What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in September

September 2, 2014September 2, 2014 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Summer may be over, but lots of great programming continues at Cheshire Library! Here are some of the special programs we’ve got lined up this month:

SAT Preparation Seminar

Tuesday Sep 2, 2014, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Prominent language arts tutor, Ellis Ratner will address all aspects of the Reading and Writing Sections, including sentence completion, reading comprehension, grammar and essay writing. Attendees will also receive, free of charge, and SAT Preparation Primer. Register on our website.

Reckless: True Story of the Legendary Korean War Pony

Thursday Sep 4, 2014, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Janet Barrett, author of They Called Her Reckless — A True Story of War, Love And One Extraordinary Horse, will appear to discuss the story of Reckless, a small Korean pony who became a real-life hero during the Korean War. She saved many lives, raised spirits and won the love and respect of all who knew her. Reckless hauled ammo, brought back dead and wounded Marines, boosted the troops’ morale, was awarded two Purple Hearts and finally brought back to the U.S., where she lived out her years at Camp Pendleton, California. Register on our website.

Zumba for Kids

Saturday Sep 6, 2014, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Join Tracy Brody in a great Zumba program designed just for kids!
Zumba is an easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired dance-fitness program. Classes specifically for kids are formatted in a way to make getting fit fun. Kids can just let loose and be themselves! Register on our website.

Cheshire Cats Classics Club – The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford

Monday Sep 8, 2014, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

The Cheshire Cats Classics Club will resume after a summer break on Monday September 8 at 7 p.m. at the Cheshire Public Library. The book club will read The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford in honor of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I. Register on our website. Copies of this book may be borrowed at the library.

Our Health in the Balance: Toxic Lawn Pesticides

Tuesday Sep 9, 2014, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Concerned about your health, your children’s health, your pet’s health, and the health of the environment? Find out more when presenter Dr. Jerry Silbert, a physician trained in Pathology, Laboratory Medicine, and Environmental Health, speaks about toxic lawn pesticides and chemical trespass. Register on our website.

Builder’s Brigade

Wednesdays, Sep 10 and 24 2014, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Kids have the opportunity to use their best creativity to design buildings, creatures, and more using Lego and Mega blocks. They can work alone, or in a team with peers. A different theme is picked for each session and kids can build on that theme or build a creation of their own. At the end of each session, kids can put their creations on display at the library for all to see until the next club is scheduled! NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Silly Song Sing-a-long

Saturday Sep 13, 2014, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Silly Song Sing-a-long is a mix of popular children’s songs, musical games, dance movements, and rhythms. Children and adults will be encouraged to participate and act silly along with Edward Leonard and his guitars, drums, and maracas. Register on our website.

Fab Film Saturdays: ERNEST AND CELESTINE

Saturday Sep 20, 2014, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Ernest & Celestine (2012). Academy Award Nominee (Best Animated Feature) and featuring the voices of Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, and more! This is the gorgeously animated story of an unlikely friendship between a bear, Ernest, and a mouse named Celestine. NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Bring your own snacks!
Running Time 1 hour, 20 minutes. Rated PG.

Occult and Demonology in the Civil War

Monday, Sep 22, 2014, 7:00 PM

Join Matthew Bartlett, local author and Gettysburg historian, as he discusses demonology and the occult in the Civil War. Register on our website.

Halloween Science Workshop – 2 Sessions

Saturday Sep 27, 2014, 1:15 PM and 2:30 PM

Explore a Halloween skeleton, the science of darkness, the inner workings of Halloween toys and gadgets, and live spiders and other scary creepy-crawlies in a fun hands-on workshop conducted by local naturalist and amateur scientist, Eric Nelson. Register on our website.

Small Business Lending
Monday Sep. 29, 2014, 7:00pm

Sheldon L. Pollock, Banking Consultant and former Bank CEO, will explain the points that a business owner should consider when applying for a small business loan. Register on our website.

Revisiting Fiddler on the Roof

August 23, 2014October 7, 2014 / Mary / Leave a comment

My family and I recently saw a live performance of Fiddler on the Roof. It was my daughter’s first time seeing the play and as we discussed it afterwards, I marveled at how my perspective of the show has changed over the years.

I first saw Fiddler in the 1970’s when I was a young girl. I always identified with Tevye’s daughters and their hopes and fears as they dealt with their roles in their traditional village and the changes overtaking their world.

Upon seeing the play again, as the mother of a twenty year old, I discovered that my perspective had shifted. When as a girl I could not understand Golde’s preoccupation with planning her daughters’ futures, as an adult I now saw her point of view. It’s not the “can my daughter make a good match” aspect of Golde that I mean; it’s the concern over the future of a beloved child.

When I was younger I watched as Hodel, the second daughter, boarded the train for Siberia so she could be with the man she loved, and I saw nothing but the romance and the adventure. Now as a parent watching that scene, I cringed at the thought of sending a child off to a far away place, perhaps never to see her again.

And the songs! My sisters and I would often sing the Matchmaker song. Now, as I watched the play, it was Do You Love Me that held my attention and Sunrise, Sunset that brought tears to my eyes.

My daughter was enthusiastic about the show and wanted to see the movie to compare it to the stage production. She borrowed the DVD from the library, along with the Broadway soundtrack.

We spent an enjoyable evening later that week watching the film version and had an animated discussion about Tevye’s daughters and the choices each made. I watched my daughter as she focused on Tevye’s daughters and thought of a stanza from Sunrise, Sunset. Swiftly fly the years…

If you would like to revisit Fiddler on the Roof or perhaps see it for the first time, you can find the movie, soundtrack, and the musical score all at the library.

