What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in April

March 29, 2017April 11, 2017 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

We’re springing into April with so many great programs for kids, teens & adults, we can’t fit them all here! Check our event calendar for the full list of programs coming up this month.

Geology of Cheshire

Monday Apr 3, 2017, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Ever wonder how Cheshire got its ridges? Learn about the geologic changes that have shaped the diverse and interesting topography of Cheshire. Presented by Dr. Charles Dimmick, Professor of Geology, Emeritus. Sponsored by the Cheshire Planning Department and Cheshire Public Library. Registration is required.

Kids Puppet Making Series

Wednesdays, April 5, 12, 19, and 26, 4:00 – 5:00 PM

Learn to make puppets using unique and everyday items. Robin McCahill, local artist at Artsplace, will be our artist in residence leading this workshop on puppet making. Visit www.artsplacecheshirect.org/ to learn more about Artsplace and the other programs artists like Robin McCahill offer. This is a 4-week long series, meeting April 5, 12, 19, and 26. You only need to sign up once to attend all four. Due to the cost of this program please try to attend all four sessions. For students in grades K-2, registration is required beginning March 22 for Cheshire residents and March 29 for all others.

Poetry Open Mic Morning

Saturday Apr 8, 2017, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Celebrate National Poetry Month with an open mic morning! Teens and adults are welcome to bring their own original poetry to share, recite a poem by a classic author, or just sit back and enjoy the verses. We’ll have tea and coffee available, and we’ll set out some poetry books and resources to peruse for inspiration. No registration required.

Pysanky Egg Decorating Workshop

Saturday Apr 8, 2017, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Come learn the art of Pysanky Egg decorating from the egg lady Sharon Leonard. This form of Ukrainian egg decorating uses special wax and color to make beautiful eggs. Each participant will be able to go home with one decorated egg. This program is for adults and has limited seating, registration is required.

Curious George Party

Monday Apr 10, 2017, 10:30 – 11:30 AM

Join us for a party to celebrate our favorite little monkey, Curious George! We will sing, dance, and read some stories about George and his adventures. Curious George will make a special appearance and pose for photos with his friends! For children of all ages and their families. Registration required beginning Monday March 20.

Foraging and Eating Invasive Plants

Tuesday Apr 11, 2017, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Join The 3 Foragers, a family that forages for wild, natural, organic food. This program will highlight edible invasive plants. Do your part to reduce invasive plants by eating them! The 3 Foragers eat garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed, Rugosa roses, autumn olives, wineberry, sheep sorrel, dandelions, black locust blossoms, and yellow groove bamboo. Never eat anything from the wild without first consulting an expert! Please forage responsibly. Educate yourself, and have fun. Registration is required.

Community Connections

Wednesday Apr 19, 2017, 12:00 – 2:00 PM

The Cheshire Public Library is pleased to announce a new program that we have started entitled Community Connections. This program connects civic minded individuals with community agencies to perform skilled volunteer projects. Enjoy lunch provided by the Friends of the Cheshire Public Library while you meet other civic minded folks and talk with local non-profits and government agencies about volunteer opportunities available. Please register in advance (so we know how much food to get!).

Exercises to Treat and Manage Low Back Pain

Saturday Apr 22, 2017, 2:00 PM

Whether mild or severe, short-term or long-term, low back pain can greatly affect your daily life. If low back pain is affecting your daily life or if you want to learn the top causes of back pain join Kirsten Albrecht as she explains common causes of back pain and shares exercises to stretch and strengthen your back. Registration is required.

Birds; Their Side of the Story…

Tuesday Apr 25, 2017, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

John Himmelman is a children’s book/natural history author and illustrator, who has written and illustrated about 80 books since 1981. He is an avid bird watcher and served as president of the New Haven Bird Club for two years. He will share light-hearted stories of birds and bird watching – from cuisine to cartoons, ornaments to icons, murmurs to murders. Registration is required.

Taekwondo

Wednesday Apr 26, 2017, 6:00 PM

Join Cheshire resident Master Jonguk Jang for an introductory Tae Kwon Do (also known as Taekwondo) class for adults. Learn about the fascinating history of Taekwondo and its physical and mental benefits such as focus, self-control, confidence, stress release, flexibility and self-defense, as well as an introduction to various fundamental skills and techniques. Registration is required.

Día de Los Niños Celebration

Friday Apr 28, 2017, 10:00 – 11:00 AM

Celebrate El día de los niños / El día de los libros (Children’s Day / Book Day) with a multicultural storytime! Día is celebrated on April 30 to emphasize the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Get Informed, Take Action: The CT State Budget

March 24, 2017 / Lauren / Leave a comment

It’s no secret that our country has seen a surge in political awareness and activism after the last election, and we’ve been getting reference questions about how to get more involved on national, state, and local issues. Some of the biggest rumblings lately deal with Governor Dannel Malloy’s state budget for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, which is under review right now and contains millions of dollars’ worth of cuts for many municipalities, local and state agencies, and state-funded programs. If you’d like to get informed and take some action on the proposed budget, read on!

