Welcome back to Behind the Stacks! Summer is right around the corner and staff here at the library are gearing up for an eventful season! We are very excited to be hosting Cathy Alfandre for an author talk on the evening of June 23rd at the Main Library. Cathy is a certified career coach and resume writer who serves as a practical and collaborative partner to those seeking greater fulfillment in their work. If you’re struggling with a difficult or destructive manager, you’re not alone. Please join us for a discussion of this pervasive problem and practical strategies to survive and thrive again as we discuss Cathy’s book, Breaking Free from a Malignant Manager: Strategies to Reclaim Your Confidence & Career.
The Children’s Department at the Main Library also has a full slate of events to keep your young ones busy over the summer break! Kids in grades 6 through 12 can sign up for our Boba Blast program on June 30th–brew up your own bubble tea, then sip on it while you create an adorable batch of Boba slime. Bring your friends and dress for mess! Children ages 5 through 12 can drop by the Graham room any time between June 29th and July 10th to take part in our Coral Reef Community Craft to be part of our community art display. The Graham Room will also be hosting a Summer Travels Scavenger Hunt from July 1st through 17th–stop by to look for famous landmarks and win a prize to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary!
Ora Mason will have new take & make craft kits, as well as a children’s drop-in craft, beginning in July. Kids can drop in to create Sand Art Bottles! Choose your colors and carefully layer sand to design your own unique pattern inside a bottle. All supplies are provided. Kids can also take home a Paint Your Own Seashell kit! Design and decorate your seashell using the provided paint and create your own ocean-inspired piece. Adults can join the fun with their own decoupage seashell craft kit. Each kit includes a 4–5-inch scallop seashell, a seahorse coastal napkin, sky blue acrylic and metallic gold paint, and mod podge. Step-by-step instructions are provided to help you create a charming nautical piece. No registration is required for these crafts, and they will be given out on a first come first serve basis, while supplies last.
On July 1st, Ora Mason will also be hosting our very own Library Field Day! Kids ages 5 through 12 are invited to join us for an afternoon of fun, games, and friendly competition! Kids will rotate through exciting field day stations like sponge relay, obstacle course, sack race, book balance, and tug of war. Participants will be placed into teams and move through each station together–cheering each other on along the way! Please arrive 10 minutes early to check in and be placed on a team. Teams will begin promptly at 3:00 PM. Late arrivals may be placed into teams after rotations have begun. Registration is required, as space is limited. Be sure to bring with you all the field day essentials: water bottle, towel, sneakers and comfy clothing. Participants may get wet during activities, so please dress accordingly. This program will take place outdoors only and is weather dependent. In the event of rain, the program will be canceled. Come ready to move, play, have fun, and cool down after all the excitement with a popsicle at the end! The event will be held at the Benham Hill Road Softball Field (behind the library).
Also on July 1st, our Adult Summer Reading Challenge will begin! The theme this year is, “Plant a Seed, Read” which is rooted in the concept of farm to table. You can pick up a BINGO board at either the Main Library or the Ora Mason Library and try out a variety of activities, including planting flowers, tending a garden, cooking with produce, visiting local farmer’s markets and orchards, and using library resources such as our brand-new Seed Library! When you complete a BINGO board, return it to either library location for an entry into a raffle and grab a new one. Up to five entries are allowed per person, and anyone who turns in five sheets gets one additional entry! This challenge will run from July 1st to August 31st. Contact us at the library with any questions.
Finally, we are grateful to be able to collaborate with West Haven Public Schools once again to hand out free summer lunches for students! Students under 18 years of age can stop by the Main Library at 12pm to receive a free lunch throughout the summer. Free lunches will be available Monday through Friday starting on June 29th and ending on August 14th.
And as a reminder, all West Haven Library locations will be closed on June 19th in celebration of Juneteenth, as well as July 3rd, and July 4th in celebration of America’s Independence! We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday!
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