Welcome back to Behind the Stacks. On behalf of the Friends of the West Haven Library, we’d like to thank everyone who showed up to support the Annual Fill-A-Bag book sale last month. Volunteers put great care and effort into ensuring a smooth, successful sale, and it was a joy to connect with community members as they purchased their bags and filled them to the brim with books.
These sales are the Friends’ most successful fundraisers of the year, and the proceeds help fund so many of the wonderful events and features of our library. We will be back at it again in the fall, so keep an eye out for our next sale.
The Friends will also be teaming up with Chipotle of West Haven for a fundraiser on May 9. The way it works is simple: between 4-8 p.m. on the day of the fundraiser, all you have to do is order Chipotle for dinner, and 25% of the proceeds will benefit the Friends. To ensure your purchase counts toward the Friends, tell the cashier verbally that you are participating in this fundraiser or show them our flyer (flyers are available online, through our social media, or in person at either library location) You can even place an order through Chipotle’s website or app using code RHQA4WT. It is that simple! As always, your support is greatly appreciated
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, as well as Jewish History month–so come by to check out our book displays that highlight the works and achievements of these groups, celebrating the role they have played in our collective history. The week of May 18, kids can participate in an AANHPI Travel the World Scavenger Hunt. Stop by the Graham Room at the Main Library to look for Asian & Pacific Island countries, find clues, and win a prize!
All month long, children can stop by Ora Mason to take part in our Flutter and Find: Butterfly Hunt! Colorful butterflies are fluttering all around the Children’s Department–can you find them all? Look around the room to find each one and mark them on your sheet as you go!
Also at Ora Mason, this month’s Children’s Take & Make–a Wooden Flower Craft. Use the provided paint to decorate your wooden flower and create a colorful spring design–perfect for brightening up any space! You’re also welcome to use your own supplies to make it your own.
For our musically inclined Westies, the Main Library is very excited to be hosting Vicki Revere in her free Spring Opera performance, You Are Not Alone, on May 9. On May 26, join us for another free concert by an upbeat washboard band, The Howling Hound Dogs–a performance sure to get audiences howling with fun and laughter!
Are you or someone you know looking for a new job? Ora Mason will be hosting the CT Job Fair on May 12 for our community members to meet with employers from a variety of industries and learn about current opportunities. You can stop by anytime between 11-1. Participating employers include Connecticut Stone, General Dynamics/Electric Boat, Home Instead, Marrakech Inc., Noor Staffing Group, Renewal by Andersen, Saraj Seneca, The Arc of Southington, The Children’s Center of Hamden, and Wallingford Adult Education. To view available positions in advance, visit www.CTHires.com. Click “Find a Job,” enter the company name in the search bar, and select “Search.” You may also review openings using the “Open Positions” link in the event flyer!
This year, the Fourth of July marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, making this year a fitting time to host From Liberty to Legacy: Exploring American Ideals in the Musicals 1776 and Hamilton. Join us at the Main Library on May 16 for a theatre lecture about the musicals 1776 and Hamilton. Performer, lecturer, and storyteller Michael Langlois will be leading a discussion on these two revolutionary musicals and their contrasting visions of an American society at a crossroads. This lecture will also feature video clips from the two musicals.
On May 11, the Main Library will have a delayed opening at 10:30am due to an all-staff meeting. Ora Mason will open at its regular time at noon. Also, as a reminder, both library locations are closed on Monday, May 25 for the Memorial Day holiday. However, keep an eye out for us at this year’s Memorial Day Parade. Last year marked the library’s return to the parade after over a decade, and we are very excited to bring back and keep this tradition going. Be sure to say Hi if you see us there!
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