GET INFORMED

Governor Malloy’s Legislative Proposals – Including FY 2018-2019 proposed documents and press releases.
CT News Junkie: State Budget – All recent articles on the budget, in reverse chronological order, written by CT News Junkie staff.
CT Mirror: Connecticut state budget – All recent articles, in reverse chronological order, tagged as concerning the proposed budget written by CT Mirror staff.
Hartford Courant: State Budget – Articles from the Hartford Courant newspaper dealing with the state budget. Note that these articles appear by relevance to the search terms “state budget,” and not by the date they were published.

If you only have time to read one article on the new budget, though, the CT Mirror wrote an informative overview last month that hits some of the big parts of the budget.

TAKE ACTION

Find Your Legislators – Type your street address into this tool to find all your local representatives.
Connecticut General Assembly Appropriations Committee Members – An alphabetical list of senators and representatives who are reviewing the proposed budget, with links to their contact information.
CT Places Coalition – If the humanities, libraries, history and preservation are your thing, #CTPlaces provides avenues for you to have your voice heard.

You can also send letters to the editors of local newspapers like the New Haven Register, Cheshire Herald, Hartford Courant, and Meriden’s Record-Journal.

What is the Next Book in This Series?

March 20, 2017February 21, 2017 / Sharon Tyler / 2 Comments

It is extremely frustrating to read a book only to discover it is part of a series, and there is no clear list of reading order. While some series are loosely tied together and allow for skipping around and reading out of order, others can only be fully enjoyed when read in order. To help ease your frustration, I am going to share the tools that I use to help determine the correct reading order. There are several routes to find the answer to this question, some are simple and easy, others require a little work.

The first way to find the answer of reading order is to find the author’s website. Many internet savvy authors, or their publishers, maintain websites with series listings in order and, in the case of multiple series, the suggested reading order for everything. Not all authors do this, but some have very helpful lists to help out their readers. Many include printable lists so you can easily keep track of titles you have read and what you should read next.

Some examples of authors that offer comprehensive lists or tools on their websites to find the reading order include Nora Roberts, Gail Carriger, James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris, and many more. I highly suggest checking with the author’s website first before branching out and trying other avenues, because who better to explain the best reading order than the person that wrote them?

If the author fails you, do not lose heart! My second choice for series order, and further reading suggestions, is Goodreads. If you search for a book title, Goodreads will give you a wonderful amount of information. On the book’s page you can follow links to the author page or a list of book in that series (both published and sometimes books that have not been released yet) in order. The bonus is you get suggestions for books that might appeal to you because some authors list what they are currently reading or their own recommendations. For instance, on the author page for one of my current favorites, Maria V. Snyder, you can see her books listed by series, in order, and what she is currently reading.

There are also a few websites dedicated to helping readers find the next book in a series, or the complete reading order of any given series. One website that I often use is well titled as: Book Series in Order which you can search by author or character name. Order of Books is a second site that can help you find the reading order of different authors and series. This site allows you to search by author or main character. If you are looking specifically for children’s series check out Juvenile Series and Sequels, and if you need young adult series listings I would suggest using Series and Sequels.

If you still are not sure about the series order of the books you are reading or want to read, please stop in and visit our Welcome Desk or give the library a call. We are here to help.

Collection Spotlight: Lit Kits

March 1, 2017February 7, 2017 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

When you were growing up was there a subject that you were obsessed with? Perhaps you are a parent or caregiver and a little one in your life has a similar obsession. Maybe you want to teach your little ones about your favorite subject, or you are a teacher and want to introduce a subject or idea. We have a simple answer for all of this, we call them Lit Kits.

A Lit Kit is a box that includes a DVD, CD, book of related activities, picture books, and board books on a given topic. The collection of materials circulate in a blue storage box for the standard 28 day period, the same check out time as out regular books, CD’s, and audiobooks. They are the perfect solution for entertaining and teaching our youngsters. We currently have 40 Lit Kits in our collection, with plans for adding more. You can place holds on the kits if the subject you are looking for is checked out. Our Lit Kits are located on the bottom shelf of the book case that houses our Parenting collection. Our Lit Kits include: Firefighters, Babies, Birds, Apples, Winter, Shoes, Spring, Food, Sleeping, Chickens,Fish, Fish #2, Transportation, Wheels, Rain, Friends, Monsters, Frogs, Summer, Colors, Dinosaurs, Animals, Families, Nursery Rhymes, Circus, Clothing, Pizza, Teeth, Shapes, Monkeys, Cats, Fall/Autumn, Bears, Dogs, Princesses, Bugs, Farms, Sports, Beach, and All About Me.

We are planning on building more kits, so if you have a suggestion for a subject please share it here.

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in March

February 23, 2017February 16, 2017 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Two concerts this month, plus fun and informative programs on everything from Aromatherapy to Starting a Business! Here are the highlights from our March Events Calendar:

Scents and Sensibility

Thursday Mar 2, 2017, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Learn about the medicinal benefits of various herbs and essential oils and create your own 8-ounce herbal reed diffuser. This 90 minute hands-on workshop includes all materials. Seating is limited and registration is required.

