My garden has been planted and weeds have been pulled, that means it’s time to get serious about SUMMER READING!!! This year, for the first time, the library is offering a summer reading program for adults.  I know, I know, you’re thinking it’s summer, I’m not interested in tracking titles, or pages, or books.  Well, it’s really not that difficult. All you need to do is sign up on line (you can do that via our webpage – www.fairfieldpubliclibrary.org) Once you’ve signed up you decide whether you want to keep track of the books you are reading and you can do this online; at home, on vacation….  This is a really cool feature because if you’re like me, you can’t remember what you’ve read in the last 6 months.  Just log in and jot down your books.  That’s it!! Now, if you want to put in a little bit more of an effort, each week the library is raffling off great prizes for adults. Some of the prizes are books signed by authors, museum passes, baseball tickets, restuarant coupons……fun stuff for the summer. What you would need to do is either go to the main library or here at the branch and fill out a slip of paper, with your name and phone #, and put it in “the box” which is at the summer book display area.  Once a week a name is drawn.

Each week we are focusing on different genres (types of books). Our first week was Mystery, this week is Romance, next week is Lifestyles, Memoirs, Travel, Animals…..we’ve bought some of the best new stuff, to fill our tables with, once those are gone we’ve got lots more to take there place.  We decided to showcase a different genre each week, just in case you are looking for something new and different to read this summer.  This does not mean you have to read any of these books, it’s summer after all and a time to sit back, grab a lemonade and READ.

We’ve also got some great author’s coming in to talk about their books.  Richard Wiese, author of “Born to Explore” was here, at the branch last week, he was fantastic!   Kim Bensen, author of  “finally thin!”  will be at the branch this Wednesday, June 17 that 7:00pm (I hear she’s going to be doing something with bagels!) , Andrew Gross, author of “Don’t Look Twice” will be at the main library on June 22nd at noon and Jeff Blumenfeld, author of “You want to go where?” will be at the main library on July 1st at 7:00pm. You’ll find all the info on our website.

Happy Summer and Enjoy a couple of great READS.

Nancy

June is going to be a great month for programs here at the Branch. Whether you’re a gardener, adventurer, knitter, or thinking about starting that diet….again, we’ve got some great presenters. 

On Thursday, June 4th, from 10:00am-12:00pm, we are beginning a new “PURLS OF WISDOM” group.  I love to knit and we’ve found a really great, long time knitter to lead this group.  If you’ve been itching to join the knitting craze but don’t know where to begin, come.  If you’re a seasoned knitter and are looking for some like minded people to share your passion with, come.  If your curious about knitting, and yarn, and how two needles and two basic stitches can be transformed into something beautiful, come.  If you want to get started right away, bring a pair of size 10 needles and some yarn.  This will be an ongoing drop-in on Thursday mornings.

On June 6th at 2:00 pm we are having explorer extraordinaire Richard Wiese visit and talk about his latest book – “Born to Explore”.  This is going to be a great family program.  In his book, Mr Wiese has included over one hundred excellent projects which show how to have fun with science and nature, how to not always take the most walked path, and how to learn to “read” the natural world.  Doesn’t this book sound totally cool.  The author hosts a nationally syndicated television show, Exploration with Richard Wiese, and he was the youngest president in “The Explorers Club’s” hundred year history.  I think he knows what he’s talking about!! Oh, and he will of course have his books available for sale and to be signed by him.  This program is just in time for that all important summer adventure.

I love to garden, and I’ve grown my vegetable garden to be even bigger than last year.  I planted tons of seeds, for this upcoming summer, down in my basement – It felt like a real greenhouse down there.  If you’re a gardener or a gardener wannabee, like me, you’re going to love joining in on the discussion with our Garden Coach.  Diana Ringelheim, master gardener, will be leading an informal discussion on plants and gardening.  Her first topic, those dreaded WEEDS!, Weeds we love to Hate.  She’s going to be meeting monthly, with the first discussion on June 8th from 10:30am-11:30am.

Are you still thinking about that diet??  Have you been watching “The Biggest Loser” and thinking to yourself, “I want to do that.”  On June 17th at 7:00pm author Kim Bensen will be here talking about her book “finally thin”.  Kim recounts her own success story with weight loss: 212 pounds lost forever, 14 dress sizes, 4 ring sizes and 200 points of cholesterol. Join us to be inspired! Ms. Bensen will have her book available for sale after the program.

I haven’t even touched upon our Adult Summer Reading Event that begins in June.  Each week we will be featuring a different genre.  Mystery, Lifestyles, Memoirs, Romance…….you will not be without that all important summer beach read.  We’ll have some outstanding choices for you to browse through.

One last thing, on Tuesday, May 19th, we will be having a Woods Used Book Sale.  We’ve been accumulating some great titles over the last several months and we’re putting them out for sale.  We’ll be in front of the library so come over and check it out.

Happy reading!

Nancy

I love our Woods neighborhood.  Awhile ago i went for a walk around the block during my lunch break.  When I do this I always walk by one house that, during the summer sells fresh produce out on their front driveway.  This particular day as I walked by I saw a sign that said fresh eggs.  I thought to myself, i wish I had some money on me so I could by some eggs.  I got back to the library and asked the staff if they knew who lived in that house.  No one did.  Later in the day, one of the moms who comes in to pick up her daugter and son from downUNDER (our teen space) stopped by to say hi to me.  I said to her, “you don’t by chance know who lives in that house on the corner that’s selling eggs?” She smiled at me and said “We do” – “No way” I said.  “Yeah we do.”  “Sooooo you’re selling the fresh eggs?”  – Well within 10 minutes her daughter had gone home, picked up a dozen fresh eggs, and delivered them to me in the library.  The eggs were so beautiful, and so delicious!! But the part I love the most is the neighborhood connection.  Our Woods neighborhood is filled with talented and interesting people.  It seems each week I meet and enjoy someone new.  In a couple of weeks we’re going to be starting another knitting group at the branch.  I’m not going to be running it, one of our Woods neighbors is.  I can’t wait for it to begin.  A master gardner, another Woods neighbor lead a fantastic discussion, this last Friday, on awakening your Spring Garden.  She had a wonderful mix of local neighbors who were all interested in learning about awakening their gardens  They talked about getting together, at the library, on a monthly basis to discuss and learn more.  Our library continues to be a perfect gathering place.  The library staff loves helping everyone and is always trying to make our patrons visit pleasant and memorable.  Stop in if you get a chance, We’d love to meet you.

Nancy

In celebration of National Poetry Month, Fairfield Woods Branch Library is featuring a wonderful poetry and art work display by local author Jim Norton. His works will be on display throughout the month of April.

Mr. Norton is an accomplished and talented poet. For the past four years, he has won first or second prize in the Connecticut Artist and Publishers Association’s annual writing contest. He also won second prize for poetry in the Trumbull Arts Festival’s writing contest in 2005. His poetry has also been exhibited at the Plumb Memorial Library in Shelton, Connecticut.

Please take a moment to stop by the Fairfield Woods Branch Library and experience the beauty of Mr. Norton’s work – you’ll be so glad you did!

We’ve begun our fantastic month of everything Hugo Cabret!! “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” is our One Book One Town selection.  Our 250 copies of the book have not been able to stay on our shelves.  Karen, the Assistant Director and I did our first One Book One Town bookclub meeting.  We had a great discussion of the book with the Hadassah Book Club.  As one of the members said, “Thank you for bringing so many new insights into the book.  While we all had enjoyed reading it, you added many layers of depth to our understanding and enjoyment.  It’s terrific that the library encourages you to go out into the community and do this work.”

There’s still time…..if you’re bookclub has been enjoying our selection, give us a call, Karen and I would love to come and meet your group and discuss Hugo.

Check out our webpage, there’s lots going on this month – in fact everything is HUGO!

Nancy

I love Trader Joe’s! Why am I so enamoured with them? This past Saturday they Co-Sponsored a great program on developing the perfect “Healthy Valentine’s Day Menu”.  The food they supplied was outstanding. Scallops and green beans and quinoa and poached pears all cooked to perfection - the aromas, oh my gosh, to die for!

Analiese Piak, developer of the Fairfield Green Food Guide, and Jo Ann Englund, demonstrator extraordinaire, of Trader Joe’s products were our fantastic chefs.  Professional and so much fun to watch.  As they chopped and cooked they gave out healthy information on the products they were using. They talked about growing and eating locally and Analiese brought in wines from area winery’s that could be used as part of the cooking recipes or to go with the meal.  The best part for the 30 people that attended was of course the tasting, after each dish was made.  Yum! Oh, and Trader Joe’s supplied some delicious teas that were available throughout the program.  It was really a great afternoon of sharing and learning new ideas and techniques in cooking.

Analiese advocates eating locally and her website promotes “helping consumers source fresh, local, sustainable food….  because our future depends on it.”  Check out her site, there’s lots of great information on it and is a great on-line resource for our Fairfield community. 

The library has some great book choices as well, Mark Bittman’s “Food Matters” and “Natural style: decorating with an earth-friendly point of view” by Janet Sobesky to name a few.  Come in and ask for help, if you need, to find other great books and resources.

We’re thinking of doing a cooking series this fall, with local chefs.  Focusing on healthy living and local prodcuts. I’ll keep you posted.

Nancy

It seems like forever since I’ve posted any comments and being extra busy doesn’t seem like a perfect excuse!

I’m so excited about our bookclubs. As you know libraries can be great places for bookclubs to meet.  We’ve started three very exciting and different ones here.  One of them actually meets outside the library and in Einstein’s Bagels, on Black Rock Turnpike.  Laurie, one of our most ferocious readers and a part-timer here, is the facilitator of Books n’ Bagels.  Meeting at 1:30 p.m. in a bagel shop where you can discuss an interesting book and enjoy a cup of coffee and a delicious bagel, has been a great success.  The Woods International bookclub meets the first Wednesday of every month and is facilitated by our volunteer, Khorshed.  Each month they are picking a different place in the world and reading a story that takes place in that country.   On December 3rd they will be discussing ”Brothers”, by Da Chen.  Da Chen will be speaking at our Writer’s Conference on December 6th, so this bookclub could have the opportunity to hear him speak.  We’ve also got our great Woods Book Group, which meets the last Wednesday of the month, in the afternoon.  This group is facilitated by Claudia, another great part-timer and her group has also chosen some thoughtful and interesting books.  Their next book is “The Madonnas of Leningrad.”  These three bookclubs have a combined total of about 70 participants and each has grown their own special flavor.  What a great tribute to our facilitators and the booklovers who attend.

Karen, the Assistant Director, and I have started our own Librarian on Loan visits to the Senior Center in Fairfield.  We are really enjoying going out to the Senior Center and holding our book discussions.  Our next meeting, at the Senior Center, is on December 3rd, in the morning. We will be discussing “The Glass Castle.” 

The library and our staff continues to be an important contributor to our town. We are becoming a gateway to our community that freely opens discussions and debates about books, current events and everyday living. We share in our stories and our lives. Join one of our bookclubs if you can. Each welcomes new participants.

Nancy

Ideas matter.  The right to express ideas and read ideas is the foundation of our liberties.  Recently my husband and I finished watching the HBO series “John Adams.”  It brought back to mind for both of us how rich our nation’s history is and how important it is to safeguard our rights.  Especially the rights of speech for everyone.

September 27 – October 4 is Banned Books Week, a campaign sponsored by the American Library Association since 1982.

What does it mean?  Banned books.  In schools and libraries across the country people have requested that a book be removed off the shelves of a library, or from a school’s curriculum.  It could be because of the language of the book, or the theme, or even the pictures.  I believe Judy Blume, a great children’s and adult author, expressed her opinions about censorship and the freedom to read and write perfectly.

She said:  “[I]t’s not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers.” — Judy Blume

Check out the link to her website about censorship if you get a chance and take a moment to remember some books you’ve read and enjoyed that may be on the top 100 banned booked list.  “Of Mice and Men”, “Native Son”, “Blubber”, “Julie of the Wolves”, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “A Light in the Attic”, and “Harry Potter” to name just a few.

Banned books week is a perfect opportunity to pick up a banned bookand enjoy the freedom to read it.

Nancy

Nancy

 

 

 

Some of the over books that have been challenged, “Of Mice and Men”, “Native Son”, “Harry Potter”

I’ve posted a couple of pictures of our downUNDER teen space.  It has been a whopping success so far.  We’ve got great plans for it’s future.

If you live in the area and would like to help us out we need all kinds of donations. A couple of our teens are into fashion so we would love interesting pieces of any leftover material you may have.  They can use it to experiement with fashion ideas.  If you’ve got any paper doll sets laying around that is another thing we would love to have, so that they could make paper doll clothes.  We’ve also got some teens who want to learn how to knit so if you’ve got any matching needles or yarn that you’re not using?  Anybody have any bandana’s?  They make really cute handbags (no sewing!).  Of course bright colored duct tape is always wanted.  For the favorite things teens love to make, wallets, flowers, ties….. Oh, does anybody have any gimp? Last but not least, if you are brave at heart and would like to lead a teen class on a special hobby you may have, let us know.  We can meet and see if it’ll work for our group.

Thanks to anyone who can help – if you would like to donate any of the above mentioned items, you can drop them off at Fairfield Woods Branch Library.  Let whoever helps you know that the stuff is either for me of Jen, our teen librarian.  I’m thanking you in advance.

Nancy

I’ve been talking about our new teen space all summer and the time has arrived!! School starts tomorrow.  We are going to have a very, very soft opening tomorrow as there are a few things we are still waiting on.  Regardless, the room is looking great and even though I’m not anywhere near that “teen” age, I would love to hang out here.  Will let you know how it goes.

Garden update: I canned and processed the most unbelievable Vegetable Salsa last week.  I’ve got 4 jars of it and I’m going to guard it with my life.  Used my own tomatoes, peppers,  and onions.  Added some cilantro, hot peppers and with a little bit of cooking – voila! Salsa.  Pumpkins are still going strong.

Nancy