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Hello, Friends!

Happy May! We will be closed closed Monday, May 29, 2023 in observance of Memorial Day. We look forward to seeing you all the other days this month!

Join us Saturday, May 13, for music, crafts, and a variety of events for all ages at Southbury Public Library's Spring Open House! Celebrate the season at your local library! See below for details about all our Spring Open House festivities! Registration is required for some programs. For more information, visit our website's calendar page.

May is also a very exciting month for the Friends of the Southbury Public Library with the return of their big Book Sale! Featuring more than 100,000 items organized into several dozen categories, the Friends 2023 Book Sale runs from Thursday, May 4 through Sunday, May 7!

To find out more about all our exciting events in May, 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

Southbury Public Library's Spring Open House
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: 2023 Book Sale and Library Coffee Station
Brinker Fireplace Room Display: Sustainable Southbury
Artist of the Month: Zufar Bikbov

Southbury Public Library's Spring Open House

Open House Make or Take Craft (All Ages)
Saturday, May 13, All Day, Upstairs, No Registration Required

Stop by the Youth Services department to make a thematic craft. Make it here or bring it home. Crayons and glue available in the library. All ages welcome. Available while supplies last. For more information, click here.

Upcycled Book Crafts (Teens & Adults)
Saturday, May 13, 11am-1pm, Brown Room, No Registration Required

Drop in anytime between 11am and 1pm to make a Book Page Rose or Book Page Wreath! All materials provided. For more information, click here.

Mother's Day Flower Arranging with the Southbury Garden Club (Ages 7 & Up)
Saturday, May 13, 11:30am-1pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required

Celebrate Mother's Day (and Spring) with a festive bouquet! Join the Southbury Garden Club for a lesson in flower arranging. Each participant will leave with a beautiful floral arrangement in a vase. To register, click here.

Joe Carter Guitar and Bass Duo & Food Truck (Adults & All Ages)
Saturday, May 13, 12-2pm, Outside, No Registration Required

Enjoy the musical stylings of Joe Carter's jazz with Brazilian bossa nova and samba outside on the library's portico! While supplies last, buy lunch or a snack at the food truck joining us for this event! For more information, click here.

Family Spring Storytime (All Ages)
Saturday, May 13, 1-1:30pm, Storytime Room, No Registration Required

Celebrate our Spring Open House with a special family storytime! We will share some stories and songs together. Parents and older siblings are encouraged to join in for this family event. All ages welcome. For more information, click here.

The Titanic - A Date with Destiny (Adults & Families)
Saturday, May 13, 2-3:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required

Join John Cilio as he tells us stories from Titanic's construction, preparations for sailing, its crew and passengers. Hear how the courageous crew tried to keep the ship afloat until help arrived. There were several survivors sailing to Connecticut – who were they? Learn about the lone American crew member - he survived. To register, click here.

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.

350 Years in 35 Minutes
Saturday, May 6, 1-2:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required

This year marks the anniversary of 350 years since the colonial settlers set their homesteads on Southbury’s Main Street. Join us as Municipal Historian John Dwyer relates the circumstances that brought them here, the epochs that shaped the town, and some vanishing features of the past. To register, click here.

Yale Chamber Music Ensemble Presented by the Leroy Anderson Foundation
Friday, May 12, 3:30-5pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required

Join us as the Yale Octet Chamber Music Ensemble from the Yale Graduate School of Music perform Franz Schubert's "Octet in F major." The Yale Octet is an ensemble of professional musicians studying at the Yale School of Music. Each member of the group brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that drives their skillful performance and pursuit of art in their craft. To register, click here.

Joe Carter Guitar and Bass Duo & Food Truck
Saturday, May 13, 12-2pm, Outside, No Registration Required

The Titanic - A Date with Destiny
Saturday, May 13, 2-3:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required

“I can’t trust you! Understanding Trust with Children” Parent University
Thursday, May 18, 4:30-5:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Thursday, June 1, 5:30-6:30pm, Brown Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

This program is hosted by SMART, Inc. [Southbury & Middlebury Acting Responsibly Together], a local non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the lives of individuals, families, and communities by making the towns healthier and safer for young people by preventing youth substance abuse and promoting positive decision making. SMART is the Local Prevention Council for the two towns and creates and implements ongoing mental health support and substance use prevention measures & education to keep the members of the communities safe and informed. To register, click here.

Meet the Artist - Zufar Bikbov
Thursday, May 18, 11am-2pm, Brown Room, No Registration Required

Join us and meet Zufar Bikbov, the artist displayed this month in the Gloria Cachion Art Gallery. Zufar Bikbov will discuss his art work and the painting process in this drop in session. For more information click here. To see the gallery online click here.

Coloring Club
Monday, May 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. Register here.

