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Hello, Friends!
Happy December! We will be closed Sunday, December 24, through Tuesday, December 26, 2023 for Christmas, but we look forward to seeing you all the other days this month! We will also be closed Monday, January 1, 2024, for New Year's Day.
Stress happens to all of us. Up to 90% of all visits to the doctor’s office are stress-related, according to Harvard. Join us Tuesday, December 12, for 10 Tips to Manage Stress. This event, presented by Dr. Wendy Hurwitz, a nationally recognized expert on stress and former medical researcher for ABC News, will provide 10 tips to manage stress. Everyone will learn a technique to minimize stress and maximize vitality. To register, click here.
Grades 2-5: Have some fun before school vacation begins and join Miss Jennifer for Winter Trivia & Bingo from 4:30-5:30pm on Tuesday, December 12!
Grades 6-12: Join us for our Teen DIY Gift Series, starting with Paracord Bracelets and Lanyards on Tuesday, December 5 from 6-7pm! Each event features an easy to make gift that you can either give to someone else this holiday season or keep for yourself (we won't judge!), and you'll leave with instructions on how to make more. Read on to find out more about our other two DIY Gift events!
To find out more about all our exciting events in December, 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 and Teen Reading Challenges
- Children's Events
- Teen Events
- The Friends of the Southbury Public Library
- Brinker Fireplace Room Display: The Town of Southbury: 350th Anniversary
- Artist of the Month: Historical Photography Exhibition of Southbury
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.
Native People of The Pomperaug
Thursday, December 7, 1-2:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
350 years ago, British Colonial settlers first came to the valley where we now live. They were granted authority from the General Court to negotiate with the natives there to acquire property and establish a “Plantation”. Who were these native people? How did they interact with these newcomers? And, what became of them? What trace did they leave? Using ancient records Municipal Historian John Dwyer will try to address “What Became of the Pootatucks?” To register, click here.
Solarize & Storage Information Session
Thursday, December 7, 6:30-7:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Have you ever considered solar energy? You can own solar PV panels and an energy storage system and take control of your energy use. You generate your own power and have a choice of whether to use it or sell it to the grid. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
Adult Graphic Novel Club
Friday, December 8, 11:30am-12:30pm, Online and in the Brown Room, Registration Required
Join us for the introductory meeting of 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 Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Watchmen chronicles the fall from grace of a group of superheroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Copies of Watchmen are available at the Circulation Desk. For more information, click here.
All that Glitters is Gold: Gustav Klimt
Friday, December 8, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Austrian painter Gustav Klimt is associated with a number of artist movements including Art Nouveau and Symbolism, but in the end he developed a distinctive style all his own. Join us as we learn more about this idiosyncratic artist and explore his famous gold paintings as well as his lesser known works. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
10 Tips to Manage Stress
Tuesday, December 12, 2-3pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Stress happens to all of us. Up to 90% of all visits to the doctor’s office are stress-related, according to Harvard. Stress can be considered as much a risk factor for disease as smoking. Why can two people be in the same situation and respond to stress differently? Can going through stressful times without stress be a learned skill? Whatever your age or situation. This presentation will provide 10 tips to manage stress. Everyone will learn a technique to minimize stress and maximize vitality. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
"One More for My Baby": The Hollywood Songbook of Frank Sinatra
Thursday, December 14, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required
There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it—Frank Sinatra was the greatest singer to ever set foot in Hollywood. His voice—so mesmerizing in person and so evocative in recordings—was ideally suited for the big screen as well. And his 100 musical performances in motion pictures reveal a vocalist who almost from the start recognized how the camera could enhance his artistry as much as the microphone. This talk will survey Sinatra’s extraordinary Hollywood musical career, which began with uncredited appearances with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and continued through his celebrated days with the Rat Pack. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
Genealogy: Cross the Pond
Friday, December 15, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Requested
Records and family history tell you an ancestor was born in Europe. But you need more than a country to “cross the pond.” This program will introduce the sources most likely to provide a specific town or county of birth for an ancestor who arrived in the US in the late 19th and early 20th century. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.
Wednesday and Evening at the Movies
There are no movies for the month of December. We will start movies again in January, and look forward to seeing you then!
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, December 11, 3-4pm, Kingsley Room, No Registration Required
This month we'll be discussing It's a Wonderful Woof: A Chet & Bernie Mystery, by Spencer Quinn.
Holiday time in the Valley, and in the holiday spirit - despite the dismal shape of the finances at the Little Detective Agency - PI Bernie Little refers a potential client to Victor Klovsky, a fellow private eye. It’s also true that the case - promising lots of online research but little action - doesn’t appeal to Bernie, while it seems perfect for Victor, who is not cut out for rough stuff. But Victor disappears in a rough-stuff way, and when he doesn’t show up at his mom’s to light the Hanukkah candles, she hires Chet, the wise and lovable canine narrator, and Bernie to find him. For more information, click here.
