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Please note the Library will be closed on
Monday, February 19 in honor of
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A Note from the Director
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Our 125th
year is off to a great start! Thank you for your support of our Anniversary Year Kick-off Matching Gift Campaign on January 25 (1-25) - we raised a tota
l of $5,200 including our anonymous $1,000 donor match towards
our Annual Fund Goal of $115,500! Thank you! To help you track our Annual Fund progress, dedicated library volunteer and artist
Lisa Hill
has designed, created and donated a beautiful Annual Fund bookcase display. It is located adjacent to our media collection.
I am also pleased to announce that Mystic resident David Blakeney (pictured at right) has joined our staff as a Shelver. David has been volunteering at MNL for the last year, and prior to that, he was a Shelver at the Goochland Branch of the Pamunkey Regional Library in Virginia. In fact, David earned Goochland's Volunteer of the Year award. Please join me in welcoming David to the MNL family!
In our second level Spicer Reading Room, we are grateful stewards of the historic Millstone Desk donated to the library in 1990 by James Morgan Miner, Jr., acting on behalf of the Waterford Historical Society. The desk originally served as a drafting table or office desk at the Millstone Quarry Company in Waterford. The complete history of the desk is available for review at the library. We have recently re-purposed this fine piece into a laptop station with added power outlets and stools to allow users to stand or sit while using the library's free Wi-Fi. This project is part of our commitment to honor our past while planning for the current and future needs of our library community.
Also part of this ongoing process is our Strategic Planning project. Over the past year a committee of Trustees, community members and library staff, along with paid consultants from
Empower Success Corps
in Boston, have been meeting and defining our vision, goals and objectives for the library to help guide us in decisions regarding our facility, collections, programs and services. We anticipate releasing our completed plan this spring. In the next week, you will be receiving an email survey asking for your opinions regarding library programming. I hope that you will respond honestly to help us make decisions that best meet your needs.
If you have a suggestion, compliment, or question, please feel free to stop by the library or
email me
anytime. Happy reading.
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Let's Be Friends!
Whether it's February or any time of the year, our favorite Valentines are our MNL Friends!
Our Friends help support our library's collections, programs and services both with volunteer hours and by hosting popular fundraising events such as the
Library Fair and Book Sale
in June, the
"Like New" Book Sale
in December and the
Indoor Yard Sale
in March. You can help support our Friends year-round by purchasing books in their ongoing sale in the stairwell lobby. At just $1 per title, it's quite a bargain!
Anyone who donates to the MNL is a member of our Friends group, but if you would like to get more involved in helping with the Friends' many activities on behalf of the MNL, send an email to
[email protected] or attend a monthly Friends meeting.
The next meeting is
Monday, February 8 at 12 noon in the Ames Room. See you there!
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Take Your Child to the Library Day
Saturday, February 3
It's the perfect day to encourage children to enjoy the library, sign up for a library card, and join others for a day of fun.
The library will have new board games, make your own Valentines and crafts for all ages, including classic dollhouse activities to celebrate the library's 125th Anniversary year.
Come read to Phantom, our Bernese mountain dog friend, or just stop by to say hello.
Our Young Engineers' Club instructor will be demonstrating the Library's 3D printers.
11:00 a.m. - Sit! Stay! Read! with Phantom
1:00 p.m. - Young Engineers' Club Demo
What is the Young Engineers' Club (YEC)?
This exciting new program will begin Saturday, March 10 (11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.) during
Teen Tech Week! In the Spring 2018 session, participants
(ages 10+) will learn the basics of electrical engineering and software development using the Arduino platform. The project for the Spring 2018 session is an automatic plant watering system made from scratch.
We are thrilled to offer this FREE initiative thanks to generous support from the Sidney Gross Memorial Fund. Want more info and/or register?
Click HERE!
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Be
Mindful in 2018
Thursdays
, February 1, February 8 and February 15
from 10:00-11:30 a.m.
in the 2nd Floor Spicer Reading Room
Kristin of
Skillful Meanz will lead another series of these
very popular
meditation classes.
The classes will cover mindfulness of breath, of body, of thoughts, and of emotions, and will consist of some discussions and some guided meditations.
The goal is to get you started on developing a personal practice of your own, that you will continue long after the class is over.
Please note: registration is limited so please sign up here if you are interested!
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Time to Take a Tech Class!
Choice of either 10:15 a.m. OR 5:30 p.m. session
for each class!
Monday, February 5: iPhones and iPads
Monday, February 12
: Clean Up Your Computer
Find out how to clean up your computer and make it run faster! You will learn how to uninstall programs you don't want, get rid of malware and open up new storage space.
Attendees should provide their own devices.