John Adams - The Forgotten Founder
Tuesday, May 30, 2-3:30pm, Online and in the Kingsley Room, Registration Required

John Adams held many roles in the formation of the United States: Lawyer, Co-author of the Declaration of Independence, Ambassador for a fledgling republic, Vice President for two terms for George Washington and Second President of the United States. However, his role in the formation of the United States has been less celebrated than some of his contemporaries. Join us as we explore the life of John Adams. For Zoom Program, register here. For Kingsley Room, register here.

Willie Niniger and Jan Scruggs Celebrate the 60s Concert
Friday, June 2, 7-8:30pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required

Come to kickoff our summer series and listen to the songs of 1960s. Willie and Jan return to the Southbury Public Library to perform a variety of favorites from the decade, including Simon & Garfunkel, the Beatles, the Everly Brothers, Sonny & Cher, Crosby, Stills & Nash, James Taylor and Carole King and more! To register, click here.

Wednesday at the Movies

Women Talking (2022) PG-13
Wednesday, May 10, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested

Do nothing, stay and fight, or leave. In 2010, the women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling a brutal reality with their faith. Register here.

Father of the Bride (2022) PG-13
Wednesday, May 17, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested

A remake of the 1991 film, a father's coming to grips with his daughter's upcoming wedding through the prism of multiple relationships within a big, sprawling Cuban-American clan. Register here.

iMordecai (2022) Not Rated
Wednesday, May 24, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested

A Holocaust survivor, born and raised in a different time, must face the realities of modern world. When confronted with an unfamiliar object, an iPhone, will Mordecai be able to fit into a world that has changed so much around him? Register here.

Living (2022) PG-13
Wednesday, May 31, 1-3pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested

In 1950s London, a humorless bureaucrat decides to take time off work to experience life after receiving a grim diagnosis. Register here.

Evening at the Movies

Call Jane (2022) R
Thursday, May 11, 6-8pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested

A married woman with an unwanted pregnancy lives in a time in America when she can't get a legal abortion and works with a group of suburban women to find help. Register here.

Confess, Fletch (2022) R
Thursday, May 25, 6-8pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Requested

After becoming the prime suspect in multiple murders, Fletch strives to prove his innocence while simultaneously searching for his fiancé's stolen art collection. 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, May 8, 3-4pm, Kingsley Room, No Registration Required

This month we'll be discussing The Darling Dahlias & The 11 O'Clock Lady by Susan Wittig Albert. For more information, click here.

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

This month we'll be discussing 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows: A Memoir by Ai Weiwei. For more information, click here.

Tuesday Night Fiction Book Club
Tuesday, May 23, 6:30-7:30pm, Brown Room, No Registration Required

This month we'll be discussing Mercury Pictures Presents: A Novel by Anthony Marra. 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, May 1, 8, 15, & 22, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, No Registration Required

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

Babies & Books Storytime (6-24 Months)
Tuesday, May 2, 9, & 16, 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, May 3, 10, & 17, 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, May 4, 11, & 18, 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.

Spring Family Storytime (All Ages)
Saturday, May 13, 1-1:30pm, Storytime Room, No Registration Required

Special Events for Children:

Open House Make or Take Craft (All Ages)
Saturday, May 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 available in the library. Available while supplies last. Find out more on our website here.

ARTuesday (Ages 7 & Up)
Tuesday, May 2, 5-6pm, Storytime Room, No Registration Required

Do you love art? Join Miss Jennifer 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.

Upcycled Critter Seed Starter Pots (Grades 2-5)
Thursday, May 4, 4:30-6pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited (WAITLIST ONLY)

Welcome the warmer weather with a planting craft! You will make a planter from an upcycled water bottle and plant a seed of your choice, while learning about planting and plant needs. Find out more and register on our website here.

Tiny Food Explorers (Ages 2-5 & Caregivers)
Tuesday, May 9, 11am-12pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited (WAITLIST ONLY)

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.

Mother's Day Flower Arranging with the Southbury Garden Club (Ages 7 & Up)
Saturday, May 13, 11:30am-1:00pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

Gizmo's Pawesome Guide to Mental Health Read Along & Activity (Grades 1-5)
Thursday, May 18, 4:30-5:30pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Saturday, May 20, 10:30-11:30am, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited
Thursday, June 1, 5:30-6:30pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

Learn about mental health wellness in a safe, non-threatening way with a story about Gizmo, a Connecticut-based emotional support dog, who is also a K-9 First Responder. Kids will participate in a read-along, followed by guided activities, facilitated by a mental health professional, and aimed at stimulating healthy peer/adult conversation about trust, safe relationships, and general mental health wellness. Find out more and register on our website here.

Spring Fairy Party (Ages 5-10)
Saturday, May 20, 1-2pm, Brown Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

Come join Miss Katie in your fairy best fairy finery to hear a fairy story, complete a fairy wand and crown craft, and take photos in our themed photo op area! Find out more and register on our website here.

Planting STEAM Program (Ages 6-10)
Tuesday, May 30 and Tuesday, June 13, 5-6pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

This is a two-part series, held on May 30th and June 13th. On May 30th, join Miss Katie to decorate your own terra cotta pot and plant seeds. You will leave your new plant at the library to germinate. On June 13th, you will learn about how to care for your seed as it grows and the needs of plants, hear a story about gardening, and take your new plant home! Find out more and register on our website here.

