website here.
Food Explorers Baking: Caramel Cheesecake Cookies & Strawberry Shortcake Cups (Grades 2-5)
Tuesday, April 16, 10am-12pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join Food Explorers for a special two hour baking workshop! You’ll be making two delicious recipes from scratch and making your own individual servings: Caramel Cheesecake Cookies & Strawberry Shortcake Cups! Recipes are nut free but will contain dairy, eggs, and gluten. Find out more and register on our website here.
LEGO Club (Ages 5-10)
Thursday, April 18, 4:30-5:30pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required – Space Limited
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.
Power of Words: Bracelet and Keychain Craft with S.M.A.R.T. (Grades K-8)
Friday, April 19, 1-2:30pm, Storytime room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join us to bring some self-care & awareness to your child's vocabulary by making positive word bracelets & keychains with a fun and interactive discussion focused on intentional language and using positive words towards self and others. Find out more and register on our website here.
All About Opossums: Backyard Wildlife (All Ages)
Sunday, April 28, 1-2pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Learn all about opossums and wildlife rehabilitation with Pam and Bill Lefferts of Ferncroft Wildlife and their opossum ambassadors! Meet Mango and Sherman, gentle opossum ambassadors (who cannot be released), who will be there to greet and take photos. Find out more and register on our website here.
Special Events for Teens:
The Junior Friends (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, April 4, 6-7:30pm, Lower Level (Basement), Registration Required
Earn service hours while supporting the Friends! We’ll be working with the Friends on projects relating to their Lobby Sale and Annual Book Sale. The Junior Friends meet every first Thursday. Come just this once, or join us every month! Find out more and register on our website here.
Make a Solar Eclipse Tote Bag
Saturday, April 6, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, No Registration Required
Come make an eclipse canvas tote bag! This event is open to children, teens, families, and adults. As a drop in event, there is no registration required. For more information, click here.
Pom-Pom Cacti Craft (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, April 11, 6-7pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Make pom-pom cacti! We'll turn yarn into very easy to care for cacti, no green thumb required! Find out more and register on our website here.
Cute Animals Hangout (Grades 6-12)
Monday, April 15, 2-3pm, Brown Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Come hang out with a variety of cute animals, both furry and scaly! Meet, interact with, feed snacks to, and pet a variety of animal friends including bunnies, ferrets, sugar gliders, snakes, a bearded dragon, and more! Find out more and register on our website here.
Food Explorers: 2 Hours of Baking (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, April 16, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join Food Explorers for an afternoon of hands on baking! You’ll be baking two recipes from scratch: Pear Rolls (featuring handmade dough and a delicious icing) and Tiramisu Cookies (featuring coffee flavored cookies with a light and fluffy frosting). Recipes are nut free but will contain dairy, eggs and gluten. Find out more and register on our website here.
Protect Your Peeps (Grades 6-12)
Wednesday, April 17, 2-3pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Multiple Teams, Multiple Peeps. One Goal: Destroy the other teams' peeps before they destroy yours. Build a fort and then try to destroy the other teams' peeps with marshmallows! Find out more and register on our website here.
Food Explorers: Cannoli Pie (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, April 23, 4-5pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join Food Explorers for a delicious dessert program! You might’ve had cannolis, but have you ever had Cannoli Pie? You’ll be making this tasty creation by making from scratch a graham cracker crust and a filling made with classic cannoli ingredients like ricotta, powdered sugar and chocolate chips. This recipe is nut free but will contain dairy and gluten. Find out more and register on our website here.
All About Opossums: Backyard Wildlife (All Ages)
Sunday, April 28, 1-2pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Learn all about opossums and wildlife rehabilitation with Pam and Bill Lefferts of Ferncroft Wildlife and their opossum ambassadors! Meet Mango and Sherman, gentle opossum ambassadors (who cannot be released), who will be there to greet and take photos. Find out more and register on our website here.
The Friends of the Southbury Public Library
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.
The Friends of the Southbury Public Library's 2024 Book Sale
Library's Lower Level
Thursday, May 2, $20 admission from 9:30am-2pm, then free admission until 8pm
Friday, May 3, 9:30am-5pm
Saturday, May 4, 9:30am-3:30pm
Sunday, May 5, 12-4pm
This year's Book Sale has more than 100,000 items organized into several dozen categories, including fiction by author, biographies, history, and more. Additionally, there are thousands of DVDs, Music CDs, and Vinyl Records, an Art Gallery, and a collection of Collectibles, Manga, Graphic Novels, Cookbooks, Children’s Books, limited Old & Interesting Books, Puzzles, Games, Boutique Items and so much more! Checks, Cash and Credit Cards accepted. Proceeds from the sale benefit the Southbury Public Library. Find out more on our website here.
Book Donations
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10-11:30am, Library's Below Ground Rear Entrance
Donate gently-used or new books (hardcover & paperback) for adults, teens and kids, DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks on CD, puzzles, vinyl records, and collectibles! Please bring donations to the library's below ground rear entrance, as indicated in red in the picture above, every Tuesday and Thursday from 10-11:30am.
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: Covered Bridges Display
Covered bridges are on display this month in the Brinker Fireplace Room! As many as 15,000 covered bridges were built in America over the past 200 years. Fewer than 1,000 remain. Each of these iconic wooden structures has a story to tell. This display was created by the Southbury Historical Society.
Artist of the Month: Susan Grisell
The Gloria Cachion Gallery at the Southbury Public Library will showcase the art of Susan Grisell from Tuesday, April 2, 2024 through Monday, April 29, 2024.
Susan Grisell has been painting professionally for the last 50 years, primarily in oils. She studied with her Gaylordsville neighbor, the late Bernard Lennon, after graduating from high school and finding that colleges were not teaching a representational approach to art. Lennon’s approach was not conventional, but was effective: for the first year, working only with a palette knife and no drawing! But at the end of that year, she found working with a brush completely natural, and that her draftsmanship had actually improved because she was approaching subjects in terms of masses of color rather than line. Bad habits were broken before they had a chance to become ingrained.
Susan has always considered herself primarily a landscape painter, but also enjoys painting figures and still life, which gives her more control over materials and lighting. Light and color are as much the subjects of her work as the objects themselves. Each painting is an entry in a sort of visual diary, evoking something of the surroundings and the time of day, and, she hopes, communicating something of it to the viewer. These are impressions rather than depictions; they are not intended as monologues, but invite a dialogue with the viewer.
Susan took her first award at the age of 19, an honorable mention at the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit in New York. She has since taken numerous awards, mostly at outdoor art shows, including Best in Show at WSOAE, Mystic, and New Milford, as well as a Portrait Prize in Mystic, a Landscape Awards in New York, and many others. She no longer exhibits in outdoor shows, but recently took Best in Show at Roxbury’s Art at the Meetinghouse event.
The exhibit will be open during regular library hours which are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:30am to 5:30pm, Tuesday and Thursday 9:30am to 9:00pm, Saturdays 9:30am to 4:00pm and Sundays 12:00pm to 5:00pm. The exhibit will also be online as a virtual gallery here. Please visit our website to learn more.