Registration is required
; please sign up via the library website above or call for assistance.
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Friday Feature Films
Fridays at 3:00 p.m.
Bring a snack and a favorite covered drink to enjoy during the show! All are welcome. Click on the title to preview the movie.
Funding generously provided by the Friends of the Mystic & Noank Library--thank you!
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SCORE Workshops
Tuesday, February 13 from 6:00-7:30 p.m.
How important is it to have a business plan? Do you know what a SWOT analysis is? Can the two be connected?
With Economic Development Specialist Tanisha Baptiste, you will learn the importance of both, what they are used for, what information they should contain and what they say about your business!
Tanisha Baptiste
is the Administrative Officer at the U.S. Small Business Administration, Connecticut District Office, acting as an Economic Development Specialist, and as the Assistant to the Veterans Business Development Specialist. Ms. Baptiste is also a Veteran of the United States Army and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration with the UCONN School of Business.
Please register for Tanisha's FREE session here.
Cost, Price and Profit
Tuesday, February 27 from 6:00-7:30.p.m.
Cost and price are independent, yet together they determine your business success and profit. Pricing to be competitive and being profitable are not mutually exclusive. This workshop with
SCORE mentor Eric Munro explores how to develop costs and prices, separately, and avoid common pitfalls such as underestimating real costs, mixing your pricing message and trying to be the lowest price provider.
Eric Munro is a product management, sales and marketing executive with experience in high-technology businesses, both domestically and internationally. Most recently, Eric was Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a telecommunications equipment manufacturer based in Meriden, Connecticut.
Please register for Eric's FREE session
here.
About SCORE: SCORE is a nonprofit association that offers free and confidential advice on starting your own business or improving and growing your existing small business. All 40 counselors in Southeast Connecticut are volunteers, receive no compensation, and are working or retired business owners, executives, and managers. Learn more
here
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All book club meetings are scheduled for the Ames Meeting Room at M&NL. All readers are welcome to join any of these groups. There are no fees, and the Library works to provide copies of the books being discussed. Note: CLAMs participants purchase their books.
Afternoon Book Club
(first Wednesday of the month at 1:00 p.m.)
February 7: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
March 7: A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner
Evening Book Club
(usually first Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m.)
February 7: Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
March 7: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
History Book Club
(second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m.)
February 13: Defenders of the Faith: Charles V, Suleyman the Magnificent and the Battle for Europe, 1520-1536 by James Reston, Jr.
March 13: Catherine the Great by Robert Massie
Captain John Porter Civil War Book Group (third Wednesday of the month at 6:00 p.m.)
February 21:
Lincoln in the Bardo
by
George Saunders
March 21: Stanton: Lincoln's War Secretary by Walter Stahr
CLAMS (Classic Literature at Mystic) Book Club
(Mondays at 7:00 p.m.)
February 5: Candide by Voltaire
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Teen & Children's Programs
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Family Movie Matinees
Saturdays at 3:00 p.m.
Free and open to all! Bring a snack and your favorite covered drink to enjoy during the show.
Funding generously provided by the Friends of the Mystic & Noank Library--thank you!
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Tween/Teen Art Workshops
All classes are free but registration is required. Programs begin at 1:00 p.m. Ages 10+ please.
February 24: Musical Zentangles inspired by On Another Note: the Intersection of Art and Music (Exhibition on view until April 11 at the Museum). Register HERE.
March 24: Paintings inspired by famous female artists to accompany Women's History Month. Register HERE.
April 28: Design your own art deco poster inspired by the traveling NEH exhibition Spirited: Prohibition in America (on view April 4 - May 25 at the Museum). Register HERE.
May 19: Color your own tote inspired by works from our permanent collection on view in American Perspectives. Register HERE.
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Afternoon Wii U Gaming
Stop by the Mystic & Noank Library on Fridays from 3:30 to 5:00 pm for some fun among friends. Get your game on with other kids and teens! Join casual tournaments and game with your friends.
Gaming offers an outlet for creativity and problem solving, while the Library provides an atmosphere of community and sharing. Games are appropriate for ages 9 and up. Come join in on the fun!
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Winter Preschool Storytimes
Winter Storytimes are underway!
Registration is available on via EventKeeper on the library website
now or by calling (860) 536-7721.
StoryTimes are scheduled to meet weekly Mondays through Thursdays, classes consist of stories, finger-plays, crafts, and songs.
Spring Storytime registration begins the last week of February!
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1KBK is a HIT!
We are delighted with the response to our
Groton Education Foundation funded program
1000 Books Before Kindergarten!
We have 59 'readers' registered and 2 have already read 1000 books! Congratulations!
So far, more than 4,400 books have been read by our participants--great job, everyone!