Nonfiction Book Club
Wednesday, December 13, 10-11am, Brown Room, No Registration Required
This month we'll be discussing Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History, by Richard Thompson Ford.
Dress codes are as old as clothing itself. For centuries, clothing has been a wearable status symbol; fashion, a weapon in struggles for social change; and dress codes, a way to maintain political control. Even in today’s more informal world, dress codes still determine what we wear, when we wear it — and what our clothing means. In Dress Codes, law professor and cultural critic Richard Thompson Ford presents a “deeply informative and entertaining” (The New York Times Book Review) history of the laws of fashion from the middle ages to the present day. For more information, click here.
Tuesday Night Fiction Book Club
Tuesday, December 19, 6:30-7:30pm, Brown Room, No Registration Required
This month we'll be discussing The Patron Saint of Second Chances: A Novel, by Christine Simon.
Vacuum repairman and self-appointed mayor of Prometto, Italy (population 212) Signor Nino Speranza has a problem: unless he can come up with 70,000 euros to fix the town’s pipes, the water commission will shut off the water to the village and all the residents will be forced to disperse. In a desperate bid to boost tourism — and revenue — he spreads a harmless rumor that movie star Dante Rinaldi will be filming his next project nearby. What could possibly go wrong? 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 and Teen Reading Challenges:
1000 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 1095 books! 10 books a week for 2 years is 1040 books, and 3 books a day in one year is 1095 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!
Monthly Mini Reading Challenge: Reading Reflections (PreK-Grade 12)
December 1-31, Online on Beanstack
Join us on Beanstack for our next Mini Monthly Reading Challenge! Complete the challenge within the month, and get a SurPRIZE! Our December theme is Reading Reflections, and our challenge this month includes minutes read and some activities. Find out more and sign up on our Beanstack page here.
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, December 4, 11, & 18, 10-10:30am and 11-11:30am, Storytime Room, No Registration Required
Join Miss Jen for stories, rhymes, and a small craft the first three Mondays in December. All ages are welcome. Find out more on our website here.
PJ Storytime (All Ages)
Thursday, December 21, 6-6:30pm, Storytime Room, No Registration Required
Grab your PJs and a stuffie and join Miss Jen for a drop-in PJ Storytime! Listen to bedtime stories, songs & rhymes, and complete a small craft. Find out more on our website here.
Special Events for Children:
Main Street Ballet Presents Storybook Nutcracker: An Interactive Event (All Ages)
Friday, December 1, 6-7pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
The Main Street Ballet is back to kick off the holiday season with an interactive event. Learn the story of the classic ballet "The Nutcracker" and try your hand at a few steps. This program is geared towards young children and does not show the complete ballet, just selections. Participation is not mandatory. Find out more and register on our website here.
Open House Make or Take Craft (All Ages)
Saturday, December 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30, 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 and on our website here.
Winter Deer Ornaments (Grades 2-5)
Saturday, December 2, 2-3pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
‘Tis the season to decorate for winter holidays! Join Miss Katie to make your own winter deer craft to display at home or give as a gift. Find out more and register on our website here.
ARTuesday (Ages 7 & Up)
Tuesday, December 5, 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.
Lego to the Library! (Ages 5-10)
Thursday, December 7, 4:30-5:30pm, 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 on our website here.
Holiday Flower Arranging with the Southbury Garden Club (Ages 7 & Up)
Saturday, December 9, 11:30am-1pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited (Waitlist Only)
Join the Southbury Garden Club to create Holiday-themed flower arrangements! Find out more and register on our website here.
Winter Trivia and BINGO (Grades 2-5)
Tuesday, December 12, 4:30-5:30pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Let's have some fun before the school vacation begins! Join Miss Jen for Winter Trivia, followed by a game of seasonal-themed BINGO. All participants will be awarded a prize for competing! Find out more and register on our website here.
Tunes & Tales (Ages 5 and Under)
Thursday, December 14, 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.
Snowman Art with Miss Laleh (Ages 4-7)
Thursday, December 14, 4:30-5:30pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join talented art teacher Miss Laleh as we work to create amazing snowman art! Children should have an accompanying parent or caregiver to assist. Find out more and register on our website here.
ARTuesday (Ages 3-6)
Tuesday, December 19, 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.
Food Explorers Baking: Blondies and Chocolate Grasshopper Pies (Grades 2-5)
Wednesday, December 27, 10am-12pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join Food Explorers for a special holiday themed baking workshop! You’ll be making two delicious recipes from scratch and making your own individual servings: Blondies and Chocolate Grasshopper Pies. Recipes are nut free but do contain eggs, dairy and gluten. Find out more and register on our website here.
Winter Break Drop-In Storytime (All Ages)
Thursday, December 28, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, No Registration Required
Join Miss Jen for stories, rhymes, and a small craft. Find out more on our website here.
