Continuing the Conversation

Community Book Discussion

Wednesday, May 3rd | 5:30 PM |

Meeting Room


Join us for a discussion moderated by the C.H. Booth's own Tom Nolan and Darcy Sowers on the potential ban of Craig Thompson's seminal graphic novel, Blankets. This discussion will feature a live Q&A from the author, who will be attending virtually.


Check out our donated copies of the book on the 2nd floor, and bring your questions for the event.

Registration encouraged.


In-Person

Register Here

Plastic-Free Living

Monday, April 17th | 6 - 7:30 pm |

Zoom


Plastic. Also known as polymeric material that has the capability of being molded or shaped. There is a lot more to plastics and the damage that they do not only to our planet but also to our bodies. In this course we will cover some of the science, health hazards, and hidden ways that plastics exist and how we can live in a more plastic free world from our homes, groceries, beauty products, clothing and how to become better consumers for both ourselves and the planet.

Please register in advance to receive the Zoom link.


Online

Register Here

Peace & Health: Book Discussion with Charles Barber and Mark Masselli

Wednesday, April 26th | 6:00 - 8:00 pm | Russell Library


In his book Peace & Health: how a group of Small-town activists and college students set out to change healthcare (a recounting the 50-year history of Middletown’s Community Health Center, Inc.), author Charles Barber tells the story of a 20-year-old Mark Masselli, who plants the flag for health equity in his hometown; the daughter of a sharecropper, Reba Moses, who made her way north during the great migration and becomes the North Star of the drive to transform health in the community; the son of a Jewish émigré and pharmacist, Gerry Weitzman, who breaks from his peers to support the cause; the musician and CHC board member, James Moody, Sr., who played in the big bands of the South in the 1930’s; and the Wesleyan student and future US Senator, John Hickenlooper, who helps buy the building so the free clinic would not be shut down permanently. Barber and Masselli will discuss inspiring stories from the book and the ways in which community advocacy can still achieve the seemingly impossible.


In-Person

Register Here

Newtown Author Reading Series:

Andrea Zimmermann

Wednesday, April 19th | 5:00 pm | Meeting Room


Join us for the next session of the Newtown Authors Reading Series! Andrea Zimmermann will be reading and discussing her book, The Great Danbury State Fair, in the Meeting Room of the CH Booth Library. An engaging Q&A will follow, so bring your questions!

Please register for this event to save your seat(s) in the room as seating is limited. Free copies will be available at the desk for those interested in joining the book club.

Time will be allowed for book signing.



In-Person

Register Here

Shining a Light Lecture Series


Greenwich Historical Society presents our annual “Shining a Light” lecture series, dedicated to elevating and amplifying underrepresented voices in local history in order to highlight the stories, research and people who are dedicated to interpreting, restoring and preserving these histories.

Invisible No More: Historic Places Connected to LGBTQ New Yorkers and Commuters

April 13th, 2023


The Missing Stories: South Asian American History from the 1700s to Today

May 4th, 2023


Thirteen Moons: Seasons and Lifeways of the Mashantucket Pequot

May 11th, 2023

Register Here

NNLM Black Maternal Health Week 2023

Black women are more than three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications as white women, regardless of their income or education. This health disparity is why Black Maternal Health Week is an annual national health observance from April 11 to April 17. Because the NNLM (Network of the National Library of Medicine) aims to advance the progress of medicine and improve public health, they are presenting opportunities to learn about Black maternal health during this week.

This April, the NNLM Reading Club highlights previous book selections about Black Maternal Health, along with three new, exciting additions:

  • Medical Bondage: Race, Gender and the Origins of American Gynecology by Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens
  • Pregnant While Black: Advancing Justice for Maternal Health in America by Dr. Monique Rainford
  • Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation by Linda Villarosa


The NNLM Black Maternal Health Webinar Series from April 11 to April 17, 2023 features presentations and discussions from expert guest speakers and NNLM staff. The presentations will enable librarians and community members to learn more about the past, present and future of Black Maternal Health in America.