The program is available to all families with children
be
tween the ages of birth to 5 years old. The goal is to read 1000 books together prior to the child's start of formal schooling or Kindergarten.
Sound impossible? It's not!
Three books a day for one year is
over 1000 books
!
We love celebrating the children's successes and honoring them with prizes to keep them motivated! Interested? Stop in the Children's Room and find out more--we'd love to see you.
Sign up in the Children's Room during regular library hours--it's FREE!
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News, Meetings & Programs
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AARP Tax Prep Assistance
Due to scheduling limitations, AARP Tax Prep Assistance will not be available at MNL this year.
Appointments are available at the Groton Senior Center on Tuesdays from February 6
-
April 10, 2018. The hours will be 9:00 a.m.
-
2:00 p.m.
Please call the Senior Center to schedule your appointment. This service is open to both Groton & Stonington residents. You can reach them at
Groton Senior Center, 102 Newtown Rd. Groton at (860) 441-6785.
TVCC also offers Free Tax Prep Assistance by IRS Trained Volunteers at two Mystic Locations by appointment only for households earning less than $54,000. Call 800
-
425
-
6597 for more information and to schedule an appointment.
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Connecticut Book Awards
Connecticut Center for the Book at Connecticut Humanities is now accepting submissions for the
Connecticut Book Awards
!
These awards recognize the best books of 2017 by authors and illustrators who reside in Connecticut. Categories include: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, and Young Readers. Deadline is April 20, 2018. For more information and to submit, please visit
http://bit.ly/2018CBA
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Volunteer Readers Wanted
A homebound gentleman, who is a retired engineer with impaired vision, is looking for volunteers willing to read aloud and discuss books with him in his Mystic home on a weekly basis. He is especially interested in historic fiction, classics and compelling non-fiction.
Ideally, we would like to find a group of volunteers who can alternate 'shifts' as the family is hoping for 2-3 one hour visits each week. The meeting times are flexible during the day. If you are interested in volunteering for this homebound service,
please contact our Library Director, Chris Johnson via email or by phone at 536-7721.
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Brain HQ: Brain Training Software
The library is pleased to provide access to BrainHQ - cutting-edge, research-based, brain training software.
Thanks to generous funding from the Mystic Rotary Club and the library's Kroeger Porter Fund provided by longtime library supporters Captain John D. Porter and his wife Mary Katherine (Kroeger) Porter, this important resource is available to cardholders of all three Groton Libraries - Mystic & Noank Library, Groton Public Library and Bill Memorial Library.
To access BrainHQ, you must have a current library card to one of these three libraries and have set-up a PIN using the
"My Account" link.
Learn more about
BrainHQ
from PositScience.
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On-Going Clubs at M&NL
Cribbage Club
Cribbage is a great way to keep your mind sharp and meet new friends. We meet every Thursday at 3:00 p.m. For more information, please call Donna Anderson at (203) 470-4566 or email
[email protected]
.
Writers' Group
Join a varied group of writers every Monday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. We welcome all genres to discuss, review and work on our craft together.
Knitters Unite
Knitting Club meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. each month (February 13 and 27). All levels are welcome. Please join us!
Mysticalligraphers
Join us on the 2nd Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. each month (February 14)! For more information,
click here.
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Bereavement Counseling
February 6 and February 20 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. (ongoing on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month)
These sessions are open to all who are coping with the loss of a loved one
and led by caring professionals from the Center for Hospice Care of Southeastern CT. Sessions are free but do require pre-registration. Please call (860) 848-5699 to register.
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Museum Passes Available
If the weather outside is frightful, s
top by the Children's Room to review the passes and discounts available. You'll find something of interest
to chase away the winter bluesl!
More information on our website
here!
We thank the Friends of M&NL for their generous support of the museum passes.
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Book-A-Librarian
I
n Need of Technology Tutoring?
If so, please consider the Mystic & Noank Library's Book-a-Librarian program, in which you sign up for an individual one (1) hour session with a librarian and receive a private tutorial on whatever technological query you may have!
Lesson topics have included Windows 10, web design, Microsoft Office, and the use of devices such as Smartphones, iPads, e-readers and social media! New topics include employment websites, resumes and cover letters, web design, and more!
To register, please call the library at (860) 536-7721 or use our online form here!
Appointments must be requested AT LEAST one day ahead of the desired date; they will be scheduled according to the patron's and the librarian's mutual availability.
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Wowbrary!
Don't forget to register for our information service,
Wowbrary
by
simply clicking here!. Be sure to then check your email for the verification message.
With Wowbrary, you will receive a weekly email on Saturday mornings highlighting any new book, audiobook, DVD or CD titles added to our collection in the previous week. A smart link directly into the library catalog will allow you to easily place a reserve on any titles that you wish to check out!
