Fall Greetings,
Thank you for your continued support and patience during this difficult time as we recover from extreme damage caused by the flooding on August 18th & 19th. The Southbury Public Library, the “Heart of the Community,” will reopen as soon as possible. Please follow our website and social media accounts or the Town of Southbury’s website and social media accounts for the most up-to-date information.
We want to reassure you the main floors of the library proper were undamaged by flood waters and provisions are in place to moderate temperature and humidity in the building and preserve the collection. The basement cleaning is progressing and health and safety testing will take place. Then, all the systems necessary for the building to function properly can be thoroughly assessed.
Library staff are working based out of the Town Hall. We have increased your access to hoopla, doubling the daily lending limit for audiobooks, eBooks, movies and more, and are excited to announce that this month’s in person library events will be hosted at offsite locations in Southbury!
Grades K-5: join us for Monster Mash Trivia and Crafts on Saturday, October 5 from 2:30-3:30pm! Design your own mini haunted house door, earn treats in our trivia, and more!
Grades 6-12: join us from 4-5pm on Monday, October 7 to make Chocolate Pancake Tacos from scratch!
Adults: join us online via Zoom on Tuesday, October 22, from 6:30-8pm, as the hosts of the Ain't it Scary? with Sean & Carrie podcast present New England Ghost Stories, a short history of paranormal and ghost stories in New England.
The book drop is closed until further notice. For now, hold all returns or return them to any other Connecticut library. All Southbury fines will be waived. Please do not leave returns in front of the library.
If you need assistance with anything related to your library card account, please call 203-262-0626 or email asksbylib@biblio.org.
Best wishes,
The Staff of the Southbury Public Library
Table of Contents
- Adult Reading Challenge
- Adult Events
- Adult Book Clubs
- Our Favorite Online Resources
- Children and Teen Events
- Museum Passes
- Children and Teen Reading Challenges
- Children's Events
- Teen Events
- The Friends of the Southbury Public Library
Adult Reading Challenge
Adult Reading Challenge (Ages 18 & Up)
Online on Beanstack
The reading challenge for October 2024 is to read a horror, thriller or mystery novel! A drawing will occur at the end of the month to decide the winner of a $25.00 gift card to HomeGoods!
To be eligible for this month's prize, after reading, complete a digital form to tell us about the book you chose for this challenge. Visit Beanstack to get started online. Completed forms must be received by Thursday, October 31, 2024.
Submit a form for each of the 12 monthly challenges throughout 2024 and you will be eligible for the Reading Challenge's grand prize at the end of the year, a $200 Visa Gift Card! Previous months' challenges can be completed after they have occurred to obtain eligibility for the grand prize at the end of the year.
We invite everyone (Adults: Age 18 & Up), regardless of town of residency, to participate in Southbury Public Library's inaugural Adult Reading Challenge event!
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.
Art History’s Best Dressed
Friday, October 11, 2-3:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
Satins, silks, velvets and furs - through the years, artists have flattered their subjects with beautiful clothes rendered with awe-inspiring detail. Join us as Jane Oneail explores some of the great fashions throughout the history of painting! To register, click here.
Adult Graphic Novel Club
Wednesday, October 16, 4-5pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
Join us for the Adult Graphic Novel Club! This is an adult focused group to discuss graphic novels and manga. Come with your ideas, experiences, opinions, and an open mind as we explore this amazing world of visual realism and fantasy! This month we'll be discussing Death Note, Vol. 1, by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. Join us for a discussion about this month’s book. To register, click here.
Spartacus: How Kirk Douglas Fought the Blacklist
Thursday, October 17, 2-3:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
Join us as John Kenrick explores how Kirk Douglas, Dalton Trumbo and a stellar cast risked everything to make a magnificent film that ended a dark chapter in show business history. To register, click here.