Special Events for Teens:

Star Wars Crafts (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, May 4, 6-7pm, Brown Room, Registration Required

May the Fourth be with you! Celebrate Star Wars Day with us with an assortment of crafts that come from a galaxy far, far away. We'll have perler bead patterns, lightsaber earrings, and more! Find out more and register on our website here.

Food Explorers: Mini Lemon Pies (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, May 11, 4-5pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

Join Food Explorers for a sweet and seasonal treat! You’ll be making Mini Lemon Pies, by making your own graham cracker crust, a delicious lemon filling and homemade whipped cream. Recipe is nut free but will contain eggs, dairy, and gluten. Find out more and register on our website here.

Upcycled Book Crafts (Grades 6-12 & Adults)
Saturday, May 13, 11am-1pm, Brown Room, No Registration Required

Drop in anytime between 11am and 1pm to make book page roses or a book page wreath! All materials will be provided. This event is part of our Spring Open House. Find out more on our website here.

Rare and Remarkable Animals in Connecticut (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, May 16, 6-7pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

Many people do not realize that there are endangered species even here in CT! Join the White Memorial Conservation Center for a discussion on what local species are considered in peril, why they’re each important, and what we can do to help them. We'll also hear success stories of animals coming back from the brink of extinction due to our conservation efforts. Plus, you’ll get to meet a couple of live creatures up close and personal, including Dottie the Spotted Turtle, pictured. Find out more and register on our website here.

The Great Potato Chip Taste Off (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, May 18, 6-7pm, Brown Room, Registration Required - Space Limited

Salt and vinegar, barbeque, kettle-cooked, ruffles, and more! Which potato chip will reign supreme? We'll sample a variety of chips to figure out our favorites, and crown one chip the best of all! Find out more and register on our website here.

Teen Advisory Board (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, May 30, 6-7pm, Tutor Corner

Teen Advisory Board meets the last Tuesday of the month. Currently, applications for Teen Advisory Board are closed.

The Friends of the Southbury Public Library: 2023 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.

The Friends of the Southbury Public Library's 2023 Book Sale
Library Lower Level

Thursday, May 4, $20 admission from 10am-2pm, then free admission until 8pm
Friday, May 5, 10am-5pm
Saturday, May 6, 10am-3:30pm
Sunday, May 7, 12-4:30pm

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 - including 4,000 dog books and prints from a previously private collection! Checks, Cash and Credit Cards accepted. Proceeds from the sale benefit the Southbury Public Library. Find out more on our website here.

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: Sustainable Southbury

This month, sustainability is on display in the Brinker Fireplace Room as Sustainable Southbury shares some of their recent efforts. This grassroots group is focused on sustainability efforts throughout the town of Southbury and the pursuit of the Town's accreditation as a Sustainable CT town. To learn more about Sustainable Southbury, visit our display in the Brinker Fireplace Room and their website here.

Artist of the Month: Zufar Bikbov

The Gloria Cachion Gallery at the Southbury Public Library will showcase the art of Zufar Bikbov from Tuesday, May 2, 2023 through Tuesday, May 30, 2023.

Zufar Bikbov attributes his early artistic growth to his father, a watercolor landscape painter and engineer, but adds that his father never pushed him to become an artist. Exhibiting prodigious talent (he created his first nocturne at around age 5), Bikbov painted village scenes and historic sites near his home in a suburb of the city of Kazan along the Volga River. He graduated cum laude from Zelenodolsk Youth Art School when he was just 14 years old and never stopped painting even during his years at University.

Bikbov has careers in both Medicine and Art. Although his careers in both went parallel for years once it came to the point of deciding, the medical field gave this avid plein-air painter an understanding not only of human life value, but the value of communication, teaching, and how beautiful the world around us is.

Art has helped Bikbov in many ways to move from the United States from his native Russia in 2003. Plein-air prompts him to travel across the country, although New England became his favorite place to explore and show its beauty. This coming show will be attributed to multiple places he visited in the United States over the last decade.

Since Bikbov has been painting en plein air in the United States, he says his landscapes and townscapes (which still bare marks of what he learned in art school, Russian Impressionism) have acquired “higher key colors”. They’re brighter, he adds, with “more joy to them”. For the past decade Bikbov received multiple awards at major Plein Air events like Plein Air Easton, Laguna Plein Air, and many others.

Zufar has been teaching painting and drawing at Arts Escape in Southbury and currently teaches online courses in Drawing and Painting at his online art school www.russera.com. He also gives in-person workshops in CT and far beyond. See Bikbov’s work at www.zufar.com and his current exhibit (in April) at the Guild of Boston Artists at www.guildofbostonartists.org.

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

Published by on May 02, 2023
Last Modified April 25, 2024

Type:

News

May 2023 Newsletter

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