Hello, Friends!
Happy April! Stop by to visit our temporary location within the Heritage Hotel, located at 522 Heritage Road! Here, you can pick up items on hold and do some light browsing of new books and movies.
Our regular hours at this temporary location are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11:00am to 5:30pm, Tuesday and Thursday 11:00am to 7:00pm, Saturdays 11:00am to 4:00pm, and Sundays 1:00pm to 5:00pm. Our hours and services will vary depending on outside events at the Heritage Hotel; changes will be listed on our website, or you can call us at 203-262-0626 to check. We will be closed on Friday, April 18, for Good Friday, and Sunday, April 20, for Easter Sunday.
We remain on schedule to reopen to the public at our Poverty Road location in November 2025. If you need assistance with anything related to your library card account, please visit us at the Heritage Hotel, call 203-262-0626, or email asksbylib@biblio.org.
We invite everyone to participate in our 2025 Tiny Art Show! Pick up at 4x4" canvas starting on April 1, create your art, bring it back to us by April 27, and we'll display it in May! For all ages.
We hope you'll join us for our virtual and off-site events this month! Some highlights include:
Grades K-5: Join our Quiet Book Club on Thursday, April 24 from 4:30-5:30pm! Bring a book (or several) that you are currently reading, make yourself comfortable, and... READ! For the first and last 10 minutes of the club, you will have a chance to chat and share what you are reading, then for the remaining 40 minutes you can read uninterrupted in a quiet space.
Grades 6-12: Bunnies and ferrets and snakes, oh my! Join us for our next Cute Animals Hangout on Tuesday, April 22 from 6-7pm!
Adults: Join us online via Zoom Tuesday, April 15 from 2-3:30pm, for The Sonnet as Dr. Bill Thierfelder explores one of the most frequently used poetic forms—the Sonnet! Trace the history of these 14-line gems from their beginnings in Italy during the early Renaissance to the modern period.
To find out more about all of our exciting events in April, see below!
Best wishes,
The Staff of the Southbury Public Library
Table of Contents
- 2024 Summer Reading Challenges
- Flood Recovery Updates
- Tiny Art Show
- Museum Passes
- Adult Events
- Adult Book Clubs
- Children and Teen Events
- Children's Events
- Teen Events
- Children and Teen Reading Challenges
- The Friends of the Southbury Public Library
- Artist of the Month: Region 15 Students
- Our Favorite Online Resources
2024 Summer Reading Challenges
Thank you for your continued support and patience during this difficult time as we recover from extreme damage caused by the flooding in August 2024. This flooding also resulted in a delay in determining the winners of our 2024 Summer Reading Challenge prizes.
We are excited to announce that winners of our 2024 Summer Reading Challenge prizes will be selected this April 2025! Winners will be contacted at the email address or phone number provided on their raffle ticket by April 30, 2025. After winners have been contacted, their prizes will be able to be picked up from our location at the Heritage Hotel during our open hours.
Flood Recovery Updates
The library building at 100 Poverty Road remains structurally sound with consistent temperature and humidity throughout the main floors, but is not in a state to reopen to the public.
Purchase orders are beginning to be issued for Southbury Public Library repairs. The Town of Southbury applied for a state grant in addition to continuing to work with FEMA on their federal grant application. Currently, the library remains on schedule to open to the public in November 2025.
For the most up-to-date information, please follow our website and social media accounts or the Town of Southbury’s website and social media accounts (Town Facebook & Town Instagram). In the meantime, please come visit us at our temporary location in the Heritage Hotel at 522 Heritage Road!
Tiny Art Show
Make some art for our 2025 Tiny Art Show! Your only limit is a 4x4" canvas: use any art style or medium you like as long as it fits. For all ages. No registration required.
Submission Requirements:
- All submissions must be submitted by 5:00pm on Sunday, April 27, 2025 to the circulation desk at the library's temporary location in the Heritage Hotel.
- Submissions must be on supplied 4x4” canvases, but can be any medium or style as long as they are on or attached to the provided canvas (painting, drawing, sewing, etc.). Canvases can be picked up any time during the library's open hours.
- There is no age or town residency requirement for submitting artists.
Important Dates:
- April 1 through 27: Canvases available for pickup from the library's circulation desk at the Heritage Hotel.