Navigating Medicare in 2025: Essential Updates and Coverage Options
Thursday, October 17, 6-7:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
The Father/Daughter Team of Lou and Jessica Pelletier will sort through Medicare, Medicare Supplement and Advantage Plans, Income Related Monthly Adjusted Amounts, Medical Power of Attorney, and more! To register, click here.
3 Different Approaches to Meditation
Tuesday, October 22, 2-3:30pm, Offsite at Parks and Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required
Join Dr. Wendy Hurwitz to learn about three different types of meditation and ways to augment their benefits. Alternatives to meditation will also be discussed. There will be opportunities for participants to try each method. To register, click here.
New England Ghost Stories
Tuesday, October 22, 6:30-8pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
Have you ever had an experience that you simply cannot explain? The Ain't it Scary? with Sean & Carrie podcast hosts a presentation covering a short history of paranormal and ghost stories in New England. Feel free to bring your curiosity, questions, and an open mind! To register, click here.
The Salem Witches
Thursday, October 24, 2-3:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
America’s 17th-century Puritan settlers believed witches and demons to be a reality, not superstition, and their new home in Massachusetts a place filled with fear and uncertainty. Join us as Dr. Bill Thierfelder explores the Salem Witch Trials, a frightening cautionary tale about the effects of mob psychology. To register, click here.
Bring Family History Alive in Bite-Sized Projects
Friday, October 25, 2-3:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
Get fresh ideas from Marian Burk Wood for documenting family history stories in engaging, practical, bite-sized projects that can be shared with relatives and posted on genealogy websites for the sake of future generations! To register, click here.
Adult Coloring Club
Monday, October 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. To register, click here.
Shot Heard Round the World
Tuesday, October 29, 2-3:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
Join us as Mark Albertson explores the beginning of World War I. A war that will result in the extinction of monarchical rule and pave the way for Bolshevism, Fascism, Nazism and foster the extension of industrialized militarism. 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 required. Join us for a discussion about this month’s books!
Nonfiction Book Club
Wednesday, October 9, 10-11am, Offsite at Parks and Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Requested
This month we'll be discussing The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World, by Jonathan Freedland.
In April 1944, Rudolf Vrba became one of the very first Jews to escape from Auschwitz and make his way to freedom—among only a tiny handful who ever pulled off that near-impossible feat. He did it to reveal the truth of the death camp to the world—and to warn the last Jews of Europe what fate awaited them. Against all odds, Vrba and his fellow escapee, Fred Wetzler, climbed mountains, crossed rivers, and narrowly missed German bullets until they had smuggled out the first full account of Auschwitz the world had ever seen—a forensically detailed report that eventually reached Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and the Pope. And yet too few heeded the warning that Vrba had risked everything to deliver. Though Vrba helped save two hundred thousand Jewish lives, he never stopped believing it could have been so many more.
To register, click here.
Mystery Book Club
Monday, October 21, 3-4pm, Offsite at Parks and Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Requested
This month we'll be discussing A Bitter Feast: A Novel, by Deborah Crombie.
Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James, have been invited for a relaxing weekend in the Cotswolds, one of Britain’s most enchanting regions. Duncan, Gemma, and their children are guests at Beck House, the family estate of Melody Talbot, Gemma’s detective sergeant. The Talbot family is wealthy, prominent, and powerful. The centerpiece of this glorious fall getaway is a posh charity harvest luncheon catered by up-and-coming chef Viv Holland. But a tragic car accident and a series of mysterious deaths rock the estate and pull Duncan and Gemma into the investigation. It soon becomes clear that the killer has a connection with Viv’s pub—or, perhaps, with Beck House itself.
To register, click here.
Tuesday Night Fiction Book Club
Tuesday, October 22, 6:30-7:30pm, Offsite at Parks and Recreation, Kitchen, 561 Main Street South, Registration Requested
This month we'll be discussing Tress of the Emerald Sea: A Cosmere Novel, by Brandon Sanderson.
The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?
To register, 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 lease, 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.
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.
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 during our library storytime programming on Monday, 10:30-11:30am (at Southbury Parks & Recreation), and Thursday, 10:30-11:30am (at Southbury Parks & Recreation) and 3:30-4:30pm (at Southbury Farmers Market, Town Hall Green). The passes can be checked out for 7 days.
Children and Teen Reading Challenges:
October Monthly Mini Reading Challenge (All Ages)
October 1-31, Online on Beanstack
Join us on Beanstack for our next Mini Monthly Reading Challenge, themed Hallow-Read! 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 (0-PreK)
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!
Children's Storytimes:
Drop-In Storytime (All Ages)
Monday, October 7, 21, 28, 10:30-11am, 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.
Babies & Books Storytime (6-24 Months)
Tuesday, October 22, 29 and November 5, 12, 19, 26, 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.
Toddler Time Storytime (Ages 2 & 3)
Wednesday, October 23, 30, and November 6, 13, 20, 27, 10:30-11am, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
Toddler Time is a 6-week program for children ages 2 & 3 years and their parents/caregivers. Listen to stories and complete a small craft or sensory play activity. Find out more and register on our website here.
Special Events for Children:
Tunes & Tales (Recommended for Ages 5 & Under)
Thursday, October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 10:30-11am, 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.
Storytime at the Farmers’ Market (All Ages)
Thursday, October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 3:30-4:30pm, Southbury Town Hall Green, 501 Main Street South, No Registration Required
Stop by the Southbury Farmers' Market and enjoy stories with the librarians from the Southbury Public Library! Find out more on our website here.
Monster Mash: Trivia and Crafts (Grades K-5)
Saturday, October 5, 2:30-3:30pm, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join the children's department staff for a spooktacular afternoon! Win treats during our monster and Halloween-themed trivia, design your own mini haunted house door, and more! Find out more and register on our website here.
Build Your Own Sticker Book: Latino Americans (Ages 6-12)
Tuesday, October 9, 4:30-5:30pm, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join us at Southbury Parks and Recreation for a Build Your Own Sticker Book program to celebrate and honor Hispanic Heritage Month! Find out more and register on our website here.
Halloween Flower Arranging with the Southbury Garden Club (Ages 7-12)
Saturday, October 12, 11:30am-1pm, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join the Southbury Garden Club to create Halloween flower arrangements! Find out more and register on our website here.
Tips to Manage Stress & Anxiety (Grades K-5 with their caregivers)
Wednesday, October 16, 6-7pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required - Space Limited
Stress happens to all of us. Why can two people be in the same situation and respond to stress differently? Can going through stressful times without stress be a learned skill? Everyone will come away with information, tools, and techniques to help manage stress and anxiety and help regain and restore balance and calm. Everyone will learn a technique to minimize stress and anxiety and maximize vitality. Find out more and register on our website here. *Please Note: This is Part 1 of 2 parts. While attendance at both events is recommended, it is not required. You are welcome to come to one or both. Part 2 will be held Monday, November 18, from 6-7pm, via Zoom.
Tiny Food Explorers (Ages 2-5)
Thursday, October 17, 11am-12pm, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
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 enjoy. Find out more and register on our website here.
Food Explorers: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (Ages 6-12)
Friday, October 18, 11am-12pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join Food Explorers for a virtual baking class! You’ll be making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with a smooth cream cheese frosting. You’ll need an electric mixer and the following ingredients: 1 stick butter, vegetable oil, milk, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, 2 eggs, flour, baking soda, baking powder, 1 can pumpkin puree, chocolate chips, pumpkin spice, 8oz cream cheese and powdered sugar. Find out more and register on our website here.
