Fight the February Blahs with some educational, enriching, and entertaining programs at Cheshire Library! Mark your calendar for these events, and see even more on our Event Calendar.
Frozen Sing Along
Sunday Feb 1, 2015 , 2:00 PM
Experience FROZEN, hit musical comedy from Walt Disney Animation Studios, like never before in an all-new, full-length SING-ALONG EDITION! Follow the lyrics with a bouncing FROZEN snowflake. It’s pure enchantment — and full of fun for the whole family! All Ages Welcome. NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
Cheshire Cats Classics Club
Monday Feb 2, 2015, 7:00 – 8:00 PM
The Cheshire Cats Classics Club meets once per month on a Monday evening. The Fellowship of the Ring will be discussed at the February 2nd meeting.
There is limited seating for this event. For more information regarding this program, contact Jennifer Bartlett at jbartlett@cheshirelibrary.org.
Irish Family History: Researching Irish Websites
Tuesday Feb 3, 2015, 7:00 – 8:00 PM
This workshop will introduce you to dozens of websites that can help you to research your Irish ancestors. The speaker will navigate websites and discuss the content of each one. Participants will be given a handout that lists the sites that benefit the Irish family history researcher. Register on our website.
Take Your Child to the Library Day! Magic with Chick Kelman
Saturday Feb 7, 2015, 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Magician Chick Kelman is returning to the Cheshire Public Library to add some magic to our Bring Your Child to the Library Day celebration. Join us for an afternoon program of magical tricks that will entertain and amaze! Stop by the Children’s Room after the performance for a special prize. NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
Fab Film Saturday: The Boxtrolls
Saturday Feb 14, 2015, 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Come enjoy some great box office kids’ movies with Fab Film Saturdays at Cheshire Public Library!
THE BOXTROLLS. A family event movie from the creators of Coraline and ParaNorman that introduces audiences to a new breed of family – The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised a human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead Wright) in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. Running Time 1 hour, 37 minutes. Rated PG. Feel free to bring your own snacks! NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
Author Talk: Jon Katz
Sunday Feb 15, 2015, 2:00 – 3:00 PM
New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz (A Dog Year, A Good Dog, Rose In a Storm) will speak about his newest book, a memoir called Saving Simon: How a Rescue Donkey Taught Me the Meaning of Compassion.
Jon Katz has become well-known for rescuing “irredeemable” animals. In 2011, state police notified him of a severely neglected donkey who needed attention. It was at that time that Simon entered his life and changed it forever. Hear more about Simon’s story of healing, Mr. Katz’s writing experiences, and much more. Register on our website.
Bird Biology and Winter Plants
Monday Feb 16, 2015, two sessions, 2:00 and 3:15 PM
Local naturalist Eric Nelson will introduce children to the anatomy, identification and bird behavior through fun hands-on activities and exercises. Children wshould wear loose clothing and sneakers. For ages 6 and up. Register on our website starting on February 1st.
Rainforest Rendezvous with Animal Embassy
Tuesday Feb 17, 2015, 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Join Animal Embassy on a journey through the four major tropical rainforest regions of the world! Library patrons will meet Animal Ambassadors such as a Chinchilla, a jungle Carpet python, a Red-foot tortoise, Red-eyed tree frogs, a large Green iguana or Solomon Islands monkey-tailed skink and possibly an Eclectus parrot! For ages 4 and up. Register on our website starting on February 1st.
Genealogy Software for Family History Researchers
Tuesday Feb 17, 2015, 7:00 – 8:00 PM
After a discussion of factors to consider when purchasing genealogy software and a review of the current Top 10 software packages, presenter Edwin Strickland will explore some of the other computer software options to aid in the recording and publication of your family data and planning further research tasks. Register on our website.
Squishy Circuits
Wednesday Feb 18, 2015, 10:00 – 12:00 PM
Electricity + play dough = lights? Awesome!
Squishy Circuits area a great introduction to the fundamentals of electronics. We will use a play dough that can conduct electricity. Once you know the basics you can plug in lights and motors to bring you already cool sculpture to new levels of awesome. Drop in anytime between 10:00 a.m. and noon. For ages 6 and up. NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
Truck Storytime
Thursday Feb 19, 2015, 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Bring your toy trucks and cars to this special event. There will be storytime followed by playtime. We will provide kiddie pools filled with sand to support play. Be sure to wear clothes you can get messy in. For ages 3-8. NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
Dads & Donuts
Saturday Feb 21, 2015, 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Dads & Donuts is a storytime designed especially for dads and children ages 3 and up. You don’t have to be a dad either. Moms, grandparents, or partners – everyone is welcome to attend and eat delicious donuts. Snacks will follow stories based around the theme of Animals! Enjoy stories with donuts, juice and coloring and crafts to follow. For ages 3-8.
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
E-Library Workshop: Downloadable Content at Cheshire Library
Saturday Feb 21, 2015, 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Want to learn how to download library e-books, audiobooks, movies, magazines and music to your laptop, tablet, e-reader, or smartphone? Bring your device and join us for a hands-on workshop. We’ll start with an overview of our various products and will then break into small groups with library staff, who can answer your questions about getting started.
Learn Spanish Storytime
Monday Feb 23, 2015, 10:00 – 10:30 AM
A hands-on Spanish program for toddlers, preschoolers and early elementary aged children. This bilingual storytime will be tons of fun with songs, games, activities and stories in both English and Spanish! No prior knowledge of Spanish is necessary. For ages 2 to Kindergarten. NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
Exploring Connecticut and the Slave Trade
Tuesday Feb 24, 2015, 7:00 – 8:00 PM
Journalist and independent historian Anne Farrow will discuss her new book The Logbooks : Connecticut’s Slave Ships and Human Memory. In 1757, a sailing ship owned by an affluent Connecticut merchant sailed from New London to the tiny island of Bence in Sierra Leone, West Africa, to take on fresh water and slaves. On board was the owner’s son, on a training voyage to learn the trade. The Logbooks explores that voyage, and two others documented by that young man, to unearth new realities of Connecticut’s slave trade and question how we could have forgotten this part of our past so completely. Seating for this event is limited. Register on our website.
Are you one of the lucky ones who got a large-screen TV for the holidays this year? Did you just replace an aging (and heavy) old picture-tube with a nice, light digital flatscreen, or did you go all-out and get that giant 50, 60, or even 80” monster that feels like you’re at the movie theater? Aren’t those digital cable channels amazing crystal clear?
ng out and making it look – well, not like a TV picture? There’s a reason for that. “Normal” TV pictures, those we’ve all grown up with, “refresh” or “run” at a speed of 60 frames per second (if you’ve ever seen a reel-to-reel movie, maybe in school, think of all those still frames whipping through the machine to make the movie move, and think of sixty of those still pictures every second, or 3600 of them every minute). That’s what our brains can process as smooth motion, and makes our TV look like TV.
A little, but not necessarily much. Go to your TV’s “settings” selection. There will be a setting that addresses “motion,” “motion control,” or “motion smoothing,” or some other term usually with the word motion – Google your exact TV model number for the term your TV uses. Most TVs come from the factory with the motion smoothing default setting to ON. Find your TV’s setting and simply turn the control to OFF. Yes, sometimes it’s easier said than done, and in my case it helped a little but not a lot.
e you do. Some are better at it than others, and it is more bothering to some people than others; it’s really a personal preference. I’m learning to live with it, trading in the awe of seamless clarity on special effects (watching the SHIELD helicarrier lift off from the water in The Avengers was jaw-dropping incredible) for the weird teleplay of people speaking. Unfortunately it’s the shape of things to come, and eventually we’re all going to have to adjust.
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