Welcome back to Behind the Stacks. We’d like to start with an enthusiastic thank you to all the Westies who weathered the storm and stopped by our booth at the Apple Festival this weekend. Despite the rain, the First Congregational Church once again hosted a wonderful event for the community. It was great to see so many familiar faces as well as new ones. Shout out to all the volunteers who made it possible.
We would also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the local restaurants who were generous enough to donate gift cards to be our Summer Reading BINGO prizes: Nick’s Luncheonette, 744 West, Stowe’s Seafood, and Lorenzo’s Ristorante showed their Westie pride and community-driven spirit with their very gracious donations, and we appreciate it greatly.
Fall has officially arrived, and as we enjoy what some affectionately refer to as the “brrr” or “ber” months (September, October, November, December), the West Haven Library will be having plenty of seasonal events, crafts, and celebrations. Keep up with all the activity by going onto our website and westhavenlibrary.org and checking the “Events” tab. You can also stay informed by downloading the LION app. You can simply search in your phone’s app store for “Libraries Online” and you will see our signature orange LION icon. In addition to keeping up with events, you can use this app to search for books, manage your holds, and receive notifications when items arrive at the library for you. For more information or for assistance, stop by or call the library at (203) 937-4233.
You know the drill: a new month means new Take & Make craft kits from Ora Mason. This month’s adult Take & Make features a DIY Raven Silhouette Trinket Dish. Your kit includes everything you need to create a gothic-inspired décor piece, including an irregularly shaped clay dish, decorative materials, paints, and a brush to personalize your design. Kids can take home supplies to create a Fall Flower Bouquet. All materials are provided to create a colorful bouquet inspired by the season.
Hispanic Heritage Month is also upon us, beginning mid-September through mid-October. This is a time to give extra recognition to the Hispanic and Latinx community and the many contributions they have made to the history and culture of the United States, as well as to teach that appreciation to the next generation. The children’s departments at both Ora Mason and the Main Library will be hosting events in celebration. Children can join us at the Ora Mason Library until October 15th for a fun Hispanic Heritage Month adventure. Pick up a Hispanic Heritage Explorer Passport and explore the Children’s Department to find hidden clues and discover fun facts celebrating Hispanic heritage. Complete your passport and bring it to the desk to receive a special stamp and a small prize. They can also stop by the Graham Room at the Main Library by October 10th to participate in our Fiesta Scavenger Hunt. Search for everything you need for a fiesta, or party, and then solve the puzzle to win a prize.
Does the crisp fall air have you looking for a cozy night in? Try checking out one of our many Binge Boxes–these themed boxes come with 5 to 6 DVDs and complementary microwavable popcorn for the full movie night experience. Ora Mason’s current themes are Disney/Pixar, Spooky Tales, Dreamworks Sequels, and Live Action Remakes. The Main Library’s themes are Artificial Intelligence, Holy Moly Trilogies, Bon Appétit, Animation, as well as two actor-specific Binge Boxes–Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton. Come see us to plan your next movie marathon.
Saturday will be our $10 Fill-A-Bag Book Sale hosted by the Friends of the West Haven Library. The sale will run from 10am to 2pm in the Main Library’s back parking lot. We hope the rain got all out of its system last weekend and are keeping our fingers crossed for clear skies on Saturday. Because our volunteers need time and good weather to set up the sale, if there is rain in the early morning when we are setting up, we will unfortunately have to postpone the sale again. If we do, the rain date is Oct. 17,however, we remain optimistic and have volunteers on deck ready to make this sale a success.
Finally, we have an exciting opportunity coming up for all you Westies to be able to share your feedback and help us shape the future of the West Haven Library. We are currently embarking on the process of building our new strategic plan for the next 3-5 years. Part of this process includes polling community members about the library, so we will be sending out QR codes to online surveys and hosting Community Conversation focus groups at the library. Keep an eye out at the library, in future articles, and on our social media for more information about when the survey and focus groups will go live so you can join in and share your input.
Leave a Reply