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in June

June 2, 2014June 2, 2014 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Fantastic programs, new services, and of course, Summer Reading are coming your way in June!

Social Media Marketing Made Simple and
LinkedIn for Business
Tuesday, June 3rd at 7:00pm

This information-packed seminar offers a basic review of the essential strategies and best practices an entrepreneur should understand to successfully use social media and LinkedIn. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

More Information
Register for this program

Survivors Swing Band
Sunday, June 8th at 4:00pm

The Survivors Swing Band, a 7-piece professional jazz band, based in Connecticut, plays classic melodies from an era gone by–hot tunes and soothing ballads of the Swing Era– plus many of the wonderful melodies from the two decades that followed. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

More Information

Cooking with Chef John Bencivengo
Wednesday, June 18th at 6:30pm

Chef John Bencivengo of Chowder Pot lll will prepare 6 delicious dishes for you & will give out copies of the recipes. In addition, Chowder Pot lll will donate three Raffle Prizes you can win the evening of the event. There will be a donation fee of $5.00 per person to be paid at the door on the evening of the event to cover material costs. Seating is limited. Please register.

More Information
Register for this program

Teen Games Drop-in
Friday, June 20th at 2:30pm

No registration required. Nintendo Wii available for group play with ROCK BAND 2, DDR, MARIO KART, BRAWL, and lots more! We’ve got board games too, so come play games and nibble snacks,

More Information

Visit the Teen Page of our website!

Summer Reading Program

FIZZ, BOOM, READ! – will begin on Monday, June 23^rd. We have a great summer planned for readers of all ages, including a wonderful line-up of fun kids’ programs that often have a science theme. And for those of you who are fans of “the Cheshire Library Cat,” we have some really cool t-shirts as giveaways again this year!

So be sure to look on our web site for information about how to sign-up for our online summer reading program – or come into the library and the children’s staff will be happy to answer any questions you have.

More information

Visit the Kids Page of our website!

Fab Film Saturdays
Saturday, June 28th at 2:00pm

How to Train Your Dragon. Hiccup is a young Viking who defies tradition when he befriends one of his deadliest foes – a ferocious dragon he calls Toothless. No registration required!
More information

Visit the Kids Page of our website!

Stream Videos

Now Available!

OverDrive, your source for free downloadable ebooks and audiobooks, has a new collection available: videos! You can borrow and watch free shows, movies, and more from the library’s digital collection right in your web browser without having to download files or use special software. We also just purchased Sesame Street videos for our streaming videos collection!

More Information

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New Circulation Software at the Library
Monday, June 2nd

The library will be upgrading its software to a next-generation technology platform. This will enable us to offer new services in a rapid and cost-effective manner. We are working with the system provider to convert the current system to the new platform while ensuring minimal disruption of patron services. As with implementing any new enterprise-level software, the library may experience intermittent service issues during the brief transition period.
More Information

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Summer Saturday Hours

The library will be open Saturday mornings from July 12 through August 23, from 9:30 a.m. To 1:00 p.m.
Come on in to cool off or grab a book for summer reading fun!

Summer Calendar

Eye on the Spy: Happy Birthday, Ian Fleming

May 28, 2014May 19, 2014 / Susan O. / 1 Comment

Ian Fleming

Happy birthday to Ian Fleming, born May 28, 1908!

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Fleming is the author behind the James Bond series of thrillers, but did you know he also wrote the children’s classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? He also wrote several non-fiction books, some of which, like The Diamond Smugglers, arose from his background research for his stories, in this case, Diamonds are Forever.

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Fleming was not necessarily the inspiration for James Bond, but he had more than enough experience to rely on for creating his character. Educated not only at English prep schools but in Munich and Geneva as well, he was pulled into the British Naval Intelligence during World War II. He worked on several secret missions – including one code-named Operation Goldeneye, the name he would give to his home in Jamaica.

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Fleming’s 1950’s, post-war design of Bond was to have a dull, every-man character that events seemed to happen to. He stole the name James Bond from the author of an ornithology manual he owned, a name he thought was as dull and plain and ordinary as could be. It wasn’t even until the second film that he began to give Bond a nationality and sense of humor. His books have had mixed reviews over the years, yet sold more than 30 million copies before his death. Two were published posthumously – Man With the Golden Gun and Octopussy and the Living Daylights. He ranks number fourteen on the list of “50 Greatest British Authors since 1945.” Fleming was a notoriously heavy smoker and drinker, and died of a heart attack at age 56.

Although he wrote only twelve novels and 10 short stories, his stories have inspired more than 23 major films spanning fifty years. Their total adjusted gross is more than $10 billion, placing them behind only the Harry Potter series as most profitable film series in history. Fleming, however, left little family to benefit from his fortune. He had a daughter who died at birth, and his son Caspar, for whom he wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (also a classic film), died in 1975 at the age of 23. His widow, Ann, died in 1981.

For a dull, middle-aged nobody, James Bond continues to entertain us for more than 50 years, 25 films, and 7 actors and inspire generations of authors and fans. In addition to his original novels and films, there are several licensed tie-in series, such as Charlie Higson’s “Young Bond” children’s novels.

Who is your favorite Bond?

250px-Young_Bond_2012_Covers

It’s Star Wars Day – May the Fourth be With You!

May 4, 2014June 3, 2014 / Louise / Leave a comment

May 4 is unofficially “Star Wars Day.” It’s the one day a year when Star Wars fans are encouraged to REALLY let their devotion to all things Star Wars out to play. Cheshire Library has got you covered, young Jedis – we have Star Wars items in just about every section of our collection. Here’s a very small taste of what you can find in our corner of the galaxy:

ADULT SCIENCE FICTION: