As we are all aware, the town of Southbury suffered extreme damage from the flooding on August 18th & 19th. We suffered significant flooding, which has made the building unsafe to reopen. We are working with our insurance company to address the damages and we will keep the public updated as we learn. Reopening the library as the “Heart of the Community” is our priority!
Patrons should rest assured that the town is taking all the steps necessary to safeguard the library: the water that was in the basement was quickly pumped out and the basement is in the process of being professionally cleaned and sanitized. There is still a great deal of work to be done; this is a monumental effort, and the town is moving as quickly as possible within the guidelines we must follow. We are very grateful for all the help we have received from town officials and every town department, as well as all the wonderful messages we have received from patrons and other area libraries.
We are working hard behind the scenes to bring you programs and services! Until the library reopens, virtual events for adults will be available to attend via Zoom and we will have off-site events for children and teens. All our in-person events scheduled to be at the library have been canceled. Registration is required to attend our virtual events and some of our offsite children and teen events; sign up on our website here.
The book drop is currently closed while the library is being cleaned. Please hold all returns or return them to any other Connecticut library for now; you can find a list of our closest library neighbors here.
Fines, cards, & holds:
- All Southbury fines will be waived.
- All Southbury patron cards due to expire have been extended until December 31, 2024.
- All renewal and overdue notices have been paused.
- Holds:
- You are still able to put items on hold; requests will be fulfilled by other Bibliomation libraries.
- You can adjust your pickup location to another local library.
Starting on Tuesday, September 3, if you need assistance with anything related to your library card account, please call 203-262-0626 or email asksbylib@biblio.org.
Information on the reopening will be provided when it is available. We will not know anything while cleaning and evaluation are taking place. 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 also encourage everyone to sign up for Everbridge, Southbury’s new emergency communication tool for town-wide emergency updates.
For the latest updates from the Town of Southbury, please visit the town’s Emergency Center webpage here. We have received a wonderfully overwhelming amount of inquiries about volunteering. We appreciate your desire to help! There is more information about the Friends of the Library here. Anyone looking to help is encouraged to visit the Town’s How-to-Help webpage here, which links to local nonprofits who are coordinating help for residents affected by the flood.
Thank you for your continued support and patience during this difficult time.
Best wishes,
The Staff of the Southbury Public Library
Table of Contents
- Adult Reading Challenge
- Adult Events
- Children and Teen Events
- The Friends of the Southbury Public Library
Adult Reading Challenge
2024 Adult Summer Reading Challenge: Read, Renew, Repeat (Ages 18 & Up)
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge! The Southbury Public Library suffered significant flooding which has made the building unsafe to reopen at this time. We are continuing to tally all entries into this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, and will notify the winners of this summer's prizes as soon as possible!
If you'd like to share what you thought about Summer Reading this year, we would really appreciate hearing from you! We have an anonymous Google Forms Survey here that should take less than five minutes to fill out. Your feedback helps shape what our Summer Reading Challenge will look like in 2025!
Adult Reading Challenge (Ages 18 & Up)
Online on Beanstack
The reading challenge for September 2024 is to read a book that was published in the 20th Century (1901-2000)! A drawing will occur at the end of the month to decide the winner of a $25.00 gift card to The Bakery of Southbury!
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 Monday, September 30, 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 (starting Tuesday, September 3)
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.
Dancing in the Dark: A History of Dance in the Movies
Thursday, September 5, 2-3:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
The movies and dancing are a partnership born in heaven. From its very beginnings, the new medium of motion pictures turned toward dance as one of the best ways to showcase its unique ability to make movement come alive. Illustrated with more than 75 video clips, join us as Brian Rose explores 130 years of thrilling movie dance performances and the extraordinary ways cinema brought dance to life. To register for this Zoom program, click here.
Leonardo da Vinci: Invention & Creation
Friday, September 13, 2-3:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
Leonardo da Vinci is a name synonymous with genius. His ideas and his work helped to define the High Renaissance in Italy and they still mesmerize audiences worldwide today. This program with Jane Oneail provides an introduction to the artist and some of his most celebrated works including The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. To register for this Zoom program, click here.
Adult Graphic Novel Club
Monday, September 16, 4-5pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Requested
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 American Gods, Volume 1: Shadows, by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell and Scott Hampton. Join us for a discussion about this month’s book. To register for this Zoom program, click here.
Banned in America
Thursday, September 26, 2-3:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
When you walk into a library, you’re entering a controversial place--for it’s a venue where you can read, listen to, and watch media that could be considered potentially “dangerous” depending on where (or when) you live. Join us as Dr. Bill Thierfelder explores the history of the long saga of censorship and the need some cultures have to silence certain writers, artists, and musicians. To register for this Zoom program, click here.
American Red Cross Blood Drive at Heritage Hotel
Friday, September 27, 11am-4pm, Heritage Hotel, 522 Heritage Road, Southbury, CT 06488
The American Red Cross Blood Drive is being hosted at the Heritage Hotel on Friday, September 27, from 11am-4pm. Thank you to the Heritage Hotel for accommodating this event! Blood donation is the most common type of donation, during which approximately a pint of 'whole blood' is given. This type of blood donation usually takes about an hour. For more information and to schedule a blood donation, click here or call 1-800-RED CROSS.
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 on Zoom for a discussion about this month’s books!
Mystery Book Club
Monday, September 9, 3-4pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
This month we'll be discussing The Shooting at Chateau Rock: A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel, by Martin Walker.
It’s summer in the Dordogne and the heirs of a modest sheep farmer learn that they have been disinherited. Their father’s estate has been sold to an insurance company in return for a policy that will place him in a five-star retirement home for the rest of his life. But the farmer dies before he can move in. Was it a natural death? Or was there foul play? Chief of Police Bruno Courrèges is soon on the case, embarking on an investigation that will lead him to several shadowy insurance companies owned by a Russian oligarch with a Cypriot passport.
To register for this Zoom program, click here.
Nonfiction Book Club
Wednesday, September 11, 10-11am, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
This month we'll be discussing The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human, by Siddhartha Mukherjee.
The discovery of cells—and the reframing of the human body as a cellular ecosystem—announced the birth of a new kind of medicine based on the therapeutic manipulations of cells. A hip fracture, a cardiac arrest, Alzheimer’s dementia, AIDS, pneumonia, lung cancer, kidney failure, arthritis, COVID pneumonia—all could be reconceived as the results of cells, or systems of cells, functioning abnormally. And all could be perceived as loci of cellular therapies. Filled with writing so vivid, lucid, and suspenseful that complex science becomes thrilling, The Song of the Cell tells the story of how scientists discovered cells, began to understand them, and are now using that knowledge to create new humans.
To register for this Zoom program, click here.
Tuesday Night Fiction Book Club
Tuesday, September 24, 6:30-7:30pm, Online via Zoom, Registration Required
Please note: Since last month's Tuesday Night Fiction Book Club meeting was canceled, we will be discussing the novel for August's meeting this September.
This month we'll be discussing Hello Beautiful: A Novel, by Ann Napolitano.
William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him, much less love him—so when he meets the spirited and ambitious Julia Padavano in his freshman year of college, it’s as if the world has lit up around him. With Julia comes her family, as she and her three sisters are inseparable. But then darkness from William’s past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia’s carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters’ unshakeable devotion to one another. The result is a catastrophic family rift that changes their lives for generations. Will the loyalty that once rooted them be strong enough to draw them back together when it matters most?
To register for this Zoom program, 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
See below for information about the Children and Teen programming we are offering this month. 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 and Teen Reading Challenges:
September Monthly Mini Reading Challenge (All Ages)
September 1-30, Online on Beanstack
Join us on Beanstack for our next Mini Monthly Reading Challenge, themed Fall Into Reading! Read for five hours (about 1-3 books for elementary, middle, and high school readers) and get a SurPRIZE. This month, we also have bonus mini prizes if you read more than five hours. 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 Offsite Events:
Drop-In Storytimes at Parks & Rec! (All Ages)
Monday, September 9, 16, 23, 30, 10:30-11am, Offsite at 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. All ages are welcome. No registration is required. Find out more on our website here.
Storytime at the Farmers’ Market (All Ages)
Thursday, September 5, 12, 19, 26, 3:30-4:30pm, Southbury Town Hall Green, 501 Main Street South, No Registration Required
Stop by the Southbury Farmers' Market every Thursday in September and enjoy stories with the librarians from the Southbury Public Library! Find out more on our website here.
Mermaid Crafts (Grades 1-5)
Wednesday, September 25, 4:30-5:30pm, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited
Join Katie for a fin-tastic afternoon of mermaid-themed crafts! We will create our own mermaid fairy garden and mermaid necklaces! Find out more and register on our website here.
Teen Offsite Events:
Surviving Middle School at Parks & Rec (Grades 6-8)
Tuesday, September 3, 6-7pm, Offsite at Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required
What is it like to survive Middle School? Find out from people who have actually lived it! Our teen panel will talk about their own experiences, and then answer your questions. Hear stories, get tips, and gain confidence to help with middle school. Please note: this event has been rescheduled from its original date of Tuesday, August 20. Find out more and register on our website here.
Teen Crochet & Knitting Club at Parks & Rec (Grades 6-12)
Thursday, September 19, 6:30-7:30pm, Offsite at Southbury 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.
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. For more information about the Friends, click here.
Friends of the Southbury Public Library, Inc.
A letter from the Friends:
As you know, the entire donated inventory of books, DVDs, CDs, vinyl, audiobooks, puzzles, games, wall art, and boutique items was lost when the Lower Level of the library flooded on August 19. While we are truly saddened by the loss of these donations from community members, as well as the tables, chairs, shelving, and all the supplies that make a book sale happen, we are also aware of the tremendous property and business losses in Southbury and the surrounding towns.
We are very pleased to announce that Southbury Plaza has donated space for us to use as a temporary donation collection site. The space is located between Catalyst Gym and The Paper Store. We have been given permission to allow donors to pull up in the fire lane in front of the doors long enough to unload (but not to park). We hope to have hand trucks or carts to help transport your donated material inside. If all goes as planned, we should be able to open the week of September 9. We’ll post our hours on the front window of the space.
The Book Sale volunteers accept donations of gently-used hardcover, softcover, and paperback books for all ages, vinyl records, DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks on CD, jigsaw puzzles, games, and wall art. We sincerely hope we will be able to hold a book sale in the spring, but it’s too early to be sure. All proceeds from the Book Sale benefit the Southbury Library by funding almost all programs, as well as projects and services that benefit the entire community.
If you would like to donate to the Friends, please use the PayPal donate button on the Friends Page here. 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.
This email was sent by the Southbury Public Library, 100 Poverty Road, Southbury, CT 06488. www.southburylibrary.org