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5200 x "WOW!"
We know we have
amazing
supporters, but we
were treated to an extra display of support on Thursday, January 25 (1/25), raising $5,200!
Thank you to the anonymous donor for the original $1,000 Matching Gift pledge and to YOU, for honoring our 125th Anniversary with generous financial gifts--we smashed our goal!
Won't you help fill our Annual Fund 'shelves'?
Your tax-deductible donation
to our Annual Fund funds the services and resources you need, strengthens our collection and ensures our viability in our unique and special Mystic community.
T
hank you!
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Thank You
We are very grateful to Ken Knott, Jo Wood and Barbara Candler for organizing and sponsoring
Paula's Presents at
The Seasonal Home in Gales Ferry, CT.
Proceeds from this special memorial reception and December holiday sale were presented to the Library recently--totaling more than
$650.00.
We are so honored to be the beneficiary of this memorial gift in
Paula Toomey Knott's name, a special Library patron and much-missed friend.
Thank you, all!
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Thanks to many generous patrons, more than 150 bricks have been purchased for the library--
thank you! Book your brick today!
Perhaps chocolates just won't do for your Valentine, or February marks a special anniversary. A brick might be the perfect present!
Don't miss this opportunity to make a gift of a commemorative brick at M&NL in honor of your loved one, a special memory or to promote your local business.
We are proud to display these meaningful messages on our beautiful entryway
and would love to add your personalized brick to our ever expanding special sidewalk.
Each brick can include up to 3 lines of text with 16 characters per line. Each 4" x 8"
paver is $125.00 and installation of engraved bricks will be done in sections on a rolling basis.
Questions? Contact Karen Bradshaw at (860) 572-8191.
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Share Your Poetry
In celebration of April's
National Poetry Month
, and in honor of the bequest of Jean K. Blanchet, the Mystic & Noank Library is proud to announce the
1st Annual Blanchet Poetry Contest!
We invite you to share your original poetry with the Mystic & Noank Library community!
Submissions will be accepted March 1
-
March 31, 2018. One winner from each of five categories (Gr. K-3; 4-6; 7-8; 9-12; adult) will be announced on Saturday, April 14
at the Library
.
On this day, we will celebrate the birthday of our library founder, Capt. Elihu Spicer, as well as
National Library Week
. The selected poems will be on display in the library. Can't wait to see read what you write! Full contest rules can be read here.
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A Preview of M&NL March 2018 Programs
Great Decisions Discussion Group Returns
Begins March 2 at 10:15 a.m.
AARP Defensive Driving Class
Saturday, March 3 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Powerful Beyond Measure: Claim Your Power Within with Cynthia Mazzaferro
Tuesday, March 6 from 6:00-8:30 p.m.
Learn how your past is still impacting you today and how your self-limiting beliefs, behaviors and expectations are preventing you from living a positive and abundant life.
Young Engineers' Club (YEC)
Begins Saturday, March 10 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Participants will learn the basics of electrical engineering and software development using the Arduino platform. The project for the Spring 2018 session is an automatic plant watering system made from scratch.
This program is open to middle and high school students and will allow participants to tinker, create and build! We will use STEAM
materials, including the
library's 3D printers as part of this program! Registration is limited to 15 but enrollment is FREE, thanks to the generous support of the
Sidney Gross Memorial Fund.
Register HERE!
The Environmental Activism of Beatrix Potter
presented by Tom Verde
Monday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Small Business Administration Workshop: Starting Your Own Business
Wednesday, March 21 at 6:00 p.m.
M&NL 125th Anniversary Event: An Evening with the Gillettes
Co-hosted with Union Baptist Church; Performance will be held in the UBC Sanctuary
Wednesday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m.
Friends' of M&NL Indoor Yard Sale
Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24
Mystic Irish Parade featuring Friends' of the Library Book Cart Drill Team
Sunday, March 25
Library Closed in Honor of Good Friday
Friday, March 30
Save the Dates!
12th Annual Edible Books at Groton Public Library
Sunday, April 8
Shredding Saturday at M&NL
Generously sponsored by
Chelsea Groton Bank
Saturday, April 14 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
3rd Annual Roode Memorial Concert Series
O'Brien Strings Trio:
1800s Music and More
Thursday, April 19 at 6:00 p.m.
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Monday-Wednesday 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Thursday-Friday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday Hours 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Freezing
cold winds,
biting chills, and
white snow fluffed hills
Valentines day, oh how gay!
presidents' day is coming our way.
February, sweet and small, greatest month of all.
- Eric Lies,
28 Word Poem for February
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