Special Events for Teens:
DIY Gifts: Paracord Lanyards & Bracelets (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, December 5, 6-7pm, Kingsley B Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Learn how to make paracord bracelets and lanyards! We’ll have a bright mix of colors available. You can choose to make a bracelet or lanyard; each contains 8-10 feet of paracord. Includes handouts to recreate at home, perfect for gifts for the holidays! Find out more and register on our website here.
The NEW Junior Friends (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, December 7, 6-7:30pm, Lower Level (Basement), Registration Required
Earn service hours while supporting the Friends of the Southbury Public Library! We'll work on various projects with the Friends of the Southbury Public Library relating to their book donations and sales. Find out more and register on our website here.
Lotions, Potions, Elixirs, & Bath Salts (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, December 12, 6-8pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Learn about why and how to use essential oils, the myths and the facts. Then, create your own scented hand lotion, sugar scrub, elixir oil, and bath salt. Includes handouts to recreate at home, perfect for gifts for the holidays! Find out more and register on our website here.
DIY Gifts: Felt Star Keychains & Magnets
Thursday, December 14, 6-7pm, Brown Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Make cute felt stars and turn them into magnets or keychains! These easy-to-make gifts require simple sewing we’ll show you how to do, and you’ll leave with handouts for how to recreate them at home. Find out more and register on our website here.
Teen Advisory Board (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, December 19, 6-7pm, Tutor Corner
Teen Advisory Board (TAB) members can directly influence our teen book and AV collections, teen programming and events, and other teen services. Each monthly meeting opens with a discussion about ideas for programs, materials, and more and closes out with some special volunteer projects. If you are interested in becoming a TAB member, fill out the application form on our website and we will contact you.
Food Explorers: Baking (Grades 6-12)
Wednesday, December 27, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join Food Explorers for a special holiday themed baking workshop! You’ll be making two delicious recipes from scratch and making your own individual servings: Chocolate Strawberry Galettes and Mini Gingerbread Donuts. Recipes are nut free but do contain eggs, dairy and gluten. Find out more and register on our website here.
Minute to Win It (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, December 28, 3-4pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required
Minute to Win It is back! Fast paced and fun, you've got one minute to succeed in these quick challenges! With snacks involved in some challenges and all of them being hilarious to watch, everyone wins. 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.
Holiday Lobby Book Sale
December 2023, Open During Library Hours, Lobby and Gloria Cachion Art Gallery
The Friends of the Southbury Public Library are having a Holiday Lobby Book Sale! Located in the lobby and Gloria Cachion Art Gallery of the Southbury Public Library, the Holiday Lobby Book Sale is ongoing through the month of December. 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 Holiday 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.
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.
Brinker Fireplace Room Display: The Town of Southbury: 350th Anniversary
This December, the Southbury Historical Society's display celebrates the 350th anniversary of the Town of Southbury. Included in the Brinker Fireplace Room display are historical photographs and memorabilia.
Artist of the Month: Historical Photography Exhibition of Southbury
The 350th Anniversary Steering Committee is proud to announce the continuation of its historical photography exhibit that highlights the history of the Town and its people over the past couple hundred years. The third and final installment of this popular exhibition is titled “Southbury Has Fun” and will run December 2 – 28, 2023 in the Gloria Cachion Gallery at the Southbury Public Library. This month features a brand new set of photographs that are a mix of old and new, curated from the collections of Southbury Historical Society, Southbury Training School, Richard Tomlinson, Sandra Tarbox, the Ludorf Family, the Hornbecker Family, and many others.
This free photographic exhibit is the third of three months’ worth of changing images that celebrate some of Southbury’s outstanding people, places, institutions, and events.
The first offering was “Early Southbury” and featured the oldest images curated for this project, many never seen before in any other history books. The second installment, “Growing Southbury”, was a blend of black and white, and color images, spanning the transition from rural farming town to modern municipality.
This new set of photographs on display is focused on the people of Southbury and gives us a glimpse into their active lives, past and present. Here we see Southburians celebrating town milestones and special events, enjoying themselves at parades, historical re-enactments, sports and activities such as boating.
Captions for the photographs are again provided by John Dwyer, Town historian and co-chair of the 350th Committee, and Melinda Elliott, Southbury Historical Society President and 350th Committee member. Gosia Liedlich, the town’s Digital Communications Specialist and a member of the 350th Anniversary Committee, was the point person for this project, including collecting and assembling the photographs.
The 350th Anniversary Steering Committee hopes that residents and visitors will return for this last offering to learn more about the town and people in it. In doing so, they hope visitors will come away with a deeper appreciation of the one and only Southbury.
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.
This email was sent by the Southbury Public Library, 100 Poverty Road, Southbury, CT 06488. www.southburylibrary.org