Family Trivia Night (All Ages)
Friday, October 25, 6:30-8:00pm, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required
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:
Food Explorers: Chocolate Pancake Tacos (Grades 6-12)
Monday, October 7, 4-5pm, Kitchen at Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join Food Explorers for a fun twist on a classic: pancakes! You’ll be making Chocolate Pancake Tacos! Learn how to make pancake batter from scratch and turn your pancakes into a sweet taco with deliciously sweet and fruity fillings. This recipe is nut free but will contain dairy, eggs, and gluten. Find out more and register on our website here.
Teen Study Space (Grades 6-12)
Wednesday, October 16 & 30 and November 13, 4:30-7:30pm, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Requested
Looking for a place to study as a group or solo? Join us for our pop-up teen study space open to Grades 6-12 only. We'll have tables and chairs set up, along with wi-fi and snacks. Registration is not required, but please sign up so we know how many people to expect! Find out more and register on our website here.
Teen Crochet & Knitting Club (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, October 17, 6:30-7:30pm, Room 201 of Southbury Town Hall, 501 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.
Food Explorers Online: Sweet Potato Pie (Grades 6-12)
Friday, October 18, 1-2pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join us and Food Explorers from the comfort of your own kitchen to bake Sweet Potato Pies with Marshmallow Whipped Cream! You’ll be making your own pie crust and loading it with a deliciously creamy sweet potato filling, and topping it with a homemade marshmallow whipped cream. This recipe is nut free but will contain dairy and gluten. Find out more and register on our website here.
Book Pumpkins (Grades 6-12)
Monday, October 21, 4-5pm, Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join us to upcycle an old book into a pumpkin! These gourd-geous crafts are surprisingly easy to make. All supplies provided. Find out more and register on our website here.
Cute Animals Hangout (Grades 6-12)
Wednesday, October 23, 6-7pm, 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, October 25, 6:30-8:00pm, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required
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.
Teen Advisory Board (Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, October 29, 6-7pm, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Application Required
Want to make a difference in the Teen Department? Consider joining the Teen Advisory Board! We meet once a month to discuss ideas for the Teen Department and work on special projects. A membership application is required, but we are seeking new members! Find out more and register on our website here.
The Friends of the Southbury Public Library
The Friends of the Southbury Public Library are a non-profit, voluntary, incorporated organization that sponsors almost all of our fun virtual and in-person programs found on the calendar page of our website. If you would like to donate to the Friends, please use the PayPal donate button on our website. You do not need to have a PayPal account, just a credit or debit card. To do a regular donation, select "Donation" under the "Use this Donation For" drop down menu.
A letter from the Friends:
The temporary Donations Center is now open! The Friends welcome donations of gently-used fiction and fiction for all ages in hardcover and softcover (trade paperbacks). We are unable to accept mass market paperbacks because of space limitations. We also accept DVDs, music CDs, vinyl records, audiobooks on CD, and jigsaw puzzles.
The Donations Center is located in the Southbury Plaza between Catalyst Gym and The Paper Store. Hours are Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:30-11:30 a.m., and Wednesdays from 5-7 p.m. Please don’t leave donations outside when we’re closed! Donation receipts for tax purposes are available.
If you have a large number of items to donate, call Book Sale Chairman John Michaels at 203-525-0199 to arrange for a pickup.
The Friends are grateful to Gatto Development for donating the space for us to collect and store your donations.
Because The Friends’ past sales and membership drives have been so successful, we are able to continue funding programs and services even while the Southbury Library is closed to the public. If you’d like more information about the Friends, please visit our website.
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 Library are accepting donations for future book sales at their new space generously donated by Gatto Development Corporation. The space is located in the Southbury Plaza between Catalyst Gym and The Paper Store, and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m.
The floods of August 18-19 completely destroyed the entire Friends’ inventory of material collected in the past year from generous donors. Friends volunteers will accept, sort, and store all donated material at the temporary location. 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.
For more information about the Friends of the Southbury Public Library, please contact Book Sale Chairman John Michaels at 203-525-0199, or Jeff O’Sullivan, President, at 203-578-5988, or click here.