- Tuesday, April 8: Drop In Paint Day! Work on a painting for our Tiny Art Show in a supportive group environment! We'll be in the Mat Room of the Parks & Recreation Building at 561 Main Street South.
- Sunday, April 13: Kits including paints and brushes available for pick up from the library's circulation desk at the Heritage Hotel while supplies last.
- Sunday, April 27: All submissions are due by 5:00pm to the library's circulation desk at the Heritage Hotel.
- May 1-31: Tiny Art Show on display at the library's location in the Heritage Hotel.
After the show is over, artists will be contacted at the information provided in their submission form to let them know their art can be picked up. Our Tiny Art Show is sponsored by the Friends of the Southbury Public Library and the Southbury Library Gift Fund.
Museum Passes
Museum Passes are back in circulation! A list of available museum passes can be found here. Our passes can be checked out and returned at our temporary location within the Heritage Hotel Golf, Spa & Conference Center, located at 522 Heritage Road, Southbury, CT. The passes can be checked out for 7 days.
Adult Events
Information and Registration: Reference Department at 203-262-0626
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. All virtual adult programs require registration, registrants will receive an email with the Zoom links the morning of the program.
Tiny Art Show: Drop-In Painting (Adults)
Tuesday, April 8, 3:30-4:30pm, Offsite at Parks and Recreation, 561 Main Street South, No Registration Required
Work on a painting for our 2025 Tiny Art Show in a supportive group environment! All supplies provided. Please wear clothing you don’t mind getting dirty. We are having two other sessions later in the day for other age groups: 4:30-5:30pm: Children, Teen, & Families, and 5:30-6:30pm: Grades 6-12. For more information about the Tiny Art Show in general, click here.
Treasures of the Gardner Museum: A Journey Through Art and History
Friday, April 11, 2-3:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston houses an exquisite collection of art spanning centuries and cultures, all displayed in a stunning Venetian-style palazzo. This program, presented by Jane Oneail, offers visitors a glimpse into the fascinating world of Isabella Stewart Gardner, an eccentric patron of the arts who carefully curated every aspect of her eclectic museum. To register, click here.
The Sonnet
Tuesday, April 15, 2-3:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
Join us as Dr. Bill Thierfelder explores one of the most frequently used poetic forms—the Sonnet—and trace the history of these 14-line gems from their beginnings in Italy during the early Renaissance to the modern period. To register, click here.
Bette Midler
Thursday, April 17, 2-3:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
How did a nice Jewish girl from Hawaii become the outrageous "Divine Miss M?" Join us as entertainment historian John Kenrick follows her rise from nightclubs and Broadway to screen stardom. To register, click here.
ART on the GO! Scrapbooking
Thursday, April 17, 6-7:30pm, Offsite at Parks and Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required
Bring your photos, concert tickets, and other memorabilia to create your own scrapbook! During this event, presented by the Mattatuck Museum, participants will learn layout techniques, experiment with decorative elements, and craft personalized pages to preserve their favorite memories. All materials for this event (paper, stickers, borders, etc.) will be provided. Please Note: Though not required, participants may bring their own scrapbook to this event. A scrapbook will not be provided. To register, click here.
Lotus Flower Lantern Workshop
Saturday, April 26, 1-2:30pm, Offsite at Parks and Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required
Join us to make a lovely traditional lotus flower lantern with members of The Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project using colored paper and wireframes! There will also be a presentation about the lotus and the lantern festival, as well as a short documentary on Korea at the end of the class. In addition, books on Korean history and culture will be available at this event for free. To register, click here.
Adult Coloring Club
Monday, April 28, 2-3:30pm, Offsite at Parks and Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Requested
Welcome to the Adult Coloring Club! Join us for a relaxing hour of therapeutic coloring. Materials will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own supplies as well. Registration is requested, not required. Please sign up so we know how many people to expect and to receive event updates! To register, click here.
Adult Book Clubs
The Southbury Public Library offers three book clubs for adults: Tuesday Night Fiction Book Club, Nonfiction Book Club, and Mystery Book Club. Registration is requested, not required. Join us for a discussion about this month’s books! Please sign up so we know how many people to expect and to receive event updates!
Nonfiction Book Club
Wednesday, April 9, 10-11am, Offsite at Parks and Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Requested
This month we'll be discussing Charlie Chaplin vs. America: When Art, Sex, and Politics Collided, by Scott Eyman. To register, click here.