Register here and listen to their themed Spotify playlist!


Rachel Carson and Her Impact on our Environment

Wednesday, April 26th | 6:00 - 7:30 | Meeting Room |

Come join an In-Person & via Zoom program by Toni McKeen in the Meeting Room at 6:00 pm, introducing us to Rachel Louise Carson and describes the impact she made by heightening awareness of our planet's earth and ocean environments.  Considered by many to be the finest nature writer of the 20th Century she was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist whose influential book Silent Spring, and other writings, are credited with advancing the global environmental movement. She is remembered as the woman who challenged the notion that humans could obtain mastery over nature by using chemicals on it. 

This program is thanks to generous funding from The Friends of the C. H. Booth Library


In-person and Online

Register Here

NASA Ambassador Series: Planetary Protection and the DART Mission

Thursday, April 27th | 6:00 - 7:30 | Meeting Room |

There are tens of thousands of asteroids with orbits that cross Earth’s path. Most pose little or no threat to our inhabitants, but occasionally, a large space rock will pass between the Earth and Moon or even enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Large impacts are rare, but everywhere we look in our solar system, we see craters and other evidence from past collisions with asteroids and other space debris that could have a global impact if Earth had been the target.

Bill Cloutier is our presenter and a NASA Solar System Ambassador (managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory). The program works with volunteer experts across the country to share the latest scientific discoveries from NASA space exploration missions. JPL supports the program with briefings from prominent astronomers, scientists, engineers, technicians and collaborative organizations. Bill is also the founding member of the McCarthy Observatory in New Milford, Connecticut.

Space is limited so register early to save your seat(s) in the room or to receive the Zoom link.



In-person and Online

Register Here

Triangle Community Center

Peer Support Groups


The Triangle Community Center has a number of peer groups for Nonbinary, Transgender, Autism and Anxiety support and more. Groups are available on Zoom and in person, for youths and adults.

Find out more on their website here.



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Find Out More

2023 Nonprofit Education Series

April 5 – 

Core Competencies with A. Nicole Campbell


April 18 – 

Evaluation Services with Anita Baker

Click Here

Social Justice Staff Picks

ONE OF TIME'S TEN MOST IMPORTANT NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY In the searing pages of this classic autobiography, originally published in 1964, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and anti-integrationist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Black Muslim movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American Dream, and the inherent racism in a society that denies its nonwhite citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time. The Autobiography of Malcolm X stands as the definitive statement of a movement and a man whose work was never completed but whose message is timeless. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand America. Praise for The Autobiography of Malcolm X "Extraordinary . . . a brilliant, painful, important book." -- The New York Times "This book will have a permanent place in the literature of the Afro-American struggle." --I.F. Stone


Check it out.

In 1934, with World War II on the horizon, writer Jacob Glatstein (1896-1971) traveled from his home in America to his native Poland to visit his dying mother. One of the foremost Yiddish poets of the day, he used his journey as the basis for two highly autobiographical novellas (translated as The Glatstein Chronicles) in which he intertwines childhood memories with observations of growing antisemitism in Europe. Glatstein's accounts 'stretch like a tightrope across a chasm', writes preeminent Yiddish scholar Ruth Wisse in the Introduction. In Book One, "Homeward Bound", the narrator, Yash, recounts his voyage to his birthplace in Poland and the array of international travelers he meets along the way. Book Two, Homecoming at Twilight, resumes after his mother's funeral and ends with Yash's impending return to the United States, a Jew with an American passport who recognizes the ominous history he is traversing.

Check it out.

Let us know what you think!

Is there programming you want to see more of at the library? Fill out our EDI survey and let us know! We're always looking to add more programming that most interests you. Your voice mattersplease fill out our survey and make your voice heard. We would love to hear your thoughts.

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