Cuentos y Cantos

Friday Mar 3, 2017, 10:00 – 10:45 AM

¡Hola y bienvenidos a Cuentos y Cantos! Join Miss Lauren for a bilingual storytime in English and Spanish. We’ll read books, sing songs, learn new words, and have fun in two languages! For children ages 0-5 with a parent/caregiver. No registration required.

Atwater-Donnelly Trio

Sunday Mar 5, 2017, 2:00 PM

Award-winning, internationally acclaimed performers, Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly blend gorgeous harmonies and play an astonishing array of instruments, showcasing traditional American and Celtic folk songs and percussive dance featuring Irish step dancer Kevin Doyle. This concert is free to the public, no registration required.

Starting and Running a Small Business

Tuesdays, Mar 7, 14, 21, 28 2017, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

The basics of starting and running a small business will be presented in a series of four programs to be hosted by SCORE, a network of business mentors, at the Cheshire Public Library, in the month of March. The sessions will take place on Tuesday evenings – March 7, 14, 21, and 28, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Space is limited, please register early!

Cookbook Club: Pasta and Noodles

Wednesday Mar 8, 2017, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

March is Noodle Month! Bring your favorite pasta/noodle cookbooks (from the library or home) to discuss, and a pasta/noodle dish to share with the group. Must be at least 18 years of age or older to participate. By attending the program, participants acknowledge that they may choose to consume food that has not been prepared in a commercial kitchen. Registration is required.

Adult Knitting Night

Wednesdays Mar 8 and 22, 2017, 6:30 PM

Come socialize, learn, and share your techniques with other knitters. Experience the relaxing and calming effect of knitting. Advanced adult knitters welcome, no supplies or instruction will be given. We will meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesday every month, no registration required.

300 Years of Connecticut’s Remarkable Women

Thursday Mar 9, 2017, 6:00 PM

Please join us as we celebrate Women’s History Month with a tribute to 300 Years of Connecticut’s Remarkable Women presented by The Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame. This multi-media program will discuss well-known figures like Ella Grasso, Katharine Hepburn and Marian Anderson and lesser known heroines like Maria Sanchez, Barbara McClintock and Hannah Watson. Registration is required.

Celebrate the Caldecott!

Saturday Mar 11, 2017, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Join us as we celebrate some of our favorite Caldecott Medal books! The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published that year. This hands-on family friendly program will include art activities and games featuring some of the past award winners. For all ages, registration is required.

Food Your Kids Will Eat!

Monday Mar 13, 2017, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Do you have a favorite recipe that your family loves? Do you have a recipe that freezes well that you can heat up after a long day at work? Well this program is for you. Bring a sample of your favorite dish, and the recipe to share with the group. We’ll share ways of getting kids to eat the food you prepare! Must be at least 18 years of age or older to participate. By attending the program, participants acknowledge that they may choose to consume food that has not been prepared in a commercial kitchen. Registration is required.

Microsoft PowerPoint

3-part class, Wednesdays Mar 15, 22, 29, 1:30-2:30 PM

This class will provide introduction to Microsoft PowerPoint and is divided into three sessions.
You will learn how to:
– Create a new presentation.
– Modify presentation themes.
– Add and edit text.
– Add new slides to a presentation.
– Insert clipart images and shapes to slides.
– Add sound and video to a slide presentation.
– Insert and edit animations and slide transitions and much more. Registration is required.

READ Photo Week

Monday Mar 20 – Saturday Mar 26, 2017

Kids, show off your love of reading! Stop by the Children’s Room any time from Monday, March 20th to Saturday, March 26th to get your photo taken with a favorite book. Take a book from our shelves or bring a book from home, select a snazzy background, then smile and say “read”! During National Library Week from April 10-16, come pick up your photo and enjoy our brand-new display featuring all the readers at Cheshire Library.

SAT/ACT Preparation

Thursday Mar 23, 2017, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Want to learn about free resources such as practice SAT/ACT tests and eBooks available to you free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Attend this free session and learn about Learning Express a digital service that will help you master the SAT/ACT. Registration is required.

Noah Baerman Trio

Sunday Mar 26, 2017, 2:00 PM

Noah Baerman is an acclaimed jazz pianist/composer, educator, author, and Artistic Director of the non-profit Resonant Motion. For this program, Noah and his trio will demonstrate some of the nuts and bolts of instrumental jazz in lay terms, but without watering down the music itself. This concert is free to the public, no registration required.

Author Talk : The Brass Valley by Emery Roth

Monday Mar 27, 2017, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

They called the steep valley of Connecticut’s Naugatuck River, “Brass Valley,” because from the time the world began running on steam and bearings, trolleys and soot, the Naugatuck Valley came to be where most of the world’s brass manufacturing happened. Author and photographer, Emery Roth will talk about his new book, Brass Valley: The fall of an American Industry, a book of pictures and stories about how it all happened.

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