Mystery Book Club
Monday, April 14, 3-4pm, Offsite at Parks and Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Requested
This month we'll be discussing Bad, Bad Seymour Brown: A Corie Geller Novel, by Susan Isaacs. To register, click here.
Tuesday Night Fiction Book Club
Tuesday, April 22, 6:30-7:30pm, Offsite at Parks and Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Requested
This month we'll be discussing The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store: A Novel, by James McBride. To register, click here.
Children and Teen Events
Information and Registration: Children/Teen Department at 203-262-0626
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:
Babies & Books Storytime (6-24 Months)
Tuesday, April 1, 8, 22, 29, and May 6, 10:30-11am, Nursery Room, United Church of Christ, 283 Main Street North, Registration Required - Space Limited
Babies & Books is a 6-week lapsit program for children 6 to 24 months and their parents/caregivers. Listen to short stories and songs, and enjoy a small craft or sensory play. Find out more and register on our website here.
Drop-In Storytime (All Ages)
Monday, April 7, 21, 28, 10:30-11am, Mat Room, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, No Registration Required
Join Jen for an all-ages storytime! We'll share books, rhymes, and songs, and a small craft will be available to take home. Find out more on our website here.
Special Events for Children:
Tunes & Tales (Recommended for Ages 5 & Under)
Thursday, April 3, 10, 24, 10:30-11am, Multipurpose Room, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, No Registration Required
Join 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.
ARTuesday (Ages 3-12)
Tuesday, April 8, 4:30-5:30pm, Kitchen/Arts & Crafts Room, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
Work on a painting for our Tiny Art Show in a supportive group environment! All supplies provided. Please wear clothing you don’t mind getting dirty. There will also be space for children, teens, and families in the Mat Room at the same time. Find out more and register on our website here.
LEGO Club (Grades K-5)
Thursday, April 10, 4:30-5:30pm, Multipurpose Room, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
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 and register on our website here.
Quiet Book Club (Grades 2-5)
Thursday, April 24, 4:30-5:30pm, Parlor, United Church of Christ, 283 Main Street North, Registration Required - Space Limited
Quiet Book Club is a great time to read, hang out with fellow book enthusiasts, and share book recommendations! You bring a book (or several) that you are currently reading, make yourself comfortable, and... READ! For the first and last 10 minutes of the club, you will have a chance to chat and share what you are reading, then for the remaining 40 minutes you can read uninterrupted in a quiet space! The room has comfortable chairs and sofas, but feel free to bring a pillow or cozy blanket. Find out more and register on our website here.
Family Trivia Night (All Ages)
Friday, April 25, 6:30-8pm, Multi-Purpose Room, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join us for another Family Trivia night! Work together as a family team to answer our trivia questions! We'll have a variety of topics, including kid-centric knowledge, general information, and questions aimed at parents, too. The family who answers the most questions correctly will win a $100 gift card to Riverview Cinemas! Find out more and register on our website here.
Special Events for Teens:
Tiny Art Show: Drop-In Paint Session (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, April 8, 5:30-6:30pm, Mat Room, Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, No Registration Required
Work on a painting for our Tiny Art Show in a supportive group environment! All supplies provided. Please wear clothing you don’t mind getting dirty. We are having two other sessions earlier in the day for other age groups: 3:30-4:30pm: Adults and 4:30-5:30pm: Children, Teen, & Families. Find out more about our Teen Drop-In Paint Session on our website here.
Teen Crochet (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, April 15, 6:30-7:30pm, Kitchen/Arts & Crafts Room, Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join us for our crochet and knitting club, open to both new and experienced crafters alike. If you’re already working on a project, bring it with you. If you’re new to knitting and crocheting, get started with us! We will have basic knitting and crocheting supplies available. Find out more and register on our website here.
Cute Animals Hangout (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, April 22, 6-7pm, Multi-Purpose Room, Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
Come hang out with a variety of cute animals, both furry and scaly! Meet, interact with, feed snacks to, and pet a variety of animal friends including bunnies, ferrets, sugar gliders, snakes, a bearded dragon, and more! Find out more and register on our website here.
Family Trivia Night (All Ages)
Friday, April 25, 6:30-8pm, Multipurpose Room, Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join us for another Family Trivia night! Work together as a family team to answer our trivia questions! We'll have a variety of topics, including kid-centric knowledge, general information, and questions aimed at parents, too. The family who answers the most questions correctly will win a $100 gift card to Riverview Cinemas! Find out more and register on our website here.
Children and Teen Reading Challenges:
April Monthly Mini Reading Challenge (All Ages)
April 1-30, Online on Beanstack
Join us on Beanstack for our next Mini Monthly Reading Challenge, themed April Library Love in honor of National Library Week! Read for five hours (about 1-3 books for elementary, middle, and high school readers) and get a SurPRIZE. Find out more and sign up on our Beanstack page!
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten (Birth to Entering Kindergarten)
Ongoing, Online on Beanstack
Read a book (any book!) to your newborn, infant, or toddler and keep track on Beanstack. Repeats count! If you read 1 book a day for 3 years, that’s 1,095 books! 10 books a week for 2 years is 1,040 books, and 3 books a day in one year is 1,095 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! 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!
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. Find out more about the Friends here!
Friends Pop-Up Sale
Friday, April 11, 9am-4pm and Saturday, April 12, 9am-4pm, Parks and Recreation, 561 Main Street South
Stop by the Friends' Pop-Up Sale! They will have books (including gardening, cookbooks, and tables of Buck-a-Book specials), DVDs, CDs, puzzles, and games. Cash, check, or PayPal accepted. No credit/debit cards.
Proceeds go towards the Friends of the Southbury Public Library, who sponsor almost all of the library's events for all ages. This event is not sponsored or endorsed by the Southbury Parks & Recreation Department. Find out more on our website here.
See here for more information about this Pop-Up Sale.
Donations
Friends’ Donation Center, located in the Southbury Plaza between Catalyst Gym and The Paper Store
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30-11:30am, and Wednesdays from 5-7pm
The Friends of the Southbury Public Library are accepting donations for future book sales to raise funds for library programs and services to benefit the community. The Friends’ Donation Center is located at their new space, generously donated by Gatto Development Corporation, in the Southbury Plaza between Catalyst Gym and The Paper Store. The Center is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m.
Items accepted include gently-used hardcover, softcover, and paperback books in all genres, both fiction and nonfiction, for adults, teens, and children. The Friends also accept DVDs, music CDs, vinyl records, audiobooks on CD, jigsaw puzzles, and games. Donation receipts for tax purposes are available.
The August 2024 flood completely destroyed the entire Friends’ inventory of material collected in the past year from generous donors. The Friends are extremely grateful to all those in the community, the surrounding towns, and even out of state, who have so generously donated books and other materials. The success of past sales allows us to continue to fund almost all programs offered by the library.
For more information about the Friends of the Southbury Public Library, click here.
Artist of the Month: Region 15 Students
Did you miss last month’s online exhibit? No need to worry as the artwork of the students of Region 15 Schools will be up once again for virtual display on our website!
This year’s collection includes pieces from students from all of Region 15 Schools and includes a selection of two-dimensional mixed media, paintings, photography, and drawings. Region 15 students in Kindergarten through 12th grade will be part of the virtual display, including work from students in Advanced Placement Fine Art and Photography classes.
“We appreciate the opportunity to celebrate and recognize our student artists. A virtual show ensures that the artwork remains accessible to the public and provides a stage to share student work with an even broader audience,” said Jeromy Nelson, Director of Fine, Applied and Technical Arts in Region 15. “We are extremely grateful for our community’s continued support of the Arts programs in Region 15 and encourage community members locally and beyond to visit and support the young artists who have put their passion and creativity into their pieces,” he continued.
For more information, click here. To view this virtual exhibit, click here.
Our Favorite Online Resources
Kanopy, Consumer Reports Online, & Libby
Check out some of our favorite online resources that you can access for free from home (or anywhere with an internet connection) with your Southbury Public Library card! We have more details on our website here about Kanopy, Consumer Reports Online, and Libby. Kanopy offers streaming of movies and television shows, including many popular BBC shows, The Great Courses, and Sesame Street. You can access all that Consumer Reports Online has to offer through the link on our website and using your Southbury library card number. Last but not least, is Libby: our app for ebooks, audiobooks, and many popular magazines. For all of these online resources, you need the number on the back of your library card that starts with "24019" and enter it in with no spaces. While Kanopy and Consumer Reports online are for Southbury library card holders only, many area libraries have access to Libby, which is our favorite for ebooks, audiobooks, and